Script Frenzy 2009
It’s that time again:
Script Frenzy is an international writing event in which participants take on the challenge of writing 100 pages of scripted material in the month of April. As part of a donation-funded nonprofit, Script Frenzy charges no fee to participate; there are also no valuable prizes awarded or “best” scripts singled out. Every writer who completes the goal of 100 pages is victorious and awe-inspiring and will receive a handsome Script Frenzy Winner’s Certificate and web icon proclaiming this fact. Even those who fall short of the word goal will be applauded for making a heroic attempt. Really, you have nothing to lose—except that nagging feeling that there’s a script inside you that may never get out.
It’s like NaNoWriMo, but for scripts. If it helps motivate you to actually write, give it a shot.
You can find all the info at the Script Frenzy site.
Articles
March 24th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Script Frenzy helped me write my first script. I now am working on my third. The Script Frenzy goal of 100 pages is very realistic. I highly recommend writers give it a try.
March 24th, 2009 at 11:33 am
In my opinion, this would only be a useful exercise if the beginning of April happens to coincide with the time that you’ve finished a good, solid outline and have really nailed down your characters and arcs.
If you’re starting from nothing, or just a nugget of an idea, then trying to bang out a 100-page script in a month will probably be a waste of creative energy. At best you’ll end up with a script that needs an absolute page-one overhaul and rethinking, and at worst you’ll end up with something that doesn’t even merit revisiting.
I’m all for motivating people to write, but cranking out formatted script pages is a minuscule element of screenwriting, and meaningless if you don’t have a well thought-out plan for what those pages are going to accomplish.
March 24th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Nick – You’re absolutely right – and totally wrong. Script Frenzy is not about writing a producible or sellable or even re-writable draft – at least for first time screenwriters. It’s about getting off the bench, getting started on something, and discovering everything you don’t know about writing screenplays – like having an outline, etc. – and whether or not you might have fun doing it.
This will be my third year. And I’ve been working on my story idea and outline for a while. I’m still going to be a long way from having something ready to sell when April 30 comes around. But I’m going to learn a lot. And I’m going to have fun. And I’ll have written three more screenplays than just about anyone else I know.
March 24th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
I agree with Nick. I read scripts in a development office for a living, and I can tell very quickly when the script is written by someone who thought ahead and outlined. While I recognize that it’s good to get people writing no matter what, I don’t think it’s a good idea to reinforce a common misconception that to be a screenwriter all you have to do is park yourself in a Starbucks and start typing until you have 90-120 pages.
There have honestly been times when I was convinced that even the writer hadn’t read through his script before submitting it. Or even used a spell check. So a note of caution, overworked assistants are looking for excuses to put your script down and move onto the next one in the pile. Don’t make it easy for them to identify you as unprofessional right off the bat.
The couple times I’ve tried to write a screenplay by starting out writing scenes I’ve gotten a couple pretty good scenes, and then a project with no direction that was easy to lose interest in. I had always been resistant to outlines for all kinds of papers growing up and in college, but now I’ll never try to write a screenplay or tv episode without one ever again.
March 25th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
If not an outline, at least a one or two-page synopsis. You gotta follow something.
Haven’t tried ScriptFrenzy, but hey, whatever gets you writing.
March 26th, 2009 at 9:35 pm
You get a car! You get a car! You get a car!
Every. Body. Getsa. Car!!!
March 28th, 2009 at 9:04 pm
I agree with Bill and Mark. As a third time participant Script Frenzy is a great motivator to get you to write.
However I see why you are concerned, Nick. If someone were to try to write 100 pages without a road map they would most likely fail. However, most people who complete their screenplay for Script Frenzy were only able to so because they had planned ahead by creating an outline, treatment, or both. I know I wouldn’t have finished my screenplays without them. And afterwards you can spend time rewriting it into something that you can send to your agent, friends, or other contests without wincing.
Some people may not need that type of motivation and that’s cool. But if it helps you get off your butt and write – go for it.
March 29th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I’ve done a similar thing with music (RPM challenge) it it was great because it kept me in a constant state of inspiration. Plus, from the standpoint of having whatever comes out of Frenzy eventually evolve into a finished piece of material, I think having a full script is in some ways preferable to an outline because there’s more there to riff on. Plus, it isn’t like you don’t sometimes nail a scene on your first run and, as a result, end up having it as a building block for later drafts.
April 29th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
Great idea, and I even signed on to it, but did squat. YAY ME! Instead I participated in three other contests in April, which were just as unrewarding: TaxFrenzy, PaycheckFrenzy and NotGetLaidOffFrenzy YAY ME 3X!!