Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? On our screens, words are glistening. We sing a little song, as we go along… working in a screenwriting wonderland. It’s the most wonderful time of the year! When the days are shorter and it becomes increasingly difficult to focus on writing instead of, say, decorating your Christmas tree, baking dozens and dozens of cookies, curling up to watch holiday movie marathons, or making your gift lists and checking them twice. Writers can be tough to buy presents for, but anyone with a screenwriter on their list needs to look no further than ScreenCraft’s 2023 Holiday Gift Guide for Screenwriters.

Stuff to Read

If a screenwriter isn’t writing something or watching something, they’re probably reading. And no screenwriter’s bookshelf is complete without some titles focusing on the craft itself. These essential books about screenwriting will provide guidance, reference, and inspiration for any writer on your list.   

Books About Screenwriting

• Story by Robert McKee — $23.47 from Amazon | $37.99 from Barnes & Noble | $39.53 from Bookshop.org
• The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler — $18.18 from Amazon | $29.95 from Barnes & Noble | $27.85 from Bookshop.org
• Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder — $12.69 from Amazon | $22.95 from Barnes & Noble | $21.34 from Bookshop.org
• The Screenwriter’s Bible (7th Edition) by David Trottier  — $23 from Amazon | $23.95 from Barnes & Noble | $25.06 from Bookshop.org
• Screenplay by Syd Field — $13.79 from Amazon | $15.99 from Barnes & Noble | $16.74 from Bookshop.org
• Screenwriting is Rewriting by Jack Epps Jr. — $29.95 from Amazon | $29.95 from Barnes & Noble | $34.44 from Bookshop.org
• Classical Storytelling and Contemporary Screenwriting by Brian Price — $46.95 from Amazon | $46.95 from Barnes and Noble | $56.34 from Bookshop.org
• The Protagonist’s Journey by Scott Myers — $20.08 from Amazon | $18.99 from Barnes & Noble | $28.74 from Bookshop.org
• The Anatomy of Genres by John Truby — $15.39 from Amazon | $21 from Barnes & Noble | $19.53 from Bookshop.org
• Kill the Dog: The First Book on Screenwriting to Tell You the Truth by Paul Guyot — $19.95 from Amazon | $19.95 from Barnes & Noble | $19.95 from Bookshop.org

Books About Movies, TV Shows, and Hollywood

Reading about writing is great, but inspiration can also be found in the stories of how beloved movies, TV shows, and Hollywood institutions came to be. Whether your screenwriter likes comedy or drama, action or romcoms, there’s a book on this list they’ll love. 

• Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears by Michael Schulman — $28.33 from Amazon | $36 from Barnes & Noble | $37.20 from Bookshop.org
• You Are What You Watch: How Movies and TV Affect Everything by Walter Hickey — $27.49 from Amazon | $30 from Barnes & Noble | $27.90 from Bookshop.org
• Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever by Matt Singer — $26.10 from Amazon | $29 from Barnes & Noble | $26.97 from Bookshop.org
• MCU: The Reign of Marvel by Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards — $31.50 from Amazon | $35 from Barnes & Noble | $32.55 from Bookshop.org
• Warner Bros: 100 Years of Storytelling by Mark A. Viera — $26 from Amazon | $40 from Barnes & Noble | $37.20 from Bookshop.org
• They Shouldn’t Have Killed His Dog: The Complete Uncensored Ass-Kicking Oral History of John Wick, Gun Fu, and the New Age of Action by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman — $15.92 from Amazon | $28.99 from Barnes & Noble | $26.96 from Bookshop.org
• No Crying in Baseball: The Inside Story of A League of Their Own by Erin Carlson — $23.49 from Amazon | $29 from Barnes & Noble | $26.97 from Bookshop.org
• Welcome to the O.C.: The Oral History by Alan Sepinwall, Josh Schwartz, and Stephanie Savage — $20.29 from Amazon | $28.99 from Barnes & Noble | $26.96 from Bookshop.org
• Surely You Can’t Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane! by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker — $29.99 from Amazon | $30.45 from Barnes & Noble | $32.55 from Bookshop.org
• From Hollywood with Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy by Scott Meslow — $15.59 from Amazon | $27.99 from Barnes & Noble | $26.03 from Bookshop.org
• Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli: The Epic Story of the Making of the Godfather by Mark Seal — $17.69 from Amazon | $24.49 from Barnes & Noble | $26.96 from Bookshop.org
• We’ll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Movie by Noah Isenberg — $15.94 from Amazon | $17.95 from Barnes & Noble | $16.69 from Bookshop.org
• I’ll Be There For You: The One About Friends by Kelsey Miller — $11.49 from Amazon | $16.49 from Barnes & Noble | $17.66 from Bookshop.org
• Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman — $14.29 from Amazon | $19.49 from Barnes & Noble | $20.45 from Bookshop.org

Software, Schooling, & Subscriptions

Give the gift of software this holiday season! Screenwriting software is the gift that keeps on giving every time your screenwriter sits down for a writing session. But since it’s highly likely that a screenwriter already has Final Draft, a subscription or writing class might just provide the inspiration they need to make it through their next script. 

• Final Draft 12 — New for $249.99 | Upgrade for $99.99
• Scriptnotes Premium Podcast Subscription — $29.94 for six months | $49 for one year 
• Masterclass Annual Membership Subscription — $10, $15, or $20 per month
• Script Anatomy Screenwriting Classes — Gift cards available starting at $50
• ScreenCraft eCourses (various topics) — $49

Enter Now  |  Final Deadline in 23 days