Challenge #21 - Technology Gone Awry

Hi folks

We had a writer withdraw from the challenge the other day, which always surprises me.  Their email said, in part:

“I can't keep up trying to write a full length play with a daily prompt. Guess I am out!”

And I’m not going to argue with someone who doesn’t feel like they want to do the challenge anymore.  It’s up to them.

But as one of my teachers used to say, “I don’t think you understood the assignment.”

I’ve said this before in various ways over the last three weeks but maybe here’s another way of saying it:

Don’t make this harder on yourself than it is.
Don’t make this any more complicated than it is.

All you have to do is write, something, each day of the month, and then submit it before 8am the next day.

That’s it.

What you’re writing can be completely unconnected from what you wrote the day before.

What you’re writing can be completely divorced from the writing prompt for the day.

You don’t have to write a full script.  You don’t have to incorporate the challenge.

All you have to do is write.

(Doesn’t even need to be good writing.  That’s what rewrites are for.)

And if you just aren’t feeling it on a particularly day, and the inspiration well has run dry for a moment, or time just isn’t on your side and you can’t get something written - you have an escape hatch, a tiny little script at the end of each post and email I put out - or, as some have amusingly done, you can create a mini-play of your own to fulfill the same purpose.

And then just turn around and write something the next day.

Now, if the person who just pulled out really couldn’t find the time to do any of that in a day, that’s fine.  Life intervenes, I get it.

But we’re not trying to break anyone here.  The challenge isn’t a trick question.

We’re just trying to encourage you to prioritize your writing, just a little, every day, for a month.

That’s it.

There isn’t a way to fail at this.

If you don’t write one day, that’s OK.  Just write the next day.

No judgment.

Go easy on yourself.  Have fun!





Let’s get you that writing prompt…


Challenge #21 - Technology Gone Awry

Due: Monday, November 22nd, 8am
(whenever 8am arrives in your time zone; we’ll do the math here in the Central Time zone, no worries :)

Here’s another offering from Aaron Sawyer at Red Theater from back in 2015 (I got a melancholy little ten minute play out of this one, see what it conjures up for you.)

“Write a play where a piece of technology drives the plot as a living being- but it dies UNEXPECTEDLY and in a big way.

MAKE IT PHYSICAL.

Questions:
How do we see this life?
How does the stage change when it dies?
How are we forever changed by its life? and the loss of its life?

Bonus if the audience can FEEL the death literally.

This is an exercise.
Don't worry about production costs.
Be amazing
Does water spray everywhere?
Is a smell emitted?
Does it vibrate the whole room?
Does it cause any humans to die?”




How to submit your work for Challenge #21

You have options.  They are:

Save your script as a PDF or Word Doc and send as an attachment to an email sent to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com

OR

Copy and past your script in the body of an email and send it to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com

OR

Post your script online (as a Google doc, or in a blog post, on your own personal website, etc.) - email a link to this script to ThresholdWritingChallenge@gmail.com
(If you’re going to Google doc route, just make sure to have the document public, or give permissions to our email address to open it)

When emailing us, make the subject line of your email - Challenge #21
(That just helps us sort through the email more quickly)
(Or, you know, just reply to this email if you want :)

OR

Post the link for the online document option above in the comments section on this very blog post for this challenge on our writing challenge blog.


Again, this is: Due: Monday, November 22nd, 8am
(whenever 8am arrives in your time zone; we’ll do the math here in the Central Time zone, no worries :)

 

And, just to reassure you, no, we are not going to be sticklers about you following these directions down to the minutest detail - the important thing is that you write, and then that you share it with us, so we can keep track of who’s writing every day.

We will be VERY understanding about technical difficulties and how they can screw up making the deadline.  No need to fret about anything except the writing (and hopefully that’s not something causing you to fret too much either :)

Also, no, there is no penalty for finishing and submitting early - but it also isn’t a race, so give yourself all the time up til 8am on Monday to write if you need it.  When you’re done, you’re done.

A friendly reminder - you don’t have to write to the prompts if they don’t inspire you.  You can ignore them and just write whatever you want, just as long as you’re writing (that’s the main thing, not what you write)

Someone had a good question about the overall goal of the month, are we supposed to write a full-length play, or two one-act plays, etc.?  The short answer is no (unless you want to).  The longer answer is here if you’re curious.

For those concerned about format, we’re pretty liberal about that, too - just as long as it’s legible and in English.  More on that here.

Again, remember, it doesn’t need to be great, it doesn’t even need to be responding to this prompt (the prompt is just there so you’re not staring at a blank screen to start with no idea what to write about :)

Doesn't even need to be complete - you could have the beginning or the middle or the end of an idea, maybe two out of three but not all, that's still fine. This is all about getting things started, you can write more later. You have 9 more days to build on whatever you come up with today, if you want. Just get anything on the page, even if won't make sense to anyone else, as long as it make sense to you.

It just needs to be something.

And that something can be:

Lights up.

A robot watches the sun set.  Its own eyes wink out in the darkness for the last time.

Lights down.

The End

That’s always your escape hatch, every day.

That’s your base line.

Build on it.

Have fun.

Don’t stress.

Make an impulsive decision and run with it.

Breathe.

You’ve got the day (and a half).

Just write.