2023 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 2
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.
Zero Draft Thirty: Day 2.
Write an entire draft of a script in September — FADE IN. FADE OUT. Or any sort of creative goal you have in front of you.
Feature length movie screenplay. Original TV pilot. Rewrite a current project. Break a story in prep. Generate a month’s worth of story concepts.
Whatever you feel will ratchet your creative ambitions into overdrive…
DO THAT!
Download your very own Zero Draft Thirty calendar — designed and created by Steven Dudley — and track your daily progress!
On Twitter, use this hashtag: #ZD30SCRIPT.
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Today’s Writing Quote
A word after a word after a word is power.”
— Margaret Atwood
Today’s Inspirational Video
This is one of the most amazing moments in contemporary music history. Bob Dylan was a folk music icon. Then he went on tour with a new act. Backed by musicians who would become known as The Band, Dylan introduced his rock and roll persona. Many fans did NOT like his new direction.
Here he is in England. Seeing Dylan warming up with an electric guitar and his backup band, a member of the audience shouts out:
“Judas!”
With zero hesitation, Dylan responds:
“I don’t believe you.”
That is precisely what Judas was saying to Jesus: I don’t believe you are the Messiah.
Dylan follows up with:
“You’re a liar.”
Again, echoing the sentiment of what Judas was saying to Jesus.
It was an electric moment of brilliance by Dylan in response to the heckler. Then rounded out by Dylan telling the band:
“Play it fucking loud.”
Dylan was not going to be typecast as a folk musician. He knew his voice. He knew what he wanted to do and say. And he did it.
We can take a lesson from Dylan. Find your OWN voice. And give EXPRESSION to it.
Here is the original recording of “Like a Rolling Stone” which is arguably the greatest rock song of all time.
Today’s Anita Loos Award winner: Juli Crockett!
Over at the Zero Draft Thirty Facebook group page, Juli posted this:
Motivational writing desk Post-it for Day One!
Accompanied by this photo:
Now THAT’S the Zero Draft spirit. And a great reminder to read Anne Lamott’s essential essay: “Shitty First Drafts.” Here’s a key quote:
“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something — anything — down on paper. What I’ve learned to do when I sit down to work on a shitty first draft is to quiet the voices in my head.”
This is a profound and effective way to combat perfectionism.
That’s why here in the Zero Draft Thirty community, we don’t engage in writing sprints. Rather, we embrace writing scampers!
In helping to set the right tone for this month’s challenge, the recipient of today’s Anita Loos Award is Juli Crockett!
Congratulations, Juli! Feel to print this award and post it at your writing desk for inspiration.
To learn more about Anita Loos and her illustrious career as a screenwriter, playwright, director, and journalist, go here.
For your chance to win the Anita Loos Award, one given away each day during the Challenge, post something inspiring, here on the blog, via Twitter, or the Facebook group.
For background on how the Zero Draft Challenge came to be and what it is, go here, here, and here.
Now Zeronauts, Scamperers, Word Warriors, and Outlaws…
JUMP IN!
WRITE SHITTY THINGS!
SCAMPER ON!