Script Frenzy Young Writers Program - The Beat

2010: The Year of The Frenzy!

Tavia Stewart — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:53:56 +0000

National Novel Writing Month is over, and 2010 is upon us. When I look forward to 2010, I get super excited as I think about all the creative projects ahead of us.

Especially this coming Script Frenzy!

Script Frenzy might not be as big or established as National Novel Writing Month, but it has a fresh and lively spunk and is making it's own way in the world of crazy month-long writing events.

This year, we're expecting more young scriptwriters than ever before. I'm already plotting and planning for my yoga murder mystery. Or perhaps my sci-fi musical. Or my geek romance. So many choices!

While you're brainstorming your script ideas over the holidays, I encourage you to start a Scriptwriting Boot Camp. And to read through all our other great writer's resources.

Have a great holiday!

See you in April,
Tavia
SF YWP Program Director

NaNoWriMo Anyone?

Tavia Stewart — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:50:47 +0000

If you haven't already been plotting and planning for National Novel Writing Month (Script Frenzy's sister event), you may want to head on over to http://ywp.nanowrimo.org to sign up.

National Novel Writing Month (or NaNoWriMo) happens each November and, as you might have already guessed, challenges participants to write an entire novel in 30 days.

This year we are expecting over 30,000 young, talented, and partly insane writers to participate!

Who will be cheering us on as we write our masterpieces? Awesome YA authors, that's who! Check out who's on board already to write pep-talk emails by visiting our Pep Talkers 2009 page.

See you all in November,
Tavia

Tell Us How It Went!

Tavia Stewart — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:12:39 +0000

The folks here at Script Frenzy have tried to make this event a great one. We would love it if you took a few moments to fill out this short survey to help us make next year's event even better. If you'd like to leave the survey at any time, just click "Exit this survey." Your answers will be saved.

Thanks so much for making the Young Writers Program a great community for young scriptwriters all around the world. We can’t wait to see you again next year!

Warm regards,
Tavia

Congratulations Everyone!

Tavia Stewart — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:51:14 +0000

You did it! I'm sending out a super huge, palm-burning virtual high five to everyone who wrote this April.

(SFX: Smack!)

No matter what your final page count ended up being, you wrote for 30 days straight and that my friend is amazing. I know I say this every year, but even if you only wrote one page, it's more than the majority of people write over the course of their entire lives.

We are just so overjoyed that you participated! We even had a participant certificate designed. Check it out!

Party time then nap time,
Tavia

It's Not Over Until The Squirrel Eats the Cupcake!

Tavia Stewart — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 19:41:05 +0000

Okay, so maybe the title of this Beat is a little absurd, but if you're anything like me, you may be going a little crazy in the process of trying to reach your page-count goal.

That is totally okay! These final days will be filled with odd endings, re-beginnings, nonsensical flashbacks, new characters, and tons of stolen material from your everyday lives.

It is time to pull out all the stops to reach your goal, so get to it! Write like crazy, like the wind, and like you know you can make it . . . because you can!

Just in case you did not read the previous Beat, here are the three things you need to do in order to win once you've reached your goal:

2.Make your script a PDF. Find out how here.

3. Upload your script to our site so the validating robots can count your pages. Go to "My Script Frenzy" --> "Edit Writer Info" --> the browse for the PDF file of your script on your computer, hit "Upload," then scroll down and hit "Submit."

Please contact us if you have trouble uploading your script!

Happy winning,
Tavia

Winning! Has! Begun!

Tavia Stewart — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:45:57 +0000

It is already April 25 in some parts of the world, and that means some of you can win Script Frenzy starting now! W00t!

In order to win you need to do the following three things:

Make sure your time zone is set correctly.

2.Make your script a PDF. Find out how here.

Please contact us if you have trouble uploading your script!

Happy winning,
Tavia

Pep Talk from Jen Arzt, Script Frenzy Program Director

Tavia Stewart — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 20:38:12 +0000

Hello Script Frenzy Scribe,

Welcome to the just-past-midway point!

I think this is the most challenging place to be. You have come so far already, but there is a big gap between you and the end, and that gap can look like a sea of quicksand.

If Script Frenzy were a movie, this is the point where the hero is broken, lost, and only has one shoe. Just when it looks like it can't get any worse, her backpack is stolen.

BAM! Lightning cracks! Thunder growls. Cue Hollywood-sized raindrops.

But the credits don't roll. Nope. The hero keeps going. She finds a second shoe to wear, even though it is a size too small. She huddles in a doorway, dries off, and finds a lucky penny.

She's come too far to turn back. And so have you. I bet you've done more writing over the past two weeks than you've ever done in two weeks before. (Even if that can't be scientifically proven true for everyone, I'd still bet my lucky penny that you've done an amazingly impressive amount of writing since April 1. Take a moment right now to be proud of what you've already accomplished!)

After this weekend, our writing adventure will be ten times easier. The gravitational pull of FADE OUT grows stronger the closer you are to it.

What if we agree that by Monday morning, we'll all be at page 55? That is just a smidge behind schedule. And the remaining distance will have that extra-strong gravitational force that is worth fighting for!

You've come too far to turn back now. This is the time that you, the Hero of the Script Frenzy Adventure, reach down deep and find the way out. We've got a lot more of the tale ahead of us. Let the world at large see you shine.

The music crescendos, and you're on your way!

Jen

Weekend Catch-Up!

Tavia Stewart — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:28:06 +0000

We are approaching the second-to-last weekend in April. This is the weekend when we need to bring out all the big guns (the candy, the energy drinks, the coffee) and catch up on our waning page counts.

(I know this doesn't apply to all of you. Not everyone in Frenzy Land is behind, but I like to think that this is the case, so I don't feel so bad about my page count!)

Anyway, I plan on scriptwriting whenever I possibly can this weekend. My partner and I are at the midway point in our script and I think (we think) that things are finally coming together.

We've managed to get all our characters into outer space, now we just need to get them down from there.

Good luck catching up,
Tavia

Midway Point!

Tavia Stewart — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:11:41 +0000

Happy half-way there!

You've been writing for 15 days straight. That is something to be proud of no matter how much (or little) of your script you've written. Even if you feel utterly behind, know that you have 15 whole days to catch up.

And you totally can.

I know people who are just joining the Frenzy now, and others who have only written 10% of their scripts.

This might sound super hokey, but if you believe you can finish your script in the next 15 days, you will!

Keep up the good writing,
Tavia

Happy "Back Up Your Script" Day!

Tavia Stewart — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 18:08:16 +0000

Hey writers!

I just wanted to let you know that I just made up a holiday! It's called "Back Up Your Script" Day.

This is an international event in which all peoples who happen to be writing scripts at this moment in time are encouraged to gleefully back up their script on an external hard drive, disk, flash drive, or other drive that is not on their computer.

Each year, I hear many horror stories about writers, young and old, losing their entire scripts due to a failed hard drive or other computer malfunction. Don't let this happen to you!

Another (very easy) option: email your script as an attachment to yourself!

Happy backing up,
Tavia