I've read a lot of books on writing. Most of them are helpful, but not all them are very interesting. SHAKESPEARE FOR SCREENWRITERS by J.M. Evenson is both immensely helpful and interesting. I loved reading the Shakespearian plays when I was in high school, and I remember them being highly suspenseful. Evenson's book reveals why people find Shakespeare to be so compelling. Shakespeare mastered the storytelling techniques we know and love today and put them to great use in his writing.
Evenson's book is broken up into two parts. The first part takes a look at individual plays by Shakespeare and breaks down what made each of them so good. Part two looks deeper into the techniques that Shakespeare used and illustrates how modern storytellers can use those techniques as well. As an added bonus, the author makes many comparisons between scenes in Shakespeare's works and scenes from popular movies that use similar techniques.
SHAKESPEARE FOR SCREENWRITERS is an excellent resource for writers who want to draw on the storytelling wisdom of someone who clearly knew his craft. I greatly recommend this book.
Review copy provided by Michael Wiese Productions
Photo Credit: Michael Wiese Productions
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