Magic, Minstrels and Script Frenzy

I've written several posts about Script Frenzy so far this month. I've talk about what Script Frenzy is, what I've been writing, and how I've been writing. I've posted about what scripting program I'm using and I've even posted some Script Frenzy inspired art. However today I want to share the news of my triumph. Yes, Charlotte and I have written our 100 pages of script.

It's been so much fun writing a script. Magic and Minstrels, our musical, finished up with 89 pages and a lot of laughing. Somehow, every script writing session had to have a laugh or two in it as the characters went from one hilarious situation to another.

But that's not our only project. We also started writing a TV series based off the Father Brown Stories by G.K. Chesterton. We've only just started the first two episodes. What about the rest of the series? Is it fated never to be written?

No! We've got plans for the rest of the month, plans that involve much, much more script writing. Fr Brown is quite safe while there are days in the month. We could stop writing...But we won't. Because we love it. Script Frenzy, the page count is going to rise.

Celtx

When you're spending the month writing a script, it really helps to have a proper scripting program. While looking around the Script Frenzy site we came across Celtx, a free, web based scripting program.

Well, the first thing that caught the eye was the word 'free'. As long as it formatted our scripts in anything like the right way, it'd be ok. We created out free accounts, downloaded the free desktop version and started writing.

One day in and I was in love with Celtx. You could make a title page, take notes on the scenes, plan out new scenes on virtual notecards, make notes about your characters and it formatted everything for you. Writing a script with Celtx was a breeze.

It wasn't long before I found another great feature of Celtx. It has templates for so many other kinds of writing. It'll format your screenplay, graphic novel and radio play. And, most importantly, it has a template for a novel. Well!

Celtix is now my favourite writing program. My current novel is transferred, with chapter breaks, title page and notecards. My script Magic and Minstrels sits waiting for me with the easy formatting. Yes, I love Celtx, and I can't wait to try out the other templates.

Have your ever used Celtx? What writing programs do you use?

Magic and Minstrels

I've never written a script in my life. Yes, I've read massive amounts of Shakespeare and a fair few Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, but I had never actually thought about writing one. Certainly not writing one in a month.

But it's April, and the start of Script Frenzy, the month of script writing, and of course we're involved. How could a family of writers pass this opportunity up?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Charlotte and I are team writing a musical. Not that we know what we're doing, or know where we're going. But ten pages in, we've got characters and a problem, plus lots of songs. Who knew song writing was so easy?

With four minstrels constantly arguing which love story is the greatest, a prince with a hot air balloon and a taste for adventure, a captive star princess, an evil magician and a sphinx, this musical looks set to go. Welcome to Magic and Minstrels.

It's all fingers flying as we pound our way towards the distant goal of 100 pages.

Anyone else writing a script this month?

Script Frenzy Art

Last year, for NaNoWriMo, I drew some special, themed pictures. With Script Frenzy starting this coming Sunday, I decided I might do the same thing.

The first idea that popped into my mind was that of the traditional red curtains of a theatre. They seem to sun up everything I imagine when I think of stage plays, which is what I'm writing. That and the neon billboard style writing with the lights round the edge.

My other picture is supposed to look a bit like an old program with gold edging and fancy writing. I was quite pleased with the way the paper turned out, all faded and blotchy looking (or maybe it's just I couldn't make it smooth). Plenty of gel pen went into the creation of this picture.

Now I'm wondering, what other pictures could I draw for Script Frenzy? Maybe something away from the stage theme? Hmm.

Which picture do you like best? What do you imagine when you think of stage plays?

April Frenzy

Script Frenzy

I've always thought of myself as a novel writer. Somehow, I never got the hang of short stories. Poetry, while fun to read, never appealed to me as a writer. No, I was a novel writer. Didn't I complete NaNoWriMo last year?

Well, that was before the discovery of another month long writing challenge. Script Frenzy. Run by the same people as NaNoWriMo, Script Frenzy's challenge is to write a 100 page script in one month. It can be any kind of script, from TV series to stage play.

The inner writer in the Elvis girls rose. How could we pass up on a challenge like this one? No, we simply had to sign up. Of course, none of us had ever even considered writing a script before, but that simply wasn't relevant.

That same afternoon, we had decided on what kinds of scripts we were going to write. All of us decided to write scripts for stage plays. But the genres were highly varied.

Charlotte and I chose to team write a musical. We have high visions of it turning out to be a work of art, something to rival Gilbert and Sullivan's famous operettas. Not that we had even the slightest idea of how one worked, or even if we'd ever manage to write music for it.

Sophie decided on a romance, a surprising choice. She struggled to choose whether to have a death or two in it, or not.

Gemma-Rose is adamant she is going to write a tragedy 'like Shakespeare.' Everyone has to die according to her, even though we try to persuade her you need one character left to say the epilogue. She wanders around, notebook in hand, collecting interesting ways to die.

Three totally different genres, and we haven't even worked out what our plays are going to be about. Something humorous for the musical I think. Maybe some mistaken identities, and paradoxes. We've got a big book of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas to gather inspiration from.

Come April the first we'll be sitting down at our computers, new documents open, ready to start on out newest challenge.

Is anyone else doing Script Frenzy this year? Has anyone done it in the past? Got any good advice for four novices?