Writing Challenge #1 - Still More Assorted Dialogue

Hi folks

Thanks again for signing up for the November Playwriting Challenge with Threshold Theater!

People still have until midnight tonight to sign on but as of right now (6:30am Central Time in Minneapolis) we have 88 playwrights from 26 states across America, plus the District of Columbia, three from Canada, and one from Scotland (!) (a first!)

Welcome to one and all, both far and near!

At the moment, we’ve got the usual cluster from Minnesota (12 playwrights)
(Threshold Theater is based in Minneapolis so that’s not a huge surprise :)

There’s 10 from New York state thus far,
7 from California, 7 from Georgia,
5 from Massachusetts, 5 from Ohio,
4 from Colorado,
3 from Arizona, 3 from Florida, 3 from Maryland, 3 from Texas,
2 each from Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Washington state and Washington, D.C.
There’s also a single representative hailing from each of the following:
Alaska, Connecticut, Indiana, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia, and Wisconsin.

All this alongside the aforementioned trio in Canada (all concentrated in Toronto this year), and our new friend in Glasgow, Scotland.

We actually decided to give everyone a head-start on the first challenge just to get things rolling, so read on, and you can begin writing as soon as you like...

You have today and tomorrow to play around - this is November 1st’s challenge, showing up a little early, but still not due until noon Central Time on November 2nd.

So, let’s  dive in, shall we?


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Challenge #1 - Still More Assorted Dialogue

Due: Saturday, November 2nd, 12pm noon Central Time
(1pm Eastern Time, 11am Mountain Time, 10am Western Time for the US Time Zones)


Something random with multiple options always seems to be a good jumping off point for each year’s challenge, so here are nine completely unconnected lines of dialogue for you to consider:

“It’s the perfect ending.”

“Will you watch the sunrise with me?”

“I hurt people because it’s the only thing I’m good at.”

“She lives in a small town where it always rains.”

“Do angels need to breathe?”

“It’s a giant field and you don’t know where to stand.”

“All he wanted was freedom from this place; and he finally got it.  Just not the way he hoped.”

“I waited here, every day.  Just for them.”

“Tears smell like rain if you wait long enough.”



Take one of those and run with it to get an idea started.

Or if you like two or more of them, feel free to use as many as you like.

If I was being a show-off, I’d try to include all nine of them, but I only have a day to write so… I can always come back and use more later for another day.

(Don’t set yourself up with a hurdle to clear that keeps you from writing, that’s the opposite of what all these writing challenges are supposed to do :)

And if you hate all these options, you can check out the source, Clay Belvedere’s writing Instagram account, www.instagram.com/scrolls_of_cryptids/, for other handy writing prompt material for the day.  They currently have 32 numbered sets of writing prompts posted, plus a bunch more that are unnumbered further back in time in their account. Lots of raw material to sift though there while Clay’s on temporary hiatus due to college this fall.

Doesn’t matter what you write, just as long as you write.  

Just get something going and have fun with it.


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If you’re not interested in this prompt, you can try

2021’s challenge #1: I Love You, I Hate You, I Love You

Or try 2022’s challenge #1: Assorted Dialogue

Or try 2023’s challenge #1: More Assorted Dialogue

Or, you know, just ignore the prompts altogether and write whatever you want - as long as you’re writing and turning it in by the deadline, that’s all that matters for the challenge :)


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And because we call can get in our own way so easily, here’s some words of reassurance on the basics of this month:

Friendly Reminders - Answers To Common Questions:
(Follow the links to read me expounding on these items :)

Deadline Amnesty for Voting (and other handy challenge tips)

Don’t Stress About Writing A Full Play

Don’t Stress About Format

Don’t Stress About Sticking To The Writing Prompt

No.  Really.  I Mean It.  Don’t Stress About Sticking To The Writing Prompt

Don’t Stress About Finishing An Idea (You Can Add Later)

Don’t Stress About “Succeeding” or “Failing”

Don’t Stress About What You’re Turning In Each Day

Don’t Stress About November 28th (however you recognize the holiday weekend)


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How to submit your work for Challenge #1

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 paste 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 #1
(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 the challenge here on our writing challenge blog



Again, this is: Due: Saturday, November 2nd, 12pm noon Central Time
(1pm Eastern Time, 11am Mountain Time, 10am Western Time for the US Time Zones)


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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 on the first few days.  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 12pm noon Central Time on Saturday to write if you need it.  When you’re done, you’re done.

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 29 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.


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And that something can be:



Lights up.

[Stage direction - Two people walk onstage sharing an umbrella.]

“She lives in a small town where it always rains.”

“Tears smell like rain if you wait long enough.”

[Stage direction - The clouds part.  The lights brighten.]

“Will you watch the sunrise with me?”

“It’s the perfect ending.”

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 (almost two days this time).

Just write.

(After you vote, of course :)