3.5 pages, 32 total! Today was a great day. Wrote the first scene since the beginning of the film that just came tumbling out, turning into something beautiful. This week's gonna be full of harder scenes to write, but I'll savor this moment for now. The story's shaping up to be part mystery, part love story. Finding the latter to be much easier to write than the former. Anyone else working outside their comfort zone, genre-wise? Or, along those lines, is anyone else discovering what kind of scene they're naturally good at?

Still in the beginning pages of my script, since I prepped most of the first week. But got some time to knock out 3 pages today. I' can't wait to scream like Shelia when I reach Act Two lol. Oh and btw thedchen, I haven't yet found a scene I feel I'm good at. But then again haven't written much of mine yet. So stay tuned, because believe by Day 30, I will surely have an answer!

I also felt like today I wrote two scenes that came out more smoothly and were more fun than they have been lately. That's 4 more pages down and I'm into Act II. Thedchen, savoring it is great advice. Not all days can be good ones, so it's worthwhile to take time to appreciate having a good one. And nice work, Justin. I'm sure with the prep you'll be moving ahead strongly.

My energy level's been all over the place... it has been for a while, but I feel like I'm gaining momentum, constantly doing something. I divided my notes into big fixes and small fixes, which makes the workload seem much more manageable. I also (finally) transcribed a bunch of notes I took years ago when I originally was throwing around ideas for this project. Put me right in the original mindset, and made me realize how long I've been struggling with some of these issues (and why I'm so glad I put my notes and brainstorming right into the computer now, where it's malleable). I even rekindled some old ideas I had forgotten about, it even led me to drawing something. A proper drawing, for what feels like the first time in ages. Today when I revisited the drawing, I noticed something strange in my clipboard; a bunch of old pages had turned light blue. Including some that had old artwork on them. How long had they been sitting there, half-finished? Definitely a reminder to get things done!

Daily v. report no.8 - Plotting act 2, 2.5 pages done. Plotting a little bit of act 3 as well. The initial burst of enthusiasm has not gone. For now. So I think Robert Frost was right: “The best way out is always through.”

Day 9 in Italy. I read&rested so now I'm ready to write more pages. The goal is to write from page 28 to page 33 today. If I'm be able to write five pages every day, I'd probably finish my TV pilot by the end of this week. :) I'm very, very happy! Thanks Scott!

32 pages. Nice! Can't say I'm quite working out of my comfort zone as this project is a comedy, however it's the first time in years I haven't written a drama / drama-comedy, so a challenge. Keep on writing!

Justin, Act Two beckons you! Write, write, write!

Steve, perhaps the "smoothly" experience is a sign you're settling into a groove. Keep on keeping on!

Chris, speaking as someone who quite naturally lives in his head... Just get to writing. The beauty of Zero Draft is no one gives a shit. No one's judging us. No one's grading us. This gives us TOTAL FREEDOM to roll around in the Creative Mud and see what emerges from our fingers pecking keyboard. See where YOUR fingers take you!

lallo, had no idea that is a Robert Frost quote. Not sure where I read/heard, "The only way out is through," but I've known that for YEARS. Maybe a Frost thing. Good that your enthusiasm is still there. We fan the flames when we write some pages.

If you're happy, Lorenzo, I'm happy! Onward!

I'm kind of writing outside my comfort zone genre wise. I'm writing a sweet romantic comedy. But in the last ten minutes it turns into a tense thriller and he kills her. So that's a little uncomfortable. Just kidding. Glad you had a great day. Congrats on the 3.5 pages today.

Glad everyone had a productive day today. I didn't do so well. After hours of brainstorming I managed to write a pretty decent slug line. Going to bed. Tomorrow's a new day.

I was actually kidding. I wrote two scenes. Crappy crappy scenes. But pretty happy with the slug lines.

A non-writing day, going to give the creative juices a rest so I'm "guns blazing" next week. I'm at 60 pages but not yet at my midpoint (yes, I know - the editing will be a trial of fire) and all because I've allowed my characters a life of their own which has produced good, and unexpected, stuff as well as a lot of "fluff" to put in the bin. So it's a reflective day. A day to plan my next week, and feel proud of how far I've come in just 7 days.

Day/night 8 got going late and slow, still pulled 8 pages out of the bag to bring me to p73 - Onward!!

Hit a mental wall, hard. Seriously considered to drop this screenplay because I felt it was going nowhere. Got out of the house for groceries and came back with a fresh perspective on ZD30 and my screenplay. Decided to go forward, wrote 3 pages.

You know, I think those terms -- Primary Slug Line, Secondary Slug Line -- are slowly fading from usage, replaced by Scene Heading and Shot. Lay this at the doorstep of Final Draft. I guess it makes more sense, the 'modern' terms, however there is a kind of old time charm to 'slug line'.

Don't worry about being long in your page count, Philip. As I'm sure you've heard me say many times, better to have more then trim, than less then pad.

73 is a great place to be this early on in the Challenge. This should give you a chance to edit your script as well before 11/30, a proper First Draft!

Ricardo, I just mentioned this last night to someone else: You owe it to yourself to get to FADE OUT. A Zero Draft is a journey of discovery. You will know SO MUCH MORE about your story if you get to the end. Conversely, if you do NOT get to FADE OUT, you will NEVER know if the story has merit or not, many of its secrets and revelations uncovered. Plus there's this: You will learn how to fight through the negativity. There is little in life more satisfying for a writer than typing FADE OUT / THE END especially knowing you won a big time struggle. So press on. 3 pages today is great. Make it another 3 tomorrow. Maybe 4 the day after that. Keep going into your story and see what it reveals to you. Onward!

Here is your daily dose of creative juju!