The Guide For Every Screenwriter: From Synopsis to Subplots: The Secrets of Screenwriting Revealed

by Geoffrey Calhoun

Screenwriting made simple. The Guide for Every Screenwriter is one of the most efficient instruction manuals on the craft. This book cuts past the verbose exposition, and gets straight to work, delivering sample-driven outlines and templates that anyone can follow. It is quick to use and apply to your work as a side-by-side checklist for the writing process. This is the book for anyone looking to write a screenplay and for any professional needing a refresher.

Genres: Nonfiction, Writing

112 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 29, 2019

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I have little interest in writing a screenplay, I picked up this book because I'm writing a script for a graphic novel, and as yet, there's no single format or style guide for those. They're typically dependent on what works best between the writer and illustrator, but there's enough overlap with the film industry that I figured reading this book might be worthwhile.

And it was! It's refreshingly concise, so I could focus on the things I didn't know without wasting much time sifting through familiar information. It's pretty basic, but since I have no Hollywood ambitions, I was fine with that. I learned enough to be grateful I'm working on a graphic novel instead of a film script.

Now, I'm going to take these tips and RUN AWAY! ˆ_ˆ

[Carolyn McBride · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a screenwriter, nor do I have any aspirations to be one. So why did I request this book? To become a better writer. This book asked questions that made me think about my work in a different way. For example, "What's in your protagonist's fridge?" I hadn't even considered what their fridge might say about them! Concept, theme, mind maps, subplots, visual subtext...I approach all of these differently now and I believe my written work will be all the stronger for it. Also helpful was the section on branding, something I've been attempting to strengthen.
Everyone who writes, whether short fiction, novels or scripts NEEDS to read this! Your work will benefit 100X over for it!

[Kerry Pickens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short provides a overview of the screenwriting process. It does not include how to market your services or the revision process which can take several years.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that will help future screen writer to find a focus what is needed to make their dreams come true all in a step by step easy to ready book. The book has reference areas that will bring readers and future screenwriter excited to fulfill their dreams.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of Geoffrey D. Calhoun

[Erik William · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for information on how to better yourself, your work, and your overall knowledge on screenwriting this is the book for you. Geoffrey puts the power in your hands to becoming better wordsmiths. If you are just starting out, or consider yourself a seasoned professional, I highly reccomend reading this and learning the secrets of screenwriting.

[Wendy Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book presents a solid foundation in the art of screenwriting that translates well to novelists. It discusses the ins and outs of making your characters believable, but flawed and making your antagonist equally as strong but not one-dimensional. It brilliantly lays out an easy to follow structure for your novel and/or screenplay. I highly recommend this book whether a seasoned writer or a newbie. It is easy for even seasoned writers to get caught in the minutia at times. But this book helps you focus on the basics and work from there, especially when you feel something is just not working.

[Catherine A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Guide for Every Screenwriter is a concise and thorough discussion of what makes for a successful screenplay. Geoffrey D. Calhoun writes as a seasoned veteran and an engaging teacher. The topics and details are sequenced in a logical way. The author's diction makes the way for clear, user-friendly content. This book changed the way I look at films. I would definitely recommend this book to teachers of film and/or drama.

[Barbara Tysell · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the clearest and most succinct guide for any screenwriter on the market. It has been very helpful to cleaning up my scripts and guiding some of my writing. Looking forward to Calhoun’s next guide!

[NumberFour · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great book for screenwriters. It's easy to read and the topics are sequenced in a logical way. It's concise and covers every important topic while providing examples.

I'd definitely recommend this book.

I received this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Cat Connor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It's on my kindle (and my phone) so I have it with me all the time. Well written, informative, and easy to follow without being wordy. An absolute must have for any screenwriter.

[Jess Smiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A practical overview of screenwriting basics, including examples of popular films and their creators.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Guide for Every Screenwriter is unique in that it applies across the board to writers if every level as the title claims. For the beginner it is an overview of the craft but also with an insider’s edge of insights and practical tips. For the more experienced writer it’s a handy quick view of essentials and reminders. Definitely a go-to reference during the writing process that doesn’t bog down the writer with unnecessary detail and pontificating. I keep it handy on my e-reader for use whenever I need a refresher, motivation, or inspiration.

[Charles Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Screenwriting is an incredibly difficult craft to grasp and Geoffrey does an amazing job making learning it feel attainable with a lot of useful information on character, story and format. It's an easy read as I read the guide in one sitting and I definitely felt my perspective on screenwriting change for the better after reading. I'll have the guide next to me whenever I sit down to write and refer to it as much as possible because it definitely serves a go-to guide that you can use all the time.

[Valerie Schwartfigure]

Excellent Guide

Great book, especially if you’re overwhelmed by the screenwriting world, this breaks things down nicely. It feels manageable and encouraging. When I started looking into screenwriting, I rented many books from the library, and this one covers a little bit of everything; it has good info on everything from format and structure to plot points, character, concept and more. Also, it’s not overly wordy. It’s to-the-point, so you can read the book pretty quickly. I recommend it for sure!

[Jon Leon Guerrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the literary embodiment of Cut-to-the-Chase. It’s the cornerstone of my effort to simplify my creative process and it’s working beautifully. Great concepts presented by example. Terrific book - the new must-have in every screenwriter’s collection.

[Christina Conrad Keenan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Guide for Every Screenwriter has given me confidence to try my hand at writing about some of the ideas that I've had but didn't really know where to start. It will come in handy to refer back to as well as it is an easy read.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most efficient ways to learn screenplay structure - it references a lot of other script bibles that any aspiring writer should be aware of, distilling them effectively, while offering fresh new insight on how to incorporate subplots.

[Judith Watson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth the miney

I found the book a good summary, but if you needed an explanation of something not understood, forget it. The information just isn’t there.

[Joseph Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome! It features excellent breakdowns of scriptwriting from the basics to advanced technique. A must-have for any screenwriters arsenal of knowledge.

[Neil Chase · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic guide for writers at all levels! Informative and fun, it breaks down complex elements into basics while providing new insights into an established field. Highly recommended!

[Dimi Nakov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely must-read.

[Stephen Mozug · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like that the book contains a small screenplay and has a chapter on formatting. Not too in depth but straightforward.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Succinct, useful, and easy to read. Recommended.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but good

A fast paced read that hits the all the key elements of a good script without being laden with too much hyperbolic chatter.

[Saravana Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good read... All the basic stuff in short.

[Esmeralda T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

An essential reference book with valuable information (on paperback version).

[Rosemary Rey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read many screenwriting craft books over the last seven years. Many are extremely boring and lengthy, but The Guide for Every Screenwriter was refreshingly short and to the point with a sample script. The most important chapter for me is copyrighting the work and not just registering it with the WGA, which I've read many SM posts by other screenwriters to do exclusively. While this craft book can be on your shelf for review, it's not as meaty as the other craft books. But the most important take away is to write and revise often, read other scripts, receive notes, and protect your IP. Ultimately, it gives you a great tool to brand yourself because networking will take your words from page to screen.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

I've read tons of books about screenwriting, and I've even written a few screenplays. Most screenwriting books focus heavily on plot, character, techniques and so on, then spend a little bit of time on whatever else that wasn't the main focus. This book does a great job of helping spread equal focus on all of those areas.

The section on WGA registration vs. copyrighting is definitely one of the better ones that I've come across.

I would say this book is more for a beginner, as there isn't as much focus on rewriting your script and marketing it as I would like. I would add this book to any collection of someone who wants to write their first screenplay.

[Christopher Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Subtitle: From Synopsis to Subplots: The Secrets of Screenwriting Revealed

I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As a writer who has considered writing a screenplay, I had been curious for quite a while to read about the screenwriting process. I placed a request for this book as soon as I saw it available for review.


If you’re looking for a deep dive on screenwriting, this isn’t it. It’s a very quick overview designed to introduce readers to the topic rather than teach them everything they need to know. It gave me enough information to make me want to tinker with writing a screenplay for one of my earlier novels.

I gave The Guide for Every Screenwriter five stars on Goodreads. It provided the type of quick guide to the process that I was looking for and pointed me to other resources to use when I’m ready to learn more.

[Lucretia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful resource that all writers need in their library. I've read a lot of books on story, plot, structure, characters, techniques for this and that, etc, in this book you have them all laid out in easy to follow sections that are clear and to the point. In addition to the crafting sections, I found it extra helpful there were two other parts covering the 'you've written it, what now' of screenwriting. The layout of the book is in an order that makes sense with the writing process and each section is broken into bite sized parts. I read throughout once in a sitting and have gone back to further digest some sections. I know this will be a book I come back to again and again, and even one I keep at my side when I start developing the next story.