Classical Storytelling and Contemporary Screenwriting

Reviews / Votes

"The insights in this volume could be provided only by an author like Brian Price, himself an experienced creator of narratives and a respected writing educator. In accessible language he explains why, millennia after his death, for contemporary dramatic writers Aristotle is more relevant than ever. Here is no pie-in-the-sky philosophical preaching but a hands-on guide to buttress storytelling craft for writers both new and experienced."

-Professor Richard Walter, Associate Dean; Screenwriting Area Head, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television "The insights in this volume could be provided only by an author like Brian Price, himself an experienced creator of narratives and a respected writing educator. In accessible language he explains why, millennia after his death, for contemporary dramatic writers Aristotle is more relevant than ever. Here is no pie-in-the-sky philosophical preaching but a hands-on guide to buttress storytelling craft for writers both new and experienced."

-Professor Richard Walter, Associate Dean; Screenwriting Area Head, UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television

"Brian Price delivers a masterful book on the essential precepts of classical storytelling, and their importance in crafting a successful screenplay-a wonderfully fresh take on the craft that both aspiring screenwriters and professionals alike will prosper from."

-Cornelius Uliano, Writer/Producer, The Peanuts Movie (2015)

"When inspiration, craft, and chocolate have done all they can, one returns to first principles as Brian Price masterfully lays them out. I've watched Brian guide new voices for decades, and there's nobody better at identifying the heart of your story and what it needs from you next."

-Brian Nelson, Screenwriter, Hard Candy (2005), 30 Days of Night (2007), Devil (2010)

"He examines everything from building the scene to developing the characterization. Like Aristotle, he says everything must further the story. The book's strong point is the profusion of examples from modern English language movies from "Airplane!" to "Working Girl". Price sets forth 20 "Guiding Precepts" of Aristotle that the modern screenwriter can apply (and one of his own as well)."

-Conrad J. Obregon