Description
Book SynopsisEven the most gifted screenwriters get lost along the way. Inspired by the work of mythologist Joseph Campbell and psychologist Jean Houston, this title demonstrates how the "screenwriting by numbers" approach that offers templates into which the writer may mechanically drop his or her story idea is fundamentally incomplete.
Trade Review"[This book] demonstrates that good screenwriting is more than hitting the big plot points with exciting action" Writers Forum, November 2008
"Keith Cunningham's The Soul of Screenwriting: On Writing, Dramatic Truth, and Knowing Yourself...offers an unusual survey inspired by the mythic approach of Joseph Campbell and tinged by the psychology background of Jean Jouston, providing a survey of the act of screenwriting and how the writer's brain and experience juxtaposes to influence technique, character development, scene dynamics and results. It's a scholarly analysis recommended for any film or drama collection." -Midwest Book Review, (The Bookwatch), December 2008
"US script-writing guru Keith Cunningham's hefty self-help guide" Total film, 1 May 2009 -- Carmen Gray
Mention -Book News, November 2008
"Writing in a clear, evocative style, screenwriter/consultant Cunningham melds the business side of screenwriting with the craft of screenwriting in an attempt to help writers navigate the often-unwieldy terrain between what an artist needs to create and what the film industry demands as product....In demonstrating the symbiotic relationship between the writer and the world the writer creates, Cunningham offers writers an unique way to view their craft. And he extols the value of truthful writing, as opposed to formulaic writing, and provides a means to remain faithful to one's art while still producing a viable Hollywood product. More than a tool book, this book teaches writers how to persevere as artists. SUMMING UP: Recommended - Choice * Choice *
Table of ContentsPart One: The Living Story; Introduction: The Night of the King Coho; Chapter One: Mirrored in the Story; Chapter Two: The Mythic Dimension of Screenwriting; Chapter Three: Need vs. Mode, The Core of Conflict; Chapter Four: The Story Molecule; Chapter Five: Orchestrating Character and Style; Part Two: Plot and the Dynamics of Creation; Chapter Six: The Soul of Screenplay Structure; Chapter Seven: The Journey in Four Movements; Chapter Eight: Act, Sequence, Scene, Beat: The Dramatic Present; Chapter Nine: The Sixteen Story Steps; Chapter Ten: The Creative Journey of Story Development.
