How to Build a Great Screenplay: A Master Class in Storytelling for Film

As founding director of the graduate screenwriting program at the University of Southern California, David Howard has taught the authors of some of the most successful movies of our time, including The Hand That Rocks the Cradle and Natural Born Killers. His comprehensive new book deconstructs the craft of writing for film, and reveals: characterization; story arc; plotting and subplotting; dealing with coincidence in story plotting; classical versus revolutionary screenplay structure; tone, style, and atmosphere; the use of time on screen; the creation of drama and tension; crucial moments in storytelling.