Script Frenzy -- But Not

[HoopyFrood]

Around this time of year I usually post a thread about this. It's the Scriptwriter's version of NaNoWriMo, only with this it's 100 pages in 30 days.

I tried to do it last year...maybe the year before (time moves too fast) but didn't do awfully well.

Anyway, sad news is that it's no longer A Thing: http://www.scriptfrenzy.org/eng/node/4189006

But I wondered if anyone wanted to do a Chrons based version. It'll be especially interesting if people who haven't written a script before decide to have a go.

(Scripts are great fun, they really are!)

I've just started a new script -- and my first bit of sustained writing in a very long time. I really want to keep going, so this may be an extra way of keeping the motivation going.

 

[ASleepyGiraffe]

Hey Hoopy,

I know that Camp NaNoWrimo are letting people write scripts this year, but having only done NaNoWrimo once, I don't know what the difference will be or how the whole thing will work.

Most of my time is spent working on my prose but I'd definitely be up for doing a chrons version even though I'm still a relative newbie at screenwriting.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Aw, they're deigning to let us lowly scriptwriters join in with their fancy novellin', eh? (I joke, I joke!)

But woot! I am always trying to track down the elusive scriptwriters around here, so good to see another one. Do you have anything scriptly going on?

 

[Kylara]

I've written about 3 scripts - very small scripts though...and they all only seemed funny to the people who like the same things and me and have seen the same things as me...so mainstream fail most likely...

 

[HoopyFrood]

Comedy is hard. Like, stupidly.

Which is why I write horror

 

[Christopher Lee]

I recently began a script for a crime story I came up with. Resolves around a crime family and how they do business with other groups. I put it away to continue working on a new story idea I had for a novel. All of my ideas turn out to be nothing more than short stories, so when I get a new one I have to dig deep and uncover it real quick to see if it's that most elusive "novel length" story.

 

[Kylara]

haha most of my comedy is all in the presentation, hence why scripting is so hard without a tonne of stage directions - too many and it might as well be a prose piece!

 

[HoopyFrood]

Yeah, one of my biggest problems when I first started scripting was that I was too used to writing novels. I was so verbose! But now I love the stark nature of scripts. Anything to get the action across effectively.

 

[ASleepyGiraffe]

I have quite a few scripts on the go, perhaps too many!

I'm actively working on two atm, but I have two more planned and have some scenes written out for them already.

I haven't finished a full script yet but I know that once I get going I'm okay, its just getting started and maintaining that initial momentum that's hard (for me at least).

What about you?

 

[HoopyFrood]

I have quite a few scripts on the go, perhaps too many!

I'm actively working on two atm, but I have two more planned and have some scenes written out for them already.

I haven't finished a full script yet but I know that once I get going I'm okay, its just getting started and maintaining that initial momentum that's hard (for me at least).

What about you?

I've only really completed one script and that was the one for the Masters dissertation. I, too, suffer from that petering out of motivation if I don't keep it up enough at first.

Had plenty of ideas now and then, but they never seen to get further than a few pages!

But I'm working on a horror script at the moment. Very small (only a cast of two) and very enclosed (one house) but I really like the idea and I think the simplicity might be what I need. Started it a few days ago and I'm ten pages in, so so far OK!

 

[Susan Boulton]

A friend of mine set up this website to record his plunge into script writing. The script that resulted is currently out with at least three agents.

http://monumentalwords.com/

 

[Harpo]

Comedy can't be hard - we're hilarious all the time around here, aren't we?

Can I give it a try?

 

[alternatesanity]

Never tried a script before, would be an interesting learning experience if nothing else.
Did NaNoWriMo last year and wound up with a book, that was an interesting exercise and proved to me I can write. Didn't have a clue for a story but once that first line is down you is started.
I suspect script writing would be very different to prose, good for the brain to try different things, perhaps not for the sanity but who cares, haven't found much use for it anyway.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Glad to see a bit of interest in this!

And yes, scripts are different beasts entirely. They have a very specific layout for a start. And the business sections -- action and description and the like -- are much more just the bare bones of what needs to be told.

But writing dialogue is so much fun and when your main goal is just to get down what's happening you can really get wrapped up in telling a great story.

If people do want to get involved

I VERY MUCH RECOMMEND DOWNLOADING CELTX.

It's a free scriptwriting program and it will set out EVERYTHING for you. I suggest having a bit of a play with it first if you're new to scripts and learning the layouts.

 

[alternatesanity]

As I said, never done a script before but have thought about it. Have a few books I wrote so working from a preexisting story have thought about how to present the story for a movie. Very different, there is the constraints of time, say two hours for a big movie - wow, how do you tell your story in that time. Then there is the vast difference in medium, pictures (or play) compared with words. Makes you think, big time. So much that has to be chopped out, so much that has to be changed, how to present in pictures or action what is clear in words but words are not used. Yes, I think script writing would be a BIG challenge and a very useful learning experience. The more experience/knowledge you have the better you can create.