2024 Zero Draft Thirty March 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!

As for me, I will spend the month rewriting a feature film spec script. It’s based on a story concept I came up with late last year and it may be the strongest comedy idea I’ve ever worked on. Now to take it to the next level.

If you join the Challenge, I will be right there with you writing each and every day in March! Let’s do this together!

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: Here. 5,100+ 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 Motown Music Video

I have dedicated the 2024 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge as Motown Music Month. Part of that decision is to honor one of the greatest record companies of all time (check out their history here). But mostly, it’s an excuse to feature awesome music to get you out of your chair, dance around the room for 5 minutes, churn up your creative juices, then sit right back down and write your ass off.

Today’s featured song: Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (1967).

Today’s Dalton Trumbo Award winner: Ricardo Varma.

Over at the Zero Draft Thirty Facebook Group, Ricardo posted this:

This comment goes to the very heart of the zero draft approach: Get it down. Get it done.

Words on paper. Pound out paragraphs. One by one. Do that dialogue. Side by side. “It does not have to be pretty, it has to be out there on paper.”

That’s exactly right.

Since you know your zero draft is not going to be perfect, you are free … pardon my French … to fuck up.

Have some fun with it. Mess around with scene transitions. Narrative Voice. Character interactions.

You know … scamper through the writing.

Here’s the thing. If you just “get it down” … day after day …

Ya’ know what?

That’s how you get it done.

Fade Out. The End. It may be a zero draft … but it’s something

And something is better than nothing.

When you rewrite that zero draft, eventually you turn it into hero draft.

For that simple, but powerful observation, today’s recipient of the Dalton Trumbo Award is Ricardo Varma!

Congratulations, Ricardo!

To learn more about Dalton Trumbo and his fascinating career as a screenwriter, go here.

For your chance to win the Dalton Trumbo 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 into being 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…

SPREAD THE WORD!

GO WRITE!

GET IT DOWN!

GET IT DONE!

SCAMPER ON!