A refreshingly different approach to ‘how to’ books from Froug. Whereas other books of this kind have tended to focus on how to structure stories (the likes of Joseph Campbell and Robert McKee for instance) Froug goes almost entirely the other way; emphasising that the story should come first ahead of any fashionable structure. After the story has been finished, then any necessary structure can be imposed. That’s almost certainly the point of the title, particularly when juxtaposed with the definition of Zen he gives up front ‘unlocking the power of the human mind’. He sees it as unlocking the potential of screenwriters and storytellers.

Interspersed with Froug’s practical guidance are interviews with screenwriters, ranging from successes such as Larry Gelbart, Frank Darabont and Merchant-Ivory screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala to those whose experience of the movie industry has been far less kind. These play as fireside chats between friends and peers – whilst the matey tone might be offputting it allows Froug to amplify points he’s made by providing practical, unpatronising examples of his advice.

Whilst the focus is obviously on writing and constructing screenplays (and even marketing them, though given this book’s nearly 20 years old it should be borne in mind that technology’s changed the game a little) there’s plenty of solid storytelling advice for any writer here. The effect is to try and provide the budding writer with confidence to go ahead and actually write, with eyes open as to what a writing career might entail. Froug does not pose as a guru but as a helpful advisor. As a result this is a far better place to start looking for practical advice than those books concentrating on structure and plot beats to hit. ( )