Call time in 45 minutes. 9pm - 9am shoot day. But the pages must go on! Writing one movie while helping make another! #ZD30SCRIPT

I had a bad day yesterday... I was at the dentists all afternoon and that sapped all my energy, but I knew that was gonna happen. I read an interesting article a few minutes ago, featuring Michael Keaton's insights on acting. There's an interesting bit about how you ave to be 100% present but you can't be in total control, I thought that was interesting. I had already made a decision that I was going to follow the Pixar "Good Dinosaur" approach and focus on what I loved about the original concept in the first place, and between those two things, the project feels much less daunting.

Just out of curiosity, what is the "Good Dinosaur approach"?

Check out this article: http://io9.com/how-pixar-rescued-the-good-dinosaur-from-creative-extin-1740125117 it's about how Pixar turned The Good Dinosaur around, changed a lot of stuff and made it work when it was getting too big and complicated. Felt like the same trouble I was having, so I thought I would follow their lead.

"Our moods do not believe in each other. To-day I am full of thoughts and can write what I please. I see no reason why I should not have the same thought, the same power of expression, to-morrow. What I write, whilst I write it, seems the most natural thing in the world: but yesterday I saw a dreary vacuity in this direction in which now I see so much; and a month hence, I doubt not, I shall wonder who he was that wrote so many continuous pages..." -Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Circles," 1841

I wrote 4 more pages today. I don't think I'd be able to write anything if I had to work 12 hours and have those hours be overnight. Kudos to you, Justin - and to everyone else working on their projects. You are all inspiring me.

I wrote 23 quality pages today. Might be a record for me on pages in one day. Dialogue was just flowing. The character prep article Scott posted before helped tremendously. Almost had a panic attack after writing so much. Brain got a bit fried. Stared at the iPad for too long. Ugh.

You put the 'create' in 'creative'. Rock out and roll on!

Thanks for that article, Chris. I'll be teaching my Pixar and the Craft of Storytelling again in January and will be updating with two movies from 2015: Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur. This good background info. Re your story: Focus on what you love, by all means. A writer's way of Follow Your Bliss.

This is a great quote, Pepper. Always great to see notable writers confess they have doubts, fears, loathe material they write. It's akin to when you walk into the post office and there's a huge line. You step up. The very end of the line. And you feel like crap. Then another person enters and stands in line behind you. Your situation hasn't improved at all, but somehow knowing there's someone as miserable as you - even worse because they're behind you - somehow makes you feel just a bit better. Faulkner. Hemingway. Fitzgerald. Emerson. When we read how they thought they sucked, it makes us feel just a bit better! Again thanks!

4 pages is great, Steve. That's right on target for a daily quota. Last couple of days, I've put in 12 hours working on other stuff myself. Actually some of it interfacing with people in the ZDT Challenge. I knew I was going to do some of that, but the response has been so large between here, Twitter, and especially Facebook, it's taken more time than I bargained for. But I stayed up late... I mean REALLY late... and pounded out a few more pages. Same thing tonight. It won't get done if I don't do it. Like you, I find everyone in this Challenge inspiring. Onward!

Wow, Orange Pop, that is awesome! Maybe part of that is the good karma you brought yourself by suggesting Zero Draft Thirty as a name for the Challenge. Kudos again! Keep on writing!

Oh, and here's today's super duper batch of creative juju! BOOYAH!

Wrote 2 pages today, 20 total. Wrote an outline for the rest of the screenplay. Should put me on a good track for the rest of the month. 20 pages in, it's getting a little scary. The beginning is easy because you can literally put anything down on the page and know that it can lead somewhere interesting. The further along you go, you can feel pressure of knowing that now you need to pay the promise of the beginning off, and you might not do it well. But then I remember that this month is about getting it down on the page no matter what. Let it flow and listen to your feelings and there's gonna be some gold in there, even if it's covered by tons of dirt. I know I'm gonna do rewrites and polish this thing up, right now I have to throw worry aside and enter the mineshaft.

That's the ZDT attitude! Keep using that pick axe and dig your way into and through the story!

I wrote my final Act and scene today. It helped me write my beginning and build on character. I'm very subdued with this..... but I'm internally SCREAMING bc I was very excited to find my Act I.

Day 6 in Italy. Page 23 is waiting to be completed. I hope to end act two today (around page 30).

Really loved the motivational video today of the girl falling. I can totally relate because I too fell today at the mall but unlike her I just laid on the floor for several minutes and let people walk around me until finally the security guards came. I kind of exaggerated the whole thing hoping I may be able to sue the mall. I have no idea how this relates to anything. Anyways I blasted out three more scenes today.

Yes! Go! Go! Go!

Lorenzo, you are making your home country proud!

Dave, your humor is a most welcome addition to our conversations. So... STAY FUNNY!!!

Keep on rockin'!

This ZD30 thing is so great! Between this blog, Twitter and FB, it's very encouraging and supportive to read about you guys' daily progress. Even if no pages get written, mental progress is made which is help for tomorrow's work. I'm moving steadily forward myself and have reduced this month's work to three projects in order not to drown or get discouraged: CREVASSE (a rewrite), DEMON HOUSE (first draft in writing for the FD class) and GANGRENE (an idea in development). Three different stages of creation that perfectly complement each other. I'm finally leaving the darkness (writer's funk) for the light and I believe that my personal life is involved in a way. Two months ago, I acquired a horse (life long dream) and in order to install respect and confidence, the rider needs to be the animal's leader. That takes patience and just the right form of assertion so as not to appear aggressive. It also takes a great deal of self confidence of which I've been sorely lacking for too long. Well, coincidence or not, I've been making huge progress this week as well and I'm finally feeling less stressed out and a lot more positive towards writing. Ok, back to work and positive vibes to all :)

Thanks for posting that article. It's definitely good food for thought. As weird as it sounds, it's the hardest thing to simplify a story line. To make it compelling yet focused. Back to the future could have been all over the map, but they managed to make every scene zing and fit together.

Thanks. I appreciate that. :) If we meet one day, pizza and coffee will be on me. ;)

Wrote 5,5 pages today. Most pages since starting ZD30. A complete sequence. I am getting into a flow and getting happy chills from reading the commitment in everyone's posts. Good luck Justin with the 9-9 workday!

Great stuff, Marija!

It's hard... in part because it's work. When you're coming up with the idea, it's all fun, it doesn't matter, you can experiment and change things around. When you decide to rewrite, you've given the idea weight, there's importance there, and it puts you in a mindset that's different from the mindset that gave you such a good result in the first place!

A so-so day, a solid 4 pages. Moving forward. Finally I'm getting to grips with my Protagonist's story, he 'll die in another 5 (just kidding!, but wouldn't that be a hoot) Seriously, I'm desperate not to rush, to remind myself the page-count can go through the roof, so long as it's all there delivered from head to page.

Daily report no. 5 (now not so vomit I hope). Still plotting and writing at the same time. When my friends invited me to a big event in 2 week's time I coolly answered No, I have to write. Another first.