As If Filmmaking Wasn't Already Frenzied Enough ...

Inspired by the success of NaNoWriMo - the National Novel Writing Month competition held every November since 1999, the Office of Letters and Light began a new writing challenge in June of 2007: Script Frenzy.

And what is Script Frenzy exactly? Well, if NaNoWriMo is a month-long challenge to burgeoning writers and old pros alike to write a 50,000-word novel, then Script Frenzy is - you guessed it - a month long challenge to write a script. Instead of 50,000 words, the goal is to write 100 pages of a script in one month (average of 3 1/2 pages per day). Since the debut year, Script Frenzy has undergone a few changes, including moving to the month of April (instead of June), and opening up the challenge to include the acceptance of the following:

• original feature-length screenplays
• stage plays
• adaptations of novels
• short film scripts
• graphic novel and comic book scripts
• radio dramas

I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time in November 2007 (my first blog post was to commemorate the event), and it was an exhilarating, demanding, and ultimately rewarding experience. With an intense last day of writing 14,000 words, I "won" the challenge with 50,074 words. Crappy words, but words.

Immediately after NaNoWriMo, I had big plans to continue working on my novel (which I still believe has real potential), but my month-long break from redrafting has officially extended to a three month-long break ... and counting. Entering another writing challenge could be just the thing to rejuvenate the Writera-lobe of my brain, tucked away somewhere on the right site, possibly between the Temporal lobe and the Cerebellum. But do I, a recently graduated film student, have ANY ideas for a feature-length script - of ANY kind?

Absolutely not-a-one.

Alas. Perhaps I will look into this "adaptations of novels" scripting option. Or write a one-woman show. Or just make it up as I go along. As long as I win!

If the writer's strike had lasted a bit longer, all those out-of-work creative types would have had plenty of time to indulge in a bit of expeditious writing practices. Do they mourn the missed opportunity or will they be frenzying in their off-hours anyway?