My first screenwriting book is truly a gem.

It delves into the three act structure specifically as it pertains to screenplays. Who would have thought?

I obtained this book after attempting to make it about halfway through Aristotle's Poetics. At that point, I happily realized that I was reading the wrong book.

I say happily because by the halfway mark of Aristotle's Poetics, anyone would start to question if they were actually reading something written in Greek rather than English, trying to understand what in the world the three act structure was in the Greek style. (Beginning. Middle. End. That is really not very helpful!)

I got as much out of Aristotle's Poetics as I would have from reading Greek.

So, for screenwriters, Aristotle's Poetics for Screenwriter's is the one to go for! And it's only about 1/16th as long as that other thing written in what seems like hieroglyphics!

Yay!

This book has truly been a game-changer for me in my screenwriting journey. It provides clear and concise explanations of the three act structure, making it accessible and understandable for aspiring screenwriters like myself. I'm so glad I discovered it and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in screenwriting.

This book offers the detailed and sequential process for constructing a successful plot structure.

It commences by incorporating quotes from Aristotle's profound ideas and then delves into a more in-depth explanation, meticulously dissecting the theories.

The book employs highly relatable examples, leveraging movies that are widely known and seen by most people. This approach significantly assists in visualizing the concepts that the book endeavors to impart.

I derived great pleasure from reading this book, and I can assert with certainty that I have gleaned a substantial amount of knowledge from it.

Specifically, this book equips prospective writers with the essential tools they require to fabricate a successful and well-written story that is bound to have the most profound impact among its intended audience and readers.

It serves as a valuable guide, enabling writers to craft narratives that are engaging, captivating, and capable of leaving a lasting impression.

Overall, it is a must-read for anyone aspiring to excel in the art of storytelling.

This is an enjoyable, albeit overall rudimentary, guide to screenwriting (and writing in general, I would argue) that uses Aristotle's Poetics as a guide.

Having just read Poetics prior to reading this, I was intrigued to see what aspects, excerpts, and tools from Aristotle Michael Tierno would deploy.

The author does a decent job of presenting some of the key concepts from Poetics and applying them to the craft of screenwriting.

However, the book could have been more in-depth and detailed. There are times when the explanations feel a bit simplistic and lack the necessary nuance.

In the end, this is a fine read, but it's not as meticulously dense or constructive as I would have liked.

It's a good starting point for those who are new to screenwriting and want to get an introduction to some of the fundamental principles.

But for more experienced writers, it may not offer much that is new or groundbreaking.

Overall, I would recommend this book with some reservations.

The original "Poetics" by Aristotle is frequently referred to by film/play writers as the essential book to consult.
  
However, one must be cautious and conduct research when choosing a translation. Since Aristotle wrote it a long time ago (in 335 BC), and ancient works like this are constantly being redefined and updated. Nevertheless, this doesn't imply that the most recent translation is necessarily the best. If the original doesn't meet one's needs, reportedly, this version serves as an alternative for screen/play writers.

'Poetics' has withstood the test of time, and Tierno clearly did not endeavor to produce something that would endure in the same way. Instead, his aim was to assist us in comprehending and applying the lessons gleaned from 'Poetics'.

This concise book contains some thought-provoking insights from Aristotle, and that is essentially all there is to it.

It offers a brief yet valuable exploration of Aristotle's ideas, presenting them in a way that is accessible to readers.

However, it does not pretend to be a comprehensive or in-depth analysis of 'Poetics'.

Despite its brevity, it can still serve as a useful introduction to the subject or as a refresher for those already familiar with Aristotle's work.

Overall, it provides a snapshot of some of the key concepts from 'Poetics' and offers readers the opportunity to engage with them in a relatively short amount of time.

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It can be said that the book is rather foolish. There are some ideas in it that help to stimulate the mind of the person who is writing it, and that's why I continued with it. Otherwise, it would pose a lot of limitations and ridicule for the screenwriter. In fact, in cinema after modernism, all these restrictions have been removed.

However, this book still has its own value and significance. It can provide some inspiration and reference for those who are interested in screenwriting. Although its ideas may not be completely in line with the current trends and concepts of cinema, they can still give people some new perspectives and ways of thinking.

In conclusion, we should view this book objectively and comprehensively, and not simply dismiss it as being worthless. We should try to extract the useful parts from it and use them to improve our own writing skills and creativity.

I'm not entirely certain that this book would prove to be as beneficial for every writer I'm acquainted with as it was for me. However, if the concept of it intrigues you, I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a try.

The parallels that exist between Aristotle's core concepts and modern storytelling were of immense value and highly informative for me. Moreover, the amount of "translating" that I had to undertake between Tierno's emphasis on screenwriting and my own fiction-writing goals was minimal.

It's a quick read that is also extremely useful. It offers valuable insights and perspectives that can enhance one's understanding and approach to writing. Whether you're a screenwriter or a fiction writer, there are likely to be elements within this book that can prove beneficial and thought-provoking.

So, if you're looking for a book that can provide you with new ideas and ways of thinking about your writing, I would highly recommend checking it out.

The article ends all the chapters in a fairly silly way ["If you do this you'll be picking up ACTION-LINES and Oscars!"]. However, aside from that, I really enjoyed the concept of applying the Poetics to screenwriting.

It felt like it provided me with some fundamental principles to build upon. The idea of using the ancient theories of Aristotle's Poetics in the context of modern screenwriting was quite fascinating.

It made me think about the structure and elements that make a good story, not just in terms of traditional literature but also in the visual medium of film.

While the ending of the chapters might have been a bit light-hearted and perhaps not as serious as one might expect, it didn't overshadow the valuable insights and concepts that were presented throughout the rest of the text.

Overall, I found the application of the Poetics to screenwriting to be a useful and interesting exploration that has given me a new perspective on the art of storytelling in film.

A very helpful guide indeed. It truly amazes me that someone has the ability to take the 2,000-year-old writing and utilize modern entertainment as a means to showcase how Aristotle not only had a profound understanding of entertainment during his era but also how the concept of good entertainment can be timeless. This is a brilliant read that offers valuable insights into the intersection of ancient wisdom and contemporary entertainment. It makes one realize that the principles and ideas that Aristotle had about entertainment still hold relevance today. By presenting it in a modern context, it becomes more accessible and engaging for a wider audience. It is a remarkable achievement that combines history, philosophy, and entertainment in a seamless and captivating way.

This is an interesting read for screenwriters, I think.

It's not overly practical, yet if you've delved into Syd Field and Robert McKee's works and have an inclination towards classical plays, you might find this captivating.

I believe that perusing this book can offer you a valuable perspective on contemporary advice for screenwriters. It has the potential to assist you in sifting through the unnecessary to uncover the more fundamental and useful aspects of the three-act story structure in the modern screenwriting paradigm.

However, the majority of this task will need to be accomplished independently, as the author doesn't truly guide you in that direction.

Nonetheless, it can still serve as a thought-provoking resource that may inspire new ideas and approaches in your screenwriting endeavors.

Whether you're a novice or an experienced screenwriter, it's worth giving this book a chance to see if it can offer you any fresh insights and perspectives.

After all, in the ever-evolving world of screenwriting, it's important to keep an open mind and explore different sources of inspiration.

So, if you're looking for something a little different to add to your screenwriting library, this book might just be worth checking out.

Who knows, it could be the key to unlocking your next great screenplay.

This is a part of the same book's appendix:

«The hardest aspect of writing this book was that whenever I wrote about one of the principles of screenwriting in a butique, a film immediately came to my mind that had violated that principle... The point is exactly this: Film usually surprises the viewer's expectations and achieves a great deal of success with this... In order to break the rules, we must first know them... In the world, there is nothing more enjoyable than reading a screenplay that breaks the rules but is actually effective. The purpose of studying the principles is to make you flexible.»

The book is successful in teaching these principles, taking into account what Aristotle wrote and even more than that. Its language is straightforward and confident, and this is probably the product of his experience in analyzing screenplays. The author's job is that of a story analyst. By reading it, you become interested in Aristotle because when he talks about drama, he breaks the dry and abstract image of him.

The translation is also good, smooth, and effortless.