Script Frenzy Young Writers Program - The Beat

NaNoWriMo YWP Participants: Welcome to Script Frenzy!

Tavia Stewart — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:38:31 -0800

Not sure what you're going to do with your active imagination until next November? If you're looking for something creative to do in the mean time, look no further.

Between here and NaNoWriMo 2009 is Script Frenzy. Like NaNoWriMo, Script Frenzy is a month-long writing challenge, but instead of writing novels, we write scripts.

There's plenty to do to get ready for this year's Frenzy. First, you'll need to decide what kind of script you want to write. Script Frenzy allows participants to write any kind of script they want from stage plays to screen plays to comic books scripts.

Once you decide what kind of script you're going to write, head on over to the Scriptwriting Bootcamp to learn everything you'll need to know about penning a script. The Camp will also help you develop your characters, outline your plot, and more.

Once you sign in, you'll also have access to the forums. The cool thing is that your NaNoWriMo username and password will work on this site, so you don't have to create a new account.

We hope to see you all next April!

Plotting out my script already,
Tavia

Take Our Survey!

Tavia Stewart — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:00:42 -0700

Hi Everyone!

We wanted to ask you for a humongous favor before you finish off the school year and skip into the sunshine of summer vacation. We tried to make this year's event awesome, but in order to find out if we did a good job, and to make next year's event even better, we've developed an anonymous survey for you to fill out.

It is super easy to take! Just click here!

Thank you so much. Your opinion matters so much to us!

Warmest Spring Regards,
The Script Frenzy Young Writers Staff

That's a Wrap!

Tavia Stewart — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:50:15 -0700

I can’t believe it’s happened. Script Frenzy 2008 has officially come to a close and I miss it already!

The initial numbers are in! 860 young writers and 7,898 adult writers took place in the Frenzy, writing over 130,000 pages, which resulted in a grand total of 942 winners of all ages! As Hawaii rounds to May 1, we’ll report back with the final stats.

Congratulations Frenzies! You rocked the pages!

We’ve rolled out our I Wrote a Script, Now What? page, and keep an eye out over the next week for some great cameos on editing and revising.

But for now, take a deep breath, enjoy some long overdue sleep, and reintroduce yourself to your friends and family. They've missed you!

Big thanks go out to our staff, volunteers, Municipal Liaisons, and our superstar donors!

Thank you Script Frenzy Young Writers Program class of 2008! It has been a wonderful, wild, writing adventure!

Tavia

Last Day

Tavia Stewart — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 11:53:18 -0700

Hi Everyone,

I want to make sure that everyone knows how to win today, since, well, it's the last day to do so.

The first thing you need to do is make your script a PDF file. You can find out how to do this here!

Then you will need to validate your script by visiting My Script Frenzy, clicking on Edit, then Writer Info. Once you are in this screen, hit the "Browse" button, find your PDF script file on your computer, select it, and hit the "Validate" button.

This FAQ has a great picture of this process!

Good luck. I will see you all on the other side of the Frenzy!

Tavia

Almost There!

Tavia Stewart — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:03:48 -0700

W00t!

You're almost done!

No matter what your page count ends up being when the clock strikes midnight on April 30, you will have written more script than most people do in an entire lifetime. I congratulate each and every one of you. Those who wrote one page to those who wrote over 100!

In the forums, I have read about amazing characters, highly complex plots, hilarious overheard conversations, and also found out about Charlie the Unicorn. All in all, I have had a blast spending Script Frenzy with you all.

I am hoping to finish my script tonight, and to be honest, I am sad it's almost over. It has been like watching my favorite movie for an entire month, little by little, and The End is right around the corner.

But it's not over, over. In a few days, we will be posting our "I Wrote a Script! Now What?" page with all kinds of information about registering, revising, and submitting your scripts to contests.

Good luck in these final hours,
Tavia

Winning!

Tavia Stewart — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:29:57 -0700

Hi Everyone,

I just want to let you know that winning will begin in just a few short hours. If you have reached your page-count goal, you will be able to validate your scripts at 12:01 AM, April 25. I want to remind everyone to make sure that your time zone is correct. You can set your time zone by going to My Script Frenzy --> Edit --> scroll down until you get to the "Time Zone" drop down menu box.

Once you have that set, make sure your file is a PDF. You can find out how to make that happen here.

Once you do that, go to My Script Frenzy --> Edit --> Writer Info and upload your script to the Page Count Validator. Just hit the "Browse" button and find the PDF file on your computer.

If you have any questions at all, feel free to email us at ywp@scriptfrenzy.org.

Good Luck!

Tavia

Storms and Sunshine

Tavia Stewart — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:18:20 -0700

Hi Writers!

Once again, inspiration from Script Frenzy HQ. . .

Inspiration does exist, but it must find you working.
~Pablo Picasso

Dear Script Frenzy Participant,

We are in the home stretch my scriptwriting friends! You have made it through the hardest part of the Frenzy, and the great FADE OUT is around the corner.

If you've crossed into the latitudes beyond Page 70, your journey is nearly at an end. You're likely typing away leisurely from some shipboard hammock, enjoying the light breeze on your laptop.

Like most Frenzies, I'm many, many leagues away from that hammock. I'm four days behind schedule, still trying to right my page count from the storms that have blown me off-course these last few weeks.

But the way I see it, a little struggle is a good thing. It means we're getting in over our heads, tackling something larger than we are. Sure, our wrists are sore, our brains are tired, and the quest for 100 pages has brought a little chaos into our lives. But chaos is a sure sign that we're dreaming big dreams, and daring to get these oversized dreams down on paper. Chaos rarely befalls couch potatoes.

Which brings us to the key question: What happens when we reach 100 pages?

So much happens you won't even believe it! People will ask for your autograph on the street. Traffic will part and let you pass. Your kitchen will magically produce three gourmet meals for you everyday. (This is all true.) The grumpy memories of having forgone all those prime TV-watching hours will fade, replaced by a lifelong sense of pride.

Do whatever you need to do to reach 100 pages if you are within striking distance. If you are roughly a third of the way to your goal, the finish line is within your reach. It may mean less staring out the window daydreaming, less people-watching, and definitely many more cups of coffee. Tell everyone you've been relocated to Middle Earth, but do not let the storm push you off course. I'll be watching.

If you are less than a third of the way along, you also have to keep going. Even if you're absolutely sure that there's no way you're going to hit 100 pages, every page you write now will do a couple great things for you in the long run.

First off, it will build up your idea bank. Each situation, plot twist, character tic, and witty line of dialogue you write in the next eight days can be filed away for future use. These are ideas you can draw from for the rest of your writing life.

Second, every page you write now will be a tremendous gift to your future self. There is a huge difference between needing to write the final 20 to 30 pages of a script and having to draft the second and third acts of a script. Because of the helpfully menacing deadline of Script Frenzy, it will be easier to write now than any other time of the year. Use and abuse this writing window. When April is over, there will be a sad 11 months until the next time we'll all get to write with thousands of others.

And now, a quick word about winning. Starting April 25 our official page-counting robots will go to work checking script lengths, handing out winner's certificates and web icons, and adding names to our Winner's Page. In order to be crowned a Script Frenzy winner and receive one of the amazing 2008 certificates, you'll need to upload a PDF version of your script to the robots for verification between April 25 and April 30.

You can practice uploading a PDF to our validator nowjust head to the Script Info tab of your Edit Profile page. Remember: Winning goes live April 25. You can read the ins and outs of scrambling and winning on our site.

Good luck to everyone this final week of the Frenzy!

Writing for sunnier skies,
Jennifer

PS. Back up right now!

Validating in Week Four

Tavia Stewart — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:17:23 -0700

Hey Everyone!

Welcome to the magical forth week of the Frenzy. I hope you're having fun adding ridiculous plot twists and new mysterious characters to your stories!

My main characters, supporting characters, and my villian are all in an old beat-up van driving out to see a scientist-turned-guru who lives in a commune in the California desert. Wish me luck in getting them there in one piece!

I wanted to let you know that you can validate your scripts now, but winning does not begin until April 25.

In order to validate, you will first have to make your script a PDF file. Find out how here!

Once you do that, visit My Script Frenzy --> Edit --> Writer Info --> Page Count Validator. Hit the "Browse" button and find the script PDF file on your computer. Once you hit the "Validate" button, our validating robots (who run on jelly beans) will count your script for you.

Good luck in these final days!

67 pages and counting,
Tavia

The Midway Point!

Tavia Stewart — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:42:46 -0700

Hey all!

Once again, I would like to feature some encouragement from Script Frenzy HQ!

Take it away, Jen!

Calvin: "You know, Hobbes, some days even my
lucky rocketship underpants don't help."
~Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes

Dear Script Frenzy Participant,

I can't believe we're already halfway through the Frenzy! What is even more astonishing to me are the people popping up on the Script Frenzy site with over 100 pages. The lesson, especially for those of us stuck below 50 pages, is that you can do the whole enchilada in two weeks.

Just in case that didn’t sink in, let me say it again. People have written 100 pages in 15 days. Though I don’t know each and every participant personally, I can tell you that our rigorous screening process did not reveal a single participant who was also a registered superhero. These folks are just like you and me. We can do this.

The key is in getting through this next week. There's an interesting thing that happens in the writing process that warrants investigation by NASA engineers and brainy brain surgeons. Somewhere mid-story, about where we are today, many stories simply sink.

They do this for a number of reasons, few of which have anything to do with the worthiness of script or the talent of the storyteller. The sinking happens because…

1) You're as far as possible from the exciting beginning and the heart-pounding ending. Starting a project and finishing it are both moments packed with built-in energy and excitement. Confetti rains down. The red carpet rolls out. Champagne corks pop. Being in the middle of a writing project feels very different. The midpoint is more litter than confetti, and more flat soda than champagne.

The thing to remember, though, if you're feeling down right now is that being at this low point (and moving along out of it) is just part of the process. Every script has sailed through these same rough waters of doubt. Which leads us to the fact that…

2) Middles are just plain hard to write. You can begin a script pretty much anywhere. And the ending is really just an outgrowth of the actions that preceded it. But second acts? They can be complete head-scratchers, even for professional scriptwriters. Which is why I’m giving you permission to skip ahead if you need to. Maybe you've been tearing your hair out trying to figure out how to get your character from A to B so they can do C.

You know what? Just do C. Go ahead and write the wedding scene or the epic monster battle. It may feel like cheating, but anything that gives you the writerly momentum you need at this point is good. You can go back next week and fill in the connecting scenes.

Sometimes, though, you may not have a C to jump to because…

3) You've completely run out of outline. You had a handful of scenes and ideas when you started, and those carried you through Week Two. But as you've tried to improvise a story from the point where your outline ends, you've found it slow going. Maybe writing sessions have started to feel less like a joyride and more like a stab in the dark.

If that's the case, it's time to hit the outline again. Decide how many days your outlining sabbatical from writing will last (two is probably a good number), and then come right back to writing. I mean it! Don't forget that I'll be watching you, waiting for your page-count to begin rising again.

4.) The Beat Sheet, baby! Finally, if you just can't see a way forward at all, maybe it's time to examine your script from the shoulders of giants. Most scripts (especially screenplays) follow a rigorous formula that unfolds on a very reliable timetable. That is not to say you can’t be creative or original, far from it, but if you're at a loss for how to proceed, why not borrow a few of the moves that have worked for others in the past? One of my favorite tools is Blake Snyder’s Beat Sheet. He's broken down thousands of great films and has found that many are based on a similar skeleton. Download yourself a copy (Thank you Mr. Snyder!), fill it out, and I bet you a thousand times over that it helps get you back on track.

Whether you feel your script is sinking or soaring, there are great things in store in the week ahead. Continue onward through the challenging second act. In two weeks, you can look back on this midway moment when you wanted to quit but didn't. Your victory (and script) will be all the sweeter for the struggle.

Now go!

Oh wait! One more thing! Before you go, please back up that script! Send it as an email to yourself, back it up on a jump drive, or print it out and line your coat with it. Do whatever you need to do to save a copy in case your computer tires of the constant use and dies (computers get grumpy at the midpoint too).

Okay. Now go! Do! Write!

Jennifer
Program Director

Halfway There! And Don’t Forget To Set Your Page-Count Goals!

Tavia Stewart — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:05:41 -0700

When I woke up this morning and remembered it was already week three I nearly panicked thinking I had to be two-thirds finished with my script by now. But then, when I got to Script Frenzy Headquarters and looked at my wall calendar, I saw that Script Frenzy is only halfway over. We have just as much time ahead of us as we do behind us to finish our scripts. April even has a week five with four whole days in it.

Hurray for April!

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that If you have not already done so, you need to set your page-count goal by Tuesday, April 15. You can do this by going to “My Script Frenzy,” clicking on “Writer Info” and then imputing your word-count goal in the word-count goal box. If you are participating in a teacher-lead classroom, ask your teacher for help in choosing and setting your goal. If you do not set your goal by Tuesday, your goal will be locked at 100-pages!

If you are having any trouble at all, FrenzyMail me.

Happy week three,
Tavia