Rating: 
Summary: One of the best out there!
Review: Awesome, awesome book! I've purchased six books on screenwriting and so far this is the best one I've found!
Rating: 
Summary: HELP FOR THE ROOKIE WRITERS!
Review: I appreciate this book, as a tool for starting out. I am working on my first script, which is based upon my first book. Thanks for the great reviews, and experience from the other writers. This is like a peer group, smash it or trash it session. Good Luck to all of you.
I also purchaed the "MOVIE MAGIC SCREENWRITING" software. Next books will be: "The Screenwriter's Bible" and "How NOT to Write a Screenplay"
SHOCK THERAPY PUBLISHING llc.
Rating:
Summary: Very useful...
Review: I found the teach yourself screenwritng book to be extremely useful in my attempts to write a screen play. This is the first book that really breaks down stories into it's smallles fragments sothat you can understand it. Throught the book the authour uses the movie Witness as a model story. What I appreciated about this book is how it explains each and every part of a story. From the inital idea to the resolution. There is also a handy appendix section that provides info on scrreenwriting books, magazines, workshops, organizations, seminars and web sites. Very useful
Rating: 
Summary: Takes the fun out of screenwriting
Review: I found this book to be cluttered up with rules and what not. It was more like filling out an application form and checking if you're making the requirements rather than a movie with themes and emotions.I found it disheartening and it nearly made me give up screenwriting One to avoid I urge you.
Rating:
Summary: My First and Still My Favorite
Review: I read this before reading Syd Field, Christopher Vogler, and the others. This book is almost intimidating in its detail, but for a self-teaching writer I recommend it above the others because: 1. MORE DETAILED STRUCTURE. Frensham breaks down the structure of a script into smaller, tighter detail than simply having three acts, or three plot points. Once you know the material, cliche cliche, you can play with it, but it's revealing to see how the whole thing hangs together. 2. MORE KINDS OF STRUCTURE. Having broken movie structure down by scene and climaxes, Frensham then proceeds to break it down by sequences. Additional analytical tools give you more ways to think about a movie and therefore more ways to diagnose the illnesses of your own writing. 3. EXERCISES. Frensham explains a concept and then gives you homework. Go watch movies A, B, C and D and identify X, Y and Z about them. Great practice, and once you've done it with the films you know, it becomes very easy to do it with new films. 4. ALL ABOUT WRITING. Frensham wastes very little time on trying to tell you how to second guess the reader, the producer or the market or whining about pet peeves or sharpening his ax for bloodshed. There is some information about marketing, but mostly this book is what it declares itself to be in its title -- a tool for teaching yourself to write. Bon appetit.
Rating:
Summary: My First and Still My Favorite
Review: I read this before reading Syd Field, Christopher Vogler, and the others. This book is almost intimidating in its detail, but for a self-teaching writer I recommend it above the others because: 1. MORE DETAILED STRUCTURE. Frensham breaks down the structure of a script into smaller, tighter detail than simply having three acts, or three plot points. Once you know the material, cliche cliche, you can play with it, but it's revealing to see how the whole thing hangs together. 2. MORE KINDS OF STRUCTURE. Having broken movie structure down by scene and climaxes, Frensham then proceeds to break it down by sequences. Additional analytical tools give you more ways to think about a movie and therefore more ways to diagnose the illnesses of your own writing. 3. EXERCISES. Frensham explains a concept and then gives you homework. Go watch movies A, B, C and D and identify X, Y and Z about them. Great practice, and once you've done it with the films you know, it becomes very easy to do it with new films. 4. ALL ABOUT WRITING. Frensham wastes very little time on trying to tell you how to second guess the reader, the producer or the market or whining about pet peeves or sharpening his ax for bloodshed. There is some information about marketing, but mostly this book is what it declares itself to be in its title -- a tool for teaching yourself to write. Bon appetit.
Rating:
Summary: A great starting point.
Review: I spent over an hour browsing and skimming through all the highly accredited, big name screenwriting books. I found that this one, above all, was the most informative. Whilst some of the others were more helpful with generally improving your writing skills and story structure, etc, this one covers the fundamentals and is more ideal for those at a beginner level. Basically, it covers the same ground as the others but narrows it down to basic, comprehensive to-the-point terms and guidelines. Not to say that it is brief or fast-paced. It is very helpful in the sense that it covers most areas extensively with many added points and examples. I found that next to none of the other books went over the actual screenplay layout and overall structure. There was barely anything about the camera or scene direction. They were more about visual thinking, developing your own style and being competitive in the modern industry. This book explains all of that and also encourages you to explore alternative source material.
I recommend this book to all beginners. It will inspire and motivate you and possibly provide you with the sort of answers you start out with. Start with this one, it is definitely shelf-worthy and good to just pick up and read a particular section if you're unsure about something. The most important thing to do in the end is write! Don't just talk about it, do it!
Rating:
Summary: A great starting point.
Review: I spent over an hour browsing and skimming through all the highly accredited, big name screenwriting books. I found that this one, above all, was the most informative. Whilst some of the others were more helpful with generally improving your writing skills and story structure, etc, this one covers the fundamentals and is more ideal for those at a beginner level. Basically, it covers the same ground as the others but narrows it down to basic, comprehensive to-the-point terms and guidelines. Not to say that it is brief or fast-paced. It is very helpful in the sense that it covers most areas extensively with many added points and examples. I found that next to none of the other books went over the actual screenplay layout and overall structure. There was barely anything about the camera or scene direction. They were more about visual thinking, developing your own style and being competitive in the modern industry. This book explains all of that and also encourages you to explore alternative source material.
I recommend this book to all beginners. It will inspire and motivate you and possibly provide you with the sort of answers you start out with. Start with this one, it is definitely shelf-worthy and good to just pick up and read a particular section if you're unsure about something. The most important thing to do in the end is write! Don't just talk about it, do it!
Rating:
Summary: All encompassing... and it fits in your back pocket
Review: I've been trying to get my hands on any and every screenwriting book I can find. I have the desire and ideas but I want to make sure I'm following the rules, and Mr. Frensham does a very good job explaining them. There are plenty of exercises to keep you busy for a long time before writing one word of screenplay. The underlying theme of the book is: THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS! This book could easily take the place of one of the intensive week long writing classes being offered these days. The areas covered are Layout, Originating Your Ideas, Developing the Ideas, Creating Characters, Character Growth, Sequences and Scenes, Emotions, Rewrites, Assembling Portfolios, Copyrighting, Agents, Your Writing Career, The Industry, and finally an excellent Appendix of addresses for various screenwriting related topics. Out of the 22 chapters included, the shortest one at two pages is entitled THE ACTUAL WRITING, and if you read this book you will realize the actual writing of the screenplay is the least amount of work. A very, very, good book and it fits in my pocket.
Rating:
Summary: The Only Book You Need
Review: I've read other books about screenwriting but I was always somewhat disappointed with them. I realized why after I read "Teach Yourself Screenwriting." It's the only book I've seen on the subject that is really complete and comprehensive. All others have too many shortcomings. What I loved most was the way the book provides a detailed analysis of the structure of a good screenplay, clearly outlining the three act structure, the make up of scenes, the use of inciting incidents and turning points, etc. It gives specific examples of all of these elements from great scripts like "Witness." The only criticism I have is that it is a little vague about subtext and dialogue. Instead of abstract descripions of these elements I would like to see examples. For example, the author could have given several examples of good dialogue side-by-side with examples of bad dialogue, etc. But overall I found the book to be very well-written and extremely helpful. I utilized it extensively while I was writing my first screenplay which is now going through the Screenwriters' Workshop on Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope site and is getting good reviews. I certainly give credit for this to what I learned from this book.
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