Dear Parent,

Your child or teen has decided to partake in an incredible event called Script Frenzy. They've snubbed their noses at the lazy days of summer, turned their back on hammocks and lounge chairs, and may even have to severely limit their daily TV intake. For, in the month of April, they have dedicated themselves to the challenge of writing a script for the screen or stage.

We here at the Office of Letters and Light are the facilitators of this event, and we'd like to take a minute give you a little background on who we are, and tell you why we think Script Frenzy is such a great event for kids and teens.

First off, the happy side-effects of writing script in a month! Scriptwriting builds:

• Fluency – When writing a screenplay or stage play in a month, grammar and spelling may not be the highest priority, but speed writing helps to implement style tools naturally. Things like similes, metaphors, archetypes, conveying mood, and foreshadowing will become second nature.
• Confidence – When creating so much text in such a short period of time, kids stop questioning themselves and just dive in. Long writing assignments and essay tests will no longer create groans of dread. They will smirk at required essay lengths and word-count goals knowing they've tackled that much and more while writing their month-long movie or play.
• Creativity – Creating characters, situations, dialogue, and even whole planets from scratch helps kids think, but it also teaches them how to apply their fanciful ideas to a full project. They learn to develop and follow through on their ideas.
• Time Management – This huge project is broken down into manageable bites. Kids learn how to focus and stay on task without direct supervision. Our progress tools on the site help them to see how far they've progressed and what still needs to be done.

Some things to keep in mind to support your child or teen throughout the Script Frenzy challenge:

• Rest – Brains need sleep in order to process all that they're creating in their scripts. They also need oxygen, so encourage your son or daughter to stretch on a regular basis!
• Ergonomics – Make sure your child has a good work environment with an appropriate chair and keyboard layout. Arrange lighting to eliminate glare on their computer screen to avoid eyestrain and headaches.
• Prioritize – Commitments to chores, sports, socializing, and other obligations may take top priority. So realistic schedules should be set up for adequate time to make word-count goals.

A little bit of background on us and the website:

Script Frenzy has two program tracks: an adult program and a young writers program. The adult site is hosted at www.scriptfrenzy.org, where all writers share the goal of writing a 20,000-word script on any topic they wish. The Young Writers Program site is hosted at http://ywp.scriptfrenzy.org, and is designed for K-12 students participating as a group AND for any writer aged 12-and-under.

In the YWP, each participant sets his or her own challenging word-count goal for the month when registering on our site.

Both Script Frenzy websites have vibrant, active forums where writers from all over the world gather and support each other in their common goal. Participation in these forums is not required, but many writers find the forums are the most helpful tool on the site.

In Script Frenzy, participants write their scripts solo or with a partner. And everyone has the opportunity to interact daily with thousands of other participants in their age group. The Script Frenzy online community offers authors support through their writer’s block moments and celebrates each victory as a participant meets their word-count goal!

The adult site's forums are visible by anyone, while the YWP has private forums viewable only by other young participants, teachers, librarians, and Script Frenzy staff. We encourage you to review the forums and talk with your child about what is and isn't appropriate to post in a public place and look at the information they plan on including on their profile. If you wish to, you can help them create a custom environment of forums that are appropriate for their goals by creating a custom forum page.

All YWP forums are all-ages friendly, where strong language and sexual content is forbidden.

Teens should always feel comfortable coming to the events organized by local Script Frenzy volunteers, called Municipal Liaisons, and parents have a standing invitation to come along as well. Many parents often enjoy themselves as much as their kids at the get-togethers. You can always contact your Municipal Liaison should you have any questions about the events. Email addresses for Municipal Liaisons can be found on the Municipal Liaison page of our site.

The Municipal Liaison will work to maintain a comfortable environment for everyone present, but the events consist mostly of adults, and the level of conversation may not be appropriate for all teens. We ask all parents to take an active role in either attending Script Frenzy events with their teen or discussing the event with them afterwards.

Though a script may seem like a silly summer pursuit, many kids and teens are able to get credit for the project in their classes, and they can mention Script Frenzy participation as part of their college application essay and list of accomplishments.

Plus, it's just monkey-barrels of fun.

If you have any questions about Script Frenzy and your child or teen, please feel free to get in touch.

Enthusiastically,

The Script Frenzy Staff