Required Reading for Screenwriters (Articles, Books, Podcasts, and Classes)
I run a community that helps writers finish their feature script in 12 weeks. Here are the books and articles that I consistently recommend to anyone interested in screenwriting.
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I teach classes and give one-on-one script consultations to writers.
I talk a lot about the craft and business of screenwriting here, on LinkedIn, and on various panels and mixers I attend. After working in literary management for eight years, I wrote a PDF Guidebook on How to Get a Manager. I’m always happy to give my advice and insights to writers who need my help.
But before you fight to get noticed or fork over hundreds of dollars to ask an expert for advice, it’s useful to spend time finding free or cheap resources first.
I am often asked for my recommendations on what resources are worth your time, so I’ve compiled a list here of the books and articles that have made me who I am today.
Story 101
Super Basic Shit by Dan Harmon
You can learn more from this free article than most people do in film school. If you take nothing else away from this deep dive, go read this article. Should take you about 20 minutes, and you will never be the same again.
How to Write Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland
Anything on the Helping Writers Become Authors is full of useful deep dives packed with golden takeaways. You could easily spend a whole afternoon delving into the material that Weiland explores. I hear her books are great, but I’ve personally never read any of them.1 Her website has everything I need and was a game-changer for helping me understand the tension between internal and external character arcs.
The Comic Toolbox by John Vorhaus
One thing I love about this book is its growth mindset oriented approach to comedy. Yes! Being funny is a learnable skill. But even if you aren’t a current or future comedian or comedy writer, there are some timeless takeaways about the creative writing process. And it’s a clear, digestible primer on story structure that is guaranteed to unlock something for you.
The Seven Basic Plots by Christopher Booker
Do I agree with every single claim this author makes in his book? No. But I do appreciate the breakdowns of plots. In syncing different types of stories up with one another, parallels are revealed. These patterns are illuminative. They’re not consistent or without exception, but they speak to a sort of universal rhythm. This is a more approachable book than Joseph Campbell, so it’s worth diving into.
Poetics by Aristotle
I realize how pretentious it is to recommend Aristotle on this list. But unfortunately, he is the original. And it’s important to see how universal story truths have stood the test of time over thousands of years. Your script doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, you can tap into the core theory of what makes something resonate. It’s fun to see what’s different and what has stayed the same.
Email Newsletters
Story Grid by Tim Grahl
I haven’t taken Tim’s class yet, but this is mostly an issue of bandwidth and of the fact that I made a promise to myself to take a break from classes to start focusing on applying what I’ve learned over the years to my screenplay work. And if you too don’t have time for a class, you still have time to read his weekly email newsletter. Although they’re technically targeted towards authors, the fundamentals at the center of these are useful to screenwriters. And every single issue is a banger.
Story and Plot by Tom Vaughan
If you want something specifically screenwriter focused, you can’t do better than Tom. The only reason I don’t officially recommend his classes is because I personally haven’t taken any. But based on his email newsletter, which I do subscribe to and read religiously, I am sure that his teaching is knowledgeable and actionable.
Creativity 101
The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
Sorry not sorry for recommending this writer classic that has basically become a meme at this point. If you own a copy and still haven’t read it, consider this your sign to pick it up off the shelf and finally crack it open. If you fell off your Morning Pages years ago, it’s time to give the book a re-read. Refresh yourself and recommit to your creative practice. And if you haven’t read it yet? Well then this is your invitation to finally do that.
The Book of Practice by John Vorhaus
This little book just skims the surface of many ideas that I have heard or thought before. But in this container, they are all articulated in a slightly new way that gets the wheels in my head turning and keeps me inspired. If you want a fast read, an easy read, and something to open up and spend ten minutes with a day, this book will introduce you to my favorite Vorhaus concepts: Platform Thinking, the Useful Fiction, and more. On days when you don’t have the motivation to keep going, The Book of Practice will remind you what you have to gain by continuing. (Hint: It’s not the outcome. It’s the work itself).
Creative Calling by Chase Jarvis
The thesis statement of this book is that anyone can be creative. All you have to do is start showing up for yourself in a creative way daily. Jarvis’ target audience is people who don’t yet identify as artists. That’s okay. That means you as a writer get to skip the step where he convinces you how important it is to bring creativity into your life. You can get right into the actionable tools that will give you an approach into this career that is way more accessible than you ever thought it could be.
Mindset 101
The Talent Code by Daniel Coyle
All the story tools in the world won’t matter if you still have internalized the incorrect idea that great writers are born not made. This book gets into the neuroscience behind why that thought is wrong. When you realize how much is in your control and that there is a science to becoming a better writer, you will wish you had read this book sooner.
Mindset by Carol Dweck
I get it. This book is a little “self help-y,” and for that, I apologize. But the lesson at its core is important. Having a growth mindset is genuinely what separates the talented, professional writers from the stubborn amateurs who will never go anywhere. Yes, even that writer you’re thinking of. The one who has a “natural gift.” They never would have nurtured it to where they are today if they didn’t have the right mindset. You need to have it too. This book will tell you exactly what that positive narrative should be as well as how it has already helped so many people.
That’s it!
These are the fundamental books you need to understand story structure basics and internalize the right thought processes. If you absorb and put into practice the above books, coupled with studying successful movies and reading their screenplays. You will be on your way to having a successful screenwriter career.
But if you’re a story nerd who wants to go deeper.
Or if you’ve already read all of those and want to learn even more about the business of screenwriting and the intricacies of story structure, there is more reading you can do to learn. And there are classes you can take when you’re ready to challenge yourself even more.
Here are some resources for writers who want to take it to the next level.
Story 201
The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
I didn’t fully get this book the first time I read it. It’s dense and philosophical. But after thinking, writing, and teaching about these topics for the past ten years, as well as beginning my study of witchcraft (another topic for another article), when I revisited the book this year, it unlocked so much for me. This is a religious text for me now. Not just for screenwriting but for the meaning of life.
For TV Writers
The Writers’ Room Survival Guide by Niceole Levy
I originally bought this book to support a friend’s client, but I was blown away by how much relevant, accurate insider advice is in here. There’s also a great primer on TV story structure. If you’ve been hired to write on a TV show (Hell, if you even hope to get a job on a TV show in the future), you need to read this book.
Podcasts
This podcast focuses mostly on prose, but the lessons are applicable to any screenwriter. I enjoy the emphasis on craft and the hosts’ willingness to dive in and get specific about why certain techniques are useful. I don’t think there is any one end-all-be-all method to becoming a better writer. The more you can fold different opinions and lenses into your intake, the more likely you are to have a revelation about your Work in Progress.
If you have found me, I’m sure you have already heard of Scriptnotes, so I don’t need to spend too much time convincing you to listen to them. Suffice to say that I enjoy their deep dives. I disagree with them on certain things sometimes, but overall they offer fantastic overviews about certain aspects of the industry. Their podcast is invaluable to writers who are outside Hollywood and don’t know the first thing about what really goes on in a professional screenwriter’s career.
Whiting Wongs with Dan Harmon and Jessica Gao
This podcast stopped releasing new episode a few years ago (around the same time Rick and Morty got picked up for like 500 episodes), which means you can go listen to the whole backlog without the hopeless feeling of never being able to catch up and consume all this valuable content as they keep releasing more episodes every week (Looking at you, Scriptnotes). Harmon and Gao are an excellent pair because they both have very different POV’s about breaking into TV writing. Their mailbag episodes are full of some essential listening for screenwriters. And as masters of their comedy crafts, the conversations have the added bonus of being funny.
Beth Pickens’ groundbreaking series of conversations will re-frame your brain and your approach to art. This one also is not releasing new episodes, which is great news because it means you can actually listen to them all. The bad news is that you will be sad when you catch up and you no longer get to have her encouraging voice in your ear every single day.
Classes for Leveling Up
There are plenty of great screenwriting classes out there.
Thanks to the Internet, learning this craft in a structured environment is more accessible than it ever has been before. As long as you find a class that works for you and it helps you in your approach to your craft, you’re doing something right.
But here are the ones that have helped me.
Jen is a former TV executive, so her classes are perfect for anyone interested in learning TV structure. She is responsible for teaching me about the Central Dramatic Question all those years ago. She has a gentle, thoughtful approach to character building, and you can also subscribe to her Substack here.
Corey is a screenwriter, a Story Consultant, and a screenwriting teacher who has conceptualized plot structure in a wholly unique way that cracked my brain right open. The worst thing about him is that his marketing materials sound very sales-y. But when you actually take one of his classes, you realized that he can back up every single claim he makes. He is the real deal, and he will change the way you see story.
Many classes teach the basics of story structure and how to apply these ideas to your current Work in Progress. Talton’s is different. His is more like a writer bootcamp. You don’t get to work on your scripts. You’re running drills, writing practice scenes, and mastering the concepts on the page. If you’re ready to challenge yourself and I mean actually get under the hood and level up your writing skills, these intensives are for you. They’re not easy. They’re not even all that fun. But on the other side of them, you will be a writer that you don’t recognize.
I don’t get paid anything to endorse these, but if you do sign up for Talton’s class and tell him I sent you, he’ll give me a credit to use for the next intensive I sign up for. I personally am taking a break to apply what I’ve learned to the script I’m writing with my Screenwriter Brunch Club.
But you can bet I’ll be back when I need to brush up on my skills again.
I feel really bad about this. I want to support her! I’m so sorry, they’re on my list I just haven’t gotten to them yet.
Yeah, you had me at “Dan Harmon’s Story Circle.”
I worship at the altar of the circle.
This is a great list, thanks Audrey! For folks interested in TV, Ben Blacker's the Writers Panel podcast is also a treasure trove - still ongoing, and has evolved to thinking about story more broadly, and still excellent.