Screenwriting how-tos such as Save the Cat, Story by Robert McKee, or John Truby’s The Anatomy of Story are staples on the shelves of emerging writers. You might even see them on the shelves of the rare professional as well!
But this ubiquity raises an important question: Do screenwriting books actually help? Or do they risk boxing writers into formulaic thinking, stifling creativity under the guise of structure?
In fact, I often joke that “I’ve read them so you don’t have to.” However, the truth is not quite so black-and-white.
The books can be helpful at times, and are certainly worth knowing at least because some of their ideas have become common jargon in the screenwriting community. However, they can definitely be limiting when followed to the letter.
Let’s explore the advantages and disadvantages of these books.
The Pros: What Screenwriting Books Can Do to Help
1. Demystify Structure
For beginners, structure is intimidating. Books like Save the Cat and Story break down complex narrative arcs into digestible steps. They provide roadmaps for crafting a story that moves, escalates, and satisfies audience expectations.
The three-act structure, the midpoint reversal, and the “All is Lost” moment help writers think strategically about pacing. For new writers, these frameworks ward off dragging second acts and useless filler scenes.
2. Provide Language and Tools
The terminology these books provide is common parlance throughout the screenwriting community. Terms such as beats, inciting incidents, reversals, character arcs, etc. allow for clear communication whether in collaboration or when receiving notes, e.g. “Act Two is too long,” or “The protagonist isn’t active enough.” (God, I hate that one.)
3. Connect You to a Tradition
Reading screenwriting books places your writing in a larger context. You learn how classic films were structured, what themes recur in successful scripts, and how different genres play by different rules.
In short, these books provide access to generations of trial and error. They give mentorship that you’d struggle to find outside of a master’s program. Hell, you’d struggle to get it in a master’s program, and I can speak from experience on that one.
4. Encourage Discipline
Screenwriting is a marathon, not a sprint. Books don’t shy away from this. They encourage outlining, experimenting, drafting, revising, and feedback.
It’s OK to make mistakes because the real work comes from revision. Having a structure to help you with this, particularly a step-by-step process, can help overcome creative paralysis.
5. Provide Emotional Support
When you’ve read enough screenwriting books you’ll realize that most of them might as well be motivational literature.
McKee and Blake Snyder, for example, stress that struggle and endurance are parts of the process. They offer reassurance as well as instruction. In short, other people have been there and you’re not alone.
The Cons: Where Screenwriting Books Can Mislead
1. Overly Prescriptive
Some books present their frameworks as universal truths. (God help me.)
Unsurprisingly this means an overwhelming number of same-same scripts. If you prioritize having the certain beat on the certain page, you’re failing to see the forest for the trees. Focus on what the story needs, not what the formula is asking for. Guidelines, not rules, people.
Not every story needs a 15-beat or 22-beat structure. And, honestly, how would you tell which is a 15-beat and which is a 22-beat? That alone is enough to raise an eyebrow.
Notice how the best movies break at least some of the rules. Structure helps clarity in revision; it isn’t meant to breed conformity.
2. Plot Over Voice
Basically, it’s easier to prioritize structure over things like tone or voice because these are just really hard to teach. Usually they come from writing a bunch of scripts and putting the first few in a drawer.
Eventually, however, you’ll be confident enough to let your voice shine through. The clarity of that voice matters a hell of a lot more to a reader than some arbitrary structure.
As much as contests would like to have you think that structure trumps voice, as long as human beings are reading your scripts that’s unlikely to be true. A book is there to provide scaffolding, but you have to build the building yourself.
3. Dependency Issues
Outlines are addictive. Sometimes it’s hard to write unless everything is mapped out. I’m not great at it myself; I really like a solid outline before I start drafting. I wish I had the balls to plow forward and leave huge plot holes, simply leaving my audience to figure out the gaps. (I envy Brady Corbet’s ability to do this, for example.)
Over-outlining can inhibit spontaneity, discovery, and emotional authenticity. Sometimes it’s even an excuse not to write at all. That is, if you don’t know the major beats, you refuse to start! The problem is that sometimes writing is what you need to do to figure out plugging the hole. Obviously that requires actually getting on with the writing at some point.
4. Overlooks Non-Western, Non-Masculine, and Experimental Narratives
Most screenwriting books are written with Hollywood in mind. They prioritize linear storytelling, goal-oriented protagonists, and closure. If that sounds sexual,
And, let’s be honest, the Hero’s Journey, etc. is a very male-centered perspective. It’s about goals. At the risk of being scatological: thrust, conquer, complete, pull out. Honestly, this shit gets boring after a while.
There’s a lot more to film than just this. An easy way to realize that Hollywood isn’t all there is would be simply to look at, well, just about any French film. Not that French films are all there is, either, but I mean as contrast.
Many stories are cyclical, fragmented, or meditative. Many are ensemble pieces or reflect culturally specific structures.
Anyone not working from a traditional Hollywood perspective certainly won’t find a huge amount of alignment between such books and her goals.
5. Echo Chambers
Writers tend to read the same books.
How these particular books reached the top of the heap is a subject for speculation (that I’ll avoid here). There exist much better ones out there. Even Syd Field is better than McKee, Snyder, or Truby, if only because it allows more room to play.
Paint-by-numbers structure is for beginners. Learn it, then forget it. As your voice matures, it will matter less.
Look elsewhere and in more creative places. Many very talented writers have written books on writing. While their tips might be a bit less structure-based, these tend to be where the real value is as you get better as a writer.
Get the Most from Screenwriting Books
1. Read Broadly and Critically
No single book has all the answers. Read Save the Cat, then read Into the Woods by John Yorke, then read Something Startling Happens by Todd Klick. Compare their perspectives. Take what serves your story and discard what doesn’t.
Also, read outside of screenwriting. Read plays, novels, essays on art. Read interviews with directors and cinematographers. Broaden your sense of story.
2. Use Books as Jumping-Off Points
Adapt screenwriting books to taste. Mix techniques. Invent your own structures. Once you understand the “why” behind a principle, you can modify (or even ignore) it.
Understand structure, then break the rules–if that’s what the story calls for. (But whatever you do, please don’t write some useless, disjointed garbage and tell me it’s “Lynchian.”)
3. Combine Study with Practice
Writing is what makes you a writer. Apply what you learn immediately. Write a scene that tests a principle.
Outline a short film using the book’s method. See what does and doesn’t work. Books can give you an idea for what to do in the script laboratory, but you still have to do the experiment yourself!
4. Other Writers
Join a writing group. See how other writers interpret the same screenwriting principles. Share how a particular book helped (or confused) you. What you learn through dialogue with others is invaluable.
Remember, these books create a shared language within a writing community. They can enhance collaboration and feedback.
5. Revisit Books Over Time
The same books can seem totally different when you read them again.
For example, I’ve gone from completely dismissing Blake Snyder to dismissing Blake Snyder slightly less!
Sometimes the confusing now feels intuitive. Sometimes a technique you’ve been working on clicks all of a sudden.
Don’t be afraid to revisit a text, particularly if you’re struggling with a script. Sometimes actually following the rules–just to see what happens–can lead to new insight. The book might have grown alongside you.
Screenwriting Books are Catalysts, Not Constraints
Screenwriting books offer structure and insight and encouragement. Nevertheless, they are not sacred texts.
Screenwriters read critically, write relentlessly, and trust their instincts. They understand tradition, but routinely challenge it. Education comes from action. Try and apply.
Read screenwriting books. Test their advice. Remember that your voice, your story, and your passion are what matter. The script comes not from the book, but from you.
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