Screenplay and Narrative Theory draws attention to the notion that in order to comprehend complex narrative dynamics, which are encountered in a great variety of narrative genres, forms, and formats, a more comprehensive theory of narrative is required. George Varotsis explains how a work of narrative functions synergistically and systemically, as well as elucidates the heuristic problem-solving mechanisms that are employed in various structural levels of thought processes, which allow the coherent accumulative derivative we call a story to emerge. The transition from an empirical to theoretical perspective is achieved by introducing characteristics of complex narrative systems: a network of narrative components, i.e. characters, structure, goals, motivations, theme, plot and subplots, narrative action, etc., which are arranged hierarchically over three fundamental levels of structure, i.e. deep, intermediate, and surface structure, that interact parallel to one another in non-linear ways. Varotsis tackles questions about how stories semantically emerge in the underlying dynamics that allow a work of narrative to function as a unified whole.

Screenwriting and The Unified Theory of Narrative, Part I provides an advanced investigation of narrative structure for readers who wish to understand cinematic storytelling not in terms of its bits and pieces, but as a comprehensive whole. A great story is not a collection of parts, but a process by which many elements interact to create a single meaningful experience. By seeking the principles of these interactions, this book unites the formerly separate structures of plot, character, and theme to reveal for the first time the single overarching structure by which every successful traditionally-told Hollywood or American Independent film abides, regardless of genre, premise, style, or tone. The unified narrative structure is not a formula. It simply reveals the natural method by which great cinematic stories always have and always will unite their many elements into a cohesive line of action that communicates as well as entertains. Whether it be celebratory story like Star Wars, a cautionary tale like Raging Bull, a tragic narrative like Chinatown, or a cynical film like The Godfather, the interactions between plot, character, and theme remain exactly the same. With its approach, The Unified Narrative Structure comes as close as currently possible to a truly universal model of cinematic storytelling; one that takes into account all three dimensions of narrative and stands applicable to virtually any traditional feature-length film.

An analysis of the fundamental narrative structure, why it works, the meanings of stories, and why we tell them in the first place. The idea of Into the Woods is not to supplant works by Aristotle, Lajos Egri, Robert McKee, David Mamet, or any other writers of guides for screenwriters and playwrights, but to pick up on their cues and take the reader on a historical, philosophical, scientific, and psychological journey to the heart of all storytelling. In this exciting and wholly original book, John Yorke not only shows that there is truly a unifying shape to narrative—one that echoes the great fairytale journey into the woods, and one, like any great art, that comes from deep within—he explains why, too. With examples ranging from The Godfather to True Detective, Mad Men to Macbeth, and fairy tales to Forbrydelsen (The Killing), Yorke utilizes Shakespearean five-act structure as a key to analyzing all storytelling in all narrative forms, from film and television to theatre and novel-writing—a big step from the usual three-act approach. Into the Woods: A Five-Act Journey into Story is destined to sit alongside David Mamet’s Three Uses of the Knife, Robert McKee’s Story, Syd Field’s Screenplay, and Lajos Egri’s The Art of Dramatic Writing as one of the most original, useful, and inspiring books ever on dramatic writing. Praise for Into the Woods “Love storytelling? You need this inspiring book. John Yorke dissects the structure of stories with a joyous enthusiasm allied to precise, encyclopedic knowledge. Guaranteed to send you back to your writing desk with newfound excitement and drive.” —Chris Chibnall, creator/writer, Broadchurch and Gracepoint “Outrageously good and by far and away the best book of its kind I’ve ever read. I recognized so much truth in it. But more than that, I learned a great deal. Time and again, Yorke articulates things I’ve always felt but have never been able to describe. . . . This is a love story to story—erudite, witty and full of practical magic. I struggle to think of the writer who wouldn’t benefit from reading it—even if they don’t notice because they’re too busy enjoying every page.” —Neil Cross, creator/writer, Luther and Crossbones “Part ‘how-to’ manual, part ‘why-to’ celebration, Into the Woods is a wide-reaching and infectiously passionate exploration of storytelling in all its guises . . . exciting and thought-provoking.” —Emma Frost, screenwriter, The White Queen and Shameless

Providing examples from well-known movies, Field explains the structural and stylistic elements as well as writing techniques basic to the creation of a successful film script.

Eric Edson has developed a new tool for bringing depth and passion to any screenplay - the ""23 Steps All Great Heroes Must Take."" It's an easy to understand paradigm that provides writers and filmmakers the interconnecting, powerful storytelling elements they need. With true insight, a master teacher of screenwriting pinpoints the story structure reasons most new spec scripts don't sell; then uses scores of examples from popular hit movies to present, step by step, his revolutionary Hero Goal Sequences blueprint for writing blockbuster movies.

A successful screenplay starts with an understanding of the fundamentals of dramatic story structure. In this practical introduction, Edward J. Fink condenses centuries of writing about dramatic theory into ten concise and readable chapters, providing the tools for building an engaging narrative and turning it into an agent-ready script. Fink devotes chapters to expanding on the six basic elements of drama from Aristotle’s Poetics (plot, character, theme, dialogue, sound, and spectacle), the theory and structure of comedy, as well as the concepts of unity, metaphor, style, universality, and catharsis. Key terms and discussion questions encourage readers to think through the components of compelling stories and put them into practice, and script formatting guidelines ensure your finished product looks polished and professional. Dramatic Story Structure is an essential resource not only for aspiring screenwriters, but also for experienced practitioners in need of a refresher on the building blocks of storytelling.

Originally published in French in 1991 by Les Editions du Seuil, Paris. Raises and explores such questions as: What are the necessary conditions for the existence of passion? Can passion be submitted to a logic of language? Does passion allow systemic semiotic transformations? Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

There are many books on screenwriting that claim to have all the answers. Unfortunately, quite often the more aspiring writers read, the more confused they become as they encounter contradictory statements, incomplete perspectives, and methods that fail to do more than scratch the surface. "Screenwriting Down to the Atoms" was written to end all the confusion. It picks up where the best leave off and makes up for where the rest fall short by looking closer and digging deeper to reveal the "true" principles beneath great cinematic stories. No confusion. No contradictions. "Atoms" provides a light in the dark to give a full, simple, and truly effective understanding of the craft. "Screenwriting Down to the Atoms" takes the basics "far beyond" the basics. It begins by putting the entire field under the microscope to challenge, and often refute, ideas writers have been taught to assume for decades. It then builds a simple, systematic approach clear enough for any writer to understand and put directly into use. Readers will discover storytelling's "golden key" - an elegantly-simple structure that forms the basis of all other structures. They will learn how to satisfy viewers by meeting the responsibilities of the "storyteller-audience relationship." They will understand how to creatively control story information to give a narrative the greatest dramatic impact. Most writers toil for years to learn these principles. With "Atoms, " you can have this knowledge from the very start. Whether you are working on your fifteenth screenplay or your first, "Screenwriting Down to the Atoms" gives indispensable knowledge found in no other source. "Atoms" is screencraft for the 21st century. The next generation of guides for the next generation of writers.

The past several decades have seen an explosion of interest in narrative, with this multifaceted object of inquiry becoming a central concern in a wide range of disciplinary fields and research contexts. As accounts of what happened to particular people in particular circumstances and with specific consequences, stories have come to be viewed as a basic human strategy for coming to terms with time, process, and change. However, the very predominance of narrative as a focus of interest across multiple disciplines makes it imperative for scholars, teachers, and students to have access to a comprehensive reference resource.

The great challenge in writing a feature-length screenplay is sustaining audience involvement from page one through 120. Screenwriting: The Sequence Approach expounds on an often-overlooked tool that can be key in solving this problem. A screenplay can be understood as being built of sequences of about fifteen pages each, and by focusing on solving the dramatic aspects of each of these sequences in detail, a writer can more easily conquer the challenges posed by the script as a whole. The sequence approach has its foundation in early Hollywood cinema (until the 1950s, most screenplays were formatted with sequences explicitly identified), and has been rediscovered and used effectively at such film schools as the University of Southern California, Columbia University and Chapman University. This book exposes a wide audience to the approach for the first time, introducing the concept then providing a sequence analysis of eleven significant feature films made between 1940 and 2000: The Shop Around The Corner / Double Indemnity / Nights of Cabiria / North By Northwest / Lawrence of Arabia / The Graduate / One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest / Toy Story / Air Force One / Being John Malkovich / The Fellowship of the Ring