Writing the Character-Centered Screenplay, Updated and Expanded Edition
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Book Overview
With this book, Horton, a film scholar and successful screenwriter, provides the definitive work on the character-based screenplay. Exceptionally wide-ranging-covering American, international, mainstream, and "off-Hollywood" films, as well as television-the book offers creative strategies and essential practical information.
Horton begins by placing screenwriting in the context of the storytelling tradition, arguing through literary and cultural analysis that all great stories revolve around a strong central character. He then suggests specific techniques and concepts to help any writer-whether new or experienced-build more vivid characters and screenplays. Centering his discussion around four film examples-including Thelma & Louise and The Silence of the Lambs-and the television series, Northern Exposure, he takes the reader step-by-step through the screenwriting process, starting with the development of multi-dimensional characters and continuing through to rewrite. Finally, he includes a wealth of information about contests, fellowships, and film festivals.
Espousing a new, character-based approach to screenwriting, this engaging, insightful work will prove an essential guide to all of those involved in the writing and development of film scripts.
Customer Reviews
Rated 5 starsA UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
You never know where you'll find good humor. One of the reviews panned this book because it would not help him wrtie movies like "Terminator". THANK GOD! I have found that it's beneficial for me to read a variety of screenplay books, to get different perspectives on the craft. The great thing about Mr. Horton's book is that it offers a very unique perspective of screenwriting, differentfrom...
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Rated 5 starsSyd Field, You Lose
Don't waste any time like I did reading catchy titles like "Writing Screenplays That Sell." If you are serious about writing screenplays, you MUST read "Writing the Character-Centered Screenplay." It is the BEST book out there. It may be difficult to get through, only because it's so thick with good information, but it will give you a solid understanding of how to write great characters. I have serveral books on screenwriting,...
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Rated 5 starsDelightful!
I couldn't put this book down. If I thought this book was boring (as one reader claims), I wouldn't be able to finish reading it, much less finish it in one sitting! Horton delves into subject matter that every screenwriting class I've taken seems to skip. These classes (mostly plot-centered) teach that the "Hollywood" script should have a theme, but that theme is usually the main character's transformation from one...
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Rated 5 starsTremendous!
Horton's well-thought-out book is more than a simple "how-to," or list of "tricks of the trade," it is an exciting blend of theory and instruction. Building on Aristotle's classic three-sided definition of drama, Horton defines the "character-centered" screenplay and leads the reader through a thought-provoking analysis of the workings of this sub-genre. He goes on to explain structure, give tips and even a writing schedule...
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Rated 5 starsSpice up your screen stories with some character gumbo!
You're as likely to discover memorable charactersin most scripts as you are to discover gold dustin the L.A. riverbed. Everyone reverentlypitches "strong characters" as essential to astrong story, but no one tells you how to do this.Andrew Horton eloquently demystifies the processof character creation. Having a MFA in screenwriting, I was familiar with some of thematerial, but I found a lot of the book, includingthe approach,...
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