My screenwriting bookshelf

Someday maybe we'll talk about my other bookshelves (the sci-fi bookshelf, fantasy bookshelf, mystery bookshelf, non-fiction, etc) but today I'll just give you a quick run down of the books I refer to most often when I am writing and need words of wisdom, technical help or just need to procrastinate.

Of course, there are two or three which should be on every screenwriter's bookshelf:

• Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri
  
• Screenwriting 434 by Lew Hunter
  
• Making a Good Script Great by Linda Seger

I suppose if you want the true basics, you can read Aristotle's Poetics but that's up to you. It makes you sound smart to your non-writing friends if you can quote Aristotle.

Books I read for inspiration:

• Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
  
• Breakfast with Sharks by Michael Lent
  
• The Right to Write by Julia Cameron

Books I refer to for advice (but not as much as the first 3):

• Creating Unforgetable Characters by Linda Seger
  
• The Writer's Journey by Christopher Vogler
  
• Writing Screenplays that Sell by Michael Hauge

Books I haven't really used in the last year, but I still have on my shelf:

• Screenplay by Syd Field
  
• Screenwriting: The Art, Craft, and Business of Film and Televison by Richard Walter
  
• Write Screenplays that Sell by Hal Ackerman
  
• Writing Scripts Hollywood Will Love by Katherine Atwell Herbert

Recent purchases/reads:

• 10 Minutes to the Pitch by Chris Abbott
  
• Screenplay by Disney by Jason Surrell
  
• Successful Television Writing by Lee Goldberg

I'm going to pick up Alex's book Crafty Screenwriting next chance I get. I'm always picking it up in the bookstore, but I'd like to finish it this year, so I'll just buy the damn thing already.

Now you know why I never get anything written -- I'm reading too many books!