coming november 1st !

a longer challenge

higher stakes (not really)

bigger prizes (a feature ? of my very own ?)

this is going to get buried by the october owc but that's ok

The November 2025 Challenge
4 weeks (november 1st-30th)
objective: write a draft of a feature film (45+ pages)
help your fellow writers so everyone reaches their goal !

more details below:

first and foremost this is a challenge for those who want to write a feature. the goal is to motivate each other to stick to their goal and complete a full-length draft of a screenplay during the month of november.

if you have an idea you've been kicking around but for whatever reason haven't executed, this is a perfect way to get a rough version written.

there will be no specific parameters with regards to theme. this way any idea you have will be suitable -- as long as your script is a draft for a feature film (45+ pages) that is written *entirely* between november 1st and december 1st.

scripts will be posted at the end for everyone to read and review. this is not an anonymous challenge.

prewriting (outlines, character bios, whatever you find useful) is allowed, but don't write any of your actual script until november 1st !

you can rewrite from an existing draft or fragment, but you have to write a new version -- no recycling old text.

this challenge is to make all of us better writers. you are doing this for yourself ! what you put into this challenge is what you will get out of it.

just think: a lot of people tend to look at these challenges, and due to the strenuous nature of writing a feature in 1 month, your script will be among a select few that will potentially be read by hundreds if not thousands of readers. so if you are a seasoned writer looking to get another script under your belt, or this is your first script and you're looking for a chance to take a big leap and finally get your work out there, this is a great opportunity for you !

more specific announcements forthcoming but use this thread to ask any questions you may have. and feel free to share your idea if you need help, as people here are great at workshopping ideas.

looking forward to working with everyone who is ready to participate !

feel free to make your own thread on this board to workshop your idea for the challenge !

Grace, this is exciting that you are getting so involved and helping to run this!

I'm sure there will be a ton of questions, many of which will rehash things you've already said, but everyone will be looking for a loophole (including me!!).  

So I'll throw out the first one.  I want to take the Pedro.AI short script and turn it into a feature. I think it would lift a couple of elements and the concept from that short but really expand it dramatically and bring in other characters from the outside.  So there wouldn't be anything included from the first script in terms of dialogue, only the concept and some of the players.  Is that acceptable?  If not, I'll think of something else to work on.

Thanks in advance for doing this!!

Quoted from Gary in Houston So I'll throw out the first one.  I want to take the Pedro.AI short script and turn it into a feature. I think it would lift a couple of elements and the concept from that short but really expand it dramatically and bring in other characters from the outside.  So there wouldn't be anything included from the first script in terms of dialogue, only the concept and some of the players.  Is that acceptable?  If not, I'll think of something else to work on.

so glad you are interested, gary !!! yes, expanding a previous script/concept is fine, just as long as all of your actual draft is written during november. so, while you can use a past work/ideas as basis, I would avoid copy/pasting actual passages.

Quoted from grace so glad you are interested, gary !!! yes, expanding a previous script/concept is fine, just as long as all of your actual draft is written during november. so, while you can use a past work/ideas as basis, I would avoid copy/pasting actual passages.

Thanks Grace!  Looking forward to it -- assuming I survive the Halloween challenge!

I think I will do this because it's been quite awhile since I've written a feature.  Although I'm sure it will be terrible.

This sounds fun.

This sounds awesome. I actually had a feature I was planning to start in December, but this is the perfect push to get a head start. Let’s see how sane I am after surviving inventory week at work first though.

happy to hear y'all are interested !! I think this will be a really great challenge, especially if we get a good turnout !

I did write a feature earlier this year, but it's been a few months. it's exciting to think about having something else finished by december.

good or bad -- it's all good when it's script vs. no script, because at the very least you learn a lot.

You should call it Moviember.

Moustaches are optional.

Thanks Grace

I’ve been meaning to return to do a new feature, but not got around to it.

As I’m unlikely to take part in the OWC this could be a great alternative.

Also allows me time to get thinking.

All the best

Quoted from Matthew Taylor You should call it Moviember. Moustaches are optional.

mustaches are NOT optional. you wouldn't have the time to cultivate one while writing. this challenge requires *full* immersion in the process !!

Quoted from Reef Dreamer I’ve been meaning to return to do a new feature, but not got around to it. As I’m unlikely to take part in the OWC this could be a great alternative.

glad to have you, bill !! looking forward to seeing what you do !

and that goes for everyone who participates ! very excited it seems we may have a pretty good turnout yet.

Ahhh, nice!

I almost missed the thread - just seeing it.

Ok, so we have the challenge announced...

I'm going to expand on my Ricky script. Gary is expanding on Pedro - the script that came first in the challenge, and I'm on Ricky - the script that came last in the challenge! I don't know why it seems exciting to me, but it does.

So, to ask questions on a concrete idea we have to start our own threads?
Are we allowed?

@Gary by the way, this is about your Pedro. They want either a script or synopsis or treatment:


https://www.inktip.com/leads/query_form.php

Here's what the email says:
2. Seeking Drama Scripts about Humans Recovering after AI Takes Over
(Pitch #8056)
We are looking for feature-length drama scripts that are centered around human resilience after AI has taken over. More specifically, we would like a script where AI takes over and no longer needs humans, but humans figure out a way to regain their lives and power back from the AI. We are looking for grounded scripts and are not interested in horror or unrealistic sci-fi. If you have a treatment or one pager for a story like this that is not a completed script, you may still submit but please specify that you don't have a completed script in the personal message space.

We have recently posted a similar request but have not found what we are looking for yet. If you previously submitted, please submit again if your script fits the above requirements.

Our budget is yet to be determined. Both WGA and non-WGA writers may submit.

Quoted from khamanna Ahhh, nice! I'm going to expand on my Ricky script. Gary is expanding on Pedro - the script that came first in the challenge, and I'm on Ricky - the script that came last in the challenge! I don't know why it seems exciting to me, but it does. So, to ask questions on a concrete idea we have to start our own threads? Are we allowed?

excited to see what you do !

you can post ideas in this thread or start a new one, it doesn't really matter to me. are y'all able to start new threads on this board ? if not, I can make a dedicated "ideas thread" if everyone wants.

Quoted from grace excited to see what you do ! you can post ideas in this thread or start a new one, it doesn't really matter to me. are y'all able to start new threads on this board ? if not, I can make a dedicated "ideas thread" if everyone wants.

Yes, I just checked, we all should be able to. I think the questions on ideas thread would be a mess, unless we don't know what to write about. My questions are concrete questions on my idea, so I'd prefer to open a separate thread for it --that's my thinking at least.