The Screenplay Outline Workbook: A step-by-step guide to brainstorm ideas, structure your story, and prepare to write your best screenplay

I got this book to help me plot out my ideas before starting an advanced screenwriting workshop and it has been really helpful. Some of the outlining activities in this book closely paralleled what is being taught in my class, and it’s consistent in many ways with other screenwriting method books like those by Syd Field. I like that this is a workbook with pages to write in as you develop a project. I still make handwritten scene cards along using with the templates in this book, and the sections of this book guide the whole prewriting process. There is also a link in the book to a site with more printouts of the templates, so you don’t have to worry about “using up” the book with one project. I’d recommend this book especially since it is a unique, hands-on format compared with other screenwriting books.

Naomi has a lot of great practical advise on how to write a screenplay. She demystifies the process. This workbook really follows through on that. You just need to fill in the blanks, like literally. Every screenwriter knows how important what this workbook does - write your outline. This is a very important step (some writers will even say THE most important) when writing. And this is what this workbook does. It'll lead you to writing that outline so you can immediately start your first draft - and there's nothing more valuable than that. There are a lot of great how-to books out there, but this workbook actually makes you work and write as you go through it. Now, if there's only a way I could turn it into a refillable binder for every new project... :)

The Screenplay Outline Workbook is a fantastic resource for getting your story properly structured and your characters fully developed before beginning to write your actual screenplay. I've read many books on the subject of screenwriting and this workbook is a fantastic compliment to all of them. If you're familiar with Blake Snyder, Paul Gulino, Syd Field, William Goldman, Lew Hunter, et al, then this workbook will feel like a natural extension to everything those authors have to offer.But don't fret because, even if you have little to zero screenwriting knowledge, this workbook is also an excellent place to start for beginners. In it, you will find all the fundamental tools and guidance you need to go from a basic one-sentence story - or even an idea - to a fully developed outline for use when you're writing a screenplay.I'm not an inexperienced writer; I've written several screenplays of varying length, including shorts and features, and this workbook has really helped to shape and develop my latest project. I even had a couple of sticking points that I was having difficulty getting through, but this workbook made me look at the task at hand from different angles by posing questions that provoke thought and stir the imagination.I can't say enough good things about this workbook. It has really helped me to shape and structure my story and stay focused on theme, tension, and character. In short, Naomi Beaty really knows her stuff. My only regret is not stumbling upon this workbook sooner!If you're serious about screenwriting or would just like to try your hand at it, give this workbook a try. It really helped me to outline my newest project in record time and I already know that the time I put in with this workbook is going to save me a couple of revisions down the line.AAA+++

the workbook is very thorough and it’s most helpful for writing movies rather than tv shows just because of the way it wants you to structure the story but at least parts of the book would be helpful to develop series ideas. there’s also a link for the pages if you complete the book, need more pages, or just want to keep the book clean. overall i would recommend to anyone interested in screenwriting for the first time or experiencing writer’s block (like me)

The media could not be loaded. This book is basically an entire screenwriting course. It gets you from idea to outline. I'd say it's even better than any class on screenwriting I've ever taken (not even joking). Naomi gives several actual templates for outlining (I've been looking for this for so long). First, she digs into everything you need to fill your outline in, starting with the basics (character development, setting, plot, etc.), and she expands from there. The outline templates have examples from existing scripts and also explain why and how the stories move in the way they do. I know Screenwriting Twitter might burst into flames at the mention of so much "formula," but I find it so incredibly useful to have different outlining options broken down so thoroughly for me. That way, I can examine other stories and my own stories in depth. Big believer in "learn the rules so you can break them," and this book has been instrumental in breaking story but also understanding why/how screenplays generally follow a certain ebb and flow. It's so easy to get lost in outlining and unclear or uncertain if you're doing it right. All that to say, this workbook is amazing, and whether you're outlining for the first time or the twentieth time, you'll walk away with an outline for your script that you can trust.

"The Screenplay Outline Workbook" is an extremely useful resource for screenwriters of all levels. It provides a perfect balance between theory and practice, guiding writers from the initial rough ideas to well-constructed outlines, ensuring that every idea carries a concentrated throughline that serves as the heartbeat of the narrative. The book ingeniously distills your concepts down to their core, providing a structurally sound scaffold for any screenplay. As a writer, I've found it invaluable for 'kicking the tires' of every idea I'm ready to develop, ensuring each one has the necessary intent and momentum. Whether you're a novice or a veteran, this Workbook is a must-have in your screenwriting toolkit, giving life and solid structure to your ideas.

This book will help you with those questions unanswered about your story you try to put in logical way. If you already have read Safe The Cat is going to be a lot easier to write your screenplay, because this book makes you exercise all the way through.

Really amazing resource for turning an idea into a script. Easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions and guidance, without being dogmatic in its approach to the creative screenwriting process.

I think that the fundamental value (for me at least) when it comes to this workbook is this: where once I had just a few characters and a beginning, now I have a story.I first came across Naomi Beaty's practical approach to teaching in her interviews for Film Courage on YouTube, and downloaded her (excellent) book on the creation of a logline. Working through that book was like shining a light on the remnants of the story I wanted to tell, showing which sections desperately needed shoring up.In the Screenplay Outline Workbook, you're taken through the process of creating an idea from scratch all the way to a finished outline, but I already had the basic idea, a protagonist and an antagonist, but I only had the first act - I just didn't realise it until I worked through this book.The advice herein is so powerful because it forces you to limit your story to one that would make a strong and effective screenplay.This workbook contains a practical process that results in a story; the story you want to tell.

…Naomi Beaty’s The Screenplay Outline Workbook provides me with a SOLID BRIDGE from my imaginative screenplay concepts to a beautiful place: A SCREENPLAY OUTLINE that I can write with confidence from--with imagination and freedom. In the book, she answers questions with clarity, but she also offers ongoing online support, including one super important to me: downloadable sections of this book so I can WORK the workbook from my computer. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book. (Hard copy shipped by Amazon to Europe.)

I like the style and the content is super, I will adapt it to my process by adding something more. It's a great tool for having a solid outline in the end and the most beautiful thing is that the author is available for questions, material to be added and so on!