Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs to Know Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Are you looking to buy Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs to Know? Here is the right place to find the great deals. we can offer discounts of up to 90% on Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs to Know. Check out the link below:

>> Click Here to See Compare Prices and Get the Best Offers

Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs to Know ReviewSomeone once said that most screenwriters don't sell their first script until they have written at least ten screenplays. If you're reading this and you're struggling through your first script - just ignore that sentence for a moment. I've written, at least, nineteen screenplays. And have I sold one? No...not yet.
The simple reason for saying that a screenwriter needs to have ten script notches on his/her belt (if not more) before he/she sells a screenplay is very simple: Scripts have a rhythm, they have a flow to them, and they have beats that need to be hit time and time again. When you write your first screenplay, that is not inherent knowledge. You may think you know, but when your script tops out at 65 pages or 182 pages, there's a chance you don't really have a grasp of the beats.
A few years ago I was reading and critiquing a friend's screenplay and she included a scene where a person is underwater for one minute. ONE MINUTE. Do you know what it would be like to sit in a theatre and stare at water for ONE MINUTE? It would seem like twenty minutes and your mind would wander towards where you parked your car, and did you lock it and how much was that popcorn and is that kid texting someone??? Simply put, this writer didn't seem to grasp the beats. To think about it in music terms this would be like someone singing one note for one minute - causing your ears to bleed.
By the time you get five, ten, fifteen scripts under your belt, though (and watch a lot of movies and read a lot of books and screenplays) you'll begin to have a "sixth sense" of story beats. Of what needs to happen when and where and for how long. Before you know you it - you'll be hitting the beats (mostly) on time.
But...what if you're struggling through that first script? This is where "Something Startling Happens" can really help a first time writer. Using films as diverse as "Juno" and "The Godfather" (and pretty much everything in between) Mr. Klick shows how each film - in their own way - has the same beats. Even if the genre is completely different, or the director is George Lucas or Woody Allen, there are similarities in place here that you may not see (and probably DON'T see). But...they are there.
I recently finished a screenplay and sat down with the script on screen and the book in my hand and went page-by-page to see if I had the "beats" down. Lo and behold I would say I was about 103 out of 110 beats (my script is 110 pages long). Out of the seven I missed - they may have come on the page before or the page after - or they may have been missing altogether - but what this book gave me was a gentle reminder that maybe I should do something here instead of having another half page of dialogue. Or maybe my hero should be pushing the story forward instead of standing there like a lump.
And that's where the brilliance of this book comes into play. If you're a first time writer - it gives you the beats to work with BEFORE you start - to help form your mind and put you on the right path. If you're a veteran writer like me - it gives you gentle reminders of what beats you need to be hitting and will greatly help my re-write going forward.
Is the book perfect? No. Mr. Klick uses a number of film examples that go beyond 120 beats (The Godfather, Die Hard, Forrest Gump, etc.) and when the book ends at 120 it ENDS AT 120. I would have liked to see him carry the book out until the 170 beats of The Godfather are done (or put them on a website or something). And I certainly would not want anyone to feel like they need to force a reveal at page/minute 42 because there is supposed to be a "Surprise Reveal" - but, again, this book does an amazing job of hitting those beats that are so great and important to any story.
Bottom line: This book is a minute-by-minute, beat-by-beat, way at looking at story and structure. If you've ever heard that writing a screenplay is like putting together a puzzle, here are all the pieces that you need. Mr. Klicks's use of using examples from dozens of films creates a fantastic guide to improving your script. If you're a first time writer, or a veteran, you can't go wrong with this book.
Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs to Know Overview

Want to learn more information about Something Startling Happens: The 120 Story Beats Every Writer Needs to Know?

>> Click Here to See All Customer Reviews & Ratings Now