A Zero Draft Thirty Success Story

You can use the month of March to pound out a screenplay. Maybe it will lead to a movie getting made … like this writer!

One month. Fade In. Fade Out. Write an entire zero draft.

That has been the mantra for the Zero Draft Thirty Challenge since I launched the initiative in 2015. During the last nine years, Go Into The Story and the Zero Draft Thirty Facebook group have hosted 19 Zero Draft Thirty Challenges, one in March, one in September.

[Note: NaNoWriMo used to host a month-long screenwriting challenge called Script Frenzy, but they shut it down in 2012. I figured why not fill that void and provide a month-long structure for screenwriters].

Over the years, thousands of writers have taken the challenge including Peter Field who recently posted this:

As the March ZD30 approaches (for which I’m assembling ducks in a row), some background news. In March 2022, I used the structured writing time of ZD30 to hammer out about 80 pages of a feature spec script and, despite a slow start, completed the zero draft sometime in April. I even received the Trumbo Award one day! All I started with was a one-page synopsis. I’ve written a bunch more drafts since, and am getting set to write another draft, but this draft is the final draft… as we head into production this April 2024 in Portland, Oregon. The film is called Corkscrew. It’s a neo-noir crime thriller that takes place on one crazy New Year’s Eve. I will happily share more details in the near future. (And Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was the first screenplay I ever read and I loved almost every word of it.) Thank you Scott Myers for this group!

I’ve gotten emails from folks who have written Zero Draft Thirty scripts which got recognition in the Nicholl competition. Scripts which landed writers representation. But mostly people who have the immense satisfaction of typing FADE OUT.

Then there is Peter Field who’s on the way to having his script produced this April. Good luck, Peter!

That could be you!

The next Zero Draft Thirty Challenge begins March 1st. Why not join us?

Here is some background on the Challenge.

Why the name Zero Draft Thirty?

When I posted the initial announcement, I made a point that this is not about writing perfect pages, rather this is about pounding out a first draft. I noted how some writers call that initial iteration of a script a vomit draft. Some a muscle draft. And some a zero draft. Go Into The Story reader Orange Pop came up with a great title: Zero Draft Thirty.

Zero Draft = Get The Damn Thing Done Draft!
Thirty = 30 Days (or in March 31)

You can use the hashtag: #ZD30SCRIPT

What if we want to write a TV pilot or rewrite a script?

Absolutely you can use ZD30 for any writing project.

So how do we interact?

Every day, I will do a ZD30 post here at Go Into The story. In it, I will include a writer-on-writing quote, a video, an inspirational post from a Challenge participant, and whatever comes my way which I feel can motivate writers.

Plus this: Each day, I will give out the Zero Draft Thirty Dalton Trumbo Award to some writer who provided an especially valuable comment, post, or reflection.

Dalton Trumbo at work … writing a screenplay … in a bathtub

The daily posts are cool, but again where’s the interaction part?

As you know, my posts have a RESPONSE section. That means you can click Response and write something on any/all of the ZD30 daily posts. Then I will read your comments. Other writers will read your comments. I’ll post comments on your comments. Other writers will post comments on your comments. It will be comments, comments, comments all day, all night. That’s interaction. Of course, we could all choose a resort location, fly there, and interact, but all those mixed drinks with little umbrellas get in the way of writing, so we best stick with comments.

What sort of comments should we make?

Anything you want, but since the whole point of the ZD30 Challenge is to motivate each of us to pound out pages and get from FADE IN to FADE OUT, at the very least, I would hope you drop in often — ideally on a daily basis — and let us know how many pages you wrote in the previous 24 hours. But feel free to share your joy… or your pain. If you need a boost, ask for it. If you feel inspired, share your insights.

So the comments are really about creating a supportive environment, right?

You took the words right out of my mouth… fingers… keyboard.

I heard you would do ‘writing scampers’. What’s that about?

Several pro writers including Jane Espenson and John August from time to time invite people via Twitter to join them in 1 hour writing sprints. We came up with writing scampers as a way of embracing the Zero Draft spirit. I’d do them most every day during the Challenge as would others. It’s a great way to feel the support of other writers knowing while you’re in a writing scamper, other Scamperers are with you.

So I post script pages here?

NO!!! YOU DO NOT POST SCRIPT PAGES!!! THEY ARE YOUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY!!! YOU WANT TO PROTECT YOUR CREATIVE OUTPUT!!! AGAIN… DO NOT POST SCRIPT PAGES HERE!!!

WAIT. SORRY. THE VOLUME LEVEL GOT STUCK ON 11. LET ME DIAL… IT… DOWN…

Ah, got it. Just to underscore this point, the Zero Draft Thirty Challenge is all about one thing: Motivating each of us to write a script draft. That’s the focus. Not reviewing script pages. Not networking. Use the Challenge to get from FADE IN to FADE OUT.

The 2025 Zero Draft Thirty March Challenge.

March 1: Type FADE IN / In the Beginning.
March 31: Type FADE OUT / The End.

One month: A first draft of an original story.

It’s cool! It’s crazy! It’s free!

Don’t forget the Zero Draft Thirty Facebook group. A terrific collection of folks who post things every day, even when we’re not in a challenge. It’s a private group. If you’re interested in joining, click on the link above.

So calling all Zeronauts, Outlaws, Scamperers, and Word Warriors. Who’s up for pounding out a Zero Draft in March?

LET’S DO THIS THING!