Hi Script Frenzy Scribe!

I'm Jennifer Arzt, the Script Frenzy Program Director. We are in the final hours of March. And that means April, the best month for scriptwriting, is nearly here. I'm so excited I can hardly sleep.

We've got a Scriptwriting Trek in front of us, and I'm here to share the plan with you.

Pre-trek checklist:

1. Lighten your wallet. Make a tax-deductible donation to Script Frenzy. This simple act will keep your heart warm the entire trek. It also does good things for my heart! Even ten bucks helps. (Oooh, imagine if everyone donated just ten bucks. We'd be golden!) We're like an indie film hoping to make back what it cost us to put on the show. We thank all our donors with goodies that bring good writing-luck.

2. Get the gear. The Script Frenzy t-shirt, mug, poster, and stickers are all shipped from Headquarters, and we send them off with great writerly vibes included. (I've also noticed that when I walk around with my mug in hand or t-shirt on, I feel taller and find more lucky pennies.)

3. Synchronize your watches. Make sure you profile plays nice with your time zone. The website needs to know–-it wants to know–-what time zone your trek will be taking place in. Help the website help you. Head to My Script Frenzy > Edit Account Settings. Scroll down to Locale Settings and pick your time zone. Then hit the Submit button at the bottom of the page.

4. Get invited! Okay, you’re already invited, but we don't know where to send the invitations. Join your local region to find out about kick-off parties, write-ins, and wrap parties. Municipal Liaisons, our volunteers scattered all over the world, organize and plan all your local events. They don't bite, so get out there and meet yours. Head to My Script Frenzy > Set My Home Region.

Itinerary for the trek:

Here's what your adventure might look like. (If you have allergies, a fear of heights, or a caffeine-grudge feel free to customize.)

April 1/Page 3.33: Start writing! It takes just 3.33 pages per day for 30 days to hit 100 pages. (Because I get too excited to sleep, I stay up and start at stroke of midnight.)

April 2/Page 6.66: Love this scriptwriting thing, and get ahead of your daily page-count goal. The first ten
pages are like a first date that goes so well, you can't believe that this person is real and not a dream.

April 4/Page 13.33: Enjoy the first weekend of writing in April! There are only four weekends in the month so make the most of them!

April 8/Page 26.66: Hate this scriptwriting thing. Think of starting over and/or killing off your main characters. Wonder why you thought writing a script in a month was a good idea. Realize you've written 26.66 more pages than you otherwise would have. Sit up a bit straighter, pat yourself on your back. Okay. That's enough. Now, pour a cup of coffee and keep writing. You have a story to tell!

April 10/Page 33.33: Celebrate! You are 1/3 of the way through the 100 pages! (I'm going to my favorite beach for an outdoor "trek" and dinner. Guess what t-shirt I'll be wearing…)

April 12/Page 40: Write while eating pastel-colored chocolate candies you found in the yard.

April 15/Page 50: You are half way! This is both an exhilarating and terrifying place to be. With half of your script behind you and half in front of you, the rest of the month can look long and dreary. Get to your local midway party to meet people writing in your area. Write alongside others at write-ins. Up your coffee intake. This is the tipping point. Soon you'll be past the apex, enjoying the momentum that the rest of the trek has to offer. Trust me. Gravity will take over; just get past this point. (American participants, don’t forget to send in your taxes!)

April 17/Page 56.66: Write with more confidence from this point forward. You've done some amazing writing over the past 17 days and you'll never be the same. From now on, you'll feel like a scriptwriter. This is something that you can do. No one can ever take that away from you.

April 24/Page 80: Plan for the last weekend in Script Frenzy. If you are behind, this is the time to get caught up. Turn off your phone. Order out for dinner. Have plenty of coffee and chocolate on hand.

April 25/Page 83.33: Winning begins! All around the website, progress bars fill up and provide bragging rights for their owners.

April 30/Page 100: Cross the finish line! Celebrate all night long. Call in sick on Friday! Sleep, watch a movie, and get a wrist massage. You deserve it, scriptwriter!

It is going to be a great trip! I'll be stopping by your inboxes once a week with a pep talk, and experts will be dropping by the website (in the Cameo section) throughout the month with great advice on writing.

I'll leave you with one last note written by Mel Brooks, Thomas Meehan, and Ronny Graham:

Yay! I can't wait!

Jen
Script Frenzy