Prewriting Your Screenplay

Prewriting Your Screenplay contains everything a writer needs to know and do before starting to write a script, starting with how to develop an idea from absolutely nothing at all.

Prewriting Your Screenplay cements all the bricks of a story's foundations together and forms a single, organic story-growing technique, starting with a blank slate. It shows writers how to design each element so that they perfectly interlock together like pieces of a puzzle, creating a stronger story foundation that does not leave gaps and holes for readers to find. This construction process is performed one piece at a time, one character at a time, building and incorporating each element into the whole.

The book provides a clear-cut set of lessons that teaches how to construct that story base around concepts as individual as the writer's personal opinions, helping to foster an individual writer's voice. It also features end-of-chapter exercises that offer step-by-step guidance in applying each lesson, providing screenwriters with a concrete approach to building a strong foundation for a screenplay. This is the quintessential book for all writers taking their first steps towards developing a screenplay from nothing, getting them over that first monumental hump, resulting in a well-formulated story concept that is cohesive and professional.

"Tabb's book asks you to look deep within yourself and answer a fundamental question: why are you writing this particular story? Why are you even writing in the first place? It gives you some very pragmatic tools to help make your writing more soulful and authentic." David S. Goyer, WGA Screenwriter/Creator; The Blade and Batman Begins Trilogies, Dark City, Jumper, The Puppet Masters; TV's Krypton, Da Vinci's Demons, Constantine, Flash Forward; Video Games Call of Duty: Black Ops I & II "A comprehensive, honest, and heart-felt look at the craft of screenwriting. Writers at all levels will find something in this book to inspire them to do their best work." Nicole Perlman, WGA Writer, Guardians of the Galaxy, First Man, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Detective Pikachu, Sherlock Holmes 3 "The best way I can think to get yourself writing again if you're stuck would be to have Michael Tabb come over with a bottle of bourbon and a couple of glasses and talk you through things. The second-best way would be to buy this book and read it.You can supply your own bourbon." Bill Prady, WGA Writer/Creator, The Big Bang Theory, The Muppets, Gilmore Girls, Dharma & Greg, Caroline in the City, Dream On "Michael Tabb has thought long, hard, and usefully about how to write screenplays with vision and intent. He understands premise, character, conflict, and drama; Far more importantly, he can impart wisdom about all of them without condescending or 'dumbing down.' I know of no better guide to the work of writing that happens before we write." Howard A. Rodman, President, Writers Guild of America (WGA); WGA Writer, August, Saving Grace, Takedown "Are you a writer? Then you're a fraud, right? Every time you stare at that empty page, you feel it in your bones. The movies I have written have grossed over five billion in the box office, and STILL, I feel like a fraud every time I start a new project. When I read Michael's book, I felt a lot better. Michael is not only a great screenwriter, but he understands how to explain screenwriting in a way that I never could and in a way that helped me move forward. It is so strange to have a decent man you know help you, through his writing, to become a better writer. I got a free copy of his book on my shelf, but I would've paid for it. Writers like Michael who help other writers understand the art or the craft of screenwriting are truly among our best and brightest. Think about it. He is helping his own competition! Only a wise and true class act would ever do that. This book is yours. Consume it!" Roberto Orci, WGA Writer/Creator, Transformers 1 & 2, Star Trek 1, 2 & 3, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, People Like Us, The Legend of Zorro, Mission: Impossible III; TV's High School 51, Sleepy Hallow, Hawaii five-0, Fringe, Alias, Matador, Xena, Hercules "Tabb provides an insightful and engaging guide to the process of breaking story and character. Writers looking to set a strong foundation for their first or next script would be well served by reading Prewriting." Carlton Cuse, WGA Writer/Creator, San Andreas, Rampage; TV's Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Lost, The Colony, Bates Motel, The Strain, Nash Bridges, Martial Law, Crime Story "It's vitally important for aspiring writers to understand that a professional screenwriting career is built upon the relentless pursuit of asking the right creative questions and then finding the most satisfying answers. In his new book, Prewriting Your Screenplay, writer and teacher Michael Tabb generously shares his innovative approach to meeting that challenge. His original method of generating story, character, and theme will be valuable to both veterans and novices, and should help any writer get past the fear of writers block." Jeff Melvoin, Emmy Award-winning Television Writer/Producer, Chair of the Writers Education Committee of the Writers Guild of America, West; Designated Survivor, Army Wives, Alias, Early Edition, Northern Exposure, Hill Street Blues, Remington Steele "I wish I had this book when I was just starting out but it's still immensely helpful. An indispensable handbook of the craft written by a seasoned veteran and accomplished writer. A must read for anyone serious about screenwriting." Marc Guggenheim, WGA Writer/Creator, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Green Lantern; TV's Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, No Ordinary Family, Eli Stone, CSI: Miami, Law & Order; Video Games Singularity, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Call of Duty 3, Perfect Dark Zero "The book every writer has been waiting for -- a step by step guide to nourish and develop your idea for a screenplay, book or story. Invaluable and vital." Evan Spiliotopoulos, WGA Writer, Beauty and the Beast, The Huntsman: Winter's War, Hercules, Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure "Michael understands the nuts and bolts of storytelling like no one else Whether you're penning your first script or your thirtieth, this book will make you a better writer." Damon Lindelof, WGA Writer/Producer/Creator, Star Trek (2009), Star Trek: Into Darkness, World War Z, Prometheus; TV's Lost, The Watchmen, The Leftovers, Nash Bridges, Crossing Jordon "Michael Tabb's book will challenge writers to do the hard work in polishing that rough idea into a clear artistic vision. I wish this book was around when I was writing my first screenplay, or even my forth screenplay." Edward Ricourt, WGA Writer, Now You See Me 1 & 2, Jessica Jones, Wayward Pines "Teachers of screenwriting often miss the most basic truth that writing should be fun and that writers should work from their gut, not from their fear of rejection. In Prewriting Your Screenplay: A Step-by-Step Guide to Generating Stories, Mike Tabb simplifies the process of story writing and character development to its most essential elements, in the process inviting the reader to embark on the joyful journey of self-discovery that is screenwriting." Douglas Day Stewart, WGA Screenwriter/DGA Director, An Officer and a Gentleman, The Blue Lagoon, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble, Thief of Hearts, Listen to Me "Writing for television means you cannot afford to have writer's block, and coming up with new ideas is the hardest part of the job. I wish I'd read this book years ago! Prewriting has an original premise, which is only fitting for a book about original premises." Brannon Braga, WGA Writer/Executive Producer, Star Trek: First Contact; TV's The Orville, Salem, Terra Nova, Flash Forward, 24, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: The Next Generation "Great advice for budding screenwriters and those more established. A rich resource to find the creative code and original …