This guide helps writers understand how and why great films work as well as how great form and function can combine to bring a story alive.

Secrets of Screenplay Structure

Humor & Entertainment

Cowgill, Linda J.

Movies

Lone Eagle

Writing Short Films is one of the bestselling university text books on writing short film screenplays. This updated and revised edition includes several new chapters.

Writing Short Films: Structure and Content for Screenwriters

The Art of Plotting is a complete, clear guide to creating compelling plots for film. Integrate plot, characterization, and exposition to make stories real. Learn with examples from new and classic movies examine great plots in action. Plot must be as much about the emotions of the characters as it is about the events of the story. That’s the message of The Art of Plotting, which teaches screenwriters how to integrate plot, characterization, and exposition to make stories compelling. Using examples from recent and classic movies, author Linda J. Cowgill demonstrates how the plot springs naturally from the characters—and how that technique makes audiences connect with the story on a more intimate level. Examples include American Beauty, Shakespeare in Love, Erin Brockovich, Spider-Man, Chinatown, Jaws, and more. Easy exercises reveal common plot problems and help writers overcome them. Clear and easy to understand and to use, The Art of Plotting shows exactly how great plotting evolves from characters caught in life-changing conflicts—and how to create great plots driven by that idea.

The Art of Plotting: Add Emotion, Suspense, and Depth to your Screenplay

Literature & Fiction

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Cowgill, Linda J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Cowgill, Linda J.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Cowgill, Linda J.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Secrets of Screenplay Structure

Writing Short Films: Structure and Content for Screenwriters

The Art of Plotting: Add Emotion, Suspense, and Depth to your Screenplay