The Psychology of Screenwriting: Theory and Practice

The Psychology of Screenwriting is more than an interesting book on the theory and practice of screenwriting. It is also a philosophical analysis of predetermination and freewill in the context of writing and human life in our mediated world of technology. Drawing on humanism, existentialism, Buddhism, postmodernism and transhumanism, and diverse thinkers from Meister Eckhart to Friedrich Nietzsche, Theodor Adorno, Jacques Derrida, Jean Baudrillard and Gilles Deleuze, The Psychology of Screenwriting will be of use to screenwriters, film students, philosophers and all those interested in contemporary theory. This book combines in-depth critical and cultural analysis with an elaboration on practice in an innovative fashion. It explores how people, such as those in the Dogme 95 movement, have tried to overcome traditional screenwriting, looking in detail at the psychology of writing and the practicalities of how to write well for the screen. This is the first book to include high-theory with screenwriting practice whilst incorporating the Enneagram for character development. Numerous filmmakers and writers, including David Lynch, Jim Jarmusch, David Cronenberg, Pedro Almodóvar, Darren Aronofsky, Sally Potter and Charlie Kaufman are explored. The Psychology of Screenwriting is invaluable for those who want to delve deeper into writing
for the screen.

The Psychology of Screenwriting is an innovative book that combines practical elements with theory, to give aspiring screenwriters a well-rounded guide to the craft. Using key in-text features for advanced pedagogy (including reflective questions, activities and summaries) this text guides the student screenwriter through the stages of screenwriting. Chapters focus on core topics such as the purpose of screenwriting, genres, structure, the expression of ideas, character, awareness of the visual, and adaptations.

Films analyzed in-depth include Rear Window, Short Cuts, Pulp Fiction, Crash, Moon, and Orlando - with the focus throughout the book being on more contemporary films with which students are likely to be familiar. Throughout, Dr. Jason Lee invites readers to consider key questions for critical reflection: how does the screenplay hook the reader, and at which point? How is the tension developed? Has the audience really discovered something? The Psychology of Screenwriting is designed to be constantly challenging, informative, and useful - and provides a refreshing change from many of the screenwriting-by-numbers texts crowding the bookshelves.

A comprehensive introduction to the craft of screenwriting, encompassing theory, practical tools, pedagogical features, and focusing heavily on examples from contemporary film.

The Psychology of Screenwriting is an innovative book that combines practical elements with theory, to give aspiring screenwriters a well-rounded guide to the craft. Using key in-text features for advanced pedagogy (including reflective questions, activities and summaries) this text guides the student screenwriter through the stages of screenwriting. Chapters focus on core topics such as the purpose of screenwriting, genres, structure, the expression of ideas, character, awareness of the visual, and adaptations.Films analyzed in-depth include Rear Window, Short Cuts, Pulp Fiction, Crash, Moon, and Orlando - with the focus throughout the book being on more contemporary films with which students are likely to be familiar. Throughout, Dr. Jason Lee invites readers to consider key questions for critical reflection: how does the screenplay hook the reader, and at which point? How is the tension developed? Has the audience really discovered something? The Psychology of Screenwriting is designed to be constantly challenging, informative, and useful - and provides a refreshing change from many of the screenwriting-by-numbers texts crowding the bookshelves.

The Psychology of Screenwriting is more than an interesting book on the theory and practice of screenwriting. It is also a philosophical analysis of predetermination and freewill in the context of writing and human life in our mediated world of technology. Drawing on humanism, existentialism, Buddhism, postmodernism and transhumanism, and diverse thinkers from Meister Eckhart to Friedrich Nietzsche, Theodor Adorno, Jacques Derrida, Jean Baudrillard and Gilles Deleuze, The Psychology of Screenwriting will be of use to screenwriters, film students, philosophers and all those interested in contemporary theory. This book combines in-depth critical and cultural analysis with an elaboration on practice in an innovative fashion. It explores how people, such as those in the Dogme 95 movement, have tried to overcome traditional screenwriting, looking in detail at the psychology of writing and the practicalities of how to write well for the screen. This is the first book to include high-theory with screenwriting practice whilst incorporating the Enneagram for character development. Numerous filmmakers and writers, including David Lynch, Jim Jarmusch, David Cronenberg, Pedro Almodóvar, Darren Aronofsky, Sally Potter and Charlie Kaufman are explored. The Psychology of Screenwriting is invaluable for those who want to delve deeper into writing
for the screen.

Jason Lee is Professor and Head of Film and Media with Creative and Professional Writing at the University of Derby, UK. He has taught screenwriting for over twenty years and has published numerous screenplays. His articles on film have appeared in Film International and Vertigo. His other books include The Metaphysics of Mass Art Vols. I and II (1999), Pervasive Perversions (2005), and Cultures of Addiction (2010), and his work has been translated into ten languages.

Acknowledgements
1. The Psychology of Identity
1.1 Introduction/1.2 Ban the Script?/1.3 Identity, History and Psychology/1.4 Inferiority Complex/1.5 Back to Basics - ideology/1.6 Evil and Knowledge
2. The Psychology of Practice
2.1 Finding your Intention/2.2 The Psychology of Obstacles/2.3 The Psychology of Treatments/2.4 The Psychology of Format/2.5 The Psychology of Ideas
3. The Psychology of Character
3.1 Names/3.2 The Goodness of Evil/3.3 Myth and Psychology/3.4 The Psychology of Mirroring/3.5 The Psychology of Self/Limit/3.6 The Psychology of Machines/3.7 The Psychology of the Enneagram/3.8 The Psychology of Instinct/3.9 Scene and Structure
4. The Psychology of Dialogue
5. Individuation
5.1 The Timing of the Secret/5.2 Break a Few Rules and Home/5.3 Fundamentals/5.4 Intertexuality and the Reader/5.5 Theme/5.6 Adaptation/5.7 Writing Voiceovers/5.8 Whose Voice?
6. Conclusions
6.1 The Psychology of Story/6.2 Chekhovs Gun/6.3 The Psychology of Freedom/6.4 The Psychology of the Non-self/6.5 Genre/6.6 Editing and the Rewrite/6.7 The How and the Why/6.8 Mediated Fate
Endnotes
Select Bibliography
Index