When I first skimmed the beginning pages of the book and wanted to read more when I saw the numbers. $3.25 million for writing a screenplay? I was hooked and motivated to learn how to turn my writing from merely a hobby into a successful career.
The Complete Guide to Writing a Successful Screenplay by Melissa Samaroo is a must-have handbook for all beginning screenwriters. Samaroo lays out the screenwriting process in clear, easy-to-follow steps, giving practical advice and examples throughout. Readers of The Complete Guide to Writing a Successful Screenplay will learn everything from how to think like a screenwriter; to analyzing movies and scripts; to developing characters, plots, and themes; and of course how to market and sell your script.
The book is easy to understand, with practical examples that and advice that can be put to use immediately to improve your writing. Ms. Samaroo breaks down the process into manageable stops. This book could replace the majority of college-level screenwriting textbooks. The wealth of information is astounding.
I found myself pulling out an old screenplay I had written many years ago in college, and re-writing entire scenes as I read the book. I found Ms. Samaroo’s advice on reading already-produced screenplays extremely helpful. That exercise alone gave me insider insight that I didn’t have before.
As I closed the book after reading the last word of the last chapter, I reflected upon the book’s cover. The movie crew in the background, and the smiling scriptwriter holding a manuscript in the foreground, inspired and empowered me want to make that picture my own—to visualize myself in the place of the content model on the book’s cover.