*目前只有前三章，作者估计2023年能完成书稿，也代表如果出版社有想法想替换书中的电影，也可以跟作者讨论
*作者已经考虑延申成一个系列，下一本写香港电影、台湾电影
*作者因为有电影界的人际关系，也考虑在书中采访这些电影的编剧或者制片人等等
2020年开始，中国代替了美国成为全世界最大的电影市场，但是中国的电影没有像好莱坞电影一样受到全球观众的欣赏。作者认为这是因为许多中国的电影没有非常强烈的故事结构，中国的编剧们或许可以参考欧美电影编剧方式学会制造更丰富的故事。
作者拥有独特的背景来写出这本书，身为一名电影工作者以及编剧教授，他自从2013年移居上海，在密歇根大学-上海交通联合学院和上海纽约大学教授电影和编剧，目前在上海温哥华电影学院任教。他制作过十几部获奖短片，最近编写、制作并联合导演了我的首部故事片，一部华语超级英雄黑色电影，目前正在寻求发行。
作者在书中的第一章节清楚解释了故事结构的主要元素，就如他课堂上会教的信息。接下来，透过八部精心挑选具代表性的电影来解释这些故事元素如何被利用，让读者能简单看懂这些概念。
《中国电影编剧》专门针对中国读者群，希望能成为中国市场上最受欢迎的编剧入门书籍。读者群包括中国电影制作人、编剧、电影专业学生，以及任何对讲故事感兴趣的人，例如小说家、广告创意人员、游戏设计师、视频博主、播客和内容创作者。
书中讨论的电影：
《霸王别姬》（1993）
《流浪地球》（2019）
《我不是药神》（2018）
《盲井》（2003）
《让子弹飞》（2010）
《江湖儿女》（2018）
《白日焰火》（2014）
《大红灯笼高高挂》（1991）
作者介绍：
Nicholas Z. Scott graduated within MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arkansas, which The Atlantic named one of the “Top Five Most Innovative” programs in America.
After graduating, Scott moved to Shanghai in 2013 where he has taught screenwriting and film at the University of Michigan – Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, the Council on International Educational Exchange, and NYU Shanghai. He currently teaches at the Shanghai Vancouver Film School, in the Writing for Film and Television program. Scott has also given numerous guest lectures around the city, lecturing at Duke Kunshan, the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and the University of Southern California – Shanghai Jiao Tong University Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry.
Scott is heavily involved in Shanghai’s independent film scene, having written, directed, and produced over a dozen award-winning short films over the last decade. His short films frequently win awards in local film competitions such as the Shanghai 48 Hour Film Project and the Shanghai International Short Film Competition. His short film series, Dogma 95 Shanghai 19, shot using the Dogme 95 Manifesto first developed by Lars von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, won the ‘Multicultural Award’ at China’s Northwest International Short Film Festival. Most recently, Scott’s short film Shen Qu, won Best Film at the 2022 Shanghai 48 Hour Film Project competition and advanced to the global competition, the Filmapalooza International Film Festival in Los Angeles. Out of 160 competing cities from around the world, Shen Qu won Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography, and Scott won for Best Director. Due to the film’s success, the film will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival Short Film Corner.
Scott’s first professional writing job in Shanghai was developing a 13-episode television crime series for the Pear River Movie Channel titled, “The Fortress.” Then, in 2018, he was hired by a Shanghai production company to write a feature-length screenplay about organ donation for the Chinese market. A year later he was hired by a Melbourne-based production company to write a feature-length screenplay that would work as an Australian-Chinese coproduction.
In 2021, using the knowledge, the skills, and the network Scott has cultivated over the last decade, he wrote, produced, and codirected his first feature film, a Chinese-language superhero noir. Post production finished in late 2022, and the film is currently seeking distribution.