The Nutshell Technique

Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting

De: Jill Chamberlain

Narrado por: Sonja Field

The Nutshell Technique cracks the code behind why we love the movies that we love. It guides you to organically write the story you want to tell. (Callum Greene, producer, Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker)

Veteran script consultant Jill Chamberlain discovered in her work that an astounding 99 percent of first-time screenwriters don't know how to tell a story. What the 99 percent do instead is present a situation. In order to explain the difference, Chamberlain created the nutshell technique, a method whereby writers identify eight dynamic, interconnected elements that are required to successfully tell a story.

Now, for the first time, Chamberlain presents her unique method in audiobook form with The Nutshell Technique: Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting. Using easy-to-follow descriptions (nutshells), she thoroughly explains how the nutshell technique can make or break a film script. Chamberlain takes listeners step-by-step through 30 classic and contemporary movies, showing how such dissimilar screenplays as Casablanca, Chinatown, Pulp Fiction, The Usual Suspects, Little Miss Sunshine, Juno, Silver Linings Playbook, and Argo all have the same system working behind the scenes, and she teaches listeners exactly how to apply these principles to their own screenwriting. Learn the nutshell technique, and you'll discover how to turn a mere situation into a truly compelling screenplay story.

Since its publication in 2016, The Nutshell Technique: Crack the Secret of Successful Screenwriting was an instant classic. It is the go-to manual many professionals swear by, and it's on the syllabus at film schools across the world, including the world-renowned screenwriting program at Columbia University. It has also been published in Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Italian. This audio edition is wonderfully narrated by Sonja Field.

Produced and published by Echo Point Books & Media, an independent bookseller in Brattleboro, Vermont. ©2016 Jill Chamberlain (P)

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2016 Jill Chamberlain (P)2024 Echo Point Books & Media, LLC

Repetitive - 3.5 stars

I like the idea but this could have been half as long. Also would prefer to get away from the same examples in every other screenwriting book. That would have helped my understanding for different types of films.

I will still do my best to use the information because it’s a logical structure.

this book is different

I like the book as it captures the thematic question and guides you on how to use it to map out your story

Essential Listening for Aspiring Screenwriters

This book a practical toolkit that completely changed how I understand story concepts. The Nutshell Technique isn’t just another screenwriting guide—it’s the book I wish I’d read first to equip me for my writing journey. Jill Chamberlain'sbreakdown of story structure is not just insightful; it's a set of tools. The focus on character-driven transformation isn’tjust foundational; it’s a practical approach. After this, all the other screenwriting books I’ve read suddenly made sense, and I felt more prepared than ever.

If you're serious about writing for the screen, start here. This book—and this narration—set the bar.