| Foreword | p. xiii |
| Preface | p. xv |
| Introduction, or A Fistful of Popcorn | p. xxi |
| Looking for the Formula, or The Quest for the Watchable Sow's Ear | p. 1 |
| Exercise: Looking for the Formula | p. 19 |
| Toward a Definition of Structure, or Let's NOT Get Physical | p. 21 |
| Exercise: Toward a Definition of Structure | p. 23 |
| Other People's Systems, or For Those Who Bought My Book by Mistake | p. 25 |
| Aristotle: The Plots the Thing | p. 25 |
| Exercise: Aristotle | p. 34 |
| Lajos Egri: Defeating the Thud | p. 35 |
| Exercise: Lajos Egri | p. 41 |
| Howard & Mabley: Ironying Out the Wrinkles | p. 42 |
| Exercise: Howard &Mabley | p. 49 |
| Syd Field: Brother, Can You Paradigm? | p. 49 |
| Exercise: Syd Field | p. 54 |
| Robert McKee: Falling Into the Gap | p. 55 |
| Exercise: Robert McKee | p. 62 |
| Dynamic Conflict Defined, or Guy Versus Guy | p. 65 |
| Exercise: Dynamic Conflict Defined | p. 68 |
| Dan O'Bannon's Dynamic Structure, or Getting to Poof | p. 69 |
| Exercises: Dan O'Bannon's Dynamic Structure | p. 74 |
| Dynamic Character: O'Bannon on Character as structure, or Choosy Writers Choose Choice | p. 75 |
| Exercise: Dynamic Character | p. 79 |
| Structural Analyses, or Don't Take My Word For It… | p. 81 |
| Casablanca | p. 82 |
| Exercise: Casablanca | p. 87 |
| Citizen Kane | p. 88 |
| Exercise: Citizen Kane | p. 93 |
| Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | p. 93 |
| Exercise: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | p. 98 |
| A Doll's House | p. 99 |
| Exercise: A Doll's House | p. 104 |
| Dracula (1931) | p. 104 |
| Exercise: Dracula | p. 110 |
| Dumb & Dumber | p. 111 |
| Exercise: Dumb & Dumber | p. 118 |
| Invasion of the Body Snatchers | p. 118 |
| Exercise: Invasion of the Body Snatchers | p. 124 |
| King Lear | p. 124 |
| Exercise: King Lear | p. 131 |
| Lawrence of Arabia | p. 132 |
| Exercise: Lawrence of Arabia | p. 143 |
| Lost Horizon (1937) | p. 144 |
| Exercise: Lost Horizon | p. 152 |
| Psycho (1960) | p. 153 |
| Exercise: Psycho | p. 159 |
| Some Like It Hot | p. 160 |
| Exercise: Some Like It Hot | p. 167 |
| Do-It-Yourself Script Analysis, or Take YOUR Word For It! | p. 171 |
| Exercise: Applying Dynamic Structure to Story | p. 172 |
| Exercise: Applying Dynamic Structure to Character | p. 174 |
| Story Typology, or It's in the Way That You Use It | p. 175 |
| Exercise: Story Typology | p. 181 |
| On Pace, Exposition, and Twists, or Introducing Hedonic Adaptation | p. 183 |
| Exercise: On Pace, Exposition, and Twists | p. 193 |
| Why Three Acts? or Pass Ergo, Collect $200 | p. 197 |
| Exercise: Why Three Acts? | p. 201 |
| Length of a Screenplay, or Filling the Digital Doggy Bag | p. 203 |
| Exercise: Length of a Screenplay | p. 209 |
| Inspiration Versus Rules, or Calling the Script Cops | p. 211 |
| Exercise: Inspiration Versus Rules | p. 213 |
| Perspective, or Phooey On What You Say | p. 215 |
| Exercise: Perspective | p. 217 |
| What is a Producer? or Not Who, What | p. 219 |
| Exercise: What is a Producer? | p. 221 |
| Screen Credits, or Joining the Desaparecidos | p. 223 |
| Exercise: Screen Credits | p. 227 |
| Why be a Screenwriter? or I'll Make This Brief | p. 229 |
| Exercise: Why be a Screenwriter? | p. 229 |
| Fear, or Taking in the Garbage | p. 231 |
| Exercise: Fear | p. 233 |
| Conclusion | p. 235 |
| Afterword | p. 240 |
| Dan O'Bannon: Filmography | p. 241 |
| About the Authors | p. 242 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
