Others say...

"Questioning the Value"
Question: How can a person trust in the process of a "how-to" on screenwriting from someone who has only written a single episode of the TV series 21 Jump street in the 1980s, before his "process" was even formulated?

How can someone who's never written anything of any substance teach you how to "become a MASTER storyteller"? Note: John Truby has NEVER written a feature film. Never. Check IMDB for his single tv credit.

I don't doubt his insight in ANALYZING stories. In that he may be a true expert. But that's something done after the fact. STORY CREATION is quite another thing altogether, and something quite apart from book knowledge or being able to say what did or didn't work in a movie once it's been made. It seems that he's a master workshopper.

I'd much prefer to hear about the creative process from a, well, master storyteller who has numerous (or at least a few significant) works to his credit--and there are many of them out there.

DISCLAIMER: I have not yet read this book, but considering the buzz given to it, I feel this question should be raised before people spend their money on it, or worse, take it to be authoritative on the writing process.

"If You Want To Write With All The Tools!"
This book by John Truby truly equips you with all of the tools you need to construct a very tight story that will place you levels above the average screenplay (including the ones that sell and have sold for years.) If you are serious about the craft of storytelling for film and want to know you are doing the things that will create a screenplay that is technically stellar, John Truby will show you how; step by step.

Just so you are fairly warned, this book is for people who are very serious about learning the craft of screenwriting and not for the casual writer who just wants find a quick way to write a screenplay. What I like so much about Mr. Truby's approach is that his methods for creating a great screenplay contain a series of checks and balances that, once learned, provide a map to follow throughout the whole process. If something's off, you find out as you're following the process - not after you've written most of your story! That type of knowledge provides confidence and leaves so much less room for all the doubts that flood the mind of any writer.

If 22 steps sounds daunting, maybe it's best to consider what you want and how badly you want it. Like everything else in life, you get out what you put into it. If you want to make six or seven figures on something that millions of people are trying to do, isn't it worth it to do it better than them? If you are passionate about your craft, having a full tool box instead of just a few of the big tools is just that much more fun and fulfilling when all is said and done. So, you can try and win the screenplay lottery or get a great education and, ultimately, submit scripts with confidence.

As a final note, I would add that this book is a great read. It's not just text book knowledge, but it will seperate you from the pack! Highly recommended!


"KIDS! DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME."
I give it 5 stars because it's an excellent how-to-write-book.

I've read it 5 times and learned a lot about how to design a story. I may need to read it ten times before all the material sticks.

That said, this is not an easy book to wrap your brain around. There is a lot to digest in it, and Truby isnt always clear about how you get from here to there. He tends to treat complicated processes as if they were simple tasks. This is not a book for beginners.

One other thing! Books/films like CARRIE and RAMBO are wildly successful without Truby's scheme. Johnny Rambo never has insights and changes into Mister Rogers.

"Not my favorite "How to Write" book. "
I suppose the ENTIRE title should have given me a clue... "22 steps to becoming a master storyteller" -- that's quite a few steps to wrap my mind around! I had to work very hard to figure out what the author was trying to teach. That said, Chapter 3's "Seven Key Steps of Story Structure" were worth reading, as well as many of the author's illustrations. I would strongly recommend "Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting" by Robert McKee as an alternative.

"The Best Book on Writing. Period."
I discovered John Truby ten years ago when a friend told me about his story structure audio-course for screenwriting. I studied Truby's principles for a year and -- using them -- I wrote the first draft of The Thieves of Ostia in two weeks. I go back to his audio teaching before each new book I write; that number is now fifteen. Each time I study Truby, I learn something new. This book contains all his best insights from the audio course plus lots of new gems.

Here is one of his great insights: 'As a creator of verbal games that let the audience relive a life, the story-teller is constructing a kind of puzzle about people and using the listener to figure it out. The author creates this puzzle in two major ways: he tells the audience certain information about a made-up character, and he withholds certain information. Withholding, or hiding, is crucial to the storyteller's make believe.' (page 7)

If you get only one book on writing, buy this one.