Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 29
Re-Write-O-Rama: Day 29.
January 1: Type FADE IN / The Beginning.
January 31: Type FADE OUT / The End.
31 days. 1 script. Movie script. TV script. Whatever.
Goal: Rewrite an existing draft.
I’m doing it with a Zero Draft I knocked out in November. You’re invited to join me on your own script.
NOTE: If you want to use the month to prep a story or write a zero draft, that’s fine. The point is for you (and me) to use Re-Write-O-Rama to kick off 2016 with a bang and make progress on a script!
To learn everything you need to know about the Re-Write-O-Rama: Winter 2016 Challenge, go here.
Hashtag: #RW31SCRIPT
You may download a calendar here or here to track your progress.
Join the conversation in Comments here, Twitter, and the Zero Draft Facebook Group (600 members) for a chance to win a daily prize: The Hecht Award!
Today’s Writing Quote
For me,
the secret to turning your narrative payload
into something you can deliver
is to ask yourself
‘What is the simple emotional journey
that grounds everything?’
— Justin Rhodes
Today’s Inspirational Video
Ira Glass on Storytelling (Part 3)
Part 4 coming tomorrow!
Each day in January, I’ll be dishing out a special batch of Re-Write-O-Rama flavored creative juju for everyone who posts.
Nothing else to say. Just. Rewrite.
Onward!
UPDATE: The last few days, we’ve been giving out the Hecht Award to writers who have gotten to FADE OUT during this month’s Re-Write-O-Rama Challenge. Today let’s focus on those of us who have not finished our draft, indeed, may not complete it by January 31 at midnight — and I’m including myself in this group. As our spokesperson, this Facebook post by Monique Mata:
I gotta say, 2016 is not off to a productive start and that sucks. January was a slog for the rewrite. Makes me want to tear my hair out. Still not done. Doing a huge push this weekend but have to keep reminding myself that this is just the first of several rewrites, it’s not make or break, but keep producing, however incremental. What has been rewarding is seeing all you scamperers post your updates as you move forward, always forward, one page at a time.
There you go. An honest appraisal and confession. Frustrating, yes. But notice how Monique acknowledges two important things: (1) Progress, even one page at a time, is important and valuable. (2) Even if we don’t complete the task in the allotted time, we can still share delight in the excitement of our fellow writers who do get to FADE OUT.
Writing and creativity is not a zero sum game. It’s not like if Writer A types FADE OUT, that mean Writer B’s creativity gets dinged. I’d say it goes the other way: When we provide genuine support for our fellow writers, it’s more likely we enlarge our own creative capabilities.
Now I know there’s no way of measuring that. It’s just something I believe. It’s like when I teach. I’ve had dozens of writers who have worked with me in that capacity who have gone on to get representation, sell scripts, even get movies made. Am I jealous? Hell, no! I’m overjoyed! Seriously, I could not be happier to hear that type of good news.
If I extend the scope of that to this blog, I can’t even begin to count the number of writers who have contacted me with their success stories and thanking me for the help GITS has provided them.
Those emails provide me nothing but delight.
So thanks to Monique for speaking for those of us still struggling with our current drafts. She has put into proper perspective how we should be seeing our creative journey at this point. And for that, Monique is today’s recipient of the beatific Hecht Award!
It’s Monique’s award, but everyone who is still slugging away at their draft and may not finish by the end of the month, you share in it, too.
Keep making progress. You’ll get there. I’ll get there. We’ll all get there!