Writing Challenge #27 - …Until All You Can Remember Is a Name (Write Nov. 27)

Hello again!

(2 of 2)

Including this daily prompt, there are only four left to share with you before our work is completed for the month.

Well done, everybody!  

We can all see the end of November dead ahead on Saturday,

with the last work to be turned in by noon Central time on Sunday, December 1st.

This prompt is the one you would be writing Wednesday 11/27 to be turned in on Thursday 11/28 (however you choose to recognize or re-invent the national holiday) by noon Central Time, but just label your email for prompt 27 and you can turn it early and I’ll credit it ahead.

And of course, you can always use the mini-play at the bottom of the email and blog post as an escape hatch for the day’s writing.

Let’s get you that second writing prompt for today…

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Challenge #27 - …Until All You Can Remember Is a Name

Write Nov. 27th - or earlier if you like
Due: Thursday, November 28th, 12pm noon Central Time
(1pm Eastern Time, 11am Mountain Time, 10am Western Time for the US Time Zones)



For the writing challenge, let's talk open-ended commissions.

When I spoke to the person with the winning bid on the one-act play being auctioned off for Threshold Theater two years ago, asking what they might want me to write about in this script they'd paid for, they just said, "It'd be nice to include my wife's name in it somehow."

That's it.  No other guidance or preferences.

What would you write if you had nothing to go on but a name?

Try writing something with a character with a name of someone you know, or wish you knew.

Or try writing something specifically for the talents of an actor you know, or wish you knew.

Have fun with it.

And for a completely random set of names, try one of the first names of this year’s challenge playwrights :)

Adian (no spellcheck, I didn’t mean to spell Aidan or Aiden), Alex (2 of them), Allison, Amy, Angele, Anna, Anya, Arianna, Arthur, Ava, Avery,
Bara, Barry, Ben/Benjamin (2 of them), Betsy, Betty, Bob/Robert (2 of them), Brenda, Brent, Brian (2 of them),
Carey, Cate, Caroline, Christopher, Claudia, Coco, Craig,
Dana, Daniel, Daphne, Dave/David (2 of them), Debra, Diane,
Elizabeth, Ellie, Erica,
Franklin,
Gary (2 of them), Greg,
Hank, Hannah, Haz, Heather, Heidi,
Izolda,
Jaime, Jenny (2 of them), Jessica (2 of them), Jim, Joe, Jordan,
Kaily, Kate, Klae (no spellcheck, I didn’t mean to spell Kale), Krista, Kyra,
Lana, Laura, Lensa, Lex, Lori, Lynn,
Marie, Michael (2 of them),
Nicholas, Nina, Nora,
Pamela (3 of them), Patrick, Paul,
Rachel, Rita, Rod, Rose, Ryan,
Sal/Salvador, Sarah (2 of them), Shelley, Stephanie, Stephen, Steven, Suzanne,
Teryle, Tia, Trixy (no spellcheck, I didn’t mean the word Try)
Uma,
Xander, Xavier,
Zachary, Zoe

Mix it up.  Have fun with the thing.

All this just got me thinking about this quote I pulled out the first time I read the Jay McInerney novel “Bright Lights, Big City” - “But what you are left with is a premonition of the way your life will fade behind you, like a book you have read too quickly, leaving a dwindling trail of images and emotions, until all you can remember is a name.”

And if none of that doesn’t do it for you, you can always ignore this prompt and do whatever you want, just like every other day in November.

Just write.  Something.


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

try 2021’s challenge #27: She Blinded Me With Science

Or try 2022’s challenge #27: Code Words

Or try 2023’s Challenge #27: The Ex Files (from Threshold Theater’s co-founder and Technical Director Nick Mrozek)

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 :)

Don’t Stress About Writing A Full Play

Don’t Stress About FormatDon’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 #27

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 #27
(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 noted above in the comments section below on this very blog post for today's challenge on our writing challenge blog



Write Nov. 27th - or earlier if you like
Again, this is: Due: Thursday, November 28th, 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.

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 12 noon Central Time on Thursday 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 3 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.

A goat puppet speaks.

GOAT: My name is Andrea, but you can also call me Andy.

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.

Just write.

And take good care of yourselves, and each other.