2023 Zero Draft Thirty September Challenge: Day 8

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

Zero Draft Thirty: Day 8.

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 sit in the dark and wait for a little flame to appear at the end of my pencil.”

— Billy Collins

Today’s Inspirational Video

Of course, the Zero Draft Thirty community has our very own inspirational critter: Scamper the Hamster.

Today, we welcome another inspirational critter: Motivational Lizard.

Hey, there friend. I know you’ve been having some troubles lately. Be the person I know you can be. Don’t leave anything up to chance. I believe in you, pal. We ALL believe in you. UR a winner, kiddo. Don’t you ever forget.

Today’s Anita Loos Award winner: Katie White!

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

I’m realising this daily connection with my character is giving me a better insight into where she needs to be coming from — not simply where her journey will take her.

That’s what I like to hear! A writer discovering deeper layers of a character’s psychological makeup. In this case, Katie’s discovery reflects one of the essential storytelling truths: The seeds of the ending are already planted at the beginning. And where are those seeds planted?

Within the inner world of the Protagonist.

A seed doesn’t grow into any sort of plant. Rather, it becomes the plant it is intended to be.

Likewise, a character and their seed.

Or should I say … NEED!

The seed is the need.

Thus, the journey the Protagonist takes is the journey they need to take.

To acknowledge how Katie has reminded us of this foundational truth, the recipient of today’s Anita Loos Award is Katie White!

Congratulations, Katie! 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

Now Zeronauts, Scamperers, Word Warriors, and Outlaws…

BEGIN!

END!

SCAMPER!