This week has been both productive and inspiring. I've been planning some of my new screenplays, reading and critiquing other people's screenplays and dabbling in some other creative exercises, too, the first of which being my first ever attempt as a six sentence story.
The lovely Katie McCullough has had several published on the 6s blog. Paul McIntyre also had one published just last week - congratulations Paul! It's called "Horse" and you can read it here.
Mine wasn't accepted for publication on the blog this time, so I though I'd share it with my blog readers:
Left Behind
It wasn't always like this, such a cold and lonely life. She used to take me everywhere, tell me everything, never forget me. But now as I lie confined to my bed, my skin a prison trapping me in childhood whilst she grows ever taller, ever more mature and confident without me. The visits less frequent now she has her new life, her new room, her new friends. Forgotten are the fun times, the happy times, for I have been abandoned, orphaned, cocooned within the dust of time. I often dream of an alternate life, one in which I experience new things: her life, but I know it can never be, never for me, a mere doll in a former child's room.
I wanted to write something a bit unusual - from the viewpoint of an inanimate object. I'm quite pleased with it and looking forward to attempting more 6s stories!

I also decided to participate in this year's Chain Gang serial on BBC radio 7. It's a three minute radio drama, broadcast weekly on Saturday evenings, in which the audience get to decide what happens next. There had only been three episodes when I wrote my storyline for last week's entry. If chosen, the listener's storyline is dramatised by award-winning writer Robert Shearman of Dr Who fame. It's a really fun way to get involved with a radio drama - it only takes ten minutes or so to beat out a 200-word storyline and there's an added excitement factor as you eagerly await the broadcasting of the next episode to see if your storyline has been chosen. Alas, mine wasn't chosen for the fourth episode, but I'm keen to enter it each week - it's good practice storylining and is a good way to get the creative juices flowing before delving into other projects.
Now, a novel-writing friend of mine recently alerted me to the NaNoWriMo scheme - National Novel Writing Month. In a nutshell, you sign up to the website, then during the month of November you bash out 50,000 words of a novel. Reach the target and you're a winner! "Na" I said. "I'm way too busy with my screenwriting projects at the moment". But today, after Lucy and some other tweeps alerted me to the challenge anew, I got thinking.
It actually has its merits. For one thing, you have a specific target - everyone wants to win, right? 50,000 words, that's 1,667 (rounded up) words a day. But it's easier than you think. NaNoWriMo encourages quantity not quality - that means it's not about making what you write perfect, it's about getting as much down as you possibly can. Forget about planning in great detail (though you could beforehand if you really wanted to), forget about going over what you've written and editing as you go along... Just write. Whatever comes into your mind, however you want to continue the story... Just go for it. That's what it's all about, and I think it could be a blessing in disguise.
Whether you write novels or scripts, or even short stories, there's always such procrastination involved because of planning or fear of starting. There's also a thing that I shall name "The Editing Demon" within you that will shout at you to read over your work, correct and re-write as you go along. This is what stops the creative process. Many writing experts advise setting a timer and writing solidly for half an hour or so, writing whatever comes into your mind. It may be complete rubbish but you'll have got the creative juices flowing. NaNoWriMo is similar, if not a little trickier given you do need a few characters and a basic idea of where the plot will lead - but the principle is the same. Sit down each night, bash out so many words, then pat yourself on the back for having evaded that editing demon!
NaNoWriMo is especially good because you can update your word counts. Now, come on, don't deny it - checking word counts and seeing how well you're doing is such a good feeling, isn't it?! What's more, you can compare your word counts with other members/buddies and give mutual support. Knowing thousands of others are sitting at their computers and working away on their novels at the same time as you will help with motivation (if the word count thing isn't motivation enough!)
So, I'm going for it. I've decided that an idea I've struggled to represent in script format in the past may be much better suited as a novel, so I'm going to give it a go. I might plan the main turning points but other than that I think I'll just go for it and see where it leads. I have a feeling it'll be a good creative release. Afterwards, I'll hopefully have a good chunk of material to work with :)
If my ramblings still haven't convinced you to give it a go - read this inspiring story. This woman is incredible!
Be my buddy on NaNoWriMo! Find me here!