Best books to learn scriptwriting and screenplays

While this brilliant guide is ostensibly about the art of direction, it’s split up into a plethora of extensive sections suited to budding screenwriters such as ‘What is a story’, ‘Exposition’, ‘A Technique for Having Ideas’ and ‘Slogans for a Screenwriter’s Wall’.

Alexander ‘Sandy’ Mackendrick retired from filmmaking in 1969 and subsequently spent almost 25 years teaching the craft at the California Institute of the Arts. Crafted for students with a foreword by the legendary Martin Scorsese, this may have been published in 2006 but it retains the top spot on class reading lists across the globe for a reason.

Author of Slaughterhouse-Five and Cat’s Cradle among other celebrated works, Kurt Vonnegut was an esteemed American writer celebrated for his darkly comic and satirical novels. This highly unique writer’s memoir and pedagogy was edited by one of Vonnegut’s students at the Iowa Writer’s Workshop from 1965-1967, Suzanne McConnell.

From anecdotes which reveal the writer’s favourite work of art (a letter written by his daughter to a disgruntled customer of the restaurant she had just begun working at), to his foremost writing rule (find a subject you care about) – this is an essential piece of literature for any budding author bookshelf no matter the medium.

The 20th anniversary edition of Claudia H Johnson’s celebrated guide Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect features 11 short screenplays including Barry Jenkins’ (Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk) short film, My Josephine as well as two award-winning new screenplays Killer Kart and The Great Wall of Vicky Lynn.

Johnson herself is an award-winning writer, screenwriter and documentary filmmaker who has received a Pulitzer Prize nomination. In this fifth edition of her screenwriter’s companion, Johnson takes us through the basics of dramatic technique through focused exercises of varying lengths. With the help of witty anecdotes and animated instruction, you’ll learn how to connect more deeply with a screenwriter’s purpose to craft your best screenplay yet.

The perfect option for those interested in adapting novels, and even long-form articles into complete screenplays, Syd Field’s foundational guide is suitable for both aspiring and experienced writers alike. From the very inception of an idea to the completion of a fully-fledged script, Field covers it all with astute insights and engaging step-by-step instruction.

John Truby is an American screenwriter, director, teacher and author who has consulted on over 1,000 film scripts across 30 years. Some of his students have gone on to pen renowned classics such as Sleepless in Seattle, Scream and Shrek. In The Anatomy of a Story, Truby shares the secret behind writing a smash hit by drawing on philosophy and mythology in 22 steps.

If you’ve been circling the world of screenwriting for a while now, you’ll likely have heard fellow auteurs talking about Blake Snyder’s 15-beat method which is outlined in the bestselling Save the Cat! Crafted to help budding writers create marketable speculative screenplays, it’s a fantastic way for absolute beginners to get started – whether you’re creating a long-form YouTube video or your first-ever motion picture.

“Anxious, inexperienced writers obey rules, rebellious unschooled writers break rules; an artist masters the form,” writes author, lecturer and story consultant Robert McKee. Though McKee has written a number of best-selling books on the art of writing and storytelling, Story was his first. It offers a comprehensive and in-depth look at the symbiotic relationship between story and character and the fundamentals of crafting a narrative – from basic to advanced concepts.

Dialogue is arguably the trickiest beast to master. When written masterfully, it appears mystifyingly organic. When written poorly, it becomes stunted and painful. McKee guides budding screenwriters through how to avoid empty dialogue, how to craft effective speeches, how to ensure dialogue holds the reader's attention, how to time dialogue and more using examples from the likes of Casablanca, Breaking Bad, The Sopranos and Frasier.

Lucy Gannon didn’t write her first play until she was 39 years old. In Do Drama, the award-winning playwright, television writer and producer shares what she’s learned over three decades of writing primetime drama. Gannon focuses on how to develop storylines and structure, as well as how to write a treatment with refreshing honesty, wit and encouragement.

John Yorke is the creator of the BBC Writers’ Academy and has brought a vast selection of dramas to British screens. Through Into the Woods, Yorke masterfully crafts both a didactic piece of non-fiction and a wildly entertaining yarn which will re-ignite your love for writing. At its core, the book argues that all art forms require us to traverse the deepest, darkest woods to create something truly magical.