Focus Script: Story First

Title: Daily Focus Script — Protagonist’s Path to a First Draft

Frame the Mission:

- Logline: Today you journey from blank uncertainty to THE FIRST COMPLETE DRAFT of your short story. Your aim is momentum over perfection. You will reach THE END by late afternoon and back it up before you stop.

Schedule the Scenes:

Note: If you start later, shift times forward while keeping durations intact.

1. 9:00–9:15 Opening Scene: Call to Adventure

- Set the stage: clear desk, silence notifications, phone in another room, browser blocked except your document.

- Place a sticky note: Mission today = Finish draft.

- Quick map: 7-beat outline on a single page:

1) Hook image

2) Desire

3) First obstacle

4) Rising complications

5) Dark moment

6) Decision and action

7) Resolution image

2. 9:15–10:15 Scene 1: The Threshold

- Write the opening and establish the protagonist’s desire.

- Rules: No editing. If stuck, write the next image or line of dialogue.

- Cue: Start in motion, not backstory.

3. 10:15–10:25 Micro Break: Step Outside

- Water, light stretch, three breaths. No phone, no inbox.

4. 10:25–11:40 Scene 2: Trials and Allies

- Draft the rising action: 2–3 complications, a small win, new trouble.

- Keep momentum with placeholders: write TK for research or names.

- Aim for messy continuity, not polish.

5. 11:40–12:00 Twist Window 1: Tightly Bounded Email

- Only check for truly urgent items. Set a 20-minute timer.

- Triage script: Urgent today? Yes = 2-sentence reply. Not urgent = schedule for tomorrow. Social tabs remain blocked.

6. 12:00–12:30 Lunch: Reset

- Eat away from screens. Quick walk if possible. Visualize the midpoint turn.

7. 12:30–1:45 Scene 3: Ordeal Approaches

- Write the midpoint turn and the dark-moment setup.

- Push the protagonist into an irreversible choice.

- If energy dips, switch to dialogue-first drafting to keep pace.

8. 1:45–1:55 Micro Break: Shake-out

- 10 squats or a short walk. Refill water. No phone.

9. 1:55–3:10 Scene 4: Decision and Climax

- Draft the decisive action, the confrontation, the consequence.

- Write through the messy beats. Keep moving until you hit THE END.

- End this block by typing the words THE END.

10. 3:10–3:25 Recovery Break: Reward

- Snack or tea. Light music. No screens except your player.

11. 3:25–4:10 Scene 5: Seam Stitching Pass

- Read linearly once. Do NOT polish. Only:

- Add 1-sentence bridges between scenes.

- Mark continuity gaps with TK notes.

- Confirm character names are consistent.

12. 4:10–4:30 Twist Window 2: Admin Containment

- Second bounded email pass, calendar checks, messages.

- Use a timer. Anything >2 minutes becomes a tomorrow task.

13. 4:30–4:45 Finale: Save and Safeguard

- Save, back up to cloud, email the draft to yourself.

- Title the file with date and “First Draft Complete.”

14. 4:45–5:00 Epilogue: Debrief and Next Quest

- Two-minute victory note: what surprised you, what to explore in revision.

- Plan tomorrow’s first 30 minutes: targeted revision or rest day.

Pre-write the Twists: Defeating the Known Villains

Villain 1: Answering non-urgent emails

- Likely ambush times: right after a writing block, late morning, late afternoon.

- Countermeasures:

- Only two email windows: 11:40–12:00 and 4:10–4:30. Outside those, inbox closed.

- Write this one-line autoresponder for today: Heads down finishing a writing draft today. I’ll reply after 4:30 if urgent, otherwise tomorrow. Thanks for understanding.

- Triage rule: If it isn’t urgent today, schedule it. If it takes over 2 minutes, schedule it. Use canned 2-sentence replies.

- Physical anchor: place a bright Post-it on the keyboard edge reading Not Now, Draft First.

Villain 2: Endlessly scrolling social media

- Likely ambush times: morning inertia, after lunch dip, micro breaks.

- Countermeasures:

- Blockers on: install or enable a site blocker for 9:00–3:25. Phone in another room on Do Not Disturb with a VIP whitelist.

- Friction trick: log out of all social accounts; remove saved passwords. Grayscale your phone screen.

- Replacement habit: when the urge hits, do the One-Minute Pen Dump. Write one sentence about the next beat in the story instead of scrolling.

- Urge script: Say out loud, Not entertainment, momentum. Then write one more paragraph.

Momentum Boosters and Props:

- Soundtrack: pick a non-lyrical playlist and loop it only during writing scenes.

- Page bar: keep a visible goal like 1,200–2,000 words or 6–8 story beats; time matters more than word count.

- Fast prompts for stuck moments:

- What would make this worse right now?

- What is the smallest honest action the protagonist can take?

- What could they lose if they hesitate?

- Environment: clear desk, comfy chair, water within reach, a single blank index card for notes; all other tabs closed.

North Star Reminders:

- Aim for done, not perfect. Clarity beats cleverness.

- Keep the camera moving. If you stall, add conflict or an image.

- Finish the draft today. Revision has a separate day and brain.

You now have a day with a plot, scenes with purpose, and planned defenses for the villains. Start the clock at 9:00, take the journey, and type THE END before you stop.