tyscreenwriting

2011-02-10T14:42:00.000-08:00

Spats Measurements.

These scans are done on UK A4 sized papers (which is slightly larger than American sized paper).

Measurements:

From top of spat to bottom (buckle / strap point) = 5 ¾” (14.5 cms)

(From top to bottom, along the buttons edge) = 5 ½” (14 cms)

From back to front = 10” (25 cms)

Circumference around the top (when buttoned up) = 10” minimum (25.5 - 26 cms)

Now my book is used in a Court Case (about Copyright) as clarification evidence!

2009-08-17T15:56:00.001-07:00

So there I wasd just trawling the net and some networking site led me to a mention of Teach Yourself Screenwriting in a Legal Paper regarding the clarification of copyright infringements.

http://law.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1133&context=usclwps

And about one third of the way in, there it was: Footnotes 41-44 inclusive.

I'll Copy and Paste as best I can:

University of Southern California Law
School

University of Southern California Legal Studies Working Paper
Series

Year 2009 Paper 49

Jeff Benedict’s “The Little Pink House”: The
Back Story of the Kelo Case and the Little
White Lies Told About It

George Lefcoe

University of Southern California, glefcoe@law.usc.edu
This working paper is hosted by The Berkeley Electronic Press (bepress) and may not be commercially
reproduced without the permission of the copyright holder.
http://law.bepress.com/usclwps/lss/art49
Copyrightc 2009 by the author

Abstract
Little Pink House is a fast paced account by Jeff Benedict of the events surrounding
the 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Kelo v. City of New London. Along
with tracking Benedict’s story line, this review also highlights some of the core
legal and policy issues that are an important part of the story for law-trained readers.

At the core of the tale is how Kelo and a handful of her neighbors challenged
the New London Development Corporation’s (NLDC) use of eminent domain for
the economic redevelopment of the Fort Trumbull neighborhood. A libertarianinspired
public interest law firm named the Institute for Justice (IJ) agreed to represent
the beleaguered property owners. ........

...Spinning Kelo: Benedict and IJ–Close but Not Identical. Though Benedict embraces the IJ’s David-and-Goliath characterization of the struggle between the Kelo case holdouts and the NLDC, his depiction is necessarily more nuanced than theirs. Benedict’s goal was to write a story that might form the basis of a screen play.39 Dahlia Lithwick, the New York Times reviewer, put it this way: “The investigative reporter Jeff Benedict has decided to cast Kelo in the style of Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich.”40 To be believable, movie characters need to be
three dimensional.41 Their flaws can command the viewer’s attention and empathy. In
overcoming their flaws, well-drawn characters give a sense of direction to the story.42 Actor Christian Bale makes an important point when he explains that an audience doesn’t have to approve of an author’s characters but they have to relate to them.43 Dislikable characters can enliven a script as long as they possess at least one redeeming characteristic (remember The Talented Mr. Ripley?).44

38 Noreen E. Johnson , Blight and Its Discontents: Awarding Attorney's Fees to Property Owners in Redevelopment Actions, 93
MINN. L. REV. 741, 741-43 (2008); Abraham Bell & Gideon Parchomovsky, Taking Compensation Private, 59 STAN. L. REV.
871, 887-90 (2007).
39 Stephen Chupaska, Journey of a Writer, THE MYSTIC TIMES, May 28, 2009. ("Benedict admitted that the story behind Little
Pink House would translate better as a film than a book.").
40 Dahlia Lithwick, Driven Out, NEW YORK TIMES, March 12, 2009.
41 Ray Frensham, TEACH YOURSELF SCREEN WRITING, p. 74 (2008).
42 Ray Frensham, TEACH YOURSELF SCREEN WRITING, p. 89 (2008). Mr. Frensham quotes Kingsley Amis: “Take one aspect of
your own [writer’s] character that you are not particularly proud of and explore that, push the envelope to the limit.”
43 Ray Frensham, TEACH YOURSELF SCREEN WRITING, p. 93 (2008).
44 Ray Frensham, TEACH YOURSELF SCREEN WRITING, p. 91 (2008).

So I've just sent the author an e-mail asking how he found my book in the first place and hoping he had an enjoyable read.

Teach Yourself Screenwriting - THE MOVIE! ...

2009-07-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

well, not quite.

One of my facebook chums sent mne these links to five short films on a site called VideoJug.com ; they are five mini-epics based on my book Teach Yourself Screenwriting. I have no idea when they were made or when they were put up (even my Commissioning Editor at my publishers Hodder & Stoughton - who MUST have cut some sort of deal at some point - isn't aware of these miniature masterpieces.

The URLs are:-

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-format-your-film-script

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-format-scenes-in-a-film-script

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-describe-action-in-a-film-script

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-format-dialogue-in-a-film-script

http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-get-feedback-on-your-script

Do please visit, add your comments, and enjoy.

P.S.: My facebook link is www.facebook.com/tyscreenwriting

P.P.S.: In a few weeks time I may be able to tell you of some exciting developments planned for Teach Yourself Screenwriting in 2010 but at the moment I am sworn to secrecy.......

Reviews of the 3rd Edition - Online

2009-06-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

From: www.flipkart.com [India]

One of the Standard texts of the Screenwriting Industry
Review by Mark Jones

Since this book first came out in 1996, I've been a fan. Now that it's in it's third (expanded/updated) version, it just gets better.

Whether you're an absolute beginner, nervous and starting - out to a University post-grad eager for that smack on the side of the head to look at your work different, there's something in here. And Ray Frensham does not patronise and he's funny and honest.

Other books will be proscriptive and tell you 'THIS is what you MUST do", Frensham's book takes more of a "This is what they tell you you should do, but This is what you might find happening...don't worry".

There are superb sections on Character creation, on Re-writing and on Screenwriting and the Internet (the book is worth its price for all those well-researched URLs alone.

All in all, a strong recommend.

Updates (May 2009)

2009-05-10T09:21:00.001-07:00

Well, the 3rd edition of Teach Yourself Screenwriting came out in the UK (November 2008) and the USA (February 2009) and sales have been great - and consistent - and I've been doing various bits of promotion.

At the London Book Fair (in April) I learnt from my publishers they are negotiating a possible Chinese edition, and I have just been approached to talk about a possible Italian translation.

Onwards and upwards!

It's Christmas!!!!

2008-12-22T04:28:00.001-08:00

Well, the new book is out and been ikn the shops for about four weeks (people have reported sightings across Waterstone's, Borders and many other places across the nation), and it seems to be selling well.

So as we head for the holiday season, I would just like to take this opportunity to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas: to all those who have responded to my blogs, to those who have supported me through some difficult times this year (you know who you are), to my pals in the industry, to the handful of truly good friends I have and to those who have bought (and read) the new book. Thank you.

I hope you have a truly fantastic Yuletide, spent with the people around you that matter in this world: family and friends.

Back soon.

Ray Frensham [London]

REVIEWS: amazon.com (as at 31st October 2008)

2008-10-31T11:56:00.001-07:00

Just before the new (3rd) edition hits the book stores, I thought I'd trawl amazon.com and check out some of the reviews. Well, I was surprised and delighted.

To date, of the 17 customer responses:
10 were 5 star reviews
6 were 4 star reviews
1 was a 2 star review [Cheers!].

So I thought I'd reprint them (all of them) - below.

Enjoy! (I know I did).

REVIEWS: 2nd Edition, 2003 (amazon.com)

2008-10-31T11:19:00.000-07:00

INCREDIBLE RESOURCE
By Frederic Woodbridge “Fred”
[November 11th, 2007]
5 Stars

"Teach Yourself Screenwriting" is a compendium of all things screenwriting. Really. This book takes two pages to fully explain what other books would use a chapter for, and considering its topic, that's incredible.

The author subscribes to the three-act structure theory of storytelling, one to which I also subscribe. However, later in the book--and this goes to show just how in-depth this book is--the author covers other theories of structure in a chapter titled "Structural Variations", like `The Hero's Journey' approach and multi-plotting.

I think the secret to "Teach Yourself..." is the use of a lavish amount of diagrams, flow-charts, and tables all of which are dense with information. Every few pages, the author invites the reader to apply what they have learned in small boxed-off sections, such as this one in the `Enhancing Emotion' chapter:

"In Four Weddings And A Funeral, examine the way the David character (Charles's deaf and mute brother) is handled--he has a critical role in the final wedding; we first see him only in passing, standing in the background at the first wedding reception. We next encounter him outside the cinema, and only then do we realize just who he is--and we are already one third into the film. Why was this held back for so long? Now watch Road To Perdition and note the recurring use of Michael Jr's illustrated book of The Lone Ranger ".

I don't know if I would be comfortable suggesting this as the only book on screenwriting for a novice (Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting is an incredible resource) but it brilliantly summarizes many if not all of the concepts of screenwriting.

The only negative I can summon up (and I had to struggle for this one) is with the physical book itself: when I read, I like to mark certain important pages with post-it notes. Considering just how dense this book is, that's quite a number of post-it notes. I discovered with some disappointment that post-its pull up the ink when removed.

I would go so far as to say this book must be in every screenwriter's library. MUST.

EASY READ
By Zetazen “Sunrai”
[June 10th, 2007]
5 Stars

This is one of the easiest screenwriting books I have read. I have read various books on screenwriting like Screenwriting for Dummies, The Screenwriter's Bible, Making a Good Script Great, and How to Build a Great Screenplay to name a few.

The author takes the reader through every nook and cranny about writing screenplays. The reader is introduced to technical (screenplay layout, dialogue, and scene headings) parts of screenplays, thinking creatively, flushing out your characters, and lastly how the industry works.
The book also has a good section on screenplay internet resources. Use the book as a handy companion screenwriting guide.

NOT THE FIRST BOOK ON SCREENWRITING YOU SHOULD READ
by V. Todosijevic “A reader frin Belgrade” (Belgrade, Serbia)
[January 3rd, 2007]
4 Stars

This is a very good book. Almost everything about screenwriting is covered. And even more, it has a great pool of information sources pertained to screenwriting.

But, despite its title, it is not a good textbook for a beginning screenwriter, perhaps because it is written in an encyclopaedia style. Although I cannot say it is boring, I cannot say it is easy and fun for reading either.

I don't think you should read it as your first book. I would suggest any of those instead: Writing Screenplays That Sell (Michael Hauge), How to Write a Selling Screenplay (Christopher Keane), Writing Your Screenplay (Cynthia Whitcomb), or Writing the Screenplay (Alan Armer) - which I think is the best of all four.

EXCELLENT
By De Angelis Paolo (Italy)
[September 29th, 2005]
5 Stars

I have had time to read just a few pages, but you immediately feel this book has got "the right stuff".

I recommend it!

HELP FOR THE ROOKIE WRITERS!
By “Shock Therapy Publishing” (USA)
[October 1st, 2004]
4 Stars

I appreciate this book, as a tool for starting out. I am working on my first script, which is based upon my first book. Thanks for the great reviews, and experience from the other writers. This is like a peer group, smash it or trash it session. Good Luck to all of you.

I also purchased the "MOVIE MAGIC SCREENWRITING" software. Next books will be: "The Screenwriter's Bible" and "How NOT to Write a Screenplay"

COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE FOR THE BEGINNING WRITER
By Barbara :LeMaster “Bibliophile” (Florida, USA)
[April 29th, 2004]
5 Stars

Ray Frensham's guide to screenwriting encompasses everything one needs to know before sitting down in front of the computer or with a pad of paper and a pencil. He explains how to adapt fictional material for a screenplay or how to give life to an original idea. He also includes exercises such as watching films and critiquing them. The difficult subjects of character development and story structure are thoroughly covered.

You put the book down after reading just a chapter and feel as though you could write a screenplay that day. Frensham also includes suggested reading at the end of each chapter and a plethora of websites (some no longer functional, however) for writers to market their work.

A GREAT STARTING POINT
By Sandwich (Victoria, Australia)
[February 9th, 2004]
5 Stars

I spent over an hour browsing and skimming through all the highly accredited, big name screenwriting books. I found that this one, above all, was the most informative. Whilst some of the others were more helpful with generally improving your writing skills and story structure, etc, this one covers the fundamentals and is more ideal for those at a beginner level.

Basically, it covers the same ground as the others but narrows it down to basic, comprehensive to-the-point terms and guidelines. Not to say that it is brief or fast-paced. It is very helpful in the sense that it covers most areas extensively with many added points and examples. I found that next to none of the other books went over the actual screenplay layout and overall structure. There was barely anything about the camera or scene direction. They were more about visual thinking, developing your own style and being competitive in the modern industry. This book explains all of that and also encourages you to explore alternative source material.

I recommend this book to all beginners. It will inspire and motivate you and possibly provide you with the sort of answers you start out with. Start with this one, it is definitely shelf-worthy and good to just pick up and read a particular section if you're unsure about something. The most important thing to do in the end is write! Don't just talk about it, do it!

THE ONLY BOOK YOU NEED
by NTT (California, USA)
[October 8th, 2003]
5 Stars

I've read other books about screenwriting but I was always somewhat disappointed with them. I realized why after I read "Teach Yourself Screenwriting." It's the only book I've seen on the subject that is really complete and comprehensive. All others have too many shortcomings. What I loved most was the way the book provides a detailed analysis of the structure of a good screenplay, clearly outlining the three act structure, the make up of scenes, the use of inciting incidents and turning points, etc. It gives specific examples of all of these elements from great scripts like "Witness."

The only criticism I have is that it is a little vague about subtext and dialogue. Instead of abstract descripions of these elements I would like to see examples. For example, the author could have given several examples of good dialogue side-by-side with examples of bad dialogue, etc. But overall I found the book to be very well-written and extremely helpful. I utilized it extensively while I was writing my first screenplay which is now going through the Screenwriters' Workshop on Francis Ford Coppola's American Zoetrope site and is getting good reviews. I certainly give credit for this to what I learned from this book.

REVIEWS: 1st Edition, 1996 (amazon.com)

2008-10-31T10:57:00.000-07:00

MY FIRST AND STILL MY FAVORITE
by Big Dave (Boise, Idaho)
[December 3rd, 2001]
5 Stars

I read this before reading Syd Field, Christopher Vogler, and the others. This book is almost intimidating in its detail, but for a self-teaching writer I recommend it above the others because:
1. MORE DETAILED STRUCTURE. Frensham breaks down the structure of a script into smaller, tighter detail than simply having three acts, or three plot points. Once you know the material, cliche cliche, you can play with it, but it's revealing to see how the whole thing hangs together.

2. MORE KINDS OF STRUCTURE. Having broken movie structure down by scene and climaxes, Frensham then proceeds to break it down by sequences. Additional analytical tools give you more ways to think about a movie and therefore more ways to diagnose the illnesses of your own writing.

3. EXERCISES. Frensham explains a concept and then gives you homework. Go watch movies A, B, C and D and identify X, Y and Z about them. Great practice, and once you've done it with the films you know, it becomes very easy to do it with new films.

4. ALL ABOUT WRITING. Frensham wastes very little time on trying to tell you how to second guess the reader, the producer or the market or whining about pet peeves or sharpening his ax for bloodshed. There is some information about marketing, but mostly this book is what it declares itself to be in its title -- a tool for teaching yourself to write.
Bon appetit.

INFORMATIVE YET BORING
by avdr (San Diego, California, USA)
[August 21st, 2000]
4 Stars

This book covers pretty much everything about screenwriting. it teaches you everything from structure, dialogue, characters, re-writes, but it makes it kind of difficult for the novice screenwriter. the author talks to much and confuses you. also as you read, there are excercises that you do. apperently the author wants you to be working on a screenplay while reading this book. bad idea. finish any book and then start your screenplay so you wont be confused.

A SWEET IRONY
by James Henry (Tokyo)
[August 14th, 2000]
5 Stars

There's a deliciously sweet irony here in that this humble (teach yourself series) little gem of a book is, in my opinion, better organized and more comprehensive and inspiring than other big-name books (including those written by screenwriting titans Robert McKee and Syd Field) I've read on scriptwriting. It's an intelligent, no-nonsense, nuts and bolts instruction manual that is sprinkled with humor, insight, and inspirational comments, suggestions, and encouragement. You won't be disappointed.

ALL-ENCOMPASSING…AND IT FITS IN YOUR BACK POCKET
By Mark J. Janky (Batavia, Illinois, USA)
[July 11th, 2000]
4 Stars

I've been trying to get my hands on any and every screenwriting book I can find. I have the desire and ideas but I want to make sure I'm following the rules, and Mr. Frensham does a very good job explaining them. There are plenty of exercises to keep you busy for a long time before writing one word of screenplay. The underlying theme of the book is: THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS!

This book could easily take the place of one of the intensive week long writing classes being offered these days. The areas covered are Layout, Originating Your Ideas, Developing the Ideas, Creating Characters, Character Growth, Sequences and Scenes, Emotions, Rewrites, Assembling Portfolios, Copyrighting, Agents, Your Writing Career, The Industry, and finally an excellent Appendix of addresses for various screenwriting related topics.

Out of the 22 chapters included, the shortest one at two pages is entitled THE ACTUAL WRITING, and if you read this book you will realize the actual writing of the screenplay is the least amount of work. A very, very, good book and it fits in my pocket.

VERY USEFUL
by williedynamite (PlanetEarth)
[May 6th, 2000]
4 Stars

I found the teach yourself screenwritng book to be extremely useful in my attempts to write a screen play. This is the first book that really breaks down stories into it's smallles fragments sothat you can understand it. Throughout the book the author uses the movie Witness as a model story. What I appreciated about this book is how it explains each and every part of a story. From the initial idea to the resolution. There is also a handy appendix section that provides info on screenwriting books, magazines, workshops, organizations, seminars and web sites. Very useful

KNOW THE RULES BEFORE YOU BREAK THEM
By Mark Brown (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia)
[April 3rd, 2000]
4 Stars

In this book Frensham assumes that every novice writer is out to make millions from Hollywood. Hollywood scripts have become a formula. A formula that is often very effective but none the less a formula. However this is a great book for new writers who need to learn the rules before they start breaking them.

Most importantly Frensham takes us through a step by step writing process from the generation of ideas through to editing the script. This is an important skill for new writers who are reluctant to do any prewriting.

Buy "Teach Yourself Screenwriting" and learn about character motivation, the 3 act structure, sequences and the 8 basic stories. Whether or not you agree with Frensham’s ideas this book will definitely get you thinking.

ONE OF THE BEST OUT THERE!
by A Customer
[March 7th, 2000]
5 Stars

Awesome, awesome book! I've purchased six books on screenwriting and so far this is the best one I've found!

TAKES THE FUN OUT OF SCREENWRITING
By N.A.Bhatti (Birmingham, UK)
[February 28th, 2000]
2 Stars

I found this book to be cluttered up with rules and what not. It was more like filling out an application form and checking if you're making the requirements rather than a movie with themes and emotions. I found it disheartening and it nearly made me give up screenwriting One to avoid I urge you.

IN A CLASS OF ITS OWN. THE BEST.
By A. Customer
[July 29th, 1996]
5 Stars

Mr Frensham knows all the tricks and knows all the pitfalls. Read this book and you will have everything you need to know at a fraction of the price. No need to go to expensive script gurus and listen to their high powered sales talk. No need to read all the others on how to do the thing. Read this and then just write, and write well.

The message of this book is that nothing succeeds better than having something to say and the chutzpah to make sure the right people get to see it. It is a simple lesson and sums up about everything anyone else has to say on the subject.

Mr Frensham is also a little crazy and it is worth reading this just to see how a career in scriptwriting can affect one's psyche. Mr Frensham should be given a lecture tour and paid large sums of money because he is the only person who really understands the sheer idiocy of the system and at the same time has no personal axe to grind. He can also be funny

So THAT'S what Ray Frensham looks like...

2008-10-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't clicked on to any of the links (see below), here are a couple of recent pics of me (well, mid-2008). Not a pretty site, are they?

Hospital + 1 week

2008-09-27T08:15:00.001-07:00

Saturday 27th September: So it’s a week since my fall. A week on crutches, walking (if you can call it that) at a snail’s pace, my entire radius of activity restricted to a few hundred yards of my front door.

At least the work I’ve been doing this past week has been sedentary, correcting the proofs of the book. My deadline was yesterday (Friday 26th) and the original plan, naturally, was for me to hand-deliver them to Harry Scoble - my editor at Hodder & Stoughton - on the Friday. As it turned out, I managed to complete them and get them in the post by Thursday 25th.

It took a good few days (about five) for the bruising to come-out; and now it manifests its “full colours”. Not pretty; the entire back upper half of my left leg, from behind the kneecap right up to the buttock is a tapestry of purple/black blotches and broken veins. It looks like someone has rag-rolled my thigh…badly. It’s not nice at all. And the toes remain numb, albeit moving freely.

Of course, now that the bruises have surfaced, it’s near-impossible to actually sit down comfortably, especially on any kind of hard chair. Consequently, I now have dangling from my crutch a plastic carrier bag with an old cushion in it, and I use that to sit on, especially in my local coffee shop (I’m still not sacrificing my cappuccinos).

I still feel like I’ve had somewhat of the stuffing knocked out of me. This will be a long, slow recovery, I fear; taking it day-by-day, week-on-week, making sure I don’t try things I am not yet physically ready for yet. And making sure that every time I put my left leg forward the kneecap is going forward too, and not backwards (few tendons, see?).

What meetings I have lined up, well, for the present they will have to come to me out here in Redbridge [N.E. Greater London]. And any plans of mine I had to go into town (London) will have to be postponed. Damn! I need cheering up…

How I ended up in Hospital

2008-09-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

…And there was me thinking I was going to open up this blogspot page wit blogs of immense screenwriting knowledge and wisdom…..Little did I think this following piece was going to be the one to kick things off:

So I was in town today (Friday 19th), collecting the Proofs of the new book [3rd edition] from my publisher - Hodder & Stoughton - so that I may proof-read and correct them next week, delivering them back to Hodders next Friday (26th).

Proofs collected, a few more bits of shopping done - and just as I was heading for the station home - I decided to pop into a shopping mall called The Plaza in Oxford Street. It is notorious for it’s shiny and slippery polished marble floors.

6.35pm: Anyway, I took a tumble, my left leg shot out in front of me at 180 degrees and I fell on it/on my arse (ass).

No bones broken but, oh boy, did I feel those tendons snap: behind the knee and especially at the top of the thigh. Well, I sat down and almost passed out a couple of times with the shock. Paramedics came along and took me to local hospital at 7.20pm

One of the paramedics told me he worked on the construction of The Plaza about 17 years ago and even then he told them he thought the floor tiles were dangerously treacherous.

A few hours in A&E (ER) of University College Hospital (ironically, situated opposite my publisher's building). They told me I was lucky it was a slow period - the busiest periods for them being August and February (student accidents/Freshers' week).

Basically all they could do for me was dose me up on painkillers and tell me to rest and pack it with bags of ice cubes (tendons supposedly heal themselves, the doctor said). Told me I’d be looking at rest for the next 6-ish weeks.

10.30pm As I made my way to the local tube station nearest to the hospital slowly, slowly half-limping, I got to the station. Inside the station, and on the way to the platform, the left leg gave out again - twice. Just shot out in front of me and I went down on my ass again, twice. (No tendons behind the knee, see). Bugger me, it hurt.

I finally made it to the platform, to the line home, and managed to get a seat straight away (almost passing out twice on the journey home with the shock of it all).

At least when I got out at the other end I managed to get a cab to my flat (apartment).
11.30.pm. Now I’m back home (where I at least have a pair of crutches stored under the stairs).

[Fact: did you know it costs the NHS more to sterilise a returned pair of crutches than it does to issue a brand new pair?].

Luckily I was wearing a slightly baggy suit that moulded itself to my bizarre body shapes when I went down, and there are no tears or splits (that’s a relief - it’s a particularly nice Prince of Wales lightweight check with sky blue overlaid tramlines!).

So the original plan was for me to go back into town next Friday, 26th (to return the corrected proofs to Hodder).

I am intending to do that Friday visit (even if I do it on crutches). If I can’t make that on Friday - I shall decide next Thursday - I’ll put the proofs in the post, Registered Post].

My lifestyle philosophy at present is: Let’s just take things one day at a time.

What’s that line of John Lennon’s?: Real life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans?

New Cover (2008)

2008-09-13T00:20:00.000-07:00

So here's what the cover of the new / next edition looks like. In the shops by Christmas 2008 (Hodder & Stoughton tell me).

I had an horrendously tight deadline to do the additions and updates - not everything that I would've liked - and I'm still waiting for the proofs to correct.

I'm interested to have your feedback on this new cover. Here it is!

Past Covers (since 1995)

2008-09-13T00:10:00.000-07:00

This was the first edition (from November 1995) and then the Polish edition (from 1998):

and then there was the 2003 edition: the "hands in the sand" (still my favourite cover")...

and the South Korean edition:

Contact Details etc.

2008-09-12T07:58:00.000-07:00

As with everything these days, we have to have presences all over the net, so here are some sites to browse when you have nothing else to do:-

e-mail: tyscreenwriting@yahoo.com

http://profiles.yahoo.com/tyscreenwriting

www.bebo.com/tyscreenwriting

www.flixster.com/user/tyscreenwriting

www.virb.com/tyscreenwriting

Facebook.com: http://groups.to/TeachYourselfScreenwriting

http://tyscreenwriting.blip.tv/

http://www.tyscreenwriting.blogspot.com/

http://peoplejar.com/networks/screenwriting

...and the book (if you haven't already bought it)....

http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Yourself-Screenwriting-Creative-Writing/dp/0340859717/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221221428&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Teach-Yourself-Screenwriting-Creative-Writing/dp/0340859717/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1221221470&sr=8-1

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Teach-Yourself-Screenwriting/Raymond-G-Frensham/e/9780071419666/?itm=1

...and the Polish edition (one of a number of foreign language translations):-
http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vbmFrYW5hcGllLnBsL2Jvb2svOTA2MjUvcmF5bW9uZC1nLWZyZW5zaGFtLWphay1uYXBpc2FjLXNjZW5hcml1c3ouaHRt

http://www.literatura.gildia.pl/tworcy/raymond_g_frensham/jak_napisac_scenariusz

...I can't find a URL for the South Korean edition (yet)...

...and that CD-Rom I presented, Write Ambition:

I still have a few spare copies on the shelf here for sale; otherwise, you could try

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000TI418/026-4099737-4153235

[don't pay £29.99 for it on e-bay, as some sellers are trying]

...No doubt I shall be updating these when the need arises......

(best of luck!)

Welcome

2008-09-11T07:19:00.000-07:00

Well, to whoever reads this (brief) introduction: Welcome. This is the offical blogspot for my book Teach Yourself Screenwriting (US publishers: McGraw-Hill / RoWorld: Hodder & Stoughton, including numerous foreign language translations).

Ray Frensham here, author of same.

With a new Expanded/Updated edition coming out ready for Christmas 2008, I thought I would create this blog.

More to follow, I hope.

Please....somebody, out there....tell me you like me!