2015 Scene-Writing Challenge: Day 16
For the third straight year, June is Scene-Writing Month here at Go Into The Story. Every Monday-Friday at noon Eastern / 9AM Pacific, I will upload a post with a scene-writing prompt. Each day, write a scene per those guidelines. Upload your scene here in the comments section of the original post. That way you can critique others’ pages and receive feedback on your scene as well.
Why scene-writing? If the average scene is 1 1/2 to 2 pages long and a script is 100–120 pages, then a screenwriter writes between 50–80 scenes per screenplay. Thus in a very real way, screenwriting is scene-writing. The better we get at writing scenes, it stands to reason the better we get as a screenwriter.
To provide extra motivation for this series — to get people to WRITE PAGES — I am giving away some of my Core classes to Scene-Writing Challenge participants. That’s right: For free!
The Core curriculum provides a comprehensive, coherent, character-based approach to screenwriting theory — eight 1-week online classes. I only teach them once per year. Here is the schedule:
July 6 — Core I: Plot
July 20 — Core II: Concept
August 3 — Core III: Character
August 31 — Core IV: Style
September 28 — Cover V: Dialogue
October 12 — Core VI: Scene
November 9 — Core VII: Theme
December 2 — Core VIII: Time
Each is a 1-week online class featuring 6 lectures written by me, lots of screenwriting insider tips, logline workshops, optional writing exercises, 24/7 message board conversations, teleconferences with course participants and myself to discuss anything related to the craft of scriptwriting.
A popular option is the Core Package which gives you access to the content in all eight Craft classes which you can go through on your own time and at your own pace, plus automatic enrollment in each 1-week online course — all for nearly 50% the price of each individual class. If you sign up now, you can have immediate access to all of the Core content.
Here is a testimonial from a writer who took my Core V: Dialogue class:
I just finished Scott’s core dialogue class and would highly recommend the experience to others. The key is character: first of all Scott is a great teacher, still passionate and infectiously enthusiastic about the craft and the business. You can tell, just by listening to him speak, that he’s been in the trenches.
Secondly, while many teachers talk about character being the foundation of screenwriting, Scott is one of the few who teaches that way. Consequently. what his courses offer is not a bunch of templates or bullet points with a dubious shelf life trying to latch on to the latest trends, but true, honest to God, principles about how things work. It’s been a week and I’m already seeing improvement in my writing. — John Casu
To qualify to take one of my Core classes for free, write and submit ten [10] Scene-Writing Challenge posts, then provide feedback on ten [10] posts from other writers. The former to get you writing, the latter to work your critical-analytical skills.
A chance to take one of my eight Core classes, interface with me online along with the usual stellar group of writers who take Screenwriting Master Class courses, while using writing exercises and feedback to upgrade your skill at writing and analyzing scenes?
ISN’T THAT AN AWESOME IDEA?!!!
That’s what I’m prepared to do to encourage you to write pages.
A couple of logistical notes:
* Limit your scenes to 2 pages. First, most scenes are 2 pages or less in length. Second, out of fairness to everyone participating in the public scene-writing workshop, let’s not abuse anyone’s patience or time with really long scenes.
* Don’t be concerned about proper script format when you copy/paste your scene, rather the content and execution are the important thing. So as a default mode, do this: (1) Don’t worry about right-hand margins on scene description or dialogue, just keep typing until it manually shifts each line. (2) Don’t worry about character name position, rather do this:
SCARLETT: Rhett, Rhett... Rhett, if you go, where shall I go? What shall I do?RHETT: Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.
Today’s prompt: A scene with just one word of dialogue.
What could that one word of dialogue be? How could it be of significance to the scene?
What will you do with this scene?
FEEDBACK TIP: Does the one word hit the spot? Or is there a better word?
Also when you provide feedback on someone’s scene, please note in each reply the number of comments you have uploaded. So if today is your first response, Feedback 1. The next one, Feedback 2.
You are on an honor system, as I don’t have time to check every post, so do the right thing!
Remember: In order to qualify for one of my free Core classes, you need to submit ten [10] Scene-Writing Challenge posts, then provide feedback on ten [10] posts from other writers.
Once you have written 10 scenes and provided feedback on 10 scenes, email me and let me know which Core class you’d like, and I’ll enroll you in that class — my gift to you for winning the challenge!
Want to join in? Here are the previous challenge prompts:
For the Week 1 writing prompts, go here.
For the Week 2 writing prompts, go here.
For the Week 3 writing prompts, go here.
You can check out the fruits of our collective labor from the last two years:
Scene-Writing Exercises (2013)
Scene-Writing Exercises (2014)
Finally, if you have what you think is a good suggestion for a scene-writing prompt, please post that as well.
It’s the 2015 Scene-Writing Challenge! Give a jolt to your creative and writing muscles… and win 1 free online class with yours truly.
Onward!
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