Halloween Writing Exercise: it's on like Donkey Kong

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  • Halloween Writing Exercise: it's on like Donkey Kong

    "All Hallows!"



    Our Yearly Frightfest, Where Ghoulish Ambitions Are Realised In Script.


    Dare to be different in our unsettling writing exercise where originality will be rewarded and the timid will perish.


    Full and grim details will be given soon, after we have wrapped-up our "Hot Tubs and Time Machines" exercise.


    So keep watching this space, and don't leave your doors unlocked at night, what's that I hear, a dog is barking, the moon is down, I must depart for now!


    All Hallows is a division of Creep Media Ltd, who take no responsibility, whatsoever, for any writer who expires due to self-inflicted terror during the writing process. Entrants will be directed for inspiration to our very own suite of small rooms at the top of an old mansion. We cannot guarantee stormy weather or thunder and lightning however much we do acknowledge that that is very very frightening. You shall only be allowed to scribble out your entry by candlelight. There is no running water or gas appliances and certainly no electricity. We provide a packed-lunch but it is advised that you bring along your own flask of tea or hot coffee and biscuits to see out the night. Management recommends Hob Nobs but not Hobgoblins. Thank You for reading- The Management.


    ...............
    Export a PDF file and email to dpaterson57 at gmail.com
    DEADLINE Sunday 23rd OCTOBER 2016. MIDNIGHT
    a 7 day voting period will then follow, you must then cast your votes giving your 1st, 2nd and 3rd place votes by Midnight 31st October 2016.
    You will not vote for yourself, sorry. We will endeavour to announce the winners on the very next day after Halloween.


    For posterity, the entries thread is here and the results thread is here.
    .
    Last edited by dpaterso; 10-30-2016, 11:40 PM. Reason: entries + results thread links
    Forthcoming: The Annual, "I JUST GOT DUMPED" Valentine's Short Screenplay Writing Competition. Keep an eye on Writing Exercises.

  • #2
    Re: Halloween Writing Exercise, Coming Soon

    Probably in but if I only get a single charity vote again I'm probably going to cry like a little girl
    I heard the starting gun


    sigpic

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Halloween Writing Exercise, Coming Soon

      Originally posted by Southern_land View Post
      Probably in but if I only get a single charity vote again I'm probably going to cry like a little girl
      ...who's had her pig-tails pulled by that smelly boy who really likes her but has poor social skills.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Halloween Writing Exercise, Coming Soon

        I wouldn't get too hung up on votes, write just because you want to write.

        Enter just for the heck of it.

        Obvious perhaps...but I'd be careful about writing with voting in mind.

        As in.... if I write this, I'll get more votes.

        That said, if you include the following on every page:

        explosions, ninjas and babes.

        You will definitely garner more votes.
        Forthcoming: The Annual, "I JUST GOT DUMPED" Valentine's Short Screenplay Writing Competition. Keep an eye on Writing Exercises.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Halloween Writing Exercise, Coming Soon

          I may be in, depending on timing.
          Should we add a little twist? Just Halloween like last year?

          Southern_land, don't get discouraged by votes. Sometimes you get more, sometimes you get less. It's totally subjective and means nothing. To me the best part of this is precisely the feedback, even the bad ones: a "free" way to learn more about script writing.

          This are 8 pages challenges (or even less). Try to go simple and focus on good characters (who are they, what are they risking, why should we care about them?). Maybe try to do different things, like more visual, less talking (you had some very good promising visuals on your script but then it turned into a moralistic talk, too long) and still not overwhelming with descriptions. Usually less is more. And as usual, there's no rules, maybe you go complicated and wordy and people love it!
          Check out my website with my productions: http://www.picturesplusproductions.com

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Halloween Writing Exercise, Coming Soon

            Originally posted by 14001 View Post
            Southern_land, don't get discouraged by votes. Sometimes you get more, sometimes you get less. It's totally subjective and means nothing. To me the best part of this is precisely the feedback, even the bad ones: a "free" way to learn more about script writing.
            I completely agree. After all, you have morons like me voting.

            But you can, sometimes, even learn from what morons say. In most contests I've entered I've had people say contradictory things about the same script. For some reason, I get a lot of: "The dialogue was not very good", and "I really liked the dialogue". When that happens, I call the dialogue a wash.

            If almost everybody says something like: "The second scene was really confusing", then I know I have a problem.

            What we really need is more people to enter (and make comments), so we can have a bigger pool to draw from. I think if there's more contests it might build more interest in more people entering.

            (Of course this "suggestion" comes from a moron, who writes idiot scripts and doesn't do any of the heavy lifting.)

            So, for whatever it's worth.
            "I just couldn't live in a world without me."

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Halloween Writing Exercise, Coming Soon

              I think that the feedback functions, largely, as some kind of reality check.

              Somebody reacted!

              They commented!

              It may even have given you a new way in and something to consider but it also taught you something about how another persons mind works, how an audience thinks even, but that can still be precarious, who is the audience?

              And who exactly... is watching?

              You also have to be careful, I'd suggest, and as Storywriter [who is definitely not a moron] says, not to misinterpret feedback and bend too far towards it.

              I'd humbly also suggest that the struggle is still between that old famous and tricky double act of YOU vs. YOU.

              You [only] can improve your writing, hopefully , and you are the one who needs to be able to see that it is improving, and to develop your eye towards that, otherwise, it's all moving towards a kind of writing by committee.

              One of the downsides with these contests, one of my many concerns... or the thing that sometimes troubles my conscience about them, is that the comments and feedback produce a wholly negative result!

              That they might put people off entering, that they [as mentioned earlier] encourage writing by committee.

              That they are simply, just wrong and even misdirected.

              My own comments in feedback are always rushed and preliminary, only to be taken as "impressions" - at best.

              I can't tell you what to do to improve that entry, even though it might sound like that...... an unavoidable aspect of the general tone of feedback is this feature.

              The feedback by its nature assumes, just by our giving of it, that the person giving the feedback would know better and how to fix it, feedback creates that unfortunate impression, but... it's not necessarily so.

              And it's not their story.

              They didn't embark on the struggle you've undertaken: the notes, decisions and redrafts, your state of mind, education, situation on that day and much else.

              I for example.... forget the basics all the time and make horrific and amateur mistakes all of the time.

              I don't include any of the items on 14001 list. I forget the simple [you'd think!] ingredient of empathy, why should we care, or to create a dilemma or some soul-searching, or to put characters into a bit of a fix, there's little in the way of conflict, poor visuals, and much else!

              My mind when I write laughs [but not out loud you'll be pleased to hear] at my writing throughout the process.

              A transcript of my mind during its frequent critical bursts would probably read something like this:

              really?

              oh...so you think so do you?

              hmm...too grandiose for a start!

              off key

              do people really talk like that?

              oh, how boring!

              cliché

              dull, dull, dull!

              hey, what's this, what's going on now?

              So, I'm just saying... you know, just to bear all this in mind. I personally like to read other entrants entries, it's fun, the object here is to encourage and enjoy, above all else.

              But I'll always be haunted by the viewpoint of a professional writer I came across once, his view of online writing forums

              "...poison!"

              That's probably a whole other discussion about whether a pure, intelligent, talented and even fruitful writer may be carried over to the dark side, or have their heads filled with twaddle and ruined by the discussions and practices that happen in here?

              I don't have an answer to that one - do you?

              Last edited by The Road Warrior; 09-26-2016, 02:59 AM.
              Forthcoming: The Annual, "I JUST GOT DUMPED" Valentine's Short Screenplay Writing Competition. Keep an eye on Writing Exercises.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Halloween Writing Exercise, Coming Soon

                Originally posted by 14001 View Post
                I may be in, depending on timing.
                Should we add a little twist? Just Halloween like last year?
                We could add a little twist, I haven't got quite that far....... just yet. Or, as you say, we could leave it wide open on the interpretation, and just let everybody decide on the approach they wish to take.
                Forthcoming: The Annual, "I JUST GOT DUMPED" Valentine's Short Screenplay Writing Competition. Keep an eye on Writing Exercises.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Halloween Writing Exercise: it's on like Donkey Kong

                  Okay, so just to confirm Dpat's signature space, the DEADLINE, will be Sun 23rd October. Midnight.

                  So we're off.... 8 pages or less, with or without a twist, even a slice of lemon won't go too far amiss!
                  Forthcoming: The Annual, "I JUST GOT DUMPED" Valentine's Short Screenplay Writing Competition. Keep an eye on Writing Exercises.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Halloween Writing Exercise: it's on like Donkey Kong

                    BTW.
                    No need to follow SCREENWRITING 101, this might be:

                    an atmospheric piece.
                    a slice of life.
                    driven by conflict.
                    driven by action.
                    driven by character.
                    driven by 1 ... or all 3... of the above.
                    a script that ignores all of the above?
                    a script that addresses Halloween obliquely or directly or not at all - but if the latter, advisable that if this is the case that there's a horror element within it.
                    Horror is defined very widely.
                    Forthcoming: The Annual, "I JUST GOT DUMPED" Valentine's Short Screenplay Writing Competition. Keep an eye on Writing Exercises.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Halloween Writing Exercise: it's on like Donkey Kong

                      Just come up with a great idea, I mean you guys are going to hate it but it amuses the **** outta me!

                      conflict --- check
                      character --- check
                      action --- check
                      twisty bit at the finale -- check

                      All is good and write with the world
                      I heard the starting gun


                      sigpic

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Halloween Writing Exercise: it's on like Donkey Kong

                        Erm...
                        just thought I'd mention, "two entries" will be fine, if it suits you guys!
                        Otherwise, one entry is also just fine and dandy.



                        Forthcoming: The Annual, "I JUST GOT DUMPED" Valentine's Short Screenplay Writing Competition. Keep an eye on Writing Exercises.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Halloween Writing Exercise: it's on like Donkey Kong

                          ...been sketching out some notes, already. Two ideas I'm playing with, would be good to get them both down and enter them.

                          Anybody else making progress?
                          Forthcoming: The Annual, "I JUST GOT DUMPED" Valentine's Short Screenplay Writing Competition. Keep an eye on Writing Exercises.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Halloween Writing Exercise: it's on like Donkey Kong

                            Has this already begun??
                            Check out my website with my productions: http://www.picturesplusproductions.com

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Halloween Writing Exercise: it's on like Donkey Kong

                              Originally posted by 14001 View Post
                              Has this already begun??
                              ~yeah, you can start now, it began, strictly speaking, on the 1st of this month, call it a start date of October 1st to make it simple, and the writing period then continues up to the deadline, midnight, of 23rd October 2016.



                              ...but with the chatter in here, and because of the overlap with the Hot Tubs' contest, it probably only booted-up in earnest, over the last 2 days or so....no worries, it's running now anyway.

                              People, we're officially up and running. Okay!
                              Last edited by The Road Warrior; 10-04-2016, 05:59 AM.
                              Forthcoming: The Annual, "I JUST GOT DUMPED" Valentine's Short Screenplay Writing Competition. Keep an eye on Writing Exercises.

                              Comment

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