Hi, my name is Judith Duncan and I’m a writer . I have written and performed for the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, with my good friend Julia Zemiro and have a B.A. Hons.in Media Arts from UTS in Sydney and have graduated from the Professional Screenwriting Program at UCLA. I also teach writing and have been a casual teacher at the NIDA Open program since 2011, teaching, Screenwriting and Writing Dr Who to teenagers and adults.
I have been accepted into a writing workshop at The Djerassi Artists Retreat in California.



My Goal: To raise $5000 to attend the workshop.

My project: a Y.A. novel called:
Zombie Butterscotch Kiss.
The Synopsis:

‘You know he really loves you if he’s not interested in your brain.’
Zombie Butterscotch Kiss is a dystopian coming of age, a horror story with a healthy dash of teenage romance and dark comedy. Jenna Harper is the overprotected daughter of Brad and Triah, heroes of the apocalypse, who sent many a zombie to a better place. It took the government over seven years, to develop the Serum, under what is rumoured to be brutal circumstances. When taken daily, the Serum halts the effects of the disease, keeps the brain eating tendencies of zombies in check and can be registered by their unusual heartbeat, which has since been termed, ‘The Zombie Beat’. After a vaccine was also developed, the government sanctioned integration of zombies back into society and out of the zombie ghettos began.
Unfortunately, after the horrors of the apocalypse, there is little trust on either side. Both full-skin (human) and zombie are struggling to come to terms with how to live in this post- apocalyptic society. When Jenna’s school is integrated and she and her best friend Katie meet two zombie boys, Zane and Barrel, their lives will never be the same again, especially when Jenna has to hide her mother’s machete, tire iron and mace before her first date with Zane.
However, the uneasy peace is fractured when serious health complications develop for zombies due to the long term use of the Serum and a race for the cure begins. When the same government employee, who helped to develop the Serum, cuts corners to produce a cure, a deadly more virulent strain of the disease is unleashed. Jenna, Zane, Katie and Barrel will forge their friendship as they fight together against the new threat. Not only will Jenna have to fight for her life, she’ll have to decide if the boy she loves really loves her, or if he’s only interested in her brain.

Here's a link to blog in Hollywood by one of my teachers at UCLA


This story has travelled from a 300 word exercise in a UCLA class to a 2,500 word short story, to a long listed feature screenplay in the Australian Writers Guild, Terror Australis screenplay competition. I have since decided to adapt it into a YA novel. I have polished the first 25 pages.
On the strength of the first 25 pages I am one of 8 people who have been accepted into the Djerassi Artists Retreat in California, to attend a YA novel writing workshop in June 2014 with Nova Ren Suma, an accomplished YA writer and novelist. This is not only an amazing opportunity that I feel will be a real game changer for my writing it will be a great networking opportunity and should also assist in getting noticed by publishers when the book is finished.

Marketing the idea:
I have made three short films to help with the fundraising. These are no budget, bare bones shorts, to hopefully give you an idea of the potential in this story. In the first one, which is above,the characters have the chance to tell you a bit about themselves in the hope that you’d like to help them on their journey. The second one is now posted below. The third one, posted in four weeks, will give a hint of the dangers in this post- apocalyptic world. Paying for the classes at UCLA and making these films has maxed out my last credit card. I need your help and support to get to The Djerassi Artists Retreat.
This is the second film


This is the third.

I must thank all those people who have already supported me by coming on board to make the short films. The actors, and crew all of whom are incredibly talented and amazing and I hope that by helping me to achieve my goal I am able to pay it forward by getting their work out there to be seen. They were all so professional and fantastic to work with, I could recommend them for any project. All three shorts were filmed on the one day down at Bicentennial Park Glebe from 8.30am – 4pm. I would love to be able to work with them again and if the money became available to make a web series out of this idea, I would jump at it. The actors: Harriet Hope Streeter, Chocheene Smith, Kristian Boulter, Matt Popp and Paul Berenger. The crew, Dave Barbato, from Pluto Productions, camera, John Lagerlow from Principia Productions, 1st A.D., Dean Smith, boom and Karen Campbell, catering. Dave Barbato also edited all three shorts. Donna Lau and Sabrina Lam did the zombie make-up.




Top : actors Matt Popp,Paul Berenger and Kristian Boulter after make-up.
Middle : Myself with actors Cocheene Smith and Harriet Hope Streeter

Cost to get to Djerassi
$2600 approx airfare –it gets more expensive the closer to the date, I’m unable to get the cheaper ones available now.
$1637 AUD - week’s accommodation and tutoring at Djerassi (if our dollar doesn’t drop)
$160Travel Insurance
$400 misc travel,accom and meals – one night either side of flight to and from San Francisco at airport hotel with transfers
$203- a portion of the costs to buy marketing materials for the rewards.
Total : $5000

Risks and Challenges
The novel isn’t finished yet, this could be considered a risk by some, however, if you’ve read the above and watched the first film, you can not only see that I’m a terrier as far as this story is concerned, but that I’m also a professional in my attitude and the way that I work. I haven’t let go yet and don’t intend to. I keep getting great feedback from everyone who has read the first part of the story and from all the people involved in the short films. I’ve been working very hard to get it finished and will continue to do so. Whatever happens, I will finish the novel, however without your help and support, I can’t go to Djerassi and I can’t continue to attend classes at UCLA online to produce my best work.