The Secrets of Action Screenwriting isn't a "how-to" book in the style of all the "do this and you'll be famous" books on screenwriting. It's more a stream of consciousness review of the elements of action screenplays, and while it could certainly use a thorough edit, it's also complete and even inspirational -- and it can't help but shorten the learning curve for those looking to start writing (or improve) their screenplays.

Martell uses plenty of real-world examples to illustrate his points, and this might be the book's greatest strength; if you had written a screenplay (or were about to start), the examples would make it easy to apply Martell's ideas to your script.

This is a good blue-collar screenwriting book -- one lacking in pretension or a suffocating "system." Martell is not exactly the hottest screenwriter in Hollywood, but he's made a living at it for a long time, and knows his stuff. ( )

A must-own for writers of all kinds! This book has been recommended to me so many times, I think I bought it in part to see what all the fuss was about! As it happens, I know now why so many writers swear by it (one even said he has two copies, one for at home and one for reading while at work).

If you write essays or poetry, this is not the book for you. But if you are working with a medium that requires the competant use of plot, it is an excellent helpmate. If you are a screenwriter, but not focusing on action, get it anyway as the title is something of a misnomer. Just because the author has sold about 17 action scripts does not mean he should limit his expertise. What he knows about is good story-telling and every story-teller can benefit from this practical and entertaining book.