Some readers may recognize that this post's title refers not to my current deployment or circadian rhythm-disrupting exercise, although that inference would not be far fetched. Some may have already noticed the ScriptFrenzy logo that first appeared on my sidebar at the beginning of April. Others might actually click on it and learn that it hyperlinks to the ScriptFrenzy web site. That non-profit organization sponsors an annual challenge to promote creative writing. To win ScriptFrenzy, one must simply author an original 100 page first draft script -- screenplay, stageplay, TV show, short film, or graphic novel -- during the 30 days of April. Approaching mid-month, some 20,694 writers have completed 170,270 pages. I am one of those authors, and last night I passed the 50 page mark...two days ahead of schedule.
Seem difficult? Not so much as you might think. If one writes daily, it's only 3.3 script-formatted pages per day. So, with the rule of thumb being that one page of script equals about one minute on the stage, most of us can conjure up three and a third minutes of cogent dialogue and action that might appeal to a real audience. Besides providing the opportunity, and motivation in the form of periodic online pep talks, ScriptFrenzy also offers a wealth of advice and writing resources either directly on their website or in links contained within it. These alone are worth the investment in time by any would-be author. One can even download stage and screenplays for inspiration. I'm currently reading "American Beauty," plus a translation of a delightful Russian play entitled, "The Dog."
A recent ScriptFrenzy pep talk hit squarely home because after struggling through the first writing week, I had already experienced The Moment before I read the following by Chris Baty:
"The Moment, you see, is already upon me. ...I'm speaking, of course, of the Moment when we wonder what the heck we were thinking when we signed up to write a 100-page script in a month.
I know I've slipped into the Moment when I start feeling overwhelmed by everything from work to friends to the nagging question of whether I'm supposed to capitalize the SIX PACK OF BEER that my main character has taken to dragging around from scene to scene.
In Week Two of Script Frenzy, you may find yourself experiencing your own Moment, and decide you're lacking something essential to win Script Frenzy this year. An extra week. Better writing software. Characters that make sense.
...hitting the Moment is a very good sign. It means that we're sailing past the safe moorings of our known world and are venturing into the great place beyond. (Author's note: The naval analogy totally hooked me here.)
This creative space is where we do our best work. It's a surprisingly productive zone where we get to witness the full power of our imaginations, build engaging stories, and pick up those ninja-level writing insights that will forever expand the scope of what we're able to accomplish.
Thankfully, defeating the Moment and getting into the juicy place beyond seems to come down to something very simple: Five pages.
Yep. Five pages. In my experience, unplugging the internet, sitting down, and plugging away until I've added five pages to my total count changes my mood dramatically, and puts my script happily in motion."
The Moment also exists in other aspects of life. Who among us hasn't experienced a metaphysical moment when we allowed our minds to descend deep, away from the daily noise that distracts our consciousness...to a quieter, more contemplative place where we witnessed the full power not only of our imagination, but of our knowledge and life experience? That elusive place where our minds, hearts, and souls overlap in the center of our own internal Venn diagram, the place we call "insight"?
If allowed by a quieted, open mind, that insightful Moment can occur at the most opportune time, perhaps when a life is a bit too chaotic and discoordinated...not sure where to go next. Like the frustrated scripwriter we may be tempted to give up, or at least give in. Settle. But taking proper advantage of The Moment can lead us to insight, upon which we burst ahead to write the next few pages that set our life happily in motion again...to a different ending that is so much more satisfying than our original vision.
Whether the topic be profession, relationship, avocation, self-image, spirituality, or some other of the multifacets that make up a life, we all occassionally need The Moment to see us through a creative block and get us moving on to a more productive place. Such is my recent experience.
A somewhat successful dramatist named Oscar Wilde once wrote, "Life imitates art far more than art imitates life." So true.
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