The 2013 Fall Goalpost

Many of us hear tales of screenwriters who lock themselves in a room and blast out a screenplay in a matter of days.

These stories make it easy for us to believe we are capable of the same feat. Kudos to the few with this ability, but for most of us, the reality of our lives prevent this method of creation from happening.

To be an aspiring writer means that there is always an obligation somewhere else – work, school, family, etc. – and most of our energy and attention is diverted away from actually writing our screenplay.

Author Ray Bradbury shares the most common tip given by professionals to aspiring writers: “You must write every single day of your life.” With all of life’s responsibilities, attaining this level of discipline is difficult. But it is certainly within reach for everyone.

That is why BlueCat Screenwriting is starting its Fall Goalpost. Write 90 pages in 30 days. No, you don’t have to buy something or do anything unreasonable. There is no secret, really–you’ve probably figured it out after reading the title. All you need is thirty minutes a day and the writing tool(s) of your choice.

The Directions:

• Every day, set aside thirty minutes to write at least three pages of your screenplay. Do not expect these pages to be masterpieces. The goal here is to get them done. If you write more, that’s awesome, but make sure to hit that three-page minimum. Skipping a day and telling yourself you’ll write six pages tomorrow is cheating.

• After you write your three pages, share how much you’ve written with the rest of us on the BlueCat Screenplay Competition’s Facebook Page under our Fall Goalpost status. Write your progress in the comments section and you’ll see that you are not alone.

• Continue to do this every day for the next 30 days. This step is the hardest to follow and it’s the reason why Step 2 is so important. A half-hour a day isn’t bad at all when you think about it.

• The challenge will end on October 15th, and if you followed all the directions, you will have at least 90 pages of your script written and ready for revisions!

• That’s all there is to it. Spend thirty minutes a day to hone your skill, develop good writing habits, and produce tangible content that you can actually show people. The Goalpost is now underway, but it’s never to late to join!