Psychology for screenwriters building conflict in your script pdf

Unquestionably, it is must read material for screenwriters and anyone interested in understanding the intricacies of storytelling in the motion picture industry. Screentalk Magazine — May 10, :. Indick brilliantly manages to bridge the gap between psychological theory and its application for screenwriting.

In the majority of cases, this will be because stages in a psychological process have been skipped or portrayed wrongly. I found the book extremely well written and readable and, more importantly, easy to understand even without a Ph. It is a hands-on study of character traits and how they define people and their enacting with the social world around them. Great stuff. William Indick, Ph. Flip to back. Meet the Author. I am a Professor of Psychology at Dowling College, a small liberal arts college on the banks of the Connetquot River, on the southern shore of eastern Long Island.

It's the first book to explore the influence of media on spirituality, and the only book that predicts the impact of the digital environment on our experience of the spiritual world. From Freud to Jung to Adler to Joseph Campbell's 'The Hero With A Thousand Faces', theories of why characters do the things they do are broken down into easily digested chapters with well known Movies used as a way of demonstrating the points.

As a Movie fan this was always going to work for me. Since I found talks from both Michael Hauge and Blake Snyder who is much missed so inspirational at RWA conferences a few years back, I've been fascinated by the commonalities between screen writing and prose.

It all comes down to character in the end, doesn't it? So big thumbs up for this one and as an added bonus it made me look at my own life with the conclusion I need to stop being a spectator. Am therefore vowing to be a more pro-active heroine in my own story! This book stays on the keeper shelf. May 14, James Pitter rated it it was amazing. This is a useful resource for identifying plot, motivation and character development.

It provides a helpful understanding of the character traits, thoughts and actions which govern human behaviour. The Psychology for Screenwriters delves into the complexities of the human psyche and is broken down into sections to help the reader digest the points raised in a logical structure.

Despite its title, the information contained in this book is universal to any form of fiction writing and can, therefore, be applied to screenwriters, playwrights and novelists alike. Mar 29, Askorbinka rated it really liked it. One can illustrate literally every psychological theory applied to the screenplay by Star Wars.

View 1 comment. Jan 07, Juan Camilo rated it it was amazing. I'm surprised by some of the reviews here about this book. I'm a screenwriter and I just couldn't put it down, I was underlining everything and putting stickers all over! This book is so clear and easy to understand, filled with clear examples, tools and exercises of how to apply psychology to whatever you're writing.

I was a psychology student once dropped out, such is life , and the concepts weren't as clear and as applied for me as it is here. Freud makes much more sense to me now with Dr. Indick's explanation and step-by-step descriptions. After all, I am a writer, and what I needed was THIS kind of explanation, this way of going through Freud's concept of the unconscious and its structures. This book is not "psychology for dummies" either. It's a friendlier approach to some psychological theories that help with character development when you're writing a script.

And there are tips of how to write a story based on the psychological aspects. There's no formula to write a screenplay No, I'm lying, there are a few, but what's the point? Creativity and imagination are the things that makes us all unique writers with different voices and stories to tell. There's a space for everyone, and this work by Dr. Indick is a great step in that direction. May 18, Sathish rated it really liked it.

There are umpteen books for screenwriters but this one stands out! Summary points will serve as bullet points as the author has briefly conveyed the contents of each chapter. Indick offers a very condensed version of each Psychologists th There are umpteen books for screenwriters but this one stands out!

Indick offers a very condensed version of each Psychologists theories so each topic is restricted to a few paragraphs. Reading works of Sigmund Freud, C. Jun 04, Jan Bill rated it it was amazing Shelves: love-the-word.

Great "go to" book for developing a plot arc, scene by scene. Detailed outline of what purpose each scene should serve and how it needs to contribute to the entire story.

Movies provided as examples. Exercises for deeper understanding. Explains how to setup the characters' motivations and how the characters should play off one another for optimal effect.

Mar 31, Simon rated it liked it Shelves: craft. The good: the book offers an ordered collection of psychological paradigms related to human development and corresponding examples in films.

The bad: I wished that the author dealt in more depth and presented more examples. It feels that the content is a bit shallow. Jan 02, ND rated it it was ok. Out of date, totally biased toward male perspectives, and not worth the bother. Nov 17, Jason Luna rated it really liked it. A diverting run through of 20th century psychology and how it applies to movies. A little plain from what I remember, in the sense that if you already have a cursory sense of Freud, Jung, or Erik Erikson, it's going to feel a little redundant.

But there is a little sublime pleasure from seeing movies listed that apply to basic psychology processes. It's at times a fun read. But the application of its ideas could have been a little more exhaustive and tightly written.

I read this book for a class in A diverting run through of 20th century psychology and how it applies to movies. I read this book for a class in my film school program, I imagine that's where most people would find it otherwise. I think there must be a better way to experience film theory than a book this simple. That being said, there's nothing truly wrong with this book, only its plainness.

May 29, SmarterLilac rated it really liked it. Not just as a primer for how to build compelling characters in the ultra-shallow world of screenwriting, but a nice survey of Freudian psychoanalytical theory and beyond.

Psychology for amateurs which, as an armchair psychologist, I found fun. Watch out for the Freud-bashing, though. Those of us who still love The Master can be easily hurt. Apr 17, Writeratthesea rated it really liked it. A wonderful book for understanding the psychology of character development as related to the human condition. Indick has an amazing grasp on the way a character should arc, the use of conflict, and the way a plot should develop.

I recommend it to any writer of fiction. Aug 05, John Turney rated it it was amazing. Though I'm not a fan of pyschology, this book is an intriguing read for fiction writers. The authour explains the various schools of psychology and then shows how a writer can use that to develop characters with depth as well as plots with layers.

Sep 20, Breeze rated it it was amazing. Once upon a time I went to a screenwriter's conference and was told I need to work on building "conflict".