I just finished Script Frenzy 2012 and I won! Actually everyone who writes 100 pages of screenplay in thirty days wins, but it’s harder than you think. I chose to rewrite my first screenplay completed  several years ago. It was a Western about a courier, called Ringo (my man with no name), originally titled: Gold Rush.

Gold Rush was the story of a courier who must transport a chest full of gold to a rich railroad tycoon. He is accompanied by a saloon dancer. They pose as a priest (nod to The Outlaw Josie Wales) and schoolteacher . They are double crossed and must fight outlaws, bounty hunters, and even Indians to deliver the chest of gold. Gold Rush was full of Indiana Jones style action and Robert Rodriguez style shootouts, but the story was a bit thin. Why wouldn’t the railroad tycoon simply put the gold on a heavily guarded train?

This time I titled it Western Express (working title) and focused the story on the courier and Sarah, a young saloon singer on the run from her father, a rich railroad tycoon. I was able to save a lot of the action and gunfights, but the story became more meaningful by focusing on the relationship between Ringo and Sarah. The story now flows much better and the second draft should be a lot tighter.

The most difficult part of Script Frenzy or NaNoWriMo (a novel writing contest where you write 50,000 words in 30 days) is you have to write more than three pages a day. If you miss one day you have to write nearly seven pages the next day. If you miss two days you have to write ten pages to catch up. That’s tough to do. While I don’t plan to keep writing at this pace, Script Frenzy does teach you how to set goals and write on a regular basis. That is a good thing.

Seven Samurai is probably my favorite foreign film. Akira Kurosawa’s work is timeless. Many of his films and storytelling techniques have been incorporated into other movies including The Magnificent Seven and even Star Wars: A New Hope.

I am also a huge fan of Hayao Miyazaki, the Walt Disney of Japan. Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away is probably my favorite Miyazaki movie. Disney has re-released several of his films in the U.S. over the past few years including How’s Moving Castle, My Neighbor Tortoro, and Ponyo.

“Script Frenzy is an international writing event in which participants take on the challenge of writing 100 pages of scripted material in the month of April. As part of a donation-funded nonprofit, Script Frenzy charges no fee to participate; there are also no valuable prizes awarded or “best” scripts singled out. Every writer who completes the goal of 100 pages is victorious and awe-inspiring and will receive a handsome Script Frenzy Winner’s Certificate and web icon proclaiming this fact.

Even those who fall short of the page goal will be applauded for making a heroic attempt. Really, you have nothing to lose—except that nagging feeling that there’s a script inside you that may never get out.”

I sort of decided at the last minute to participate this year. The first screenplay I ever wrote was a Western called, Gold Rush. It was a story about a courier who is hired to transport a chest full of gold across the West while pursued by bandits. It was mostly an action piece kind of like Indiana Jones. I always wanted to rewrite it and fix some structural and dramatic elements.  I’ve been kicking it around my head for a while now so I decided to give it a go. You can track my progress by clicking on the Script Frenzy image or check back on May 1st to see if I ‘won’.

This organization also does something called NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month, in November. It’s the same thing, but with a novel. You are challenged to write 50,000 words in 30 days. I ‘won’ NaNo in 2008 and it felt great.

A post-apocalyptic United States is divided into twelve downtrodden districts (more on District 13 to come), each providing something to the Capitol’s upper class; coal, grain, textiles, etc. To order to keep order in the Districts two ‘tributes’, one boy, one girl, are chosen each year to fight in the Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are the ultimate reality show where the tributes are forced to fight to the death to bring honor and more importantly food to their districts.

Our hero, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is strong young woman whose only desire is to provide food for her family by hunting wild game with her hansom friend Gale Hawthorne (Thor’s brother  Liam Hemsworth). They live in the coal mining District 12. When Katniss’ sister is chosen for the games, she volunteers to take her place. Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), the son of a baker, is chosen as the other District 12 tribute. Peeta has been secretly in love with Katniss and in a touching moment gave Katniss a burnt love of bread when he knew her family was starving.

The core of the story is a love story plain and simple. You feel and care for the characters. Suzanne Collins created three dimensional characters you really care about and the they translate amazing well to the screen, even some of the more bizarre Capitol characters. Jennifer Lawrence was the perfect choice for the role. She was what I imagined Katniss to be, right down to the raspy voice and guarded demeanor. I was especially glad to see Suzanne Collins contributed as screenwriter too. The differences between the book and movie are minor and I can understand the choices made in changing some of the material, i.e. the Mockingjay pin. Woody Harrelson brought life to Haymitch, the tribute’s mentor with a simple foreboding stare. I also thought Lenny Kravitz was great as Cinna, Katniss’ stylist.

If you really like the movie and have not read the books, I suggest you pick them up. They actually read pretty quick and as with most books add a lot more depth to the story. As you read the second and third books you may be surprised just how dark this series gets. May the odds be ever in your favor.

(Poster by Risa Rodil via chic-type)

1. I am a Leo, born in 1971, the year of the Boar.
2. I’m average looking and average size, but I’m wicked smart.
3. I love living in Rockford, Illinois. I wish others who live here did too.
4. I quietly take everything in until I have something intelligent to say.
5. I drink Budweiser. It’s called the King of Beers for a reason.
6. I was a Reagan Republican until I became capable of independent thought.
7. My family use to camp each weekend. I miss the friends I had and the rivers and streams where we would play.
8. When I was 12 I wrote a story about my friends running off to the woods to live with Indians and fight ninjas.
9. I’m a hockey goalie, everyone thinks it’s scary. I’m more afraid of letting my team down.
10. I coach hockey. It isn’t hard if your players believe in you. The hard part is getting them to believe in themselves.
11. I am a fan of the Chicago Blackhawks and Bears. Sorry MJ, I only liked basketball with you.
12. I am boycotting they Chicago Cubs until the commit the winning the World Series.
13. Walter Payton was my idol growing up. Now I idolize his family for championing organ donation.
14. I don’t like cold weather. I wish I lived somewhere warm, like Florida.
15. I’ve written comic books. I like the fact the images are more important than the words.
16. I don’t get enough sleep. My job gets in the way of what I really want to do.
17. I am a realist. There isn’t enough common sense to go around.
18. I spend a lot of time inside my head. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.
19. I have a problem with people who lie. Honesty is the best virtue.
20. I believe television has made all dumber. The vote is still out on the Internet.
21. You may think Steve Jobs was an asshole. I believe the iPad is a game changer. Deal with it.
22. I prefer taking photos of landscapes and wildlife to taking portraits.
23. I find taking photos very therapeutic and calming to my mind.
24. I continue to rewrite my screenplays because I am never satisfied.
25. I have been writing a novel for the last ten years. My second one shouldn’t take that long.
26. My mother died of liver cancer, my father of a brain hemorrhage. I was with each of them when they died.
27. I am a reformed Catholic. I’m Agnostic.
28. I believe Jesus and Mohammad believed in themselves.
29. I don’t believe in Jesus, I just believe in me.
30. When I was young I wanted to be like Walt Disney and create my own magical place. I still do.

I try to choose goals that are attainable. For instance I don’t specify something like: ‘Write a novel’, because it’s too general. You need to do something on a regular basis for a month to create a habit. Some writers mark a calender on days they write to keep track. This is a great way to make yourself feel guilty, especially if you place it where you see it every day. Guilt is a powerful motivator. You can use this technique for just about everything.

Here are my resolutions for 2012:

1. Establish a routine to create a stronger mind & body.
A healthy body is a healthy mind. I want to work out more this year so I’m going to attempt to guilt myself into exercising more.

2. Live life more creatively. I will make time to be more creative and write on a regular basic.
This year I’m going to hammer myself on writing regularly. Sorry Facebook and Twitter, but I have to cut somewhere.

3. Reduce distractions in my life that keep me from my goals.
Work gets in the way, taking the kids to hockey practice gets in the way, life gets in the way. There are plenty of important things that get in the way, most aren’t.  Set priorities and stick to it. There are no excuses.

First up is the final draft of Dancing with the Devil:

How far will a father go to be reunited with his recently deceased son? Jimmy Parks unwittingly makes a deal with the devil to kill seven people in order to see his son again.

More on Dancing with the Devil to come.

I’ll try to keep on creating relative post on all things which interest me. Keep in mind I haven’t hired an editor for the site since they usually want paid for their work. I always enjoy comments and feedback so keep them coming.