Scriptwriting for the Screen is an accessible guide to writing for film and television. It details the first principles of screenwriting and advises on the best way to identify and formulate a story and develop ideas in order to build a vivid, animated and entertaining script. The book introduces the reader to the essential skills of writing effective drama. Using examples of scripts from a range of films and television programmes such as, American Beauty, The English Patient, The Fisher King, My Left Foot, Shallow Grave, Casablanca, Coronation Street and Our Friends in the North, Scriptwriting for the Screen includes: * Advice on how to visualise action and translate this into energetic writing * How to dramatise writing, use metaphor and deepen meaning * Tips on how to determine the appropriate level of characterisation for different types of drama * Practical exercises and examples which help develop technique and style * A guide to further reading.