Catching the eye with bold, large type on the cover and in-section introductions, Merlin Goldman’s WANT DO GET effectively uses strong colors in opening spreads to highlight key concepts including “Ideation,” “The Mind Plot,” and “Character.” Each chapter is divided into well-organized sections comprising explanatory discussions, direct applications to specific film examples, digestible lists, illustrative figures, and tables. Encouragement to jump around and go to sections needed for a solution is a particularly appealing and flexible invitation.
Despite minutely detailed guidelines and recommendations for format, act structure, and character development, the “waypoints” section also offers the welcome freedom to “dive in” and write a few scenes or snippets to get some words on the page. In this valuable discussion, clever phrasing evokes vivid images. They include characters as mannequins if given nothing to do, and the plot as an empty sports field requiring players and ground flags. Throughout the book, a conversational tone establishes a level playing field with fellow writers.
Instructive tips are abundant in every section of the book. Notable ones include pitching ideas to people in line or writers’ groups to assess interest, as well as having a computer read work aloud to identify issues that silent reviews do not permit. Information about screenwriting software and suggestions for creating fuller characters are also useful.
Cross-references to well-known writers’ ideas enrich each chapter of WANT DO GET, including explorations of Robert McKee’s technique for transforming thematic words to extract extremes of meaning and Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey” as the “most discussed tool in screenwriting.” New concepts, such as Douglas Corrigan’s “pantsing”—or doing tasks with little preparation—spark interesting challenges.
In addition, practical information provided in tables and graphics distill elements for grasping and retaining key points. For example, a table in the “Heart Plot” section supplies the recommended percentage of “beats” in each act to develop a “melodic rollercoaster.” A graphic, spread over two pages, clearly identifies a wide range of character flaws to enliven believable story figures.
With all these rich layers of information, Merlin Goldman’s simple title WANT DO GET and early references to “free writing”—or starting at any point in or out of sequence—place the completion of a screenwriting project within reach.
Overflowing with helpful screenwriting tips and tools, WANT DO GET by Merlin Goldman is a manual that even longtime writers will find enlightening.
~Andrea K. Hammer for IndieReader