Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Writing Movies

Rate this book
To break into the screenwriting game, you need a screenplay that is not just good, but great. Superlative. Stellar. In Writing Movies you'll find everything you need to know to reach this level. And, like the very best teachers, Writing Movies is always practical, accessible, and entertaining.
The book provides a comprehensive look at screenwriting, covering all the fundamentals (plot, character, scenes, dialogue, etc.) and such crucial-but seldom discussed-topics as description, voice, tone, and theme. These concepts are illustrated through analysis of five brilliant screenplays- Die Hard , Thelma & Louise , Tootsie , Sideways , and The Shawshank Redemption . Also included are writing assignments and step-by-step tasks that take writers from rough idea to polished screenplay. Written by Gotham Writers' Workshop expert instructors, Writing Movies offers the same winning style and clarity of presentation that have made a success of Gotham's previous book Writing Fiction , which is now in its 7th printing.
Named the "best class for screenwriters" in New York City by MovieMaker Magazine, Gotham Writers' Workshop is America's leading private creative writing school, offering classes in Manhattan and on the Web at www.WritingClasses.com. The school's interactive online classes, selected as "Best of the Web" by Forbes, have attracted thousands of aspiring writers from across the United States and more than sixty countries.

400 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2003

Loading interface...
Loading interface...

About the author

Alexander Steele

21 books9 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
63 (30%)
4 stars
93 (45%)
3 stars
39 (19%)
2 stars
8 (3%)
1 star
2 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Ricard.
373 reviews50 followers
August 4, 2018
A nivel técnico sobre creación y construcción de argumentos, es muy bueno. Quizás el libro compañero "Escribir Ficción" va más al detalle de las formas y maneras de expresar cosas, y este radica su interés en el análisis de como ir enlazando escenas y eventos, el ritmo, los personajes, etc.

Me dejo, como siempre, los últimos dos capis de corrección y mundo de la publicación, puesto que aún no he escrito nada.
Pero lo recomiendo igual de encarecidamente q "Escribir Ficción". Más, incluso, si te gusta crear a partir de argumentos más visuales y eres amante cinéfilo como yo.
Profile Image for Maddie.
273 reviews14 followers
December 6, 2021
Had to read it for skew. Make sure that you're well-aware of the example movies that they use because you're gonna get kind of lost reading the book.
For a book about writing movies, it's kind of dry af.
Profile Image for Jefferey Spivey.
Author 4 books5 followers
June 4, 2017
This is an extremely comprehensive guide about writing screenplays.
There's a great balance between the art/craft of creating a great story and understanding the formatting guidelines (which are very specific). Each chapter uses crisp direction and analysis to explain concepts in a way that's understandable and applicable. Additionally, purchasing the book gives you access to 5 classic screenplays to see these concepts in action.
I appreciate that the chapter on selling your screenplay is realistic. The author doesn't mince words about the difficulty of breaking into the business.
I plan on referencing this resource again and again.
If you're looking for a guide to writing screenplays that covers everything, this is it.
Profile Image for Jonathan.
676 reviews59 followers
February 25, 2019
Generally speaking, this offers a lot of helpful advice. And the films focused on are high quality screenplays. However, since each chapter is by a different person, offering more variety in the screenplays covered would’ve been great. I mean not every writer necessarily agrees on the quality of another’s work. And different writers also have different inspirations into what got them into writing. Having a bit more of a dynamic focus would’ve made this a 5-star book for me.
Profile Image for César Vásquez.
61 reviews3 followers
December 1, 2023
Un muy buen libro para entender el guión en su parte más técnica. A pesar de que he leído varios más sobre el tema, creo que este te puede ayudar a cosas más concisas sin tanto rodeo. No sé si se lo recomendaría a alguien que ya sepa de guión y busque algo más sobre la narrativa. Sin duda se lo recomendaría a quienes apenas van empezando pues deja todo muy claro.
Profile Image for Abby.
289 reviews9 followers
October 21, 2019
Los ejercicios hacen de este libro lo más interesante. Las recomendaciones cinematográficas que tiene entran en todos los gustos del público. Uno que otro secreto del cine es revelado y, mejor aún, aprendes a ver el cine de otra forma.
Profile Image for Gonzalo.
128 reviews5 followers
August 17, 2017
Excellent book on writing movies, a must-read for anyone who is delving into screenwrting.
Profile Image for FM.
14 reviews5 followers
February 17, 2020
I really enjoyed this one. Actually one of the more satisfying reads I've had on the issue. Maybe because I've felt it as not depressing, not sparkly-eyed, not heavy, not light, it just felt fitting.
Profile Image for M.C.
418 reviews74 followers
January 24, 2022
Está bien, pero los he leído mejores y más originales de este tema. Si no se conocen otras obras, pues está bien como punto de partida.
Profile Image for Marco .
61 reviews6 followers
December 29, 2022
Excelente libro si no tienes idea de lo que debes considerar para un guión
Profile Image for Virginia.
474 reviews13 followers
April 13, 2013
This book is written by several different authors. I would have liked some information on the authors so I'd know how to value what they were saying.

The tone of the book was very literary. For example, on p. 25, in discussing Orson Welles and his dedication to the craft of storytelling, as well as his daring choices in Citizen Cane, Alexander Steele says: Orson Welles wasn't a know-it-all. He was a student, a human sponge who absorbed everything around him then let it rain down in a fresh way. That's how you innovate.

Except that doesn't really tell you anything.

However, I did find the book useful in providing information on how to organize a story, how to keep it interesting, and how to plot key developments.

I bought the book because, when I envision writing, I see everything very clearly, which I thought would lend itself more towards writing screenplays than novels. However, after reading this book, I don't think writing screenplays sounds like very much fun, but I do think the information in the book will be helpful in writing novels.
Profile Image for Patricia Ayuste.
Author 0 books262 followers
May 29, 2021
Puntuación: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

A través de cinco grandes películas y numerosísimos ejemplos y ejercicios, "Escribir cine" es una fabulosa guía para destripar el guion cinematográfico y poder comprender sus distintas partes para empezar a escribir guiones o mejorar tu técnica. Cómo enlazar escenas, presentar personajes, crear el ritmo de la historia,... a través de diversos capítulos narrados por diferentes autores que enriquecen con sus respectivos puntos de vista.

✔️ Puntos fuertes: lenguaje claro y sencillo, ejercicios prácticos y útiles, ejemplos a través de conocidas películas, aprender los entresijos de las historias y a ver el cine desde otro punto de vista

❤ Te gustará si: te estás iniciando en el mundo de la escritura, en la creación de historias o en el guion cinematográfico, si buscas ampliar conocimiento y recursos o mejorar tu técnica.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
83 reviews22 followers
October 28, 2009
There are several typos in this book, which is a pet peeve of mine, but it's a solid resource that uses five iconic and diverse films -- Die Hard (the blockbuster), Thelma & Louise (the character dramedy), Tootsie (the comedy), Sideways (the indie) and The Shawshank Redemption (the wild card) -- to illustrate how fundamental screenwriting principles can be adapted to a wide variety of stories.
Profile Image for Jerjonji.
Author 4 books17 followers
May 10, 2010
In the past five years, I've read most of the important books about screenplay writing, but this one clicked with me. From the opening sentence, I got it. It was so helpful that I am mourning returning to it the library! Written simply, with useable exercises, it forces you to look at your work, piece by piece, as if you were actually taking the screenwriting workshop with the authors- practical, insightful, critical for anyone learning to write screenplays on their own!
Profile Image for Tinkerbell.
417 reviews3 followers
April 2, 2014
This is an amazing book. After reading Robert McKee's "Story" I really didn't think any other book on screenwriting could come close. This book is awesome. It is wonderful to get different perspectives, plus "Writing Movies" fills in some gaps left by my study of "Story." I didn't know about the format of a screenplay and what to do once you have written the darn thing. Well, now I do. Thanks to the Gotham Writers' Workshop, and to my friend Huy for recommending it.
Profile Image for Elliot Richards.
242 reviews1 follower
June 2, 2013
One of the best screenwriting books I've read by a long shot, it's full of practical advice and very well put together. It's a great read too, and I enjoy dipping in and out. I like the fact that each chapter is written by someone else and they all have their own style which keeps it interesting. I borrowed a copy before buying my own, there are so many books out there that it's hard to know which ones resonate with you and which ones are complete rubbish.
Profile Image for Aída Alonso Peral.
179 reviews3 followers
October 14, 2022
Recomiendo muchísimo este libro para los cineastas de profesión y de corazón. Está muy bien hecho y es muy divertido. Aunque, según mi experiencia, considero beneficioso para el aprendizaje leerse primero otro título de la misma escuela, Escribir ficción, antes de comenzar con este. Haciéndolo de esta forma me sentí muy satisfecha porque se completaron los conocimientos con más facilidad.
Profile Image for Andrew.
46 reviews1 follower
November 27, 2007
I read a few books on screen writing before I dived into it, and this one stood head and shoulders above the rest. Easy to follow, with plenty of clear examples, I not only learned from this book, I enjoyed reading it. Buy this book and a copy of Final Draft and get writing!
Profile Image for Raul Duarte.
144 reviews7 followers
August 14, 2021
Un gran libro que nos introduce al guion cinematográfico, es muy claro y tiene consejos útiles. Cada capítulo está escrito por una persona diferente por lo que hay variedad en cuestión de puntos de vista.

Recomendado para los que les interesa y quieren empezar a escribir guiones.
Profile Image for Eric.
35 reviews
January 12, 2016
An awesome book on how to write screenplays. I used this book in/for my screenwriting class in college, it's very thorough and helpful, a definite must for anyone curious or pursuing a degree in film or screenwriting!
Profile Image for Andrea.
99 reviews10 followers
Read
December 18, 2016
Lo he usado como bibliografía para mis clases de guion de ficción. La verdad es que me gustaría haber tenido bastante más tiempo para leerlo tranquilamente y poder hacer bien los ejercicios.

Lo recomiendo no solo a guionistas sino a cualquiera que quiera escribir historias.
Profile Image for Jane.
Author 3 books29 followers
October 22, 2008
A great guide. Straighforward, clear, practical.
Profile Image for Cindy Lapeña.
4 reviews
December 6, 2013
Lots of useful information. Because each chapter is written by a different writer, you get different perspectives. Provides jargon that would otherwise stymie the newbie.
22 reviews
October 21, 2014
"Persistent of Vision...
Be patient & persistent! Eventually everything you learn will blur together in your mind as a wondrous and flowing whoe reality, it will." page 28

love the reading.

Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.