The 24 Hour Writing Experiment

How My Writer's Group spent our Carmaggedon.

With warnings of apocalyptic scenes on the Los Angeles Carmaggedon freeways this past weekend, my Writer's Group, the Deadliners, undertook a different nightmare scenario:

We decided to write for 24 hours.

I had participated in 24 Hour Plays at George Washington University, in which writers receive 12 hours 8pm-8am to write a series of one acts, and then the cast and crew receive 12 hours to produce them. I had also heard of 24 Hour Film Festivals. But what about 24 Hour Writing Sessions...

At noon on Saturday we arrived at the Chamberlain Hotel. There were six of us, each undertaking individual projects. Two plays, two features, and two TV spec pilots.

The rules were simple. It must be a new idea. You cannot have written more than a page on the idea. You cannot have started to write 'pages'.

The participants were the ever so talented Adam Aresty, David Case, Marissa Jo Cerar, Annie Hendy, Enio Rigolin, and myself. Six Heroes and Villains Writers on a mission.

We discussed our ideas at lunch when we started, and again at dinner time.

We wrote by the pool during the afternoon, laptop next to laptop.

But by 11pm, we were digging deep into the evening.

By 2am, a sense of exhaustion sets in. How long can I be this creative and on point?

By 4am, delirium sets in. We lose two participants. Four more continue...

By 6am, it's blind momentum. This is why we do it.

As writers, we become so used to planning everything out. Taking time with our decisions. Sometimes when you prepare to write, you've already lost that passionate kernel you had. You fail to consider theme and style until your rewrites. You are too busy plotting.

The Experiment prevented us from being able to plan. Every decision must be made in an instant, or you will not finish. Every page must be vomited out. The whole is more important than any individual part.

I emerged with a TV outline, and the Teaser and first 2 Acts of a TV one hour drama spec pilot.

Overall it was a huge success. There was a sense of camaraderie and unity. An atmosphere of fervor and excitement. And the chance to turn a single idea into a conceptualized project.

Sunday we slept.