How to Write a Selling Screenplay

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Summary: Form as Function
Review: Chris Keane manages to inspire the writer in all of us, to duel with the Hollywood dream merchants, using form as function to materialize the imagination into a salable script...

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Summary: Practical guide!
Review: Christopher Keane's screenwriting book is a practical guide on kick-starting your screenwriting career. I found this book filled with on-target and no-nonsense advice about how to get motivated writing, what audience to target, and how to get your screenplay sold. It even has exercise ideas to get you started.

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Summary: Great on Structure and exercises
Review: I got so much out of this book. What is also great is he gives you tons of insite on how to work on getting an agent. Plenty of examples.This and Mckee's Story are must haves!

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Summary: Great Book for all those intrested in screenwrighting
Review: I got this book because i was having problmes setting up my screenplay and putting it on paper, after reading this Wounderful book I found myself wrighting to my hearts content and soon after i had my first screenplay finished. If your looking for a book that explores the three act process and character development this is the book for you!

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Summary: Lots of help
Review: I have 100s of screenplay books and this one ranks among the best. It has a good, general overview of the entire process: from how to structure a screenplay, to the technical part of writing it, to getting an agent. But I especially like the examples. He doesn't just tell you how; he SHOWS you how--with examples from his own writing or his students. Keane gives humorous and eye opening before-and-after examples of more concise and visual writing...And if you ever really want to understand structure and see the big picture of your screenplay before getting swamped with the details of writing, this is the book for you.

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Summary: The best screenwriting guide I have read.
Review: I have found Keane's book to be more helpful than Robert McKee's "Story" and Syd Field's "Screenplay" when starting out. Keane is very clear about the steps necessary to write a consistent, engaging script. At the same time, Keane encourages the reader throughout the long and daunting process of writing and revising. I really enjoyed his list of recommended viewing and the way he refers back to these films throughout the book. I used Keane's guide as a reference for writing my first feature film, which subsequently went into production. I also recommend his book to all my students at the film program I run at Harvard University.

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Summary: The best screenwriting guide I have read.
Review: I have found Keane's book to be more helpful than Robert McKee's "Story" and Syd Field's "Screenplay" when starting out. Keane is very clear about the steps necessary to write a consistent, engaging script. At the same time, Keane encourages the reader throughout the long and daunting process of writing and revising. I really enjoyed his list of recommended viewing and the way he refers back to these films throughout the book. I used Keane's guide as a reference for writing my first feature film, which subsequently went into production. I also recommend his book to all my students at the film program I run at Harvard University.

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Summary: Informative and Extremely Helpful Guide
Review: I have never before written a screenplay and Chris' book has really helped me to get started. His method of first writing a 5 page summary of the story in 3 acts and then a scene-breakdown makes it easy to outline and see the entire story in front of you before you actually dive in and begin to write the screenplay. I disagree with what another user said, I enjoyed his script very much that he included as the second half of his book. Not only was it well-written, it is helpful as well, because he stops every scene or two and gives an explanation. I highly recommend this book if you are planning on getting into screenwriting!

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Summary: Informative and Extremely Helpful Guide
Review: I have never before written a screenplay and Chris' book has really helped me to get started. His method of first writing a 5 page summary of the story in 3 acts and then a scene-breakdown makes it easy to outline and see the entire story in front of you before you actually dive in and begin to write the screenplay. I disagree with what another user said, I enjoyed his script very much that he included as the second half of his book. Not only was it well-written, it is helpful as well, because he stops every scene or two and gives an explanation. I highly recommend this book if you are planning on getting into screenwriting!

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Summary: Script Doc
Review: I was a graduate student of Chris Keane's, and I assure you this man knows what he's talking about. (We used to call him The Script Doc.) No one can teach you how to write (i.e., have original thoughts and turn them into viable, exciting scripts), but Chris did teach me something invaluable: How to edit. Be ruthless. That is perhaps the best skill for any screenwriter, no matter how painful it can be sometimes!