TEXT
The Writer's Journey (1992), Christopher Vogler. ISBN 0941188132
In every age, there seems to be a dominant or widely accepted format
for telling a story. Epic poems, five-act plays in blank verse, the novel
written as a series of letters, the morality play, the soap opera or novella
are all examples of such formats. For what it's worth, this book describes
the hottest story format in contemporary Hollywood. Plus it's organized
and summarized quite well.
Elements of Style , Strunk and White. Click here for access to online edition.
This one has been around for three or four generations, but it's still
the best concise instruction in how to write better - period. You can find
it at any major bookstore, order a copy from Amazon.com, or pick up a used
copy at any college bookstore near you. New or used, it won't set you back
more than five bucks.
WWW SITES
http://www.wordplayer.com/columns/welcome.html
This site is evolving into a resource and forum for established and aspiring screenwriters. It's chock full of "How To" advice and even has some recent screenplays that you may download. Spend some time here.
This is the Writer's Guild of America home page. Chapter 11 of the text has more background on this organization. This is the easiest way to access its services.
This is a publisher's site for software to serve the specific needs of writers, producers, location managers, etc. You can download some useful demo software here, but don't buy anything that you don't need or can't afford.
Help
Desk --MSU Computer Folks
SCRIPTS
Reunion (Home video production, 6 pages)
Bonanza (Western, family drama, 2 pages)
L.A. Law (Adult drama, 1 page)