About the Book:

Heroes and Journeys in Alternative Realities....

Think fantasy films are limited to B movies and cheesy Sunday matinees? Think again. The fantasy film genre has contributed major blockbuster motion pictures to the movie-going public for generations, from the Star Wars films to the Harry Potter hits and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Encompassing movies such as It's a Wonderful Life and the science fiction/fantasy hybrid The Matrix, fantasy is not bound by a specific formula. It spans all genres, times and localities, and has contributed to the folklore and literature of every culture around the world.

Writing the Fantasy Film by Sable Jak guides the screenwriter through the fantasy script process, without having to sprinkle the fairy dust.

What people say:

"Other books have seemingly covered the topic of film writing in all genres – but Writing the Fantasy Film is different: it probes the foundations of the fantasy genre as a whole as it crosses boundaries ranging from science fiction to politics, it analyzes why blockbusters with fantasy elements or plots are successful versus Grade B productions, and it provides keys to research, character production and more. If you’re a fantasy fan/writer seeking to produce fantasy films which are more than Grade B, you simply can’t be without Writing the Fantasy Film: it's got the nuts and bolts of the industry’s basic needs and a formula for success which can’t be beat." — Mid-West Book Review

"This book will cast its spell on you as it breaks down the fantasy genre into an easy-to-understand blueprint that is sure to inform, challenge and fire-up your imagination!" — Kathie Fong Yoneda, Author: The Script-Selling Game

"Jak's approach is to provide a toolbox for writers: she examines all of the building blocks of fantasy narratives, from characters to monsters to the use of religion to music and poetry. In each case, she provides lots of lists and examples for writers to use as inspiration (for example, when discussing possible types of second-tier villains), and presents storytelling and screenwriting advice. The chapter on research is exceptionally good. Sable Jak is obviously a fantasy fan and she does know the territory quite well." — Screentalk Magazine

"No writer preparing to embark upon the epic journey of writing a fantasy script should start without this literary talisman." — Scr(i)pt Magazine

About the Author:

Sable Jak is a former actress and dancer and has, like so many other writers, been writing ever since she can remember. She’s a columnist with Absolute Write, a Scr(i)pt Magazine contributor, and has radio mysteries running on Virtually American.