Eric Heisserer - 150 Screenwriting Challenges

Oh my god, not another book aboutscreenwriting. What is it this time, Save The Dog? TheVillains Journey? Theres always some angle, some spin or formula thatwinds up sounding more like a diet plan than writing. Who is this guy and whydoes he think he can teach me a damn thing about writing scripts?

I know what you mean. I have neverbeen a fan of books on screenwriting. Theyre either too academic, too steepedin formula, or full of armchair analysis that sounds deep at the time but lateryou wonder, How the hell does any of that help me to actually write?

I cant stand those books. This isnot one of those books.

I am not a teacher. Im a writerfirst and foremost, and an experiential learner. I dont retain much from bookstudy, but when I roll up my sleeves and try something outand typically failmiserably the first timethats when it starts clicking. (Im also thesame way with board games. I cant learn the rules by reading them, only byplaying the game.) Problem is, there arent very many books out in the world tohelp autodidacts. So Ive made this one to help you vibrant, swarthyscreenwriters who need just a little direction before going off and tryingsomething dangerous yourselves.

Thats not to say you cant devourthe whole thing in one sitting. In fact, beta-testers for this book claim theygot the most out of it by powering through it in a single reading session. Butthe kinds of writing resources I use are primarily reference material, and 150Screenwriting Challenges can work the same way.

How you can use this book:

1. Flip to a random page, read achallenge, and give it a try.
This is the jump right in option that allows you to keep the book as areference piece. Use it when you get stuck on a current project, or you feelyourself stalling, or you need a distraction from other writing with newwriting.

2. Pick a section you want toconquer, and work through those challenges.
Ive done my best to organize these exercises in categories that pertain to thecraft of screenwriting. The table of contents is your friend.

3. Read it cover to cover, digest theconcepts, and then go to work.
So youre not an experiential learner. No worries. You might not need toactually try all these challenges with pen and paper or keyboard; you just needto let the ideas simmer in your brain. Whatever worksalthough, you shouldntcheat yourself out of a little homework now and then, to see what you get fromit.

4. Use it as a coaster/kindling/tableevener.
Maybe you try a few challenges and develop a hatred for them. Perhaps youarent a screenwriter, but you got this as a gift from your aunt and youre toonice to return it or re-gift it. Leave it in your bathroom and see how manyguests come out to you as closeted screenwriters. You might be surprised.

The point is self-improvement. Yourelikely reading this because you want to get better at the screenwriting thing.So do I. What follows is a series of challenges I developed for my ownself-improvement, and now theyre all in one place for easy access.

So lets get to work. You didnt getthis book for some flowery prologue.