Zero Draft Thirty: Day 12
Zero Draft Thirty: Day 12.
November 1: Type FADE IN / The Beginning.
November 30: Type FADE OUT / The End.
30 days. 1 script. Movie script. TV script. First draft. Rewrite. Whatever.
I’m doing it. You’re invited.
To learn everything you need to know about the ZDT Challenge, go here.
To download your very own Zero Draft Thirty calendars to track your progress, go here and here.
On Twitter, use this hashtag: #ZD30SCRIPT.
Facebook: Here. Over 300 members strong. Join us!
Join the conversation for a chance to win The Trumbo Award!
Today’s Writing Quote
I reached out to several screenwriters whose scripts have been selected for the annual Black List, asking them this: What do you focus on when writing a first draft? Here are some thoughts from Barbara Stepansky (2013 Black List):
“In a first draft,
I don’t focus on anything in particular,
but the necessity to fill the pages.
Whatever story or idea I have outlined,
now the characters must speak to me
to get it out onto the page.”
— Barbara Stepansky
Today’s Inspirational Video
If you are a sports fan, you’ve probably seen this incredible play in the recent Duke-Miami college football game. If you haven’t caught it, watch it. Last play of the game: Miami has to score a touchdown or they lose. Their players are dead to rights on multiple occasions. They end up lateraling the ball an amazing 8 times. And they score one of the most memorable touchdowns in college football history.
Lesson #1: Never. Give. Up.
Lesson #2: As screenwriters, we are problems solvers. We solve problems for studios executives when they have a troubled script. We solve problems when producers ask us to make changes to our current draft. We solve problems when directors or actors weigh in with their issues with the story. And in a fundamental way, every scene we write, we are solving problems, dealing with dozens and dozens of story choices at each writing session. The more we learn to ‘lateral’ — metaphorically speaking to overcome a problem — the more we develop those critical writing muscles.
Lesson #3: When we talk about building to a big ending, this football play is the paradigmatic example.
If you have a writing quote appropriate for pounding out a zero draft, post to Comments, Twitter, or Facebook.
If you have a video to inspire or perhaps give us a laugh, post to Comments, Twitter, or Facebook.
But here’s the biggie: Head to Comments, Twitter, and Facebook to support each other!
How many pages did you write in the last 24 hours? Or if you’re prepping the story, what did you work on? How are you feeling about your story? Are you loving or hating your writing process? Did you have a good day or a bad day? Do you have any questions about your writing process? Ready to give a virtual hug… or maybe you need one.
Comments, Twitter, Facebook. That’s where the Zero Draft Thirty community gathers. Remember: Every day I’ll be handing out the coveted Trumbo Award to the best Comment, Tweet, Photoshop, anything you come up with to get our collective juices going.
And each day in November, I’ll be dishing out a special batch of ZDT-flavored creative juju for everyone who posts.
Nothing else to say. Just. Write.
Onward!
Stay tuned for today’s Trumbo Award winner — to be announced before the night is through!
UPDATE: Today’s Trumbo Award winner gets at the heart of one big reason why the writers participating in the ZDT Challenge are succeeding:
You are not alone! We are TOGETHER in this effort! Our collective energy and support is providing wind at our backs and a lift to our hearts. And when we’re feeling frustrated or lost, we know there are others among us who are feeling the same way. As Ashraf tweeted, we are sharing the experience of “punching” our computers together!
Lean on the community of writers gathered here! If you need a pat on the back, don’t be afraid to ask for it here or on the Facebook page.
For his tweet, Ashraf is the recipient of the coveted Trumbo Award!
Twitter: @AshrafMtaweh
Let’s go punch our computers!
[Metaphorically speaking, of course.]
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