The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver: How to Recognize, Identify, and Define Screenwriting Problems

The definitive guide to identifying and fixing common screenwriting problems from “the most sought-after screenwriter teacher in the world” (Hollywood Reporter) “If I were writing screenplays . . . I would carry Syd Field around in my back pocket.”—Steven Bochco, writer/producer/director, L.A. Law, Hill Street Blues All writing is rewriting. But what do you change, and how do you change it? All screenplays have problems. They happened to Die Hard: With a Vengeance and Broken Arrow—and didn’t get fixed, leaving the films flawed. They nearly shelved Platoon—until Oliver Stone rewrote the first ten pages and created a classic. They happen to every screenwriter. But good writers see their problems as a springboard to creativity. Bestselling author Syd Field, who worked on over 1,000 screenplays a year, gives you step-by-step instructions on how to make your screenplay shine. With The Screenwriter’s Problem Solver, you’ll learn how to:•Understand what makes great stories work• Make your screenplay work in the first ten pages, using Thelma & Louise and Dances With Wolves as models• Use a “dream assignment” to let your creative self break free overnight• Make action build character, the way Quentin Tarantino does• Recover when you hit the “wall”—and overcome writer’s block forever Field provides the professional secrets that make movies brilliant—secrets that can make your screenplay one headed for success . . . or even Cannes.