Screenplay by Syd Field (1987, Paperback)

This is the classic how-to-think-about story for would-be screenwriters.
It's worth every bead of sweat to read it for it contains the simplified
analysis of much wisdom in these pages. In recent years there are more books in this how-to arena, but one should not discount Field's gem. Moreover, many of the story works tend to use mumbo-jumbo to describe the unconscious role of symbolism in stories, that's useful to some masters & neophytes, but much of the jargon is jarring & pretentious to the creative person, better left for the purely analytical schools; or crossover individuals. Fields books strike the balance. No better place to start.