Chances are that you know somebody who constantly bangs on about that "awesome screenplay" they're working on - that elusive project they pour all their spare time into, with hopes that one day they'll go from office drone to award-winning writer. Oh, that's you? Truth is, the odds that such a thing will ever happen is minuscule, because everybody and their mother has sat down and attempted to pen a script at some point. You'd probably have better luck winning the lotto. So whereas the goal is incredibly competitive and super difficult to attain, the best and most efficient way to learn how to write a solid, marketable screenplay is to - believe it or not - study the screenplays for movies that have been actually been made into fully-fledged feature films. Watching movies is essential too, of course, but it's in the blueprints where we can see a writer working the magic of their craft. You'd be surprised how many aspiring screenwriters don't bother. Here we've assembled a handy list of 18 great screenplays that wannabe screenwriters should read right this very second (links included). We've also briefly outlined what, exactly, it's possible to learn about the craft from devouring the associated pages. Remember: all films started out as mere words on a page... the following scripts managed to grip the script readers, producers or famous directors who glanced upon them and declared that they just had to make 'em... Please note, there's a notable biased on more "modern-ish" screenplays throughout this article, as they are likely to be more reflective of the screenplay conventions of today's market - so don't fret when you realise that some bonafide classics might be missing.
