Richard Krevolin,
Screenwriting from the Soul, Renaissance Books, Los Angeles, CA, 1998, 256 pages. This book is written as a dialogue in letters between
professor and student. The student, an aspiring screenwriter asks the professor how he can become a real
writer and sends him his first screenplay; whereupon the professor writes back that he has thrown his
screenplay in the ocean and tells him that he must write at least 10 screenplays before he thinks of submitting his first possibly saleable screenplay. The professor tells him that no person can make him into a real writer. In order to write he must write. And writing to make money is the wrong attitude. He must write what he feels, write from the heart, and what he finds deep in his soul. He must not listen to having been told to write what he knows. He can write anything. But as far as screenwriting goes, he needs to understand and remember that there are only seven or maybe seventeen screenwriters in the world. Once the professor has decided to take on the responsibility of mentoring this student, he begins his writing assignments and exercises. The
student is instructed in every aspect of writing a screenplay, such as the importance of Act I, Act II, and Act III; and that a screenplay must always have a Beginning, Middle, and Ending. He gives a working format for writing the screenplay, how to write a treatment, and suggests many resources - books, films, and music - to inspire the student's screenwriting endeavor. He discusses the abstract and how to make the
film real, what the story is about, how to pitch your idea, and dealing with rejection. Included in the appendix is the bibliography and a filmography.
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