The Guide for Every Screenwriter

"I read The Guide for Every Screenwriter in one sitting. Geoffrey D. Calhoun's book provides insight for any storyteller, not just screenwriter, can use. The guide had me thinking about my script and inspired me to write within the first ten pages. What makes this book elemental for a writer is the specific simple framing of an extraordinarily complex process. Everyone has bits of their movie in their head... for those of us still learning the craft, it's easy to let a story overwhelm us and lead to failure. Geoffrey's book reaches down and provides accomplishable steps to not only get past the pitfalls but also profoundly improve a great idea into a wonderful one."                                                             —Pete A. Turner, host of the Break It Down Show

"This is the book I wish I'd read ten years ago! A no-nonsense, straightforward, and vital easy to follow guide for screenwriters both new and experienced. This is my new go-to guide for all things screenwriting. You better believe it'll be close by from now on."             —Cat Connor, Author of the Byte Series

"There are so many books on screenwriting. Although many of them offer tips on structure and development, few books deliver the information into something digestible for aspiring writers. Most books can leave people feeling more confused than when they started. The Guide for Every Screenwriter is one of the most efficient instruction manuals on the craft. Geoffrey D. Calhoun cuts past the verbose film school expository, and gets straight to work, delivering a sample-driven checklist that anyone can follow. What's remarkable about this book is how quick it is to apply to your work. It serves as a side-by-side checklist for the writing process. I recommend this book to anyone looking to write a screenplay, and to any professional needing a refresher."                               —Kelly Schwarze, Director - Indie Film Factory

Like Strunk and White's Elements of Style, this book aims to give the reader and the writer a map to guide them. It takes the writer's hand and assists them with proper fundamentals and structure. I like this book. I like what it does if you use it properly. This miniature tome gives you the keys to the kingdom. I've been involved with writing for over four decades. I have run over 30 Written Word Competitions over the last twenty years, read thousands of scripts, written over 300 episodes of Network Television and produced 5 films from my own screenplays (including the script for Behind The Gate with Academy Award Winner Joe Pesci). In short, I've seen it all. You could read one hundred books on screenwriting and still never get a tenth of the pure truth for the scribe that comes from cracking these pages open and then cracking open your mind to accept the truth of structure, process, intuition, and skill. With this brilliant book, Calhoun has not only drawn a line, but he has also made a bulwark of design in language, style, and instruction that anyone can follow. The question is, "Will they?" I really hope they do because there are a million ways to go wrong but only a few ways to get it right. Getting it right begins with structure. Screenwriting is one of the most difficult and rewarding crafts of all the crafts that have ever existed in the world. Think of all the trades and skills that have died over the last two thousand years. Now consider the fact that writers have outlasted them all. Why? Because the true heroics of a story is the ability to properly format, design, create, and launch your story successfully out into the universe.                                                                                  —Del Weston

Author Presentations, Appearances, Readings

From the Author:

As an autodidact, I first began my screenwriting career by tearing through books, seminars, classes, you name it. I had and still have an insatiable thirst to master this craft. I'd pester mentors until they unwillingly gave up their deepest secrets. Having done that,I was frustrated there wasn't a one-stop-shop for screenwriting. I have an extensive library filled with books on the subject. Thus, I have condensed all of the knowledge I've gained over my ten plus years into a small, easy-to-carry guide that you can refer to whenever you need it.

In the Guide For Every Screenwriter, I've compiled my slides and seminars about screenwriting into easy visuals for you to access. We cover topics from character development, format, structure, the secrets to subplots, building your career, and everything in-between. No stone is left unturned. This book is truly a compendium of screenwriting and peels away the mysteries of the craft.