Here are some books
ScriptFLY recommends that will narrow your search through the plethora
of screenwriting book titles. Character and story are always intertwined,
but I've listed (in parenthesis) what I believe is the stronger focus
of the book.
Dictionaries
The American Heritage Dictionary
Thesaurus
Ah, how I love my thesaurus. Your writing software may have a thesaurus,
but you won't be sorry spending the cash on a good thesaurus when you
realize it IS your little helper. I recommend two:
Roget's 21st
Century Thesaurus - Comes in paperback and has a section they call
Concept Index, which can come in handy when seeking words.
The Synonym Finder by Rodale - I have to admit since I bought
The Synonym Finder, I've been grabbing that one first.
Word Finder
This fabulous compliment to your toolbox will give that thesaurus an
extra edge. I recommend:
Random House's
Word Menu - It's organized by subject matter and has juicy sections
that list terms for Verbs of Speech and Expressions, Character and Behavior,
and specific words for describing specific professions and fields. And
has a thesaurus on terminology and jargon.
Grammar
Strunk & White's The Elements of Style -- This is
the classic of grammar books.
Action Grammar, Fast, No-Hassle Answers on Everyday Usage and Punctuation,
by Joanne Feierman.
The Chicago Manual of Style
Baby Names
You'll never again be at a loss for choosing character names, nor will
you be unaware of the name's genesis. There are books with last names
as well. How else can you know that your character Kendrick is of Anglo-Saxon
descendants and has "royal ruler" attributes?
Also books on myth
names and encyclopedia's of God/esses. Especially useful for Sci-Fi
and Fantasy writers. *Added by Rachael Cailliach (eclectic writer)
Slang
There are plenty of books on slang, some are specialized slang: street
slang, hospital slang, sexual slang phrases, as well as general slang.
Slang books are dope for dialogue.
Screenplays
While you don't need a library of other writer's scripts, it comes in
handy to reference them. Sometimes, you just have to read how they wrote
it on the page.
Formatting
Software
Each screenwriter swears by the software they use. I've used Final
Draft for years. All you really need in a software program are:
Formatting Options and a good spell check. If you don't have the money
for a good software package, use any word software and program your
macros according to standard screenplay format.
The main thing you're
looking for in software is the ability to re-format or change elements
globally with just a few clicks.
Formatting
Book
The Complete Guide to Standard Script Formats (Part 1: The Screenplay),
by Cole/Haag - This book tells you how to set up your margins for
those who do not have screenwriting software. It also goes into what
fonts to use, how to write scene headings (sluglines), title page margins,
etc.
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