KICKSTART YOUR SCREENPLAY
WITH A ZERO DRAFT
Introducing the Zero Draft Challenge:
A month-long event designed to help you overcome creative inertia and get the first(ish) draft of your screenplay onto the page quickly — and with confidence.
A Zero Draft bridges the gap between
blank page and a full screenplay draft.
It’s a scene-by-scene blueprint of your whole screenplay. Unlike a “vomit draft” — which is focused on quantity over quality, and is likely to leave you with a chaotic, unusable pile of pages…
A Zero Draft is a solid “foundation draft” you can confidently build on.
The difference is in the intentional approach. In a Zero Draft, every scene is represented, and each scene’s essential components are conveyed in a concise-but-descriptive summary. That way you can get the important stuff on the page quickly, and keep moving forward.
What you end up with is a complete version of your finished screenplay, in a condensed form — that’s the Zero Draft.
But, wait — tell me about the Challenge!
4 weeks of writing. 5 (optional) live sessions. 1 new Zero Draft.
The Zero Draft Challenge is a month-long event starting on April 6th, designed to break through the procrastination and overwhelm you might feel when writing a screenplay.
It’s four weeks of guidance and support to help you get the ideas out of your head and into screenplay form — specifically, a Zero Draft. To help you finish that first pass, and get you well on your way to a full draft of your screenplay.
Starting with a Zero Draft takes the pressure off now, and makes the next steps of writing and rewriting easier and more fun because so much of the heavy lifting is done.
Here’s what the Challenge includes:
A weekly email lesson to guide you through the upcoming week. Each Sunday you’ll receive a hefty email lesson covering the plot and character arc in the section of the story we’re aiming to write that week. It will include examples from existing movies and Zero Draft pages to guide you, and additional resources to help you complete the week’s writing. Clear, actionable steps every week keep you moving forward.
Group accountability, support, and inspiration via the Slack group we’ll use just for the Challenge.
Weekly-ish lunchtime Q&A and/or evening co-working sessions. These are optional, but I’m scheduling a live meet-up each week or so, to help keep you on track if you need it. (Schedule below.)
My brand new Quick Guide to Writing Scenes. Longer than an article, shorter than a book, this guide is a no-fluff look at what makes a good scene, and how to plan every scene in your screenplay. It’s your playbook for turning your ideas for scenes into actual scenes as you write your Zero Draft. (Here’s a peek.)
A “prep work” lesson as soon as you sign up, to help you develop your screenplay idea and plan out the story, structure, and characters, so you can be fully prepared to start writing your Zero Draft in Week 1. (Sign up early if you want to spend some time firming up your idea before we dive into Zero Drafting scenes!)
By the end of the challenge, you’ll have:
A completed Zero Draft — a blueprint that’s ready for you to expand into your finished screenplay.
A thorough understanding of what goes into each section of a screenplay, and how to craft compelling scenes.
The confidence and creative momentum to keep going.
And some new screenwriting friends!
Check out the schedule of events:
Week 1:
Sunday 4/6: Week 1 lesson lands in your inbox.
Monday 4/7 @ 12pm Pacific / 3pm Eastern: Afternoon Q&A. (optional)
Friday 4/11 @ 2pm Pacific / 5pm Eastern: Co-writing session. (optional)
Week 2:
Sunday 4/13: Week 2 lesson lands in your inbox.
Week 3:
Sunday 4/20: Week 3 lesson lands in your inbox.
Monday 4/21 @ 12pm Pacific / 3pm Eastern: Afternoon Q&A. (optional)
Friday 4/25 @ 2pm Pacific / 5pm Eastern: Co-writing session. (optional)
Week 4:
Sunday 4/27: Week 4 lesson lands in your inbox.
Wrap party:
Sunday 5/4 @ 10am Pacific / 1pm Eastern: Join me on Zoom to celebrate your progress and share your experience with the Challenge, and ask any lingering questions you have about writing your screenplay. (optional)
The Zero Draft Challenge is perfect for you if…
You want to start a screenplay but you feel overwhelmed by the blank page.
You’re looking for a guided plan and a schedule to help you stay on track.
You’re ready to move from creative paralysis to productive writing.
Meet your host
Hi, I’m Naomi from Write+Co.
Through my consults, classes, and weekly craft email, I make screenwriting simple, practical, and (hopefully) even fun. I’ve helped countless screenwriters break through their creative blocks with real, actionable support.
And now, I’m excited to help you turn your ideas into a Zero Draft that will be a sturdy foundation layer to build your next great screenplay on.
While the Zero Draft Challenge is brand new, writers have been saying nice things about Write+Co. classes and consults for years…
Rewriting is where you make the script great, but you can't start the rewriting process until the first draft is on the page.
Start with a Zero Draft so you can take the pressure off of writing that “perfect,” first draft, and allow yourself to focus on one manageable step at a time.
In the Zero Draft Challenge we’ll craft a clear, actionable draft that lays the foundation for your full screenplay.
The four weeks of the Challenge kick off on April 6th. Follow along each week and you’ll have a completed Zero Draft by May!
Ready? Grab your spot in the Zero Draft Challenge now.