The Heart of Your Script: The Insider’s Guide to Writing the Difficult Middle Section of a Screenplay...

— —

Ted Wilkes (Regent's University London, UK) Phil Hughes (Regent's University London, UK)

The Heart of Your Script

Name: The Heart of Your Script
Price: 130 AUD
Availability: OutOfStock
ISBN: 9781839028113

The Insider’s Guide to Writing the Difficult Middle Section of a Screenplay

Ted Wilkes (Regent's University London, UK), Phil Hughes (Regent's University London, UK)

$130

Hardback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We will update you on expected arrival time to us. If this delay is too long, please let us know within 2 business days and we can give you options regarding cancelling or adjusting your order. More details on cancelling your order can be found in our Terms of Trade.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

BFI Publishing
05 March 2026

Film movie scripts & screenplays; Film movie guides & reviews; Film movie production: technical skills

While there are many guides to screenwriting, none of them tackle the specific difficulties of writing the tricky mid-section of the screenplay. The Heart of Your Script reveals the six key elements that are crucial for ensuring an emotionally satisfying and dramatically engaging center to any script.

Using a broad range of concise case studies, including contemporary films such as Aftersun (2022), The Whale (2022), Shoplifters (2018), Talk to Me (2022), Barbie (2023) and Oppenheimer (2023),

canonical texts such as Back to the Future (1985), Seven Samurai (1954) and There Will Be Blood (2007) and cult classics like Swiss Army Man, (2016), Jennifer’s Body (2009) and Heathers (1988), Ted Wilkes and Phil Hughes provide

helpful tips and tricks to assist writers in finding out what is at the heart of the story they want to tell and how to ensure that it is coming through in their stories. Refusing any single method for structuring this central portion, Wilkes and Hughes offer a character-centred study, which allows aspiring screenwriters to map their dramatic journey from the inside out.

By: Ted Wilkes (Regent's University London UK), Phil Hughes (Regent's University London, UK)
Imprint: BFI Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 236mm, Width: 160mm, Spine: 18mm
Weight: 600g
ISBN: 9781839028113
ISBN 10: 1839028114
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 05 March 2026
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. Introduction 2. The Mechanics (Exploring The Dark Forest) The Path Off The Path The Gate The Key The Wolf The Suit Of Armour 3. The Pathways 4. Case Studies Become A Swan – Free Guy, Matt Lieberman, Zak Penn, 2021 Unknowing – Top Gun: Maverick, Jim Cash, Jack Epps Jr, Peter Craig, 2022 Willing – Oppenheimer, Christopher Nolan, Kai Bird, Martin Sherwin, 2023 Accidental – Aftersun, Charlotte Wells, 2022 Mistaken – Talk To Me, Danny Philippou, Bill Hinzman, Daley Pearson, 2022 5.Taking The Paradigm Into Other Mediums 6. Breaking The Paradigm

Ted Wilkes is Senior Lecturer in Screenwriting at University for the Creative Arts, UK. Phil Hughes is Senior Lecturer and course leader in Film & Screen at Regent's University London, UK.

Reviews for The Heart of Your Script: The Insider’s Guide to Writing the Difficult Middle Section of a Screenplay

The second act is where so many screenwriters come unstuck, thank goodness they now have Hughes and Wilkes to guide them through. And wow, this book is thorough! Whatever your story type, they’ve got you covered. -- Justine Hart, The Script Factory, UK