Amnon Buchbinder - The Way of the Screenwriter

Buchbinder must be an excellent teacher, someone whos thought his way around his subject from a whole algebra of angles, read widely, watched a million movies, walked the walk himself, then come up with some guidelines that hes learned to communicate eectively through a series of thoughtful examples. This makes the book a cleanly written, well-thought-out progression of insights into plot, characters, theme, writing process, and the industry itself. Globe and Mail

The Way of the Screenwriter deserves a permanent pocket in the backpack of any screenwriter who aspires to mastery. Beautifully rendered, fresh, and deep in its examples and allusions, this book is a gift that elevates the reader far beyond the rich information it supplies. It shines a clear light through the labyrinth we all have to pass through to do our best work. Stewart Stern, Emmy-Winning and Academy AwardNominated Screenwriter (Rebel Without a Cause, Sybil, Rachel Rachel)

The Way of the Screenwriter is ambitious enough to look beyond script mechanics and actually guide budding screenwriters to write not just competent scripts, but great scripts. Christopher Nolan, Academy AwardNominated Screenwriter/Director (The Dark Knight, Memento, The Prestige)

This book is invaluable. Not only did it remind me how to structure and write a really powerful script, it reminded me why I do it. Becky Hartman-Edwards, Emmy-Nominated Writer/Producer (American Dreams, Invasion, Larry Sanders, Sex and the City)

Stories are answers to human needs, Buchbinder states in this deeply felt book. The Way of the Screenwriter beautifully answers the needs of any student and lover of film. It is written with wisdom, compassion, and an inspiring sense of innocence. Atom Egoyan, Academy AwardNominated Screenwriter/Director (Adoration, Where the Truth Lies)

No paint-by-numbers kit here, no cookie-cutter guide to mindless imitation. The Way of the Screenwriter is the delicately wrought deliverance every thinking film writer has longed for; a complete armation of screenplays as art. Karen Walton, Gemini and Canadian Comedy AwardWinning Screenwriter (Ginger Snaps, The Many Trials of One Jane Doe)

Makes those other books read like vacuum cleaner manuals. Move them over and let Buchbinder take over. The Way of the Screenwriter is experienced, entertaining, and sincerely excellent. Bruce McDonald, Director (Pontypool, The Tracey Fragments)

I keep The Way of the Screenwriter beside me when Im writing. Part meditation, part guidebook, part how-to manual, its the only screenwriting book that attends to the mystery of the process while oering concrete advice on story, plot, character, and theme. Once, knee deep in the mud of a first draft, it miraculously unstuck me, and Ive been relying on it ever since. Esta Spalding, Leo AwardWinning Screenwriter (Falling Angels) and Author (Anchoress, The Wifes Account)

This is a visionary book. Amnon Buchbinder approaches plot, character, and theme in an organic new way, one which will help professionals and students alike. A welcome antidote to writing by numbers. If youre stuck, just open this book at random! Or read it straight through from beginning to end and find your work deepening and developing as you read. Peggy Thompson, Screenwriter (Better than Chocolate) and Associate Professor, University of British Columbia

As much about how to live as how to write, this is a practical compendium of lessons learned by a professional screenwriter and director, grounded in years of teaching. Patricia Gruben, Director, Praxis Centre for Screenwriters and Associate Professor, Simon Fraser University

In this generous, beautifully written book, Buchbinder sets out a philosophy of storytelling that will inspire beginning screenwriters and reacquaint exhausted veterans with the source of their own inspiration. This is simply one of the best, most comprehensive books available anywhere on the art and craft of screenwriting. Noel Baker, Screenwriter (Hard Core Logo) and Screenwriter-in-Residence, Canadian Film Centre

This book is a revelation. Read it once to benefit from its straightforward and practical advice, and then a second time to contemplate its depths. I was amazed at the richness of insight it aorded me as I launched into writing a screenplay for the first time. Many writers will find a trusted friend in this book! Camelia Frieberg, Producer (The Sweet Hereafter, The Five Senses)

Copyright 2005 Amnon Buchbinder

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the publisher.

Published in 2005 by
House of Anansi Press Inc.
110 Spadina Avenue, Suite 801
Toronto, ON, M5V 2K4
Tel.416-363-4343
Fax 416-363-1017
www.anansi.ca

Distributed in Canada by
HarperCollins Canada Ltd.
1995 Markham Road
Scarborough, ON, M1B 5M8
Toll free tel.1-800-387-0117

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LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION DATA

Buchbinder, Amnon
The way of the screenwriter / Amnon Buchbinder.

ISBN 978-0-88784-737-0

1. Motion picture authorship. I. Title.

PN1996.B83 2005 808.23 C2005-903751-2

Cover design: Bill Douglas at The Bang
Author photo: Chris Reardon
Text design and typesetting: Brian Panhuyzen

We acknowledge for their financial support of our publishing program the Canada
Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Government of Canada
through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP).

Printed and bound in the USA

To my students and my teachers, past, present and future

IF YOU HAVE picked this book up from a bookstore shelf, odds are you found it amongst dozens of other books with screen-writing, screenwriter or screenplay in the title. Shelf space in the screenwriting section at your local big box is getting more valuable than Manhattan real estate.

And what effect are all these books having? Without a doubt, there are more screenplays being written by a growing number of aspiring screenwriters. Weve also seen a proliferation of screenplay competitions, not to mention web sites, magazines and computer software devoted to screenwriting.

But despite all this, there has at least as far as I can tell been no increase in the number of great screenplays.

What we have, for the most part, are more competent screen-plays.

The screenwriter who wants the adventure of creating new worlds, the thrill of being surprised by her characters, the impact of discovering her most deeply held values, and in particular the joy of entertaining, inspiring and moving an audience, wants more than competence.

What she wants is mastery.

Which reminds me of a story.

A passer-by lets call her Sophie stops to help a drunken man, Sam. Its night, and Sam is cursing loudly as he searches through the grass by the light of a bright street lamp. Realizing from his mutterings that Sam has lost his car keys, Sophie sets in to help him find them. After some time, having thoroughly combed the area without discovering any keys, Sophie asks Sam if he is certain this is where he dropped them. Sam turns to her. No, he explains, quite sincerely. I lost them over