Share:

18 Best Screenplay Books

Goal: Find the best Screenplay books according to the internet (not just one person's opinion).

Method:

  1. Search for "best screenplay books" and study the top 5+ pages.
  2. Add only the books mentioned 2+ times.
  3. Rank the results neatly here.

18 Best Screenplay Books

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases (at no extra cost to you).

1

Save The Cat!

The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

by Blake Snyder

2

Screenplay

The Foundations of Screenwriting

by Syd Field

Also recommended by:

Rolf Potts

3

Story

Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting

by Robert McKee

Also recommended by:

Rolf Potts

4

Adventures in the Screen Trade

by William Goldman

Also recommended by:

Andrew Klavan, Preet Bharara

5

The Writer's Journey

Mythic Structure for Writers

by Christopher Vogler

Also recommended by:

Jon Favreau, Darren Aronofsky

6

Writing Movies for Fun and Profit

How We Made a Billion Dollars at the Box Office and You Can, Too!

by Thomas Lennon

Also recommended by:

Anna Kendrick

7

The Screenwriter's Bible

A Complete Guide to Writing, Formatting, and Selling Your Script

by David Trottier

8

On Writing

A Memoir of the Craft

by Stephen King

9

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

by Joseph Campbell

10

150 Screenwriting Challenges

by Eric Heisserer

11

Crafting Short Screenplays That Connect

by Claudia Hunter Johnson

12

How to Manage Your Agent

A Writer’s Guide to Hollywood Representation

by Gervich Chad

13

Into the Woods

A Five-Act Journey Into Story

by John Yorke

14

Lew Hunter's Screenwriting 434

The Industry's Premier Teacher Reveals the Secrets of the Successful Screenplay

by Lew Hunter

15

Screenplay

Writing the Picture

by Robin U. Russin

16

The Hollywood Standard

The Complete and Authoritative Guide to Script Format and Style

by Christopher Riley

17

The Nutshell Technique

Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting

by Jill Chamberlain

18

Three Uses of the Knife

On the Nature and Purpose of Drama

by David Mamet

Sources

Other Lists