2023 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 11

One month. FADE IN to FADE OUT. Creativity meets Productivity.

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.

Join the Zero Draft Thirty Facebook Group, 4,900+ members strong.

Today’s Writing Quote

“I don’t believe in rules for writing screenplays. What that gives you is formula, and the result will be formulaic.”

— Christopher Hampton

Today’s Inspirational Video

All of 19 years old, Coco Gauff just won the U.S. Open women’s singles’ title. Here’s a quote from her speech to the crowd after the final’s match:

“Thank you to the people who didn’t believe in me. To those who thought they were putting water on my fire, you put gas on it.”

Here is the entire post-match interview:

What an inspiration Coco is! And great advice: Use the doubters to fuel your OWN creative fire!

Today’s Anita Loos Award winner: Anita Tucker!

Over at the Zero Draft Thirty Facebook group page, Anita posted this:

Anita tagged the photo with this comment: “Character building not stereotypes.”

AMEN!

Characters are complex. They are filled with instincts, emotions, passions, memories, associations, taboos, drives, wounds, flaws, ghosts, and shadows.

As you write your zero draft … and a character suddenly says or does something you didn’t expect …

Follow them.

They may very well take you … and your story … in wildly unexpected places.

And if they surprise you … trust me, they will surprise the reader.

In gratitude for that reminder, the recipient of today’s Anita Loos Award is Anita Tucker!

Congratulations, Anita! 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.

Zero Draft Thirty: Day 1
Zero Draft Thirty: Day 2
Zero Draft Thirty: Day 3
Zero Draft Thirty: Day 4
Zero Draft Thirty: Day 5
Zero Draft Thirty: Day 6
Zero Draft Thirty: Day 7
Zero Draft Thirty: Day 8
Zero Draft Thirty: Day 9
Zero Draft Thirty: Day 10

Now Zeronauts, Scamperers, Word Warriors, and Outlaws…

CHARACTERS!

NOT STEREOTYPES!

SCAMPER ON!