The Anatomy of Story by John Truby, Paperback, 9780865479937 | Buy online at The Nile
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The Anatomy of Story

22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller

Author: John Truby  

Paperback

One of the most respected and sought-after story consultants in the film industry delivers his long-awaited first book, and shares all of his secrets for writing a compelling script.

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PRODUCT INFORMATION

Summary

One of the most respected and sought-after story consultants in the film industry delivers his long-awaited first book, and shares all of his secrets for writing a compelling script.

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Description

"If you're ready to graduate from the boy-meets-girl league of screenwriting, meet John Truby . . . [his lessons inspire] epiphanies that make you see the contours of your psyche as sharply as your script."
--LA Weekly

John Truby is one of the most respected and sought-after story consultants in the film industry, and his students have gone on to pen some of Hollywood's most successful films, including Sleepless in Seattle, Scream, and Shrek. The Anatomy of Story is his long-awaited first book, and it shares all his secrets for writing a compelling script. Based on the lessons in his award-winning class, Great Screenwriting, The Anatomy of Story draws on a broad range of philosophy and mythology, offering fresh techniques and insightful anecdotes alongside Truby's own unique approach to building an effective, multifaceted narrative.

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Critic Reviews

“"Truby attempts to inform the entire story, addressing plot, character, tone, symbolism, and dialog. The key here is to grow a script organically rather than force the story into preexisting mechanics . . . Highly recommended." -- Library Journal "A comprehensive guide to writing stories of all kinds, Truby's tome is invaluable to any writer looking to put an idea to paper." -- Booklist " The Anatomy Of Story is concrete and practical without resorting to simplistic 'Three Act Structure' screenwriting clichs. It will be an indispensable guide to writing your first great script. Then, the perfect survival manual to help you negotiate the often confusing, contradictory and cutthroat world of professional screenwriting." -- Larry Wilson, co-writer /co-producer of BEETLEJUICE and co-writer of THE ADDAMS FAMILY "A veritable bible for screenwriters." -- Backstage "If you're ready to graduate from the boy-meets-girl league of screenwriting, meet John Truby . . . [His lessons draw] epiphanies that make you see the contours of your psyche as sharply as your script." -- LA Weekly”

"Truby attempts to inform the entire story, addressing plot, character, tone, symbolism, and dialog. The key here is to grow a script organically rather than force the story into preexisting mechanics . . . Highly recommended." --Library Journal

"A comprehensive guide to writing stories of all kinds, Truby's tome is invaluable to any writer looking to put an idea to paper." --Booklist

"The Anatomy Of Story is concrete and practical without resorting to simplistic 'Three Act Structure' screenwriting clichés. It will be an indispensable guide to writing your first great script. Then, the perfect survival manual to help you negotiate the often confusing, contradictory and cutthroat world of professional screenwriting." --Larry Wilson, co-writer /co-producer of BEETLEJUICE and co-writer of THE ADDAMS FAMILY

"A veritable bible for screenwriters." --Backstage

"If you're ready to graduate from the boy-meets-girl league of screenwriting, meet John Truby . . . [His lessons draw] epiphanies that make you see the contours of your psyche as sharply as your script." --LA Weekly

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About the Author

John Truby is the founder and director of Truby's Writers Studio. Over the past thirty years, he has taught more than fifty thousand students worldwide, including novelists, screenwriters, and TV writers. Together, these writers have generated more than fifteen billion dollars at the box office.

Truby has an ongoing program where he works with students who are actively creating shows, movies, and novel series. He regularly applies his genre techniques in story consulting work with major studios including Disney, Sony Pictures, Fox, HBO, the BBC, Canal Plus, Globo, and AMC. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Leslie, and their two cats, Tink and Peanut.

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Product Details

Publisher
North Point Press
Published
14th October 2008
Pages
464
ISBN
9780865479937

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CUSTOMER REVIEWS

19 Apr, 2025
This is an excellent book, I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to really understand what makes a story great. It's not so formulaic like some other guides, it's more like a test you can apply to your story to make sure your characters and plot are going to work. It's like a series of questions you can ask yourself, and by finding the answers your story idea becomes far deeper and more consistent.
The only negative thing I'd note about this edition is that the type is quite small, so for a more comfortable reading experience you might be better off forking out for the hardcover edition, if you can find it, which I believe is slightly larger in scale. (I haven't seen it in person, but I assume that means the font is bigger too.)
By Lee
07 Oct, 2021
excellent gave me answers to my questions and more
By Anne
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