Research help for finding, evaluating, using source material to inform, enhance, and
develop aspects of your creative writing, such as people, places and things.
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) contains writing resources and instructional materials focused on the writing process, academic writing, mechanics, grammar, punctuation, and more.
Creative Writing - help with the basics of creative writing, including resources on writing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
Crafting Short Screenplays that Connect introduces the essential element of 'human connection' - the ability to 'touch' the reader or observer - to the screenwriting and story creation process for short films. Claudia Hunter Johnson teaches the craft of short screenplay writing by guiding you through carefully focused writing exercises of increasing length and complexity. You will learn how to think more deeply about the screenwriter's purposes, craft an effective pattern of human change, and hone your vision and process for your short screenplays.
Every film development executive says they're looking for original stories. Maverick Screenwriting will teach you how to play with advanced narrative techniques - time, logic and reality - that change the way we look at the world. Discover the techniques that give films like The Matrix, The Truman Show and Avatar an original twist. You will learn: the difference between plot-driven and concept-driven films how to play with time, reality and point-of-view in radical ways how to emotionally connect with your audience how to create a 'Matrix' that will hold your story together how to push your concept to the limit- how to tell a story that expresses the unique way you look at the world In Maverick Screenwriting, writers, development executives, producers and directors will all find inspiration and new approaches that will help your film project stand out.
Confused at the outline stage? Stuck in the swamp of Act Two? Don't know who your protagonist is or where she's going? You might feel like a hack. But don't worry-you're not alone. Even the most experienced writers feel like this at times. Sometimes we just need a few short pointers and reminders to set us on the path again. Xander Bennett worked as a script reader in the trenches of Hollywood, reading and covering hundreds of mediocre screenplays. Xander started a blog called 'Screenwriting Tips, You Hack', a place designed to provide short, witty tips on screenwriting for amateur writers all the way up to journeymen scribes. This book is the evolution of that blog. Dozens of the best scripts (along with many brand-new ones) have been expanded into bite-sized chapters full of funny, insightful, highly usable advice.
Alternative Scriptwriting 4E is an insightful and inspiring book on screenwriting concerned with challenging you to take creative risks with genre, tone, character, and structure. Concerned with exploring alternative approaches beyond the traditional three-act structure, Alternative Scriptwriting first defines conventional approach, suggests alternatives, then provides case studies. These contemporary examples and case studies demonstrate what works, what doesn't, and why. Because the film industry as well as the public demand greater and greater creativity, one must go beyond the traditional three-act restorative and predictable plot to test your limits and break new creative ground. Rather than teaching writing in a tired formulaic manner, this book elevates the subject and provides inspiration to reach new creative heights.