Secrets of Screenplay Structure

Linda Cowgill's Secrets of Screenplay Structure is the finest example of accessible scholarship I have ever read. (I say this as a UCLA Ph.D. in Comparative Literature). Not only is it evident that Cowgill is someone who has what it takes to write REAL screenplays with depth and intelligence (we need more of those!), it is clear that she also has the ability to take the best films apart--like swiss watches--and help us understand exactly what makes them tick. And like a swiss watch, Cowgill's book is exceptionally well put together. A listing of the titles of the 18 succinct chapters of Secrets of Screenplay Structure might help give an indication of the tremendous scope and depth of Cowgill's book, which analyzes and illustrates all of the major elements of story through film. Each chapter features a current or classic "study film," to illustrate its chapter's main points. The book is divided as follows: 1)The Essence of Dramatic Structure; 2)The Three-Part Nature of Screenplay Structure ("Witness"); 3) Five key Focal Points (focusing on the THREE-ACT structure and its segments) ("Risky Business"); 4)Characterization's Relationship to Structure--including the vital point of character development and its relationship to plot structure("Casablanca"); 5)Theme's Relationship to Structure ("The Piano"); 6)The Structure of Plotting ("Chinatown"); 7) Review, which includes detailing the mechanics of what characters WANT and what,in contradiction, they NEED ("Quiz Show"); 8)The Structure of Subplots ("Tootsie"); 9) Structure and the Ensemble Film ("Diner," "Parenthood," "The Best Years of Our Lives,"Grand Hotel"); 10) Structure and the Nonlinear Plot ("Citizen Kane" and others); 11)Building Momentum: Structuring Scene and Action Sequences ("The Last of the Mohicans"); 12) Openings and Main Exposition ("Jerry Maguire"); 13)The Middle--the Rising Action; ("North by Northwest") 14)The Main Climax and Resolution ("One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"); 15)The Structure of Planting and Payoff ("Groundhog Day"); 16)The Structure of Scenes ("Se7en"); 17)Dialogue ("It Happened One Night"); 18)The Subtext of Meaning ("Thelma and Louise"). Cowgill's study films are works that have been used as examples in many other current screenplay writing books. However, Cowgill presents these films with a fresh, exceptionally insightful perspective, never wavering from the point she wishes to teach through the films' specific examples. Her thought is ORGANIZED; her writing is exemplary: clear, concise, lively and engaging. I highly recommend Secrets of Screenplay Structure to new and established writers of any form of fiction. It is an elegant work of scholarship and practical advice by an artist in her own right. The only name that comes to mind right now who could pull off such dual and contradictory roles is that of T.S. Eliot. Carol Zapata-Whelan, Ph.D. California State University, Fresno

This book is a real find! I've read more than a few screenwriting manuals, and have film and television credits, but this is one of the best. Instead of just laying on theory and formulas, this book leads you through the principles of screenwriting. It builds on fundamentals and really teaches you what to look for when you analyse a movie, then it helps you then apply these same criteria to your own project. The book uses a limited number of film examples, directing you to watch these films either before or while you read a chapter. (If you can find a copy of the script, she tells you to read this before you watch the film! But watch the film!)This is especially helpful, because the points made become crystal clear. Many films change between even the final shooting script and the movie that's made. Cowgill addresses this, showing why changes are made and talks about what makes the film better. Limiting the number of example films is also helpful, because you are not overwhelmed by information on films you have never seen or have no intention of seeing. For the most part, she selects popular and great films for each of her chapters. Author Cowgill also includes a detailed chapter on nonlinear films. This is a real find. One of the hardest structures to master, very little has been written about it to help a writer working in this area, and yet it's popular with many filmmakers (and very difficult to pull off). Cowgill's work should be a must read for them. But then again, it should be a must for all of us.All in all a great text, and something every screenwriter should have on his bookshelf.

As a professional screenwriter with over a dozen produced feature length credits, I'd like to compliment Ms. Cowgill on creating the best home-study course on screenwriting available. Anyone with access to a video store (to rent the referenced popular films) and this informative, engaging text can proceed step-by-step, adding one or more films at a time as instructed, toward unlocking the "Secrets of Screenplay Structure". Each chapter adds new films to view, highlights a subject appropriate to those films (Chinatown - plotting; It Happened One Night - dialogue; Tootsie - subplots; etc.) and augments the current discussion by referring back to previously chosen films. The build from chapter to chapter and film to film flows beautifully to complete a comprehensive view of the whole picture of screenwriting. Without qualification, I recommend this book to beginners and professionals alike.

"If you were stuck on a deserted island with a typewriter, and with what you think is a great story, this is the one book you'll want with you. You can read all the Syd Field books you want, but "Secrets of Screenplay Structure is the one that will get your screenplay sold." -Excerpt from Jason Antebi's review on ScriptSales.com (Done Deal)

This is a terrific concept for a screenwriting book. It is structured like a screenwriting course, laying out its foundation with a limited number of study films to clearly illustrate how screenplays are constructed. The author doesn't use a convoluted language, but gets right to the point, explaining what goes into in a great screenplay and film. This book is a classic. What's even better are the detailed chapters on ensemble and nonlinear films. No other screenplay book I've seen takes on this daunting task of analysing these two difficult types of film structures. At the end of each chapter, Cowgill discusses a final draft or late draft of each study film's screenplay and compares it with changes made to the final film. What would have been more interesting is to include a discussion of the selling screenplay, but that's a minor quibble. This is a great book for anyone interested in screenwriting or just understanding film in general. A real 5 star achievement.