ABSTRACT

Finally, a GPS system for screenwriters!

The potentially long and arduous journey of writing a screenplay was just made easier to navigate with The Screenwriter's Roadmap. Avoid the wrong turns, dead ends, gaping p(l)otholes, and other obstacles that result in frustration , wasted time, and wasted energy. The Screenwriter's Roadmap keeps you on track and helps you reach your destination- a finished, professional quality screenplay.

Neil Landau, a successful Hollywood screenwriter and script doctor with over 2 decades of experience, provides you with 21 Guideposts, that if implemented, will help you nail down your screenplay's story structure, deepen its character arcs, bolster stakes, heighten suspense, and diagnose and repair its potential weaknesses. These Guideposts are based on field-tested, in-the-trenches experiences that have been proven to work.

The Guideposts are augmented by interactive exercises, end of chapter "homework" assignments, examples from the latest blockbusters, as well as over 20 interviews with some of Hollywood's most successful screenwriters and directors, including David S. Goyer (Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises, Man of Steel), David Koepp (Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man, Panic Room, War of the Worlds, Angels & Demons), Melissa Rosenberg (The Twilight Saga: Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: EclipseThe Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, Dexter (TV)), and Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, The Insider, Munich, The Good Shepherd, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close).

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chapter |12 pages

What's the Catch?

Clarify the Central Conflict of Your Premise

chapter |11 pages

Why are we here?

Think of Setting and Time Period as Another Character in Your Screenplay

chapter |15 pages

Who are we Rooting for?

Create an Iconic Protagonist with a Core Contradiction

chapter |19 pages

What's the Point (of View)?

Add Dimension to Characters via POV, Subtext, and Dialogue

chapter |14 pages

What's at Stake?

Give Your Protagonist Something to Win and Something to Lose

chapter |14 pages

What's the Kryptonite?

Determine Your Protagonist's Most Significant Weakness (Achilles' Heel)

chapter |13 pages

Who's the Bad Guy?

Inject a Potent Antagonistic Force

chapter |34 pages

What's the Structural Blueprint?

Draft the Architectural Foundation

chapter |11 pages

What's the Spark?

Hook Your Audience with an “Inciting Incident”

chapter |12 pages

What's the Trap?

Plunge Your Protagonist into Crisis at the End of Act One

chapter |15 pages

What's the Curveball?

Ratchet Up the Stakes at the Midpoint of Act Two

chapter |9 pages

What's the “Aha” Moment?

Position Your Protagonist at a Crossroads at the End of Act Two

chapter |11 pages

What's the Rush?

Set the Clock Ticking

chapter |16 pages

What's the Worst thing that could Happen?

Push Your Protagonist to the Edge at the Climax

chapter |10 pages

Where are we going with all This?

Pay off the Setups

chapter |18 pages

How did we end up here?

Crafting the Inevitable Conclusion

chapter |16 pages

What's the Missing Piece?

Infuse Your Story with a Central Mystery

chapter |12 pages

What's the Movie Really About?

Illuminate the Central Thematic Question

chapter |10 pages

Where is the Heat?

Fuel and Stoke the Dramatic Fire

chapter |8 pages

How Does it Make You Feel?

Connect to the Emotional Core of Your Characters

chapter |15 pages

What's Wrong with this Picture?

Rewrites: Revise and Refine Your Intention and Vision