Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Click: Elements of a Scene, Part I

I just started working on a new chapter and I thought I'd document my process. Before and After and all the work between. I'm calling this chapter/scene "Click" and all I did to start was write the dialog back-and-forth between Jerry and his girlfriend, Jill. Very bare bones right now, but my hope is that you get to watch this scene flesh out.



Jerry: What are you doing?
Jill: I have something to tell you.
Jerry: Well this is just going to make it hard to understand you
...
Jerry: So what's this for?
Jill: (mumbling)
Jerry: What's that?
Jill: What's the matter, baby?
Jerry: (slugs a gulp of Jack)
Jill: What is this?
Jerry: Look, just gimme a minute, okay?
Jill: No, Jerry (pulls a gun out of the chair) what the fuck is this?
Jerry: (finishes the bottle)
Jill: Jerry! Who's is this?
Jerry: Okay, calm down a second.
Jill: There's a gun stuck in your chair. A gun with bullets in your chair.
Jerry: Yes. No.
Jill: You don't even own a gun! Who's gun is this?
Jerry: Jill, just give me a second.
Jill: What are you doing with it? What are you doing with a loaded gun in this house?
Jerry: Look, it's not even loaded.
Jill: I don't care! What if we had a kid and she found THIS in her daddy's recliner?
Jerry: What are you talking about? It's not loaded.
Jill: What if she picked it up?
Jerry: Well we don't have to fucking worry about that, do we?
Jill: ...
Jerry: Do we!
Jill: ...
Jerry: Do we?
Jill: ...
Jerry: Jill, what did you want to tell me before?
Jill: Is it loaded?
Jerry: What did you want to tell me?
Jill: Tell me this gun isn't loaded.
Jerry: Jill--
Jill: Tell me you weren't lying to me!
Jerry: It's not loaded.
Jill: Swear.
Jerry: I swear.
Jill: On my life? (raises gun to her head)
Jerry: Jill, don't be stupid
Jill: Swear.
Jerry: Jill
Jill: On your child's life? (lowers gun to her stomach)
Jerry: ...
Jill: ...
Jerry: You said 'she' before.
Jill: ...
Jerry: You said 'what if SHE found it.'
Jill: You swear or you'll never find out.

Click?

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