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Script Frenzy

NaNoWriMo

Dear NaNoWriMo author,

Hey there! Many items to share…

LOVE MOVIES? WRITE ONE!
Some of you may not know that we run two ginormous, free writing events: NaNoWriMo in November, and Script Frenzy in April. For Script Frenzy, the goal is to write a movie, play, graphic novel script, comic book script, or a collection of TV shows or shorts in 30 days. You can even do a screenplay adaptation of your NaNoWriMo novel!

Script Frenzy’s finish line is 100 pages, and it has the same raucous energy and unpretentious atmosphere as NaNoWriMo. ScriptFrenzy.org is also home to the legendary Plot Machine, which issues all visitors a free, guaranteed Oscar-winning plot for their scripts. I took part in the Frenzy last year and writing a screenplay was the biggest creative shot in the arm I’ve had since first doing NaNoWriMo in 1999. Give it a try; you’ll see what I mean. www.ScriptFrenzy.org.

Also, a shout-out to teachers and parents: Script Frenzy has a separate Young Writers Program created with budding scriptwriters in mind. We spend March getting young authors up to speed on movie, play, and TV scriptwriting basics before unleashing them on their own projects in April. Come on by! http://ywp.scriptfrenzy.org.

GROUND BROKEN ON NEW NANOWRIMO YWP SITE
Speaking of kids…We’ve broken virtual ground on the brand-new NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program site. It’ll be launching this fall, and we’re excited to see it underway. I was hoping the site would consist entirely of a Flash animation of a largemouth bass singing Elvis Costello’s “Everyday I Write The Book.” Because if there’s one thing that gets students and educators excited about writing, it’s mid-period Elvis Costello.

But Tavia insists we clutter up the new site with inspiring content, interactive writing chal lenges, and downloadable workbooks for kids, teens, and teachers. Whatever. We’ll keep you posted.

THE END OF MUGS AS WE KNOW THEM
We love our ceramic NaNo mugs, but the truth about ceramic mugs is that they get very nervous when confined to small, bubble-wrapped spaces. When mugs get nervous, they tend to slough off their handles. It’s taken us four years of mailing out replacement mugs to finally convince us to move to the more durable (yet less timeless) travel mugs. This means the 104 beautiful, black ceramic bistro mugs we have in stock now will be the last of their kind we sell. To send them off on a suitably ceremonial note, we dropped their price to $12, and encased them in acres of bubble wrap to keep them safe en route to you. http://store.lettersandlight.org/home.php?cat=6

NANO PEP TALKERS: WHO WILL LIGHT YOUR NOVELIST FIRE?
Last year we had professional novelists pen ou r November pep talks. Neil Gaiman, Sue Grafton, Tom Robbins, and heaps of other generous souls delivered sermons that dried our tears, lifted our crumpled bodies off the floor, and set us lovingly back at our writing stations. On the NaNoWriMo blog, we’re discussing who we should ask to write pep talks this year. Come by and offer your thoughts! http://blog.nanowrimo.org/node/105

Hope you’re having a great noveling off-season!

Chris
NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo

13

Mar

2008

Practicing with Baby

Last night, I hauled Baby and me over to the arena for another bit of work.  Being she had the lapse on staying on Monday night, I thought it appropriate and necessary.

The group who practices on Tuesday night is not the group who practices on Monday night.  It’s very interesting that such a divisive set of dog people exist in the same community.  The Monday night folks are mostly obedience and agility.  The Tuesday night people are mostly agility and confirmation.  The three people there who were practicing obedience were one other person from Monday night, her friend, and me.  We were in our own little squared-off areas practicing different things.  It was isolating, but fine.  We were there for a purpose, so we got to it.

I took Baby on a run-through.  I was the judge and the handler.  OK, it wasn’t as strict as the ring being I gave Baby a few treats while doing the routine, but she did fine.  Even the recall, which we did four times, was beautiful.  Absolutely beautiful!  (I hope we didn’t use them all up.)

Then came the stays.  These were perfecto, too.  Eegads!  It was as if Baby transformed into an OTCH dog.  OK, I shouldn’t go that far.  She did sniff a little on the down-stays.  (We did two sets of each.)  And on the sit-stay, Baby’s ears perked up in such a lovely fashion, but it was out of interest due to the confirmation dogs were playing a game and Baby Social Butterfly wanted to join them.  However, she maintained herself, and sat there.  I did not treat her on either set of stays until the completion of the down-stay being if I don’t treat her after the sit-stay on Saturday, she may hold a grudge, and get up on the down-stay to come over to me to ask, “What gives?’ 

After our one-dog run-through and stays, Baby won the blue ribbon and HIP – High in Practice.  No picture was taking being the camera had declined to come to practice night.

Yeah Baby! My beautiful 10-year-old rescue buddy!  You go, girl! 

Baby DoberDiva jumping the hurdles!

Helen

Baby, Training

12

Mar

2008

CAR’s Response

Here is CAR’s reply thusfar to the e-mail sent to them in this post:

A Letter to the Microchippers – Avid and CAR

—–Forwarded Message—–
From: Laura Bullock
Sent: Mar 11, 2008 8:14 AM
To: dobermannrescue@earthlink.net
Subject: RE: URGENT – Microchipping Restrictions in Florida

Dear Helen,

Thank you for your e-mail.

The AKC CAR Board will be discussing the issue during the Board meeting today, as we are certainly concerned about this as well. When I have more information, I will forward it along to you.

Best Regards,

Laura C. Bullock, CIA
AKC Companion Animal Recovery Director, Operations
919.816.3650
lcb@akccar.org
www.akccar.org

AKC, POV

11

Mar

2008

Baby? Are you going to stay?

Baby was spectacular on her recalls tonight. So much so, that during the 1-minute sit, which our club practices for 3-minutes for the Open dogs, Baby ran to me twice! Now this was after the 1.5 minute mark, as I had asked the drill class instructor to let me know at the halfway point. I went back to my dog then, my dog being Baby Puss Doberdiva, and gave her a cookie, let her get up, and I put her back in a sit. Why did I do all that? Because I am so worried that her arthritis is paining her, I don’t want her to have to sit for longer than she has to if she is uncomfortable. But truly, she took advantage of this. By the time I got back in the line of handlers, turned around, Baby ran to me…full speed. Had this been a recall, I would have been thrilled. But the purpose of a sit stay is the STAY part, though the sit part is relevant.

I asked my friend to take Baby back in line, and she did. She sat her for me, and Baby looked appalled! I thought that would be that, and it was. For me! Baby came running to me a second time. OK, I was not going to give her a treat for that. No no no.

Before class, I had fed Baby half a dinner bowl sized portion being there was another half a dinner bowl sized portion in my treat bag, and she knew it. I had pan friend 4 chicken tenderloins for the Queen Mother yesterday. Chicken is one favorite food of Baby, aka the Recall Specialist. Mostly. Baby wanted more treats. More food. More more more. She chopped me during the times she wasn’t eating tonight. She’s a dream.

Meanwhile, I had to work her recalls vs stays after drill class was over. This was a series of do-overs being Baby ran to me every 3 or so times before I said, “Baby come!” #*&@#$!! I got a lot of exercise walking back and forth to put Baby in “her place” tonight.

Most importantly, to Baby, she has a new title. Baby’s previously troubling courtship with the recall – to come or not to come – is now replaced with the arbitrary stationary refusal phenomenon aka “to stay or not to stay syndrome.” Being I will now be worrying if she is going to STAY or not until the moment the answer comes on Saturday, Baby’s new title is the Creative Goddess. She gets me worried over something new and delicious every other week or so. She’s the best.

Baby: Diva and Creative Goddess

God bless creative souls.

Helen

Baby, Training

10

Mar

2008

Script Frenzy – Sister to NaNoWriMo

Script Frenzy Logo

Hello Fellow Frenzy Alumni of 2007,Do you remember where you were on June 1 last year?I was sitting in an uncomfortable chair that caused my right leg to fall asleep, with my feet resting on a hard table, and my laptop—tired out from the extra work—reaching temperatures that could cause third-degree burns. But I was happy. Really, really happy. Script Frenzy had started, and there was no turning back.

My name is Jennifer Arzt, and I’m a filmmaker living in the San Francisco Bay Area. I fell in love with the Frenzy last year and am excited to be able to say that I’ll be your tour guide, AKA Program Director, through the crazy, whirlwind adventure of Script Frenzy 2008.

Much has changed here at the Frenzy since FADE OUT ’07. Have a seat, and I’ll get you up to speed.

First off, Script Frenzy has moved to April (get your taxes done now!), and the goal is 100 cumulative pages instead of 20,000 words. Also, all types of scripts are now encouraged. Screenplays, stage plays, TV shows, short films, comic book and graphic novel scripts, adaptations of novels—any type of script your heart desires! They just have to add up to 100 pages, and be written between April 1 and April 30.

The Donation Station and Store has nifty new Script Frenzy gear including, my favorite, a space-age travel coffee mug. It’s so cool, it could have come from the future. (The Office of Letters and Light has powers well beyond its years. If it can inspire writers around the world to write 100 pages in 30 days, then why couldn’t it also have a time machine? I’ll do some reconnaissance and report back.)

With just over three weeks before FADE IN, there’s plenty of time to outline your plot, meet your characters, and tell your friends and family that you’ve got plans and won’t be seeing them again until May. Of course, you might also want to mention your favorite take-out choices, just in cas e they want to show their love and support through deliveries of food.

If you crossed the finish line last year, congratulations. If you came close, or found a hiding spot on Day Three, this will be a whole new chance to reach the winners circle. Things that were hard during the first attempt will be easier on the second. Writing an entire script in a month is no small feat, and we all win just by trying.

So come by the website and say hi. Let’s have some coffee and chocolate, and talk about our April stories.

Your fellow Frenzy participant,

Jennifer
www.ScriptFrenzy.org

ps: If you know of any young scriptwriters in need of inspiration, our Script Frenzy Young Writers Program is back, bigger than ever. You can check it out at http://ywp.scriptfrenzy.org.

NaNoWriMo

10

Mar

2008