Script Frenzy

Those of you who know me know that I've now won NaNoWriMo three times, writing three novels in the process. The first I revised and shopped to six agents, four of whom rejected it and two of whom never replied. I've since mothballed it, at least for now, because, well... it suffers from some "first novel" ills that, while not insurmountable, I don't feel much like surmounting at this time. I'm not sure if the second one will ever see the light of day. The writing is pretty good in spots, but the plot and characters are a bit clichéd and vanilla. The third novel, Forced Air, has commercial potential and is in revision now.

But there's this new thing called Script Frenzy, wherein you write a full-length screen or stage play of 20,000 words in one month. I wrote a short one-act a few years back, and I strongly recommend it to every aspiring writer. The focus it takes to move a plot along by dialog alone and to restrict yourself to a manageable cast and settings is a challenge indeed. And, if you do it well, it is a terrific learning experience.

As for Script Frenzy, however, here's how I feel about it [link to original]:
(Calvin says in the final frame, "I can't imagine mastering the skills involved without a clearer understanding of who's going to be impressed.")

While it does, potentially, sound like fun, my extremely limited writing time is sucked up with revising Forced Air and with trying to get these three pretty good short stories I have sold somewhere. So I won't be frenzied about a screenplay in June.

Are you participating in Script Frenzy? Or are you a fellow NaNo winner mired in revision and needing a shot of enthusiasm and momentum?

Work Update: Still crazy busy. We have a contractor coming in to help. I travel twice in June: an overnight to Seattle and an entire week in Minneapolis.

Writing Update: I've gotten through chapter six of Forced Air but still have a long way to go. "35 Across," a story that everyone seems to like a lot, just got another door slammed on it, so it's going out to try again this week.

Yard Update: No more contractors or landscapers crawling around! The pool is in great shape, and the hot tub is a dream come true. Just some planting to take care of. Sweet. Photos to come some time soon.