Click: Elements of a Scene, Part Duex

You gotta start somewhere. Here's as good as any. The first paragraph of the scene called "Click"



Click, click, click.

Half the bottle of Jack is already gone and the best I can find on TV are re-runs of trivia game shows. I have the bottle by the neck hanging at the side of my recliner. My other hand is busy working the remote. The light from the TV strobes against the walls in rhythm with my thumb. The room oscillates between blackness and hot, white flashes while I surf daytime programming. For seconds at a time the room is black hole empty. Then bright as the sun hiding behind closed curtains. Half full. Half empty. Just like my bottle.



More to come...

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?