NaNoWriMo’s new sibling debuts today. The challenge: write a 20,000-word script or screenplay in 30 days. So far, 6 10 11 MBers (+ 1 GAPA) have signed on. Others who want to participate, go to scriptfrenzy.org for details.
MB Participants:
Alice
biblioRose
Capricious the Great and Terrible
Ebeth [Whatever Her Current Title Is]
grnqween2011
pen,/ta/to’/nikk (adj)
purplefinch
Purple Panda
Sweet Melpomene
Taiwan Hippo Fan
Zyka
Lady Bunniful
So, Frenzyers, what are you writing about? What are your strategies? Come celebrate, commiserate, advise, or procrastinate. Most of all, have fun!
20,000 words?????? Thatsa lot!!!!!
1- It is. But not as long as it could be.
I’m procrastinating. But I’m not worried about it. I’m not going to cease my current project to write my script. If I can’t juggle them both, then SF will probably just be drawn out a little longer. But I can easily write 750 words a day.
I think I’m going to add a hint of comedy, just by making everyone so utterly stereotypical that it’s ridiculous. Jillie and Max won’t be stereotypical, merely because I’m not sure what they’re stereotypes would be, but all the side characters will be. I’m doing a good job with the mom . . . she’s sort of sitcom-ish, and defending Aunt Clarissa, who’s always late with presents.
I have written all of 104 words. Woohoo! Exciting!
Oh, you should add BiblioRose up there.
Thank You Alice. hey, Where did part of my script go?
4 (Alice)- And me. I’m writing a script version of one of my novels, involving multiple plots and a bunch of very stupid people. Should be good
cleanfun.Grand Total: Zero.
6- Grand total of words?
I was planing to do this, but I realized I’m going to be gone for 3 weeks this month and not have time to write durring any of them. This made me rather sad.
People are crazy. Either that, or they have really good ideas. Why would anyone do this to themselves?
9- Because it’s fun. And we like to write.
I won’t do it, at least, not in the program. I might write a screenplay. Or maybe I’ll wait untill next year, and write a movie version of my novel for NaNoWriMo. (By the way, did anyone notice that rhymes? Na’ No Wrie Moe. Or is it Na’ Nah Wry Moe?) So, I wait for November, write a novel, then write a movie version in June.
About 16 students are sitting in a classroom. Some are in groups talking while others are writing something or reading silently. One girl named Maria is flipping through a magazine.
Mrs. Luft : All right now everybody stop what you’re doing. Its time to say the pledge.
Students rise and say the American pledge with a hand over their hearts and facing the flag on the wall. Maria remains seated and doesn’t look up from her magazine. As the students finish, the teacher spies Maria.
Mrs. Luft : Maria what is that your reading?
Maria: National Geographic, Mrs. Luft.
Mrs. Luft: And may I inquire as to what article had you so interested?
Maria: It was about the Aztecs. Actually it was fairly boring.
Mrs. Luft has gradually shifted toward Maria’s desk and is now right next to her.
Mrs. Luft: Maria, you missed saying the American pledge.
Maria: Oh….
Maria has a guilty look on her face.
Mrs. Luft: Please join me in the hall.
They move away to where the other students can’t hear them.
Mrs. Luft: You’re not in trouble. I just want you to realize how important the pledge is. I haven’t seen you say it in the two weeks you’ve been my student. At first I thought you were just to caught up in whatever it was that you were doing to notice
Maria: That’s not the reason Mrs. Luft. I don’t ever say it becau-
The school bell rings. Mrs. Luft puts a hand on Maria’s shoulder and smiles.
Mrs.Luft: I know you understand. Now you don’t want to be late to your next class.
Maria and the other students leave the classroom.
It’s the following day in class. Again Maria does not say the pledge.
Mrs.Luft: Maria, My I ask why you did not say the pledge again today?
Maria: Because….
Mrs.Luft: yes…?
Maria: Because I’m not proud of America! Look at all of our wars and our presidents! And I don’t pledge anything! That’s a promise and why do I have to renew that promise everyday? America doesn’t deserve my promise, and neither does a piece of nylon!
Another student, named Claire, stands up.
Claire: You should be ashamed of yourself Maria! My father is in Iraq fighting right now so cowards like you can be safe! If you hate America so much than why don’t you go live in Cuba where they have a dictator and you could be beaten just for saying your beliefs? So, Shut up because you’ve got it made!
Mrs. Luft: Everyone that’s quite enough!
The whole class starts yelling at one another. Another student named Elsie rises.
Elsie: You can’t make her say anything it’s against the law!
Claire and several other students glare at Maria and Elsie
Claire: Well, why wouldn’t you want to say it?
Hey are we allowed to post our scripts on here? Here goes.
LOST IN THOUGHT
by
Julia T************* ( no my name is not that long)
FADE IN:
Espi is sitting on the ground, outside of a very, very large building that has a large street running towards it.
JEREMY
(Walking towards the building at a quick pace) Who are you?
ESPERANZA CLAUDIA ANASTASIA TRISHIA MILLENTANDO THE THIRD(ESPI)
(Looking up) What do you mean who am I?
JEREMY
I mean exactly what I say, pray tell, what is your name?
ESPI
Esperanza Claudia Anastasia Trishia Millentando. Also known as Espi, Trish, Millie, Ana, Stacy…
JEREMY
Fine fine! Stop talking! I am Jeremy. Why are you sitting on the ground? It is dirty, and you are blocking the door to the office of Canter Werthing. He will not be happy when I arrive late for my appointment because of a silly girl.
Jeremy stares at the girl for a few long moments until she looks up from the knots she has been tying in her skirt.
ESPI
Silly girl? As far as I can see, you aren’t much more than a boy yourself Mr. High and Mighty.
JEREMY
Well would you move? Now?
Espi, interjecting, stares up at Jeremy…
ESPI
Actually, I won’t. Father told me to stop everyone who came here. He told me to because I’m the most darling little girl there ever was.
JEREMY
(Staring coldly at Espi) Did your father tell you why he had you sit in front of a very tall building, near a very busy road, very early in the morning, on the very cold ground?
ESPI
(Puzzled) Well, no. (With sudden enthusiasm) But I can take you to his office if you’d like! It’s just down the street, we can catch the bus if you’d like, or maybe you’d rather walk?
JEREMY
Walking is fine with me. It will be much faster, but are you sure that your ‘father’ is home?
ESPI
I assume so. Where else would he be?
JEREMY
Your father is a remarkable businessman. He may very well be in China or Africa selling his marvelous carpets, but you would know if he were gone wouldn’t you?
ESPI
Well of course! He’s not in any of the places that you mentioned, but he could be in Ireland… He might have mentioned that earlier…
JEREMY
What do you mean? Is he in Ireland or isn’t he?
ESPI
Don’t know. Let’s go home and check. OK?
JEREMY
Fine, but hurry. I don’t have time to play silly games with children.
ESPI
I am not a child. And anyway, you’re not that much older than me. You’re only a head taller!
JEREMY
But I, unlike you, am more mature. Now let’s walk. You go first, as I don’t know where you’re father’s house is.
ESPI
Okey Dokey.
FADE IN
Ext. Large Mansion, Painted pale blue and Victorian-esque.
ESPI
Here we are!! Aren’t you excited? This is the first time that I’ve ever had anyone over to my house before. I mean, even if you are a business partner of dad’s, I brought you here didn’t I? I’m so happy!
JEREMY
You mean that I am the first person that you have ever had at your house before, by your doing? I am honored, Esperanza Claudia Anastasia Trishia Millentando the Third, to be your first guest.
ESPI
(flattered) Well thank you. Shall we go inside?
JEREMY
It does happen to be quite early in the morning. No later than 7:00 to be exact. If your father, Mr. Werthing, does happen to be home, which he very well may not, he will not be to happy to have an unexpected visitor at his door.
ESPI
It’s like father always says, “An unexpected hour is the best hour for visitors. If you don’t want to tell me that’s fine, but at some point I would like to Know. We could sneak into the house through my window if you wish. Would that be better?
JEREMY
Contrary to popular belief, climbing in through 12 year old girls’ windows is not he best way to enter a house. No, I think that we should go in through the front door. Do you have a maid or a nanny who would hear the bell?
ESPI
Yes we do. Mrs. Point is the nanny. She’s not so very nice. I don’t like her much at all, but father says that I need her to take care of me. I don’t need anyone to take care of me, but father never listens.
JEREMY
You are only twelve, so you still need a nanny. I could be your nanny if you like.
ESPI
Really!?!
JEREMY
No. Why would I want to do that? I would lose all of my wonderful business opportunities!
ESPI
Well fine. You shouldn’t offer something if you’re not going to give it you know. It’s impolite. Why were you so early at the office this morning? Father said that no one would be there until after 8. You were unexpected.
JEREMY
An unexpecxted hour’s the best hour for visitors!
ESPI
I know, but what were you doing there?
JEREMY
If I tell you will you promise to keep it a secret?
Door opens and a short chubby woman in a white frilly apron steps out onto the porch
MRS. POINT
What are you doing here? Mr. Werthing said nothing about no visitors. Especially not at this time at night.
JEREMY
My name is Jeremy Fisak, and I am here to see Mr. Canter Werthing about business matters. Does he happen to be in the vicinity?
MRS. POINT
No, actually he doesn’t. He ain’t here at the moment. Leave. Immediately.
ESPI
But Mrs. Point, Jeremy walked all of the way here with me. You wouldn’t want to disappoint my first guest at the house would you?
MRS. POINT
I would not like to disappoint one of your little friends Ana, but at this time in the morning I don’ care who you bring home, it could be the Queen of England for all I care, and I still wouldn’t let her in.
ESPI
But Mrs. Point…
MRS. POINT
No. Jeremy Fisak, if that is really your name, scram. Leave. Shoo. Bye-Bye.
I have no time for matters of business, no matter how important. My job is to take care of this impudent disagreeable young girl. Good-bye.
JEREMY
If I may inquire as to where Mr. Werthing is?
MRS. POINT
You may not. Now go.
Jeremy walks slowly off the stoop leaving Espi in the care of Mrs. Point, stunned and confused.
(13) Sure, excerpts are fine, but let’s not make them too long or the thread will grind to a halt for those with slow connections.
BiblioRose’s is just under 500 words and Green Qween’s is just over 1000, so that should give everyone some idea of reasonable lengths to post.
Ooh, good! Both of you. And thank you for reminding me of the roper way to do scripts, Green Qween.
I’m writing mine with Taiwan Hippo Fan, my sister. So you can put her name on the list, too.
It’s a stage play, and the main character’s name is Luna. (Yes, she’s the same character that I have on the Muse RPG).
We’ll post some excerpts when we have some… *has yet to start writing :D*
(16) Sorry, I forgot you were working together. My original list was created from the people who posted on your “MuseBlog group/topic/forum thing.”
Help! I need deep dark secrets for Jillie! How can Max find hem out if I can’t think of any? I can think of all sorts of deep dark secrets, actually, but unfortunately they’re all fantasy secrets, and I need the kind of secrets that ordinary 12/13 year old girls would have.
Anyway, here’s my 310 word excerpt. (which is all I have written so far)
JILLIE’S AMAZING TALKING JOURNAL
By Alice W*******
SCENE ONE
Int. Kitchen of the Miller household. Max is sitting at the table eating cereal, and Jillie is entering the room.
MAX
Hey Jillie, there’s a package for you.
JILLIE
Really? Who from?
MAX
Aunt Clarissa. Maybe it’s a late birthday present.
JILLIE
My birthday was two months ago.
MAX
So? That’s probably a record for Aunt Clarissa. She’s always slow with her presents.
MRS. MILLER
(entering room) You know that’s because she always looks for the perfect presents. You shouldn’t be rude, Max.
JILLIE
(too loudly) Well, I’ll be leaving you now! (grabs package and exits)
SCENE TWO
Jillie’s bedroom. Jillie enters and shuts the door, then opens the package. She pulls out a bright pink journal with rhinestones on the cover, and a lock.
JILLIE
(mimicking) “Always looks for the perfect presents.†Yeah right. This thing is hideous! And I don’t even keep a journal.
(she shoves it under her bed and leaves the room) (the camera focuses on the journal and fades out)
Several weeks later
SCENE THREE
Int. Jillie’s bedroom. Enter Jillie and rummages around under the bed.
JILLIE
Aha! Here it is! I forgot how ugly it was. But at least it has a lock.
MAX
(banging on the door) Hey Jillie! Are you in there?
JILLIE
No! Go away! I found a diary with a lock anyways!
MAX
Drat! (quieter) I gotta learn to pick locks. (receding footsteps)
JILLIE
I hate him! (goes over to desk and sits down) (starts writing in journal)
JILLIE VOICE OVER
Dear Diary,
Max is being a brat as usual. He keeps trying to read my journal . . . (fade out)
(fade in) (Jillie is writing in the journal)
JILLIE V.O.
So far the lock has kept Max from reading my journal. I wonder if it will last. (fade out)
18- Well, boys are always good. And maybe something about him or a teacher at her school. Or something that she likes that is very youngish for her age.
19- Okay, thanks! I have a less-than-“normal” existence, so I don’t know the kind of things a “normal” person would write.
12- I like it. I agree with Maria.
Woohoo! I’m almost at my word goal for today! Unfortunately, I feel disconnected from my previous project, which I also have a goal for. So I should go write.
THF and I got 646 words yesterday. It’s a little less than we needed, but I’m pretty happy with it, because we also did a fair amount of planning yesterday. When we’re completely finished with it, can we put it up on MuseBlog like Ebeth did?
17- What is that? A thread on the SF forums?
Anyway, I’m not sure if mine is fantasy or thriller/mystery yet. But I got 683 words last night, at the expense of my chemistry paper. But I have to prioritize, y’know?
Speaking of chemistry papers… *vanishes*
21- I’m glad you like it. Im personally inclined to disagree with Maria, but I do not want to make the viewers impartial from the strart. And at the end I’m just going to let them draw their own conclusion.
It’s going to be neutral.
24- Yup. It’s very deep into the tangle of threads by now.
25- Good. Neutrality is good.
I downloaded Celtx finally. It’s super cool! But here’s a tip: don’t try to read the terms of agreement. GIBBERISH!
(24, 26) But it’s not hard to find.
THF and I are using Celtx. It’s really cool!
My dialogue is inane and my characters undeveloped. But I have a plan! ~fanfares~ Well, not that much of a plan ~kid blowing on recorder~ I will write my whole script and when I have all 20,000 of my words I will edit it. And I will give my characters distinct personalities and change their dialogue accordingly. And maybe flesh it out a bit, too.
Why I bothered announcing that, I have no idea.
AAAH! I TOTALLY forgot about that what with finals and other stuff going on. i would go start writing RIGHT NOW except that i’m going to watch a movie because i’m really tired. but after that i’m writing! good thing it’s only 20000, and most of my writing is dialogue anyway.
but i need to think of an idea. wow, this really snuck up on me. stupid sneaky scriptfrenzy.
Mine is a total mess. I love it, though. Here is my list of characters:
Bob the Zamboni Driver
Vladim the Tenth, Powerful King of Siberia and Algeria
Quax McDavie
Vanny
Ronni
Radi
Rosi
Officer Po
Officer Law Law Criminal
Justice Criminal
Ima Criminal
Iam Nota Criminal
Mosquito
Pup
DVD-Recordable
Narrator
Narrator Impersonator
Business Suit-Clad Ninjas (10)
Other Vlascar Racers (Many)
State Hockey Team
Several Mysterious People Wearing Elizabethan Ruffs
THF and I just completely changed our plot. I just went to Celtx and deleted my entire script so far, and we’re completely starting over. Because we just came up with an idea that is going to be so much better, etc.
But it’s more like an idea for a novel, not for a play. Oh well,
*gets to work, trying to make up 2 days of writing*
1863! I think. I dunno, I needed to get ahead for tomorrow, aka cram-chemistry-paper-because-I-don’t-believe-in-Wikipedia-c&p-ing.
This plot is coming along much better than my NaNo did. But it’s harder to do dialogue, because I love being heavy on description. Alas. Filler is also harder to shove in. I may edit tomorrow, to remove all contractions. And make the word count go up as a result, w00t!
30- Ha! Yeah, I feel like doing that too. I have a twentieth of my word goal and Max has already found out the journal can talk. On the bright side, he thinks it’s a tape recorder, so I’m not quite as far along as I could be.
Unfortunately, my dialogue has changed for the worse since I started putting more description in my stories.
Meh. Anyway, I’ll probably finish the script in two weeks and it’ll be 10000 words long. Then I’ll go through and edit it over and over so that it will (hopefully) go up by twice as many words.
Riiiiight. Oh well, we’ll see how it goes.
I meant 34. What’s your new plot, PP?
Mine (well, THF too) is turning out really strange, because I’m writing it as a stage play (with directions for stage right, stage left, etc.), but it’s supposed to be a screenplay. So it’s going to be quite interesting…
purplefinch, that sounds really funny. I especially like the Several Mysterious People Wearing Elizabethan Ruffs and the Narrator Impersonator.
37- You mean Celtx is formatting it as a screenplay, or the plot is supposed to be a screenplay?
33- I nearly did that, but I was thinking about it and realized that it may be a good idea, but there were problems, i.e., I had no idea what I would do for a PLOT if I did that. So I stuck with Jillie.
I have a dismal lack of Characters.
Jillie
Max
Mom (whom I’m calling Mrs Miller to up my word count)
Dad (see above)
Kate, Jillie’s best friend.
Oh, and the Journal, of course.
As for filler . . . . I can do hardly anything about that. I could give the Characters’ full names, and call the Journal, Talking Journal, but that seems inane.
38-Thank you!
I realize now that it would be helpful to have read the directions on how to make a screenplay before actually starting…
————————-
[in answer to your request: I made a slight edit. Does that help or should I just delete the entry? –Rebecca]
39- Not to shamelessly promote Celtx or anything, but if you get it it will automatically format your screenplay for you. Therefore, you don’t (really) need to know how to format a script.
That sounded like an ad for Celtx or something. I didn’t mean it that way.
i…hate…writing…scripts…
yeah, i finally started. yes, i got an idea, and yes, it’s coming as fast as i can write it, but i keep wondering how much to put in that isn’t dialogue and how much to leave out. mebbe i should just write it and then redo it as a script later, but by the time i finished it, i probably wouldn’t bother redoing it as a script, and i’d really like to win scriptfrenzy too, despite the late start. ARRGH
Wow. Still have not started. Still have no ideas.
Lets see, what am I good at writing… I suppose I could do something rather mideval, as that’s what my friends and I usually film movies like, as I’m hoping to double my script as our summer movie project.
Anyone have plot ideas? Please?
There’s still this little part of me hoping I can somehow write endlessly on the plane. But somehow I don’t see that happening.
41- Just write! Don’t bother about formatting and all that stuff- just write! You can revise it later. That’s my philosophy, at least.
42- Sorry, but no . . . I would give it to you if I did, but I don’t.
…Where do you get this Celtx thing? O.o
45- Ask PP, she’s the one that told me about it. I don’t actually know where it came from, but if you google it you should find it.
I joined! I am called [snip! Sorry! –Rebecca]
47- We’ll find her (he?) anyways, you know.
Just post on the MuseBlog thread, Capricious.
(48) You might, but Truly Evil Lurkers might not.
Just doing our part to thwart the General Oblation Board.
Yes, what is Celtix, exactly?
————-
Rebecca, that’s fine. Thank you for saving me from “Truly Evil Lurkers”, to quote Robert!
FINE.
It’s no that hard though, I just copy/paste.
This just introduces the school/social status of one of the main characters.
Ahem:
Scene one
Act One
The setting follows our main character: Alden while he tries to make it to school on time.
He is riding his bike, his backpack is wide open and various papers are flying out onto the wet street. It is a rather gloomy day.
Alden bears his teeth and his hair is flying out behind him.
Act Two
The setting is an average high school biology lab. Students are chattering away and a tall young man with brown hair is scribbling last night’s homework assignment requirements on the whiteboard with a red pen.
The students are chattering away all at once.
Alden bursts in, clearly have been rushed.
Teacher: Why My. Hills! You’re quite a lucky boy!
(The teacher raises his eyes without moving his head to look at the school bell which rings as if his gaze influenced the ring.)
Please take your seat.
Alden sits down, slouching pretty far down in the chair and drops his backpack on the floor next to him.
A girl behind him leans over and whispers in his ear
Girl: Nice moves, want to meet up after school?
Alden: Uh, homework?
Girl: So?
Alden doesn’t reply and the girl leans back in her chair and instantly starts talking with her friends.
43-meh, that’s probably what i’ll end up doing. oh well.
so mine sounds a lot like various other things i’ve written. such as my nano and half my creative projects last year. heh. kind of different though. they all are, in a way.
51- Celtx is a program that automatically formats your screenplay for you. There is a also a storyboard, character development sheets, etc. Maybe the GAPAs will let a link through? It is definitely mostly harmless.
[Well, I’ve snipped it. But it’s easy enough to find anyway. — Rosanne]
[It’s also free! –ReB]
Started mine. Figgured out the begining, but now I need the major problem or whatever. I’m really hating the part where I can’t describe what somethng looks like except vaguely with what the characters are saying.
Esspecally the part where there’s abosolutely know way to tell that the two characters I start off with arn’t human.
Well, the fact that they’re sitting on a star sort of eludes to this, but meh.
54- Argh! Oh well.
55- I hate that too. Sounds cool, though.
(55) You don’t need to describe what something looks like because in an actual production the audience would see it.
Your nonhumans would be pretty obvious unless they look identical to humans, in which case presumably there would be other context to clue the viewers or else figuring out their true identity could become part of the experience.
Scriptwriting works in a different dimension from straight storytelling. It’s less like drawing a picture and more like creating architecture.
I find it helps to get up and move around, to speak the dialogue out loud. Visualize how the setting will appear on the stage or screen. What can the audience see? What can your characters see? What else is happening while the characters are talking? The better you can see it play out in your mind, the less need you will have to fall back on description.
57- Hey, that’s something to do when I’m out in the pasture with no books! Act out my script! No one can see or hear me, so I won’t be embarrassed. That’s why I sing in the pasture. I’m no good at singing.
The journal needs a goal. So far it’s just been trying to spread discord, but that’s not really a goal. It’s a book, so the usual motives don’t apply (power, money, etc.), and neither do the usual objects, (taking over the world, etc.) Does anyone know what it could want?
57- Yeah, that’s true. Thing is I use descriptive wording a lot when I write, and now my word count is going to die a slow and painfull death.
I find feshly sharpened pencils help a lot too. I can’t help but write something if I have a few with good erasers in my hand.
58- Oh yeah, sometimes I sing when I’m alone outside because all my friends are really good singers and I have been told nuerous times that I am not.
59- Umm… It wants to become something other than a book. And doesn’t know how so is taking it’s revenge on the world.
(59) Maybe it wants to experience what it can only read about?
60- According to my mother, I used to sing like a nightingale. According to me, I sing terribly.
Thanks, guys!
That guide? By that actress? On how to make a good story? EXTREMELY VALUABLE INFORMATION WRITERS!!!!!!!!
A-HEM! “Capricious the great and terrible” or “cappy” please!
I just wrote “CappyRicious Teh Great AT” because it was fast!!!
Anyways, my script hasn’t changed yet.
xP
63- *scratches head* What guide? By what actress?
64- If, by any chance, you were referring to me, then sorry.
AHHHHHH! Help help help! I cannot bring myself to write about any secret that a real and actual girl would keep. Boys? *drops dead on spot* I can’t write about BOYS! Things that some teenagers would consider too young for them . . . like sleeping with a stuffed animal . . . I am guilty of, or would be if I was guilty about it. (Which I’m not.) Therefore I have
twothree options:Give up and do something else. (I really don’t want to do that to this script. It’s coming along nicely.)
Give Jillie some weird and fantastical secret that will make the simple plot evolve into something many-headed.
Or,
Sit here and procrastinate while complaining about my semi-wb.
I’m probably going to go with the second option. In which case, any ideas for her weird and fantastical secret?
(67) Alice, maybe all her secrets are ordinary secrets, but she’s extraordinarily secretive about them.
Or she writes what she thinks about the people around her. Wouldn’t want that to get out.
Returning to your question about what the journal wants — maybe the journal believes Jillie’s secrets are way too trivial and it decides she really needs to have something to hide. It could try to lure her into embarrassing situations, for instance.
Oooh, no she wouldn’t. Not in front of her best friend. But is that a little Harriet-the-spy-ish? Nonetheless, I like it. Thanks!
Hey i’ve a question. Does this explanation of my system of magic sound credible?
JEREMY
Well before we get going we need food, water, a tent or something so we can sleep, basic supplies.
ESPI
Can’t you just poof us some?
JEREMY
Magic doesn’t work that way. You see, we magicians believe that ther are two higher powers in the sky. One of them, named Ethel,
ESPI
(interjecting) Ethel? Couldn’t you have named your imaginary higher power something better than Ethel?
JEREMY
No. Now to finish my explanation, Ethel is the power that grants the wishes of us ‘magicians’. Her counterpart, Mario,
ESPI
Mario? I mean who though of these lame names?
JEREMY
Shut up. Now as I was about to say, Mario determines if the wish is worthy of Ethel’s time and power. If they think the wish is funny, or interests them, but not particularly useful, they may occasionally grant the wish too.
ESPI
Ok, I sorta get it. So isn’t food, water, and a tent necessary for survival here in the Sahara Desert?
JEREMY
Yeah, they’d probably grant that. I just didn’t want you to get a false impression that I can do anything. There are limits too, like I can’t bring people back from the dead or possess anyone.
I didn’t know whether or not it sounded , I dunno, sophisticated? tHat’s not the word i want…
70 – Yeah, it sounds good. I nearly fell off my chair laughing though. Ethel?!? Mario?!? I agree with Espi.
You must promise to try to get this produced. I want to see the whole thing.
My plot is this:
There is a race of people somewhere near the north pole, who are half book. Their normal form is a book, but they can change to humans if they need to. (Does it sound weird enough yet? I hope so.) Well, some of them (nonfiction and journals, mostly, and a few fiction books who didn’t like their story) decided that humans led very boring lives, and it needed spicing up. (Yes, Rebecca inspired this part in her post.) So they have let themselves fall into the hands of humans, with the intention of making the humans lives “interesting.” Jillie has one of these, and after she and Max thoroughly soak it in the bathtub, they get another one, completely by accident. This one is a traitor, and tells them the whole plot, after which they set out to stop it.
What do you think?
It sounds good, I think that the half book thing is kinda wierd If I were doing it maybe I’d change them to beings who have no specified form, but at a certain point in their life cycle they have to become books filled with all the knowledge or things that had happened to them in their lives. How does that sound? I think I may just enjoy thinking up backgrounds for new creatures. Or maybe I will use it (LOL)
72- Well, I couldn’t have them talking to books all the time, and at one point I want them to be in a big icy chamber and there’s a person on a throne, and it would be weird to have a book sitting on the throne. I really like your idea (more than my own, certainly), but they aren’t terribly knowledgeable.
Maybe they are humans with a spell put on them, so that they are books that can turn into humans. But why exactly would they want people to lead more interesting lives in that case?
Oh, I’m signed up to, by the way. I signed up around March 17th, I think, which gives me no excuse.
Meep, I should really work on that…
Okay, so so far I have a sort of intro thingy to sort of set the tone:
[VERDANDI and SKULD are sitting on a pale blue star, far off a strange purple planet with cris-crosing rings orbits the planet. The two are talking and as the camera zooms in you hear VERDANDI speaking as the volume grows.]
VERDANDI
– [that’s] the trouble with you, SKULD, you think far to much. Just have fun!
SKULD
Just because I think more than you doesn’t mean it’s too much, Verdandi. Besides, sometimes you ‘fun’ has unfortunate consequences. Take right now- if you don’t stop playing with that star’s innermost spark, you could make it explode.
[VERDANDI giggles.]
VERDANDI
But it tickels so, sister. And I’m growing bored with just resting.
SKULD
But if you’re not carefull, it’ll burst and engulf that planet there- [nods towards violet-green planet]
-we just finished shaping. We’d have to start all over again, after you spent such a long time on those lovely caverns.
VERDANDI
[sighs]
That’s true. But do let’s go exploring somewhere else now, SKULD. We’ve got such a long wait before anythin interesting happens here, life takes such a long time to develop.
SKULD
Alright then, if it’ll keep you ocupied. Where shall we go?
VERDANDI
[claps hands together]
Oh, far and far away, for sure! We can tell the Elders we’re re-charting those old abandoned galaxies that have been neglected. [Grabs SKULD’s hand and pulls her to her feet]
Come on, then!
[VERDANDI and SKULD streak away from the star and orbiting planet in the form of deep blue and gold sparks]
Then they end up on Earth and something happens. Then they leave Earth with two or three humans, I allready know I’m going to have one named Loki(male) who’s a theif and wild street kid, and a girl on a trip with her school from somewhere or other. Verdandi and Skuld decide to take them with them to another planet for some odd reason Ver comes up with, and from there I need to think more.
Oh, and Ver and Skuld are part of another race called the Liasa (Lie-ay-sah), who are sort of an omnicient race of beings stretched through the universe. The part of Ver and Skld that you aee is just where they are most at that time, so they can move about space at will (one of the tasks of the Liasa is to make stars and planets and such and put life on them). I think I’m going to make it so others of their species start dieing, which hasn’t happened before. After that, who knows.
I am happy. I just wrote a scene that revealed Jillie’s greatest weakness: Her full name. Julia Frances Miller. It’s actually a really pretty name, but Jillie doesn’t like it. I disagree with Jillie on a lot of things, actually, but she is my most well-developed character, in a sort of undefinable way.
Hey! My name’s Julia! Any way, Jillie should be a nickname of Jill or Jillian if you are being technical. Julie and Jules are common nicknames of Julia.
76- I know. But “Jillie” comes from “Julie.” Technically, yes, but I like the name Julia. I also like the name Jillian, but Julia is a) more common, and b) sounds better. Which do you prefer? Julia Frances Miller, or Jillian Frances Miller?
I always think of the book Thornywall by Mary Stewart when I think of the name Jillian. (Okay, that was spelled Gillian, but still.)
I am really behind. THF has sort of abandoned me, sort of. She helped me get ideas, but now she’s not doing any of the writing. And it has to be done by the 20th, not the 30th, because we’re going to Mexico…eek!
78- Oh no! I wish you luck! But one question: Why can’t you write in Mexico? I think I would die if I had to stop writing, even for a vacation.
Totally off topic, but I have the Pentangle on headphones right now. I love the feeling of surrounded-by-music-ness.
Um, I’m slightly predjudiced towards myself, but Jillian Frances Miller. Or If you want something truly horrible use Ethel! LOL
80- You don’t get it. It’s not supposed to be horrible! If it was meant to be horrible I wouldn’t have used Frances, because that’s one of my favorite EVER names. Neither would I have used Julia, because that is also on my list of favorite names. But I guess when I think about it, there’s more reason for her to dislike the name Jillian (also a pretty name) than Julia.
Edith is also a dreadful name. As is Mabel. Oooh, Mabel! *files away in her list of names*
79 (Alice) – I’ll still be able to write: I’m probably going to be writing about me experiences every day, but this is probably the only time I’ll be going to this part of Mexico in my life, so I don’t really want to spend several hours a day working on Script Frenzy. Also, I won’t have access to a computer there, so I wouldn’t be able to send it in for a final word-count.
82- Oh, I see. Yeah, if I was in Mexico I might not want to spend half my time writing.
Oh see I thought that you were trying to think of a name that was horrible and that was why Jillie didn’t like it. Sorry.
84- Yeah, I can see why you would think that. I love her name, but I don’t always agree with my characters.
66- No. And an actual secret a girl could keep could be about her mental or physical health. O_o
86- But wouldn’t her brother know about something like that, if she did?
I like the name Edith! How do yu know that’s not my name or someone else’s on here?
88- It’s not, is it? Oh no. I thought your name was Rose, for one thing. And for another, even if I don’t like the name Edith, that doesn’t mean I have anything against someone with that name. Edith Nesbit, for example, is one of the best writers on the face of the earth, or at least she was until she died.
I apologize profusely.
I’m going to have the books not turn into humans. That’s too weird. Instead, there is The Author, The Reader, and The Book, out of which the first two are humanoid, if not exactly human.
It’s all right, my name isn’t Edith. Edith Wharton is also a good writer. I’m sorry too. It’s just I am defensive about my real name, so if that was me I wouldn’t like it. Sorry, I got sort of worked up about it. And I like that idea.
I hope this isn’ a double post. Well anyway, I am beggining to dislike my character Maria more and More. She is so ungrateful! My charcacter, Claire is my way to vent out a Maria. I do feel sorry for her though, when the other girls shun her and Elsie. Oh well.
I hope this isn’ a double post. Well anyway, I am beggining to dislike my character Maria more and More. She is so ungrateful! My charcacter, Claire is my way to vent out a Maria. I do feel sorry for her though, when the other girls shun her and Elsie. Oh well.
She’s ungrateful because she doesn’t want to say the pledge of allegiance? Really?
Well, anyways, it’s not necessary to like or agree with your character. They’re often more interesting if you don’t. Characters that are an incarnation of you are flat.
I have writer’s block. And only about 2000 words, to boot. Drat. I need to think of something interesting, so that I can get on with the story.
No, as she is developing she is almost anti-american. I respect her right to her fictional opinions but It’s nice to have a seperate charcter to agree with. Well said.
I am in biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig trouble if I want to finish this in time. I think if it was a book I could have written more, but as it is a screenplay I only have 2458 words. I hope that when the story picks up it will be easier, but this kind of thing, with the kids that hate each other and the ordinary, suburban life, is waaaaaay beyond me. I’m not “normal”; it’s hard to write about “normal” people.
(VO) MAN’S VOICE
Ok enough! Enter into my tower of DOOOOOOOOM!!!
JEREMY
Why are we entering into the tower of Doom?
(VO) MAN’S VOICE
We have cookies in here!
ESPI
Ok. Sounds good to me.
Espi confidently walks up to the tower and opens the large wooden door. Jeremy walks a few paces behind her and enters last, looking around the tower as he shuts the door.
ESPI
Hello? Anybody home?
A maid in a pale blue apron runs toward them.
MAID
(out of breath) Hello. (panting) may I take your coats?
JEREMY
Actually miss, we don’t have nay coats. We’ve been trekking along In the Sahara Desert for 5 or so days, and we’ve been pretty warm
MAID
I see. wEll can I take your tent for you then?
JEREMY
Sure thing. Do you know where the voice that wastalking to us is? Or at least the body it was coming from?
MAID
Who? Oh, you must mean Oscar Diggs, the master. He still has fun with his voice machine does he now?
JEREMY
Yes. He was talking to us outside.
MAID
Well he’s upstairs In his tower. It’s just up those stairs there(Points to her right)
See, I gave this to my friends the other day. See if you can catc the subtle reference to the Wizard of Oz. My play s basically going nowhere and rambling everywhere, but it’s fun to write it.
97- Is it supposed to go anywhere? It sounds cool so far.
Well, they eventually have to find her dad. I am tempted to post the whole thing so far, in two parts. Hey, since many of us are doing Script Frenzy we should have a thread to post the goods so far. If there was one for each that would be great, but that seems extreme. Just so that this thread doesn’t get filled up with everyones plays. Of course, on the finished product thread people could offer suggestions. Does that sound good? Anyone agree?
99- I agree! I wouldn’t post a whole lot of my script, but definitely some.
I have 3264 words! Hurrah!
Argh. My script is too forced right now. I can’t work on it. Meh. I don’t really know what’s going to happen anyways. I’m thinking that maybe Jillie and Max will join forces with the Author, the Reader, and the Book to make life interesting, rather than going against them, because the whole world is forgetting about magic.
I am faced with a moral problem. Having made Horace into a personality, I can’t just have the kids wreck him by putting him in the bathtub, because that would be the equivalent of murder. So what should I do?
I’m so doing this next time!!! Mine’s going to have a plot, but mostly random.
I’m almost up to my goal for the day! Hooray!
I’m totally abandoning MB for Script Frenzy. *sob* It cannot be helped, though. *wails* Forgive me, Musers!
I love how things are working out in my script. It sounds a bit Pythonesque, though…
I am debating whether or not to print my entire 42 page long (for now) script. Help?
I found out how to add padding! Give all your scenes names.
Lady Bunniful, how many words is yours?
I have 7886 words!
(109) Sad to say, I’m only just beginning. I didn’t dare even start until I’d finished the signatures, and then a few other items came up. So… give me a few days to answer that question.
I need 2000 words in two days! Eek!
hey, script-frenziers…
Does this mean I’ll have to wait till next year to register and do it super-early, or are they taling about SF now?
SF is connected to NaNoWriMo, right? At least sort of? Okay, so I’ll ask this here…
The NaNoWriMo site isn’t accepting any more writers…
*confused*
(113) NaNo doesn’t let anyone sign up until October 1st; however, people who participated in the previous year can still access their personal pages up until then.
I only have about 5,000 or so. And that’s a problem, because I’m leaving the country for the rest of June in 6 days. But while I’m in Mexico, I’ll still be writing the script, but I won’t have access to a computer. I’m going to have to figure something out…
So clearly I’m not as bad off as I thought.
Aahh! I need nearly a thousand more words by today, to make my 10,000 half-month goal. But I think I can make it…
Somehow.
117- Well, I need 1700 more words, so count yourself lucky.
Alice, Purplefinch, ane Purple Panda need to remember to update their SF pges at the end of every day. Just a reminder.
119- Yeah, I do frequently. Thanks though. I don’t do it every day.
114: Gotcha. Thanks.
Now I’m pretty much caught up. But yeah, I never remember to update my profile. *sigh* I’ll do that…
I’m up to over 9000 words, but I have to go to a party in two hours, so I probably won’t make it to 10,000 today.
I have, as of now, 9419 words. That is rather less than I would have hoped for, but nonetheless impressive, considering it’s a script, with no description.
119-I don’t have acess to the web all the time, so I sometimes cannot. But I probablly should go do that now.
For those of you who didn’t know or didn’t notice, SF has a thing called a “Word count validator” which will do your word count for you.
(127) Different word counters have slightly different methods of counting, so their counts may not match up. It’s always a good idea to leave yourself some breathing space before the final count.
128- Clearly. I think I’ll go with the irritating SF counter, since that’s probably what they are going to want me to use. But still! *sob* It took 200 words off my count!
REally Alice? Mine became bigger by three hundred words! I was quite happy, though I don’t know why it was different or wha tit didn’t count.
My enthusiasm has waned. I don’t especially care about winning, I’m not terribly fond of writing scripts, and my characters have suddenly lost all their motives for everything. Plus the dialogue sucks. It has, like, nothing worth hearing in it. I would like NaNo better, but it’s in November, during school.
Meh. I am so unmotivated you wouldn’t believe.
Really? I like mine a lot. Espi and Jeremy are becoming really cool. They have developed and are having adventres.
132- Well yours was wonderful from the opening lines. Mine never went past the “get rid of the journal” stage, and it didn’t have a great plot to begin with. What’s more, through both Kate and Jillie were fairly well-developed to begin with, I slowly lost my grip on them. I had to make them take impossibly huge leaps to get on with the story, and having done so I don’t see how I’m going to get them to the North Pole. That’s my real problem: They need to get to the North Pole. And they need a reason to want to get to the North Pole, and they need to be able to do something once there. Maybe Kate will get kidnapped and they can rescue her.
Sadly enough, I must admit that I have stopped writing.
Dropped out. Quit. Given up. 
You get it already. I’m bad at writing scripts, and my story only took me so far.
134- Me too.
135- You quit too? Or you too are bad at writing scripts? Why don’t we all commiserate, then.
On another note, how far has everyone else gotten?
136 (Alice) – I submitted my script today!! *Huge weight off shoulders.* I was wondering how I was possibly going to make it in time, because I’m leaving in about 9 hours for Mexico. And I got off to kind of a slow start, so this past week I have been writing about 2,000 words a day, and I made it! I printed it out (2 columns, size 9 font to save paper), and I’ll edit it in Mexico!
Why is everyone quitting? That’s so depressing! Maybe just because play/screenwriting is my favorite kind of writing. Except I’ve taken quite a liking to Alice’s letter-form-RPG, and that ranks pretty high up as well.
It took me a long time to get my plot started. Taiwan Hippo Fan was supposed to help me, but all she did was help me come up with the beginning plot. Then she decided she wasn’t going to help write it, so I changed the plot to a much better one, which I absolutely love. And now I’m going to edit it! (My favorite thing to do!)
137- I wouldn’t have quit if I had a different story. I had a feeling my story wasn’t going very well even before i started, but my other idea (having one person for every color, plus black and white, and they had to do . . . something) needed a better plot, and could have construed as *gasp* racist, if someone was looking for it, because of all the color-stuff. Ridiculous, really, but I didn’t want to offend anyone.
I like my letter-form too! Quite a lot, really, and I hope to do more of them. Maybe it will become a MuseBlog tradition, like RRRs.
And I forgot to say, CONGRATULATIONS! We have a winner! Huzzah! Three cheers!
I wish I had started with a better plot . . . *feels wistful* I suppose I could still try to finish, but it would be awfully tight.
Purple Panda, I wish I could read your script.
I actually know what I am doing in my script. I’m so happy! Yay Purple Panda!!! Have fun in Mexico!
GAPAs, if we do win, should we send them in to you, like Ebeth did for NaNo?
[Sure, send them along. We can’t promise anything for sure, but we’re awfully obliging, as you may have noticed. –Robert]
I dreamed I was crossed out from the list. I felt awful.
141 –
I just came back after a long hiatus. What’s this?
Hello, Cat’s Meow! Good to “see” you again. Script Frenzy is like National Novel Writing Month, except that it’s for plays or screenplays. You’ll find slightly more information at the top of the page.
144- It’s great to see you too. I hope that I won’t randomly forget this forum again. ^_^
Back to the subject: What’s National Novel Writing Month? And is it as a group or individual?
National Novel Writing Month (affectionately known as NaNoWriMo) is an event coordinated through a website (www. nanowrimo. org). It takes place in November. Script Frenzy is similar, but occurs in June. I don’t know its website, but you could google it.
146- Could it be scriptfrenzy.org? *pokes the topic header* Well, June’s almost over. I guess I’m a bit late.
I guess I’ll just encourage everybody else, lol. ^_^
147- Cat’s Meow! You’re back! Three cheers! I’m afraid it’s a bit late for encouragement, at least for me.
I hate the SF WEBSITE! IT TOLD ME i WON! Simple error, I pasted my script twice by accident, but now it tells me I’ve won at 16,667. Yeah right. Can I fix this? Help! (and yes, I want to actually be done before I enter it finally, so I want the correct number of words to be proclaimed.)
I won! I won I won I won! Not to brag or anything. But I killed Jeremy. Which is bad. But I kind of thought I should have a dramatic exit. It is on the partial scripts if you would like to read it. TTFN
150- You can’t just kill characters off like that. *disapproving* But if it’s for the sake of the story it’s okay, I guess.
CONGRATS!
I dunno. I guess I should change it, but that’s a whole 2,000 words Ihave to rewrite. I suppose I could change it so that Jeremy doesn’t die, Espi just sidles away and he waits outside the cave for her. The griffins could stay outside the cave, but I think Fiona should still be evil. I need to add in mor of Espi’s dad, yes?
152- Yes, you do. You needn’t bring him back to life if you don’t want, but it seems like the end doesn’t really fit the rest of the script.
I agree. I am in the process of changing it, and this time Jeremy won’t die, but Locke newbet will. I needed someone dead. And Espi’s dad will play a bigger part. I will fix it, and post it when I’m done.
It’s over. Who won?
And how can I read the scripts?
(155) Purple Panda and purplefinch finished theirs. I don’t know about anyone else. Go to the new Script Frenzy Scripts thread to access purplefinch’s A Fabulous, Amazing, Chaotic, Magnificent and Frantic Fiftieth Bi-Annual Vlascar Race: The Totally Fake and Dramatized Version!.
look, I don’t expect an answer, but GAPAs? do names count? just so I know next year?
(157) As far as I know, tmfa. I couldn’t see anything on the web site that indicated otherwise. I imagine it measures raw word count just as the NaNo site does.
158- ah. thank you. *bows politely*
Alice, your plot seems great! YES! HPBs take over MA!
ONE DAY TO SIGN UP STARTS!
Had an idea, may post it later when there’s not so much stuff going on… dunno if it’ll work but I’m thinking about how I’d do it with only dialogue and stuff and I think I could pull it off if I added voiceovers.
New Thread?
I’m joining this year.
I hope I’m joining. YWP, Here I come!
I’m going to try and do it this year, since I missed NaNoWriMo.
I’m definitely doing it this year. And I will win.
Can We have a new one?
Already done.