Screenwriting:
- Poetics by Aristotle. Classic Western Storytelling
- The Writer’s Journey by Chris Vogler. Joseph Campbell applied to screenwriting. One of the best books on screenwriting PERIOD.
- Writing for Emotional Impact by Karl Iglesias. Invaluable to make your shit hit emotionally.
- Story by Robert McKee
- Story Story Story
- Save The Cat by Blake Snyder. My old mentor’s book (RIP). Structure, Pitching, Good Vibes
- The Coffee Break Screenwriter by PIlar Alessandra. For writers with limited time – especially parents
- The Screenwriter’s Bible by David Trottier. FORMATTING BIBLE!
- Screenplay by Syd Field. Structure 101!
- Writing Movies for Fun and Profit by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon (Yes, the guys from Reno 911). How to do this damn job esp writing outlines
- The Art of Dramatic Writing by Lajos Egri. How drama works and shit.
- Writing Screenplays that Sell by Michael Hauge. Selling shit.
TV Writing:
- The TV Writer’s Workbook: A Creative Approach To Television Scripts by Ellen Sandler
- Creating Character Arcs: The Masterful Author’s Guide to Uniting Story Structure by K. M. Weiland
- Writing TV Drama by Pam Douglas
- Crafty TV Writing by Alex Epstein
- The Eight Characters of Comedy: A Guide to Sitcom Acting and Writing by Scott Sedita
- Elephant Books by Sheldon Bull
- Successful TV Writing by Lee Goldberg and William Rabkin
- Writing the Pilot: Creating the Series by William Rabkin
General Writing:
- The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell
- On Writing by Stephen King
- Bird By Bird by Ann Lamott
- The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
- Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
- Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
- Consider This by Chuck Palahniuk
- Daemon Voices by Philip Pulman
- On Writing Well by William Zinsser
- The Negative Trait Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi
- The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi
- The Positive Trait Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi
- Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland
- Becoming a Writer, Staying a Writer: The Artistry, Joy, and Career of Storytelling by J. Michael Straczynski (Author)
Comedy:
- The Hidden Tools of Comedy by Steve Kaplan
- The Eight Characters of Comedy: A Guide to Sitcom Acting and Writing by Scott Sedita (listed above too)
Career:
- Good in a Room by Stephanie Palmer
- Hollywood Game Plan by Carole Kirshner
- The Power Paradox by Dacher Keltner
- Be a Writing Machine by M.L. Ronn
- The TV Showrunners Roadmap by Neil Landau