Listen free for 30 days

Listen with offer

Offer ends May 1st, 2024 11:59PM GMT. Terms and conditions apply.
£7.99/month after 3 months. Renews automatically.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Screenwriting 101: Mastering the Art of Story cover art

Screenwriting 101: Mastering the Art of Story

By: Angus Fletcher,The Great Courses
Narrated by: Angus Fletcher
Get this deal Try for £0.00

Pay £99p/month. After 3 months pay £7.99/month. Renews automatically. See terms for eligibility.

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £25.99

Buy Now for £25.99

Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.

Listeners also enjoyed...

The Nutshell Technique cover art
Save the Cat! cover art
Creating Character Arcs cover art
How Not to Make a Short Film cover art
The Craft of Scene Writing cover art
Writing Creative Nonfiction cover art
How to Write Best-Selling Fiction cover art
How to Write Dazzling Dialogue cover art
Story Genius cover art
The Idea cover art
Adventures in the Screen Trade cover art
Independent Filmmaking cover art
Stella Adler cover art
The Easytown Novels: Books 1-3 cover art
Directing Actors cover art
Writing for Emotional Impact cover art

Summary

Whether you want to write your own scripts or simply gain a deeper appreciation for the great stories you see unfold on the screen, Professor Angus Fletcher is here to show you the way in Screenwriting 101: Mastering the Art of Story. Professor Fletcher, Professor of English and Film at The Ohio State University, brings both a personal and scholarly perspective to this craft. As a screenwriter himself, he has experienced the ins and outs of the process first-hand. And as a key faculty member in Project Narrative, a think tank devoted to using cognitive science to study the effects of stories on the human mind, Professor Fletcher offers unique insight into storytelling from both a neuroscientific and a literary perspective.

Despite what you may have been told, writing a great script is not about formulas and three-act structure. Great scripts - great stories - are those that create the desired emotional response in audiences, something that can only be achieved by knowing which methods are most effective and how they suit the story you want to tell. As you study the work of over a dozen great screenwriters and several television shows, each story you encounter will use different tools to achieve a variety of psychological and emotional responses. From the redemption arc of the Western Unforgiven to the romantic longing of Annie Hall, each story offers invaluable insights you can bring to your own writing - and viewing - experiences.

There is no cookie-cutter formula for writing scripts and no checklist for what makes a film or television show great. What Screenwriting 101 offers instead is an infinitely flexible storytelling tool that has worked for the greats - from Euripides to Shakespeare to Pixar - and a selection of resources to show you how to put it to use. How you decide to use these limitless creative possibilities is up to you.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 The Teaching Company, LLC; 2017 The Great Courses

What listeners say about Screenwriting 101: Mastering the Art of Story

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    60
  • 4 Stars
    14
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    56
  • 4 Stars
    11
  • 3 Stars
    6
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    47
  • 4 Stars
    15
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    2
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Inspirational- will keep it by me for reference

This book works on many levels, there is analysis of films (some I’ve seen and some not), tools and techniques. It is not for the faint hearted either. There are exercises to do which are difficult to do if listening on audible, but will be useful if you can manage.

I watch films and soaps etc with new insights which, to some extent, has stopped some of the surprise and enjoyment but is the price to pay to join a successful screenwriters club.

You can also use the majority of the course to improve any writing and to engage the reader. Good job

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating! One of the best

One of the best things I have listened to on screenwriting. An absolutely fascinating perspective on how to write screenplays. Doesn't dwell on inciting incidents, or 3 act structure, turns, etc. Instead, it focuses on the end goal, the end cognitive goal of the script, and how various scripts like Pulp Fiction, Unforgiven, Fargo, get there. Some may find the repetition irritating, in how it starts the breakdown of each script, but this is a paltry whine. A great buy!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the best series on storytelling

Not what I was expecting, but in a brilliant way. What I originally expected was a bare bones breakdown into how to write a screenplay. Instead, what I got was a comprehensive breakdown on how to tell stories, and how films and TV do this. Truly, it was an insightful and throughly fascinating account on how to dissect stories and how to write them like the best. Absolutely recommend this course, regardless of what kind of writer you are. It will absolutely help you jump to the next level.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of the best things I've listened to.

This really is an absolute masterclass in scriptwriting. It's constantly insightful and inspiring. I'm sure I'll listen to this again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Too much unnecessary waffle.

Most chapters could have been halved or even a quarter of the length, if the author removed to waffle and got to the point quicker. On purchasing the book I was excited to have such an extensive course to begin but, within a few chapters, I sadly realised that it is so long because it is poorly written.

If you like long meandering listens that feel like the author just likes to go on and on about quite basic and obvious points then this might be for you.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

The art of story review. Suggestions

The first 4chapters are with reading and then the last one.
These are where you will find the most ideas. Perhaps if you like one of the movies suggested in the follow-up chapters then go for it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great course

lots of brilliant information. Mr fletcher obviously knows his stuff. Course can also apply to playwrighting and storytelling.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A great method

A great method and process for understanding and creating stories. Will definitely read again soon.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!