The old screenwriting motto is, “Work on your script, and the jobs will come.” This is false. A great script is only as good as the effort you put into your career, but there is little information for the aspiring screenwriter about how to break in. Even those who study TV or film in college are taught to simply “get a production assistant job.” But then what? And how do you get that job to begin with? Breaking into TV Writing contains all the crucial information left out of most screenwriting books, like: How to get your first job in TV What TV writing samples you need How to break into the elusive TV writers’ room How a writers’ room creates an episode of TV Which assistant jobs are worth your time (and which you should avoid at all costs) Anton Schettini provides a rare insider’s glimpse of the modern-day network and streaming TV writers’ room. Here, you will find practical advice, career-path strategies, and first-hand accounts for how to establish your network, grow within it, and acquire the necessary tools to become a TV writer. The industry would love to tell you to put your head down, work hard, write a lot, and pay your dues; Schettini will show you why that hackneyed mantra is misleading, and how you can put yourself in the best position to break through the barriers and see your work on the TV screen.

Seasoned screenwriters love to tell young screenwriters, "Work on your craft, and the attention and work will come." This is false. TV writing is a walled-off industry that embraces those with a pre-existing network and keeps away those without one. There is little information for the aspiring screenwriter about how to break in, meet people, and start rising up. Even those who study TV/Radio/Film are taught to simply "get a production assistant job," but there is so much more to it than that. Breaking into TV Writing contains all the crucial information left out of most screenwriting books. When looking for helpful guidance and resources, aspiring TV screenwriters are often left with few helpful answers and far too many unanswered questions: What should your first script look like, and when should you show it to your boss? Which assistant jobs are worth your time? How do you break into the elusive TV writers' room? What kind of money can you expect to make in the various roles in which you might find yourself? Anton Schettini provides a rare insider's glimpse of the modern-day network and streaming TV writers' room. Here, you will find practical advice, career-path strategies, and first-hand accounts for how to establish your network, grow within it, and acquire the necessary tools to become a TV writer. The industry would love to tell you to put your head down, work hard, write a lot, and pay your dues; Schettini will show you why that hackneyed mantra is misleading, and how you can put yourself into the best position to break through all the barriers and see your work on the TV screen.

In this essential guide, Abby Finer and Deborah Pearlman of the Warner Bros. Television Writers Workshop reveal insider tips and tricks aimed at paving the way to better scripts by new writers. The book focuses on all aspects of writing for television, from the definition and importance of sample material to what it takes to be a successful TV writer. In particular, the authors provide instruction on troubleshooting scripts—with a do and don't list. For the novice scriptwriter, they include advice on how to research, brainstorm ideas, choose the right show, as well as write a beat sheet and outline in order to achieve a polished draft. Filled with practical advice and up-to-elate industry information, each chapter provides strategies and insights that will jump-start a fledgling writing career toward success.

Suitable for screenwriters wanting to create an original series, film school students aware that real careers are on television staffs, or a writer trying to break in. This is a guide to the unique craft of writing a drama series for television.

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.

Aspiring writers often ask how they can break into the television writing business. Meyers believes that the answer can be found by asking why people become television writers and what makes them successful. Inside the TV Writer’s Room reveals these insights and much more. This volume, a collection of interviews with some of today’s top episodic writers arranged in a roundtable format, explores the artists’ drive to express how they honed their creativity, and what compromises they have made to pursue their craft both before and after finding success. Each chapter’s topic is distilled into a practical lesson for both professionals and aspirants to heed if they wish to find or maintain success in writing for television. The book includes such leading entertainment writers and producers as Neal Baer, executive producer of the NBC series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Tim King of the groundbreaking hit Heroes, Peter Lenkov of 24 and CSI: New York, and Shawn Ryan, creator of the acclaimed series The Shield. Individual writers discuss the struggle to balance artistic fulfillment with the realities of commerce, and how they inject an original voice into a show that is often not their own creation.

This is a comprehensive, jargon-free guide for all budding screenwriters. Its aim is not just to guide you through the techniques and skills you need to write for the screen (film and television), but also to give you guidance on how to approach the industry as a whole. Focusing on every aspect of screenwriting, from how to set about the writing process to how to develop your characters, plot and structure, this book will give you all the guidance you need to break into this highly competitive industry and make a career for yourself as a screenwriter. NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience. TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of screenwriting. FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts. TRY THIS Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.