Publisher's Synopsis
Write and sell your best book - by learning from the movies!
Are you finally committed to writing that novel or screenplay, but have no idea how to get started? Or are you a published author, but know you need some plotting help to move your books and career up to that next level? Screenwriting is based on a simple and powerful structure that you already know from watching so many movies and television shows in your lifetime. It's a structure that your reader or audience unconsciously expects, and is crucial for you to deliver - whether you're traditionally published or self-publishing; writing mystery, romance, thriller, science fiction, fantasy, paranormal or cozy. In this textbook of the internationally acclaimed SCREENWRITING TRICKS FOR AUTHORS workshop, award-winning author/screenwriter Alexandra Sokoloff will show you how to jump-start your plot and bring your characters and scenes vibrantly alive on the page - by watching your favorite movies and learning from the storytelling tricks of great filmmakers: - The High Concept Premise- The Three-Act, Eight-Sequence Structure
- The Storyboard Grid
- The Index Card Method of Plotting
- The Setpiece Scene
- Techniques of film pacing and suspense, character arc and drive, visual storytelling, and building image systems. Every aspect of writing a book is covered, from finding a great idea to final draft: Plot, theme, character development, setting, world building, dialogue, pacing, conflict, suspense - with hundreds of examples from well-known movies, books and TV. Find extra support from the author on her Screenwriting Tricks for Authors Substack!
WHAT AUTHORS ARE SAYING: "Alex Sokoloff's STEALING HOLLYWOOD is the owner's manual that belongs in every writer's toolkit. Alex dissects the elements of storytelling with clarity, wit and wisdom. Don't thank me-buy the damn book!"
-Mary Kay Andrews, New York Times bestselling author "I'd already written fifteen novels by the time I met Alex and discovered her unique approach to structuring fiction. She changed my entire writing process for the better. I couldn't live without my three-act storyboard! Alex is a gifted and generous teacher and author, and STEALING HOLLYWOOD is a must-have book for new and seasoned writers alike."
-International bestselling author Diane Chamberlain "No one does story analysis better than Sokoloff."
-International bestselling author Steve Cavanagh "Sokoloff's advice is spot-on, and her teaching style is direct and effective. A must-have book for authors and screenwriters."
-JA Konrath, bestselling author of A Newbie's Guide to Publishing "Whether you're an old pro or an apprehensive beginner, Alex Sokoloff offers a sensible nuts-and-bolts approach that puts you in control of your material."
-Margaret Maron, Edgar(R), Agatha, Anthony & Macavity Award-winning author of the Deborah Knott mysteries "Sokoloff is a generous mentor with the gifted ability to address a storyteller's practical concerns while encouraging artistic integrity and every author's unique voice. Only three of my half dozen novels have been written with her unwitting guidance, but I can guarantee that with this book at my fingertips, all my future work-and my reading audience-will benefit from her advice. Recommended without reservation."
-Vicki Pettersson, bestselling author of the Sign of the Zodiac series
