Overview: “The Protagonist’s Journey”

“Scott Myers’ debut book is more than a study of the craft of screenwriting, it is the definitive guide to storytelling for the screen.”

Reader reviews provide an informed take on the content for this Amazon-rated #1 Best Seller in Film and Television.

Since March 28, 2022 when my book The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling was officially released to the public, it has remained #1 Best Seller in Amazon’s Film and Television category.

Reader reviews have been strong. Here is one from Fuad Omar which provides a thorough overview of the book’s structure:

Scott Myers’ debut book is more than a study of the craft of screenwriting, it is the definitive guide to storytelling for the screen. Beginning with character, ending with character and finding the story in between, The Protagonist’s Journey provides a deep-dive into who the main protagonist of your story is through asking probing questions, highlighting examples from classic and modern movies and encouraging an approach to character creation that sets the protagonist up for the journey ahead while shaping it along the way. With references to philosophical stalwarts such as Carl Jung and of course, Joseph Campbell, Myers helps bring an added layer to character that begins with the inner self, showing storytellers how to infuse meaning in all that the protagonist does, says, thinks, wants and their interactions with the world around them.

After an overview of character arcs, The Protagonist’s Journey introduces concepts of disunity, deconstruction, reconstruction and unity to assess character motivations, traits and conflict. A study of character archetypes follows referring to popular television and film iterations, highlighting the masks we all wear and how this impacts the character as well as the decisions they make along the way. Scott then takes the reader into the family of characters that make up the story, create conflict and provide comfort to the main protagonist covering in thought-provoking detail the nemesis, attractor, mentor and trickster archetypes with examples, highlighting their impact on others in the story world and necessity for providing balance.

No other screenwriting book provides such detail or places this level of emphasis on character as Myers cracks the code of a good story, rooting it in the foundation of the person guiding us through it. With the protagonist being the central figure who undertakes the journey, experiences it physically and emotionally, Scott Myers’ book is a guidebook for aspiring and experienced writers which provides a masterclass on storytelling, world-building and character — from flaws to assets and emotion to action.

After a section on subplots and covering the crucial roles of a character’s want and need, the text then presents what is the definitive guide to breaking story, applying it to screenwriting in a way that will benefit writers on one-pagers, synopsis-writing, character analysis, treatments and of course, screenplays. What is taught can be applied to all areas of storytelling and would also benefit those in marketing and business since the principles outlined in the book are relevant to any field where story, connection and character are key. The Protagonist’s Journey then delves into the craft element of screenwriting covering the three act structure, plot points, narrative themes, scene outlines, character maps and more with exercises to brainstorm when beginning, planning ahead and advice on writing the first draft. From character creation to first draft of a screenplay, Scott guides you through the entire process with an onus on approaching storytelling intelligently for maximum impact and emotional resonance.

The Protagonist’s Journey is an indispensable bible of screenwriting, teaching craft, character and storytelling with an exhaustive section on breaking story that would benefit both novice and experienced storytellers. A must-have for anyone interested in the screenwriting, this may be the last book you’ll ever need on the subject and it’ll elevate your characters to a whole new level. Well written, the author’s academic experience shines through, making it an easy to digest guide that educates with reference and relevance. Highly recommended.

A handful of other reader reviews from Amazon:

Folks have also been sending along photographs of the book once they have bought it. Here are a few of those:

To learn more about The Protagonist’s Journey, go here. If you purchased the book through Amazon or any other book dealer, please rate and review. I’m told this is an important aspect of the book algorithm process.

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