Who Needs Another Book on Screenwriting? -- So Why Write Screenplays? -- What Is Screenwriting? -- Stories: What They Are and How to Find Them -- Ten Tips for the Road Ahead -- Breaking the Back of the Book; or, The Art of Adaptation -- Step 1: The Story Outline -- Research and Development -- Step 2: The Adaptation Outline -- The Elements of Screenwriting -- Step 3: The Character Biography -- Exploring Your Story and How to Tell It -- Step 4: The Treatment -- Who Needs Formatting? -- Actors Are Your Medium -- Dialogue as Action -- Step 5: The Step Outline -- The Final Script -- Breaking into Professional Filmmaking.