The Scriptly Writing Challenge
It has been a hot second since I have written anything here. How is it all going?
Well, I have gotten better at time management and for the month of September, I managed to write for a minimum of 10 mins most days. As a result, I finished the 2nd draft of a short film that I have wanted to write for a while.
Feeling motivated, I under took the challenge of writing 14 scripts in 14 days as part of The Literal Challenge’s Scritptly Challenge. They sent prompts and we submitted a script based on that daily for a fortnight. Here’s how they broke down for me:
BRIEF 1
You dancin? A challenge to write a dance film, inspired by Baz Lhurmann’s ‘Strictly Ballroom’
This was a challenge because I really don’t know much about dancing. I did some research looking at 1950’s ballrooms, settling on writing the story of two women who longed to dance together but could not because of the society of the time. In the end, the meet again as old women and share that dance.
Title: May I Have this Dance?BRIEF 2
Taking place on the 57th year since the death of Édith Piaf, write a film centring on the her or her songs
As a fan of Piaf, I knew every quickly what I wanted to write about! I wrote the story of how Piaf used the opportunity of performing for Nazis to take photos of French Prisoners to make fake ID’s to help them sneak back to France.
In my research, I discovered this story has very little evidence behind it and may have been actually been a way to help improve her image post WWII. Disappointing, but I found out too late to start over, so I stuck with it.
Title: La Môme Pia
BRIEF 3
Write a non-linear story e.g. instead of plot points ABC write AQX
This was one of the ones written under the most time pressure. I started back at work and felt really rushed. I began the film in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and then revealed the events of how a delivery boy caused the end of the world out of order. It may or may not have been inspired by my ongoing feud with a certain delivery company.
Title: The Delivery Boy
BRIEF 4
Write an animated film, ideally not about humans
Another one written under a time crunch, following a long day of work. However, it turned out to be where inspiration struck. I always wondered what happened in the dishwasher. So that’s what I wrote about, anthropomorphic kitchenware celebrating bath time in the dishwasher, like a baptism or festival. Maybe both?
Title: Baptism of Suds
BRIEF 5
Time to get diiiiiiiirty and write some trash
I love trash. I wrote the about the exposed love homosexual love affair of the heir apparent in a fictional modern kingdom. His wife finds out and he accidently kills her. Or does he?
It was soapy and over-the-top and a lot of fun to write.
Title: Chappy’s King
BRIEF 6
Live. Laugh. Love! Write a rom-com
I thought I was well-versed in the world of rom-coms. I was not. It was challenging to a short film to the tropes of this genre in an interesting way. I have an even greater respect for Nora Ephron now (I ended up buying three of her books that night)
I wrote about a man who falls for a girl and is unable to accept her love. However, he communicates this through saying he has issues with how he is improving his apartment and in turn his life.
Title: I Don’t Deserve You
BRIEF 7
Silence on set. Write a silent move, no sound
I thought about what it would be like to have no voice, how horrifying that would be.
So, I wrote a horror movie about that exactly that. The main character with no voice is being hunted down by cannibals. No voice, just a piece of meat. It’s very on the nose, I will admit.
I also included the image of pulling a fish hook out of your throat and being hooked by a fishing rod. It’s part of a recurring dream I had. Without our voices, we are just the meat on our bones… ugh.
Title: Hook, Line and Sinker
BRIEF 8
One minute! One Page! That’s it. Write a one page short
I wrote the story of a henchman living his life and suddenly being kill by someone for reasons he doesn’t know. I’ve always thought it was an interesting concept, but I definitely could have developed it more.
Title: Harrison
BRIEF 9
Write a video game
I wrote about the lead character in a game one of those games where all your choices apparently make a difference to the ending, but ultimately it doesn’t matter and there are only two endings. Definitely inspired by my dislike for the endings of ‘Mass Effect 3’ and ‘Fable 3’.
I also tried to play with the idea of free will. Once again, an interesting idea, but underdeveloped and would like to spend more time on it.
Title: Code of Destiny
BRIEF 10
A huge, decrepit mansion… Write a horror movie
I wrote about stereotypical teens after performing a ritual gone wrong. One of them has been possessed by a demon who will destroy the world. They can’t leave until they know who. Definitely been playing too much ‘Among Us’
Title: The Goth’s Prank
BRIEF 11
Write a nature documentary. It’s International Sloth Day, so bonus points if it was about sloths.
So this one didn’t take too long. I decided to research sloths and the material really kind of wrote itself. Sloths have very interesting digestive habits, let me tell you.
Title: The Digestive Facts of Sloths BRIEF 12
Write a TV show pilot
This was the script I felt was the strongest. I really spent the time introducing the characters and laying out potential storylines for characters as the series evolved, as well as setting up the main source of tension.
The pilot was set in a fictional club called ‘Giggles’ and showed the running of the club, the relationships of the staff and undesirable acts.
Title: Giggles (Pilot Episode)
BRIEF 13
WRITE ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT TO YOU. BONUS POINTS IF THE SCRIPT IS IN ALL CAPS
I wrote a story about the importance of voting. I really do voting can change the world and I don’t understand how you can see the world today and not want to make a change, unlike the character in this story who doesn’t vote and it turns out would have made a difference.
Title: One Vote
BRIEF 14
Write a film about the pandemic, but not the pandemic itself. Should be able to make in lockdown. Take advantage of split screens, phone cameras, etc.
So this one confuse me slightly, the email wasn’t too clear. I ended up writing the story of a break-up that happens to take place in lockdown. Once again, interesting idea but needs to be developed.
Title: The One Person
So what did I take away from this experience?
Well, the biggest was the sense of accomplishment that I got. Getting the statics email and seeing I was one of 201 out 851 who actually completed the challenge made me proud. Even though I was working full-time and even though I fell behind at one point, I was not deterred, as I feel I would have in the past. Seeing my name in the lister of completers made me feel proud.
It taught me to not be so precious with ideas and to just write, otherwise it won’t happen. As strange as it sounds, I’m at a point where my brain isn’t just excited about the concept of the idea, but is excited to write the idea. The challenge definitely helped with the formulation of ideas, setting your challenges or limits can really help with writing. Finally, it got me into the routine of writing. I don’t just spend hours sitting at the computer waiting for inspiration to strike.
This was a really rewarding experience and I now have 14 scripts (of varying quality) to work off and the ideas I want to write are no longer big scary things. Even if they turn out to be duds, they are just one of many scripts in the process of writing something hopefully better.
Big thanks to The Literal Challenge. Definitely check them out, they do challenges regularly and it is a really good way to get creative juices flowing.