Go Into The Story

The Business of Screenwriting: Everything You Wanted to Know About Specs

Part 19: The value of a spec script… even if it doesn’t sell.

Great Scene: “Alien”

The famous “chestburster” scene from the 1979 horror science fiction movie.

Page One: “The Farewell” (2019)

Written by Lulu Wang

If you are a beginning screenwriter…

A guide to thousands of Go Into The Story articles you can use to learn the craft… all for free!

Reader Question: Is any exposition scene a “crock of shit”?

“Exposition is critically important. However, poor handling of exposition can be lethal to creating drama and sustaining a story’s pace.”

Writing Mantra: “Writing equals butt on chair” (*)

Makes sense… but what’s the asterisk for?

Script To Screen: “2001: A Space Odyssey”

A pivotal scene from the 1968 movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, screenplay by Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke.

Page One: “Sully” (2016)

Screenplay by Todd Komarnicki, based on the book “Highest Duty” by Chesley Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow

How to Decide Which Story to Write

Are you trying to figure out which of one or more stories to write next?

Difference Between Scene Heading and Shot

What they are and when each should be used.

Great Scene: “Eyes Wide Shut”

“But you know I do love you and there is something important we need to do as soon as possible.”

Screenwriting 101: Craig Mazin

“I like to think of characters as struggling with something philosophical. I think we’re all philosophical by nature. I think that we…

Page One: “Strangers on a Train” (1951)

Screen play by Raymond Chandler and Czenzi Ormonde

Praise for “The Protagonist’s Journey”

See what professional screenwriters, novelists, and academics are saying about my new book.

Why You Should Write Three Pages of Garbage Every Morning

“Freewriting forces you to keep moving forward, keep creating, without a thought given to quality.”

Movie Story Types: The [Blank] From Hell

This was a popular story conceit back in the 80s and 90s.

On Writing

“Over-writing is a bigger problem than under-writing. It’s much more likely you’ve written too much than too little. It’s a lot easier to…

Page One: “Stranger Than Fiction” (2006)

Written by Zach Helm

Here you go!

https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/studies-in-voice-over-narration-5-part-series-98de1d8effc6

Precisely. You need to LEARN the shit.

https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/learn-the-craft-782693cbc2a7

Sundays with Stephen King’s “On Writing”

A series featuring reflections on writing from the famed author’s memoir.

How to Break Into the Film Industry Without Any Connections

The screenwriters of the smash hit movie A Quiet Place share the ins and outs of their journey to Hollywood.

“Star Wars” and the Question of Identity

At the foundation of the Star Wars universe lies an existential challenge facing key characters posed by the question: Who are you?

The Theology of Cinema: Evil

“The question of theodicy provides writers a starting point for a conversation about our stories: The innate nature of evil as embodied in…

Page One: “The Sting” (1973)

Written by David S. Ward