Update: “The Protagonist’s Journey”

Named one of 20 Best Story Writing Books of All Time

I never intended to write The Protagonist’s Journey. I figured with so many screenwriting books out there, why clutter the marketplace with another one?

Conversations with the editorial staff at Palgrave Macmillan got me thinking: What books were film schools using to teach screenwriting?

I did some research. Actually, a lot.

I didn’t find any books on character. Every book appeared to focus on story structure as plot. This needs to happen on that page. That needs to happen on this page.

Yes, plot is important. But how a writer gets there is critical.

In my view, it’s this: Begin with character. End with character. Find the story in between. That’s a screenwriting mantra I came up with over a decade ago.

So, I agreed to write The Protagonist’s Journey: An Introduction to Character-Driven Screenwriting and Storytelling.

I have written over 30 movie and television projects for nearly every major Hollywood studio and broadcast network. None of those projects was as challenging to write as The Protagonist’s Journey.

When you sit down to write a screenplay, you confront a scene. Those can be rather fun, getting in touch with the characters in a situation. Feel your way through the writing.

This was different. Analysis. Comparisons. Theories. Concepts.

And footnotes. Yes, actual footnotes.

The publisher wanted an academic book. I did, too. Something well beyond the typical “how to” screenwriting book.

But I wanted The Protagonist’s Journey to be readable.

I slaved over every single line. Make it substantive. But make it enjoyable.

Mind you, I was pounding out pages during the height of the COVID pandemic. Waking up every morning. Shuffling downstairs to my office. Sitting in near darkness. Fixing movie and TV moments and scenes in my mind. Then translating those images into words.

100,000+ words.

There were countless days I said to myself, “I can’t do this. I can’t finish it. The writing is so laborious … so challenging.”

Yet, I persisted.

Twenty-one months. That’s how long it took me to write … rewrite … and revise the manuscript.

Then in March 2022, Palgrave Macmillan released my book.

It immediately became a #1 Best Seller on Amazon.

For seven months, it was an Amazon Best Seller.

When the book was published, it had 30+ endorsements from screenwriters, novelists, and academics. As it filtered out into the screenwriting community, more accolades came in.

“Scott has one of the best analytical minds on the planet and his approach to writing is so compassionate and kind, you will absolutely benefit from this book.” — Jessica Ellis, 2018 Black List/Women In Film lab writer, What Lies West writer-director

“I wish I had this book when I began my screenwriting journey. Kudos Scott. I love how you have used classic films as examples as well as TV. I’m already using your book for problem solving.” — Gary Scott Thompson (The Fast and the Furious, Las Vegas)

“Action is character. Scott takes a very simple and often-overlooked aspect of dramatic writing and skillfully turns it into a tour de force tutorial that is compelling, inspirational and practical. The Protagonist’s Journey immediately joins the classics of screenwriting literature.” — Arash Amel (The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare)

“The screenwriting book of all screenwriting books! Myers does what others simply cannot: demystify the screenwriting process. His approach to story through character is brilliant. My go to book.” — Laci Dent, Assistant Professor, Pepperdine University

“THE PROTAGONIST’S JOURNEY is a wonderful resource for screenwriters at any stage of their careers or, frankly, just film and TV lovers who want to learn how to better think about and break down the art forms they love so much — and maybe create some of their own!” — Cole Haddon (Psalms for the End of the World)

“Just finished @GoIntoTheStory’s amazing book The Protagonist’s Journey. I’m a premise-driven screenwriter so this deep dive into character-driven story structure was a breath of fresh air. Highly recommended.” — Bob DeRosa (Killers, The Air I Breathe)

“This book is so good. Really had me rethinking a lot about how I approach screenwriting and writing in general. Scott is a great teacher.” — Matthew Cherry (Academy Award for Hair Love, Young Love)

“I met Scott during the @theblcklst Lab ’20 and was drawn to his love for character-driven storytelling. His understanding of arcs, motivations, and complexities is bar none. His book is essential reading.” — Filipe Coutinho (3-time Black List writer)

It’s also gratifying to see how the book is finding its way into film school classrooms. I have heard from or about faculty using The Protagonist’s Journey as the University of Southern California, Pepperdine, and UCLA. Since that was a primary goal in writing the book — to inform and inspire screenwriting and filmmaking students to embrace character-driven storytelling — I hope that trend continues.

Then there’s this which hit Twitter/X the other day.

I used this surprising recognition for The Protagonist’s Journey to make a point in my screenwriting class at DePaul University.

My students know well Joseph Campbell’s advice: Follow your bliss. Why? Because I begin each quarter making this point.

Follow your bliss. What does that mean? Find that aspect of you inside which excites you. Enlivens you. Something for which you have a talent. Something you yearn to share with the world. That dynamic inside you which brings you joy. When you discover that … pursue it. Vocation or avocation. Go for it. For in pursuing your personal passion, that will lead you onto a path toward an authentic existence.

I share with my students my own life experience … that when someone follows their bliss, the universe creates opportunities to pursue their passion.

Just like the opportunity Palgrave Macmillan presented to me.

As I say, I never intended to write The Protagonist’s Journey. After the fact, I’m glad I did. I believe the book contributes a necessary perspective for screenwriters: Allow your characters to drive the story-crafting and writing. After all, it’s their story. No one knows it better than them.

Finally, there’s this: The response to my book has been so great, it’s led to speaking engagements and presentations in places like Mallorca, Paris, Cologne, Athens, Geneva, and multiple events in North America.

Sure, the travel and those experiences has been wonderful. But I’m thrilled to have opportunities to spread the “gospel” of character-driven storytelling. And I’m thankful people are responding to this approach.

For more information about The Protagonist’s Journey, go here.