How to Use Go Into The Story (Part 5): Learn the Business

Some end of the year advice for blog readers.

With over 30,000 Go Into The Story articles, here’s a logical question:

HOW THE HELL DO I USE THIS STUFF?

An end of the year series to help.

Part 5: Learn the Business

Many years ago, I coined this screenwriting mantra: Watch movies. Read scripts. Write pages.

Seriously, you can learn the craft just by doing these three things.

But if you want to maximize your chances of succeeding as a professional screenwriter and/or TV writer, go deeper.

Add two more points of focus to you work: Study the Craft and Learn the Business.

Today some tips on how to use Go Into The Story to help you learn the business.

The Business of Screenwriting: Dozens of articles about the ins and outs of life as a working screenwriter.

An Argument Against Screenplay Formulas: A five part series exploring the problems formulas create for screenwriters trying to work in Hollywood.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Specs: A twenty-part series, essential reading for anyone who is writing and hoping to sell a spec script.

Screenwriting 101: Lessons from professional screenwriters about the business and the craft.

Screenwriting Advice From The Past: Loos & Emerson (1920): Historical perspective from the book “How to Write Photoplays” written by famed screenwriter Anita Loos and her husband John Emerson.

Showrunner Rules from TV writer-exec producer Jeff Lieber: Everything you wanted to know about writing a TV series.

So-Called Screenwriting ‘Rules’: A comprehensive series on most of the so-called screenwriting ‘rules’.

The Story Behind Script Coverage: Learn how script readers approach script reading and coverage.

Finally, you can study script sales and development trends from the last 15 years here:

2008 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2009 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2010 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2011 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2012 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2013 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2014 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2015 Spec Script Deals Analysis
2016 Spec Script Market Analysis
2017 Spec Script Market Analysis
2018 Spec Script Market Analysis
2019 Spec Script Market Analysis
2020 Spec Script Market Analysis
2021 Spec Script Market Analysis
2022 Spec Script Market Analysis

What you learn about the business of filmmaking and TV may or may not influence your creative choices, but in order to survive as a working writer, your knowledge about how the system works is vital.

LEARN THE BUSINESS!!!

For Part 1: Watch Movies, go here.

For Part 2: Read Scripts, go here.

For Part 3: Write Pages, go here.

For Part 4: Study the Craft, go here.

Yes, focus on writing a spec script. Better yet, more than one spec. But along the way, learn the craft. You want to do more than break into the business. You want to establish a career. The more you know, the better off you will be.