Customer Reviews:
 Get your Emotions to Rock Your Audience July 20, 2007
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
This well written book conveys the importance of really connecting your audience to your charcters feats, flaws, and final acts. It a lesson well learned for any screen writer, think of your favorite movies, they made feel emotion for the heros, the villans etc. This emulates that concept through and through.
Essential Reading July 17, 2007
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
I would recommended this book to all new screenwiters. Bring your characters from 2D to 3D!
A compelling guide to writing that will grab your audience and not let go July 11, 2007
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
Peter Dunne's practical and experience based book on screenwriting gives very specific analyses of a variety of well-written films to demonstrate his principles of emotional structure. The films include the unanimously critical and audience acclaimed Lost in Translation, (a low 4 M budget, 40M box office), Witness and Michael Chabon's Wonder Boys. Whether you are writing low or high budget you can relate. The book fleshes out methods of developing emotional underpinnings for each character in a way that propels the plot, instead of plot driving character. Drawing on his years of teaching, writing, producing, and working with writers it is obvious he knows how long it takes to really absorb this kind of material and not just `understand it' intellectually, and wisely uses thorough explanations of techniques. He follows the development of an original screenplay, beginning with three short sentences then through each step of the writing process to a finished screenplay, with notes in the margin discussing the logic of character/story choices. Most books on screenwriting present structural concepts and discussion of the three acts, as does this one, however the uniqueness of this book is its' use of rich metaphors and exploration of characters emotional dynamics that create a much richer context from which to write. There is in depth exploration of the distinction between story and plot showing clearly how these two work in parallel in well-written scripts and how understanding their complementary nature can help you design scenes and sequences that grab and hold your audience. The book is a very powerful writing companion, no matter what genre or budget you are writing.
Essential Reading for all Film Makers July 11, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Peter Dunne's Emotional Structure is an amazing insight into how to tell
a story in screenplay form. It also delves rather smoothly into the higher language of character development. If ever you have wondered how master writer's create characters that come to life when they enter a scene, look no further. From page one, Dunne begins to deliver a master class filled with deep insights into the human condition and doesn't let up till he has you where he wants you. To me, it just makes sense. It's informative, entertaining and great as a reference guide for screen writing at any level. The book is so beautifully written and personal, you feel as though you have known him for years. A good portion of the foundations covered could easily be used in a Psychology or Philosophy class. The end result, your characters and story will make more sense than ever before. I highly recommend it and wish I had access to this book twenty years ago when I started out in the business. It is essential reading for all film
makers, not just screen writers.
Peter Dunne is an emotional genius July 10, 2007
27 out of 28 found this review helpful
I've read numerous books on screenwriting and this one is at the top of my must-have list. This book gives you the tools to analyze scripts/movies/your own writing from a point of view that is rarely taught or understood. It takes you beyond 3-Act structure and gives you the tools to write not just a clever plot, but a great STORY - one that moves the reader and makes the reader care.
Learning the principles in this book has been an awakening for me as a writer. I feel I have gained the insight I needed to tell the stories I want to tell in a way that connects with and moves my reader on an emotional level. If you are writing lots of cool stuff that "happens" but it doesn't feel like it holds together as a script, this book will teach you how to bring together the plot and the story into a cohesive script and hopefully a cohesive movie.
This is a great book for the beginner or the advanced screenwriter and applies to any genre. A great reference to have on your desk while you're writing. Highly recommend!
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