FREE WRITING EXERCISE #1
ELA THIER'S FREE SAMPLE SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP
May 30 2006
INSTRUCTIONS: Keep writing and don't stop for 10 minutes
Scenario: x and y are stuck in elevator with bomb in it
x = main character, y = me
(main character = Miryam Montoya
story-in-progress, "The Daily Grind")
Miryam: Oh, great. They kept saying this might happen.
Me: What?
Miryam: All that crap about terrorism. These elevators. We're sitting ducks.
Me: [sweating] What do we do?
Miryam: Hell if I know.
Me: What kind of attitude is that? Can't we defuse it or something?
Miryam: How should I know? I'm just a food processor. You're the one with the master's degree.
Me: OK. I used to be a techie. I've seen a lot of movies.
Bomb: tick, tick, tick
Me: Shut up!
Miryam: DO SOMETHING!
Me: OK. This has to be like a computer of some kind. I'm good with computers. [looking at bomb] OK... wires... they always talk about wires... Ya know, Miryam?
Miryam: What?
Me: I wish I'd picked the other scenario.
Miryam: Scenario? What the hell are you talking about?
Me: You're a fictional character.
Miryam: Will you stay focused? We're about to be blown off the face of the earth. And you don't know this place. It's a death trap. The safety inspectors are all on the take. The consortium doesn't care if we live or die.
Me: Well, they care if we show up for work, that's why they built this place.
Miryam: Show up for work? You don't work there. You ain't no consortium employee.
Me: No, I'm the author.
Miryam: The what?
Me: Oh never mind. Look, I've done this before. I used to build a lot of radio shack electronics kits when I was in my 30's.
Miryam: Your what?
Me: I mean, when I was a kid. I just have to cut this wire.
Miryam: With what?
Me: You carry any tools? No, of course you don't. You get hooked into that equipment and you just have to try not to get beheaded while it does its thing.
Miryam: You don't know what happened to my friend yesterday, it was awful.
Me: Well, I sort of know. I haven't written that scene yet.
Miryam: What?
Me: Never mind. Something to cut wire with... all I have in my backpack is a notebook, 4 barely-started unfinished manuscripts, and half a dozen pens. Oh, and July Analog. What would K'choi Gwu ka do?
Miryam: Who?
Me: OK. This isn't a starship. Focus, Linda. This is an elevator of the Consortium's Lower East Side Consolidation XXV underground housing project, 25 stories under the desert of ... I haven't decided yet.
3 comments:
X=Daphne Spencer: Hollywood production asssistant and agent of the British MI & Y=Eddie Mahoney: Gumshoe to the stars and other people.
Daphne: Bloody Hell!
Eddie: That can't be good.
Daphne: There's a bomb up here.
Eddie: A bomb! Why the hell is there a bomb up there?
Daphne: I don't know. If I'd known I wouldn't be up here. I wouldn't have gotten on the elevator now, would I?"
Eddie: You're getting a little heavy here, Sister. You mind?
Daphne: All right. Don't let me fall. Let me get my purse here. My bomb disposal tools are in there. Don't laugh, they are. Did you think I was making all this up about being a spy?
Eddie: No, I just didn't knew anything about bombs.
Daphne: If Germans had been dropping bombs on your head, you'd know everything about them, wouldn't you?
Eddie: Calm down Sister. Where'd you learn how to difuse 'em?
Daphne: I was trained by the foresmost experts in the world, the UXB squads that go into the rubble and clip the wires. The ones that survived doing it. They must be the expert ones, don't you think?
Eddie: I knew you had a gun. What else is in your handbag?
Daphne: Things for my work, nothing to concern you, my dear. I must give Hoffman credit, this is a very clever way to kill us indeed. Lure us here for a meeting, disable the elevator once we get in and have a timed explosive device up there on the car. I thought he was merely a sympathizer. It seems our friend is a Nazi operative.
Eddie: Director blows up script girl. That could only happen in Hollywood. Why the heck would Hoffman back the Gerry's. America's been pretty good to him. He's the freaking king of Hollywood.
Daphne: And he's surrounded by Jews.
Eddie: It's Hollywood.
Daphne: He'd prefer it was Fuherwood. Ah here's what I need. Did you know I could stab you to death with a properly rolled up newspaper?
Eddie: Okay, up we go again.
Daphne: Sorry I'm so fat.
Eddie: It ain't you. Every bone in my body is busted. That's why the Army don't want me.
Daphne: Odd, run over and nearly killed by the greatest star of the silent screen and most likely blown up by the greatest director of our generation. Your hometown has it in for you, fellow.
Eddie: I haven't made any arrangements for Butch. For who's supposed to take care of him if I die. I always thought it would be Danny, but who knows if he'll come home alive. His father's family don't want nothing to do with him and I don't want his mother's family anywhere near him. He's their dirty little secret and I don't know what they'd do to cover it up. It's stupid, me with a job like this.
Daphne: Who do you have in mind for the job?
Eddie: Maybe Theodora Lamb. She's a little batty, but her people would look after him. She loves him.
Daphne: Nice that you don't hold a grudge for running you over.
Eddie: Accidents happen. And she's been good to me. I guess you'd be a better choice.
Daphne: Not just now. There is a war on and I'm quite busy.
Eddie: After the war.
Daphne: After the War, we're getting married, idiot. Why not Sally? She's lovely and Catholic and married and she love Butch.
Eddie: I should have thought about that. Try not to blow us up, okay.
Daphne: I shall do my very best.
Eddie: At least I get to die looking up your skirt. That's not so bad.
Daphne: How lovely if those our the last words I hear on this earth.
Eddie: Do you know what to do?
Daphne: We'll see. We don't seem to be in pieces. I'm going to climb on up and see if I can't pry open the elevator doors here.
Eddie: You sure you don't want to get married?
Daphne: After we win the War. I can't be expected to keep a proper house and spy at the same time.
Eddie: I keep house and spy on people.
Daphne: I said a proper house. All right, there we go. Pass up my purse please and don't forget my shoes.
Eddie: What's wrong with my house?
Daphne: Can you pull yourself up with my help or do I need to find a rope or a ladder?
Eddie: A ladder would probably be nice.
Daphne: There's bound to be a janitor around here somewhere.
THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE!
Four people separated by a continent and a century...
Caught in the same trap...
How did they get there? Who is pulling the strings?
This summer three fictional characters and one writer are on a collison course with destinity...
They're only sure of one thing, time is running out.
Don't miss Two Elevators...
A writing exercise that will blow your mind!
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