- 328 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About This Book
Breaking In: Tales from the Screenwriting Trenches is a no-nonsense, boots-on-the-ground exploration of how writers REALLY go from emerging to professional in today's highly saturated and competitive screenwriting space. With a focus on writers who have gotten representation and broken into the TV or feature film space after the critical 2008 WGA strike and financial market collapse, the reader will learn from tangible examples of how success was achieved via hard work and specific methodology.
This book includes interviews from writers who wrote major studio releases ( The Boy Next Door ), staffed on television shows ( American Crime, NCIS New Orleans, Sleepy Hollow ), sold specs and television shows, placed in competitions, and were accepted to prestigious network and studio writing programs. These interviews are presented as Screenwriter Spotlights throughout the book and are supported by insight from top-selling agents and managers (including those who have sold scripts and pilots, had their writers named to prestigious lists such as The Black List and The Hit List) as well as working industry executives. Together, these anecdotes, learnings and perceptions, tied in with the author's extensive experience in and knowledge of the industry, will inform the reader about how the industry REALLY works, what it expects from both working and emerging writers, as well as what next steps the writer should engage in, in order to move their screenwriting career forward.
Frequently asked questions
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title
- Copyright
- Dedication
- CONTENTS
- Special Thanks
- Introduction
- Screenwriter Spotlight #1: Erin Cardillo
- 1 Understanding the Industry
- 2 Your Craft
- 3 So … How Do You Break In?
- 4 Getting Representation
- 5 Winning a Screenwriting Competition
- 6 Acceptance Into a TV Writing Program
- 7 Receiving a Feature Writing Fellowship or Lab Placement
- 8 Selling a Spec Screenplay
- 9 Television: Getting Staffed
- 10 Selling Your Television Pilot
- 11 General Meetings and Writing Assignments
- 12 Additional Paths to Breaking In
- 13 Everything You Can Do for Your Screenwriting Career Today
- 14 The Kitchen Sink: Insights, Guidance and Advice
- 15 Final Thoughts
- About the Author
- Appendix
- Index