“The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling”
A #1 Best Seller in Film & Television, my book is endorsed by 30+ professional screenwriters, novelists, and academics.
A #1 Best Seller in Film & Television, my book is endorsed by 30+ professional screenwriters, novelists, and academics.
It’s official. The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling is now available to the public.
You may get it as an eBook. You may get it as a paperback. You may buy it through Amazon. You may buy it directly from the publisher Springer.
In fact, Springer is offering a special deal.
Over thirty professional screenwriters and novelists, as well as academics have endorsed my book. Here are a few of those endorsements:
“In his decade of teaching, culminating with this book, Scott has pulled off a remarkable feat. He’s made a complete compendium of the screenwriting craft while continuing to encourage the antithesis of formulaic writing.”
— Peter Craig, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Top Gun: Maverick, The Batman
Scott is a brilliant guide for anyone looking to get into screenwriting. Regardless of the genre, budget, or style of the film — character is everything. It is the bedrock of all drama, laughter, love, passion, and loss. Get to know your characters well enough — and they tend to tell you the story they want to be in. Scott’s book is an indispensable tool for unlocking scripts through character and a great tool for any screenwriter.”
— Lisa Joy, Westworld, Reminiscence
“Scott Myers is a canny and thoughtful teacher of the craft of screenwriting, and brings all of his impressive knowledge, insight and experience to The Protagonist’s Journey: this book is full of essential lessons for the novice, and crucial reminders for the professional.”
— Javier Grillo-Marxuach, Writer/Producer, Lost, The Dark Crystal, Cowboy Rebop
“Scott Myers is a gift to screenwriters everywhere. Brilliant and energizing, The Protagonist’s Journey is a new bible for writers to take their awesome movie idea and evolve it into a living breathing screenplay. I absolutely loved this book and will be using it as an essential tool for making my next script the best it can be.”
— Kirsten “Kiwi” Smith, Legally Blonde, 10 Things I Hate About You, Trinkets
“When Scott Myers talks about screenwriting, I listen. So many writing guides focus on structure, but Scott persuasively preaches that well-drawn characters drive our best stories. In The Protagonist’s Journey, Scott gives us practical steps to shape powerful narratives around protagonists, offers a multitude of teaching illustrations from great movies, and gently invites us into this process he understands so well. It’s a terrific book I can’t wait to share with my students.”
— Greg Garrett, Author of Bastille Day and four other novels, and of A Long, Long Way: Hollywood’s Unfinished Journey from Racism to Reconciliation; Professor, Baylor University
“The chicken or the egg equivalent for screenwriters (and all storytellers) is what comes first: Plot or character. What should come first is reading Scott Myers’ book, The Protagonist’s Journey. It’s a rare gem. A book that focuses on character development, and how characters impact the plot. Each chapter provides specifics of character using modern film and tv references. Too many books teach structure with the protagonist as an afterthought. The Protagonist’s Journey is a must-have, must-read for all screenwriters, and a must-teach for all screenwriting professors.”
— Keith Giglio, screenwriter, Reba McEntire’s Christmas in Tune, A Cinderella Story; Professor, S.I. Newhouse School, Syracuse University
Apart from its focus on character-driven storytelling, some distinctive aspects of the book:
- Applies concepts of Carl Jung to screenwriting and story theory (thus, going beyond Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey)
- Includes both movies and television as case studies and examples (over 300 references)
- Features contemporary titles, not just classic movies
- Uses film and TV references which reflect diversity across genres, ethnicity, and gender identification
One of my goals was to make the book as relevant as possible to a new generation of cinematic storytellers, especially important in my view given the current convergence of movies and television.
The book was just released and on Amazon, and … well … check it out.
Here is how the book is described by the publisher:
Character drives plot. Based on this principle, this book walks aspiring writers through the fascinating world of character-driven screenwriting. When a writer engages their characters, they start a process which naturally leads to the story’s structure and everything else that makes for a well-written narrative. Exploring the protagonist’s journey and their “unity arc,” Myers explains how a family of characters surrounds the protagonist and influences their transformation process. This easy-to-follow guide features activities that will help writers of any level develop their stories from concept to scene-by-scene outline. Based upon a popular workshop Myers has led with over a thousand writers at all levels of experience, this book is a must-have for screenwriting students, both undergraduate and graduate, and those looking at advanced story development.
If you are a fan of Go Into The Story…
If you love movies and television…
If you are a writer looking to enhance your writing…
If you are drawn to complex, compelling characters…
The Protagonist’s Journey is for you!
Please spread the word. Rate and review the book. And if you buy the book, I’d love to see a photo of you with it in your hands!
Praise for The Protagonist’s Journey
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