Go Into The Story

Go Into The Story Resource: Hollywood Writing Fellowships

List and links to multiple writing and mentoring programs.

Story and the Question of Self-Identity

Every story inevitably raises this question about the Protagonist: “Who am I?”

Aristotle and Three Act Structure

“A whole [story] is what has a beginning and middle and end.”

Character Type: Loner

“The thing is, we’ve all experienced loneliness and almost all of us are, by our human nature, social creatures. So when we happen upon a…

Page One: “Mary Queen of Scots” (2018)

Screenplay by Beau Willimon, based on a book by John Guy

Go Into The Story Resource: 30 Things About Screenwriting

Reflections on and basic tenets about the craft. They represent my take. If any of them resonate with you, great. If not, feel free to…

The Power of Death in Stories

There is no more emotionally compelling narrative dynamic than death.

Great Scene: “The Big Lebowski”

“Donny was a good bowler, and a good man. He was one of us.”

Learn the craft

Being a screenwriter is much more than just writing a script.

Page One: “Mary Poppins Returns” (2018)

Screenplay by David Magee, screen story by David Magee & Rob Marshall) & John DeLuca, based upon a novel by P.L. Travers

Go Into The Story Resource: Sixty Second Screenwriter

A video series addressing key screenwriting concerns in one minute.

The Narrative Imperative of the Hero’s Journey

“The adventure they are ready for is the adventure they get.”

Story Type: Road Picture

The road may serve as a metaphor for a life journey. Each of us is on a road to somewhere. Movies that reflect this theme can be an…

Writing and the Creative Life: Perspiration and Inspiration

Sometimes it’s all about the work. Sometimes it’s all about the un-work.

Page One: “Marriage Story” (2019)

Written by Noah Baumbach.

Go Into The Story Resource: Screenwriting Advice From The Past

A series analyzing screenwriting advice from the book “How to Write Photoplays” written in 1920 by Anita Loos and her husband John Emerson.

The Power of Emotional Storytelling

“If I’m gonna dole out $20, I want to be transported.”

Great Scene: “Arrival”

How the 2016 science fiction movie uses a bookend to reveal a remarkable truth… and upend our understanding of time.

The Business of Screenwriting: Your first big check

It is March, 1987. I am here, the Hamburger Hamlet on Sunset Blvd. It’s 1PM. I am meeting one of my agents for lunch. For dessert: My first…

Page One: “Maria Full of Grace” (2004)

Written by Joshua Marston

Go Into The Story Resource: Great Scenes

When you boil it down, screenwriting is scene-writing. Hone your scene-writing ability by studying these scenes.

Reader Question: How insane is it for a forty-six year-old to try to start a Hollywood writing…

It’s crazy, but then it’s crazy for ANYONE to expect to break into Hollywood.

The Coen Brothers, Storytelling, and Fate

A poem by Ethan Coen reveals a key clue to the brothers’ story sensibilities.

How They Write a Script: Richard Brooks

Another in the Go Into The Story series “How They Write a Script,” excerpts from interview with notable Hollywood screenwriters. Today we…

Page One: “Margin Call” (2011)

Written by J.C. Chandor