this was bad ( )

NA

I've attended his class and he's good, but not on the same level as McKee. It's a classic book on screenplays, but there are now better books. ( )

Very well done, but even knowing what you need to do doesn't help if you can't make yourself do it! This is one of the better books on the subject I have read, however. ( )

Unless you're already a naturally-gifted screenwriter you can't do much better than start with Syd Field's book Screenplay. And would go further and say that even if you're already talented, being familiar with Syd Field's contribution is still fundamental to understanding the art and form of the craft.

Screenplay will take the aspiring writer from conception to final draft, and wherever possible an explanation of "why this works" is given. The criticism that his approach is inorganic and formulaic is valid, but why not use it as another tool in the toolbox as opposed to an all-or-nothing way of writing movies? ( )