Making a Good Script Great takes you through the whole screenwriting process—from initial concept through final rewrite—providing specific methods ...
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reviews
Jan 09, 2012
Paul
rated it: 
As I struggle away on my current movie script I find myself looking through, or in this case completely reading, “how to” movie script books.
I will say this book by Linda Seger certainly has packed a lot of information in ‘Making A Good Script Great’ in not so many pages, and most of it is quite helpful. I read it through in three days and haven’t really had the time to digest all the information yet (I plan on re-reading sections again), but Linda really does seem to know what she is More...
I will say this book by Linda Seger certainly has packed a lot of information in ‘Making A Good Script Great’ in not so many pages, and most of it is quite helpful. I read it through in three days and haven’t really had the time to digest all the information yet (I plan on re-reading sections again), but Linda really does seem to know what she is More...
May 05, 2010
John
rated it: 
This is the first screenwriting book I read, and it's the original 80s edition. I only just found out there's a hot-off-the-presses update. I nevertheless found it extremely useful as a beginning screenwriter because it's so clear and concrete. It's also about rewriting, not writing, and as the adage goes, writing is rewriting. So the author's goal is to help you figure out how to make the heart of your story truly manifest in your script. She covers the three-act structure — including subplot
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Sep 18, 2011
James
rated it:
Very well done presentation of writing a screenplay. Succinct, straight forward, sensible. Often presenting the formulaic basis to screenwriting, but I agree with the author that you must learn the rules before deviating from them.
I have used this analogy before. Picasso mastered color and light so thoroughly he could create a work of art that was photographic in its exactness. Then, knowing he could put on canvas whatever he saw before him or imagined, he went off on incredible expl More...
I have used this analogy before. Picasso mastered color and light so thoroughly he could create a work of art that was photographic in its exactness. Then, knowing he could put on canvas whatever he saw before him or imagined, he went off on incredible expl More...
Nov 05, 2009
Mitch
rated it:
I will preface my review with this fact: I am a structuralist in pretty much everything I do. That being said, this is a pretty good book on screenwriting, focusing on structure. If you don't think structure is important in screenwriting, go find the last five movies to receive bad reviews in your newspaper. I would be surprised if more than one even mentioned the directing or acting. Most of the time bad reviews talk about how a film had holes or the story didn't make sense: structural problems
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May 30, 2008
Mary Elizabeth
rated it:
What you get here is just a sound, basic text on act structure, turning points, catalysts, and overall narrative cohesion in films and television.
Sure, there are sections on character development and idea development, but I found the content in these sections to be obvious to the point of uselessness. I don't want to mean to the book or to anyone who found it entirely useful, by any means. Certainly, I understand that the whole book's premise is to be a primer on the fundamentals More...
Sure, there are sections on character development and idea development, but I found the content in these sections to be obvious to the point of uselessness. I don't want to mean to the book or to anyone who found it entirely useful, by any means. Certainly, I understand that the whole book's premise is to be a primer on the fundamentals More...
Nov 05, 2009
Silverwolf
rated it: 
Meh. I have read this book before and while it is an overall good tool for beginning screenwriters, I am now in a Master's program and would like a more in-depth study.
Jun 11, 2011
Endelea
rated it: 
The first 22 pages answered nearly every question I had about the two screenplays I have already written. I'm looking forward to another round of rewrites on my projects now, but this time... more on structure
Dec 28, 2011
Jared
rated it:
Albert Einstein once said that true genius is being able to point out and acknowledge the obvious. This book serves as a great diagnostic tool to find the obvious problems that are wrong with the script. I particularly liked the questions at the end of each chapter. I also really liked the "homework" at the end of each chapter. I definitely plan on following through with each assignment.
Aug 27, 2011
Michele
rated it:
A great book filled with really good tips on writing a script or improving one you've already written. This is one of the only screenplay writing books I've ever read that gives good, practical advice on the crucial art of re-writing and polishing a finished script. Definitely worth reading to any aspiring screenwriter!
Apr 10, 2007
bryan
rated it:
A solid, EZ-intro to storycraft. Like a friend said, if the McKee book is a graduate-level thesis, this is the undergrad essay version. Seger followed this up with a book on character creation.
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