If I'd Only Known Then What I Know Now
AKA I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me!

Last year I was new to this whole crazy month-long writing challenge idea and it didn't take me long to fall in love with the idea.

After completing one Frenzy and in the midst of gearing up for another, I started thinking about what I wish I would have done differently last year. You know, the classic question, "How am I older and wiser?"

I'd like to hear your tips, tricks, and strategies. Some things you must learn by doing, but other things (like not jamming a fork in an outlet) you can learn from others.

I'll start:
I learned that I work MUCH better if I don't take a day off. If I can fit even 5 minutes on a given day, it is worth it. There is something that happens when I skip out on my story and characters, for even one day: too much distance is there when I return. I'm not sure why, but spending just a few minutes a day with story and characters keeps it fresh in my mind and imagination. So this year, even if I only write one sentence, I will write everyday. (It's on a sticky note on my computer, so you know I'm serious.)

What did you learn through the process? Anything you'll do differently? Leave your wisdom below!

1. Echoing what you said, write every day. For this Script Frenzy, 100 pages in 30 days means at least 4 pages a day to win. But also don't get discouraged and beat yourself up if you fall behind. Just tell yourself you'll do better tomorrow.

2. Word war. For me, word wars are really the keys to winning. For those who don't know, a word war is when two or more writers decide on a time and start writing, then compare word counts to see who "won" by writing the most (although it's not really a competition - everyone wins, as long as they up their word count!) There will be fun real-time word wars and discussion at the virtual forum write-ins on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9pm GMT during April. (If you don't know what time 9pm GMT is in your time zone, check this map.)

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SF '07: Sand & Stone (Won)
SF '08: Fate (working title) [amount plotted: 20%]

Angelfish, my sci-fi/fantasy webcomic.

Write every day.

Don't edit. It's the fastest way to reduce your page count and chew up time.

Finish in the middle of a scene. It makes it easy to get straight back into writing next time you start.

Enjoy it.
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SF08: Gethsemane (working title) - Thriller
SF08: Shooting - Comedy

Good luck to you all.

The thing I learnt from this year's FAWM is to get involved in the community. I learnt it a bit late in the month, unfortunately, because I tend to be a bit stand-offish, but when I did take the time to get outside myself, and see what others were doing, I found myself inspired by it. In fact, one of the songs with which I was most pleased was inspired by another's FAWM song.

So, get outside yourself and find inspiration in the talented people around you was my lesson.

I haven't ever done Script Frenzy before, but I did Nanowrimo last November, and hit 50 000 pretty easily, and about a week early. I plan to just go into this just my vague idea of what's going to happen, and make it all up as I go. Should be fun!

I did Script Frenzy last year. I got virtually nothing done in the first three weeks. I had only the vaguest idea of what I wanted to write. I had no idea how to write a script. And I was on vacation with my daughter.

But I did manage to finish 20,000 words--two related one-act stage plays. And I had fun.

What I learned:

1. Don't wait until the start of Script Frenzy to learn a new program (like Celtx). No matter how easy and user-friendly the program is, you'll be too focused on characters, plot, setting --all that creative right brain stuff-- to think through the logic of the new software.

2. Don't give up. No matter how far behind you fall (and I was about 18 days behind schedule on day 20), you can go forth and write.

3. Send your daughter to camp, relatives, or the moon. :-) My dd went to the ITS Festival in Lincoln, NE. That one week of drama for her was one week of scriptwriting for me.

4. Don't underestimate your talent. I thought I was insane to try to write a comedic one-act version of my plot, and yet, I did it. And the comedy turned out better than my dramatic one-act version of the plot.

5. Tune out the naysayers, distrations, relatives. Even at my age, I had to shut out the negative comments from my loving mom (are you on that darn machine again?--meaning the computer), the curiosity of my older brother (I think I'm going to get a computer, what's that, how do you...?), the invitations of my older sister (let's go out for dinner, let's go shopping, let's go see...).

6. Having a writing buddy helps. I was away from home, but hooked up with the SF moderator in my temporary vacation location. One write-in at a local coffee house added just enough motivation to get me through another day.

7. Most of all--I learned that SF is fun. I thought it might be, but now I know that it really is! And who doesn't want to have fun?!

Saipanwriter
http://saipanwriter.blogspot.com

I second the comment about word wars. I was way behind in NaNo, but determined that third try would be when I finally won. A few word wars a day put me way over the top for daily counts in the last week.

And WiFi. I finally learned last November that I do not write as well when I'm in my own house (or, before that, dorm room). The funky coffee shop a couple blocks away with free WiFi and reasonably priced espresso-based drinks and quiche became my best friend. I could turn off my computer's internet connection, write for a solid hour, and turn it back on to update my word count and do some quick forums procrastination to clear my head. I could technically do the same at home, but it just doesn't work as well when the dogs are whining in my face and I can see the stack of dishes on the counter.

I also started carrying a notebook with me for NaNo. I can't always sit at a computer and flesh things out when I'm at work or wherever, but if I tuck a small notebook in my purse I can take a minute to jot down any ideas I get when I'm not at my computer.

"How do you know I'm mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn't have come here."

Here's what I wish I'd known... Well, I actually kinda did know, but I wish I'd done something about it ahead of time...

Good screenplays come from good stories. Good stories come from good plots or good characters (and preferably both). If you don't have either, you should try to come up with one or the other.

Now that I'm in the Frenzy, something that helps me continue is this:
Skip the transitions. Trying to lay out the whole "how does she get from the first date with this guy to moving in with him?" is unnecessary in a screenplay. The audience will get it even if you don't say it. If it was important how it happened, I would have already written it. If I figure out later, I can add the scene later. Right now, just keep moving forward. There's no awkward transitions in screenplays!

Don't re-write what you did last year but subsequently lost in a HD crash. It's hard, horrible and makes you feel really bad even if you change the plot an awful lot.

And it's so much fun at the same time, like meeting old friends after a year apart!

2005 (NaNo)- Underground- Won!
2006 (NaNo)- Delusions- Won!
2007 (SF) - Dead Dandelions- Won! (But lost after HD crash.)
2007 (NaNo)- If Wishes Were Fishes- Won! (Nearly lost in HD crash)

Oh yeah, here's another one, definitely for next year (and also next NaNo). Always ask yourself, what's the story you want to tell? "So it's this girl who has these awesome powers." Yeah, but what's the STORY? Or maybe it's not a story, but a moral, or a theme. Whatever it is, knowing what it is ahead of time will make the writing goal-oriented.

Next year, I promise to answer one of these questions ahead of time, preferably in one sentence, on a post-it note on my monitor.

Read a REAL script before starting. Also, get some experience. That's my biggest downfall.