Monday, February 20, 2012

Practicing on Celtx


My latest submission to my CHPerc Group. I'm trying to get used to using Celtx for Script Frenzy in April, so for some of the prompts, I'm attempting to write in screenplay format -- which isn't easy when one is supposed to be using the prompts for "free writing."

Some of the prompts I used, either the words or in spirit:

A time when I felt awe/wonder/reverence was then
When I no longer live on earth, I shall miss
My biggest surprise in life
If necessary, I would have been willing to die for


INT. INTERNATIONAL MOON BASE STATION - OBSERVATION DECK -        
          NIGHT                                                            
                                                                           
          KENT (25 - 40) is standing in front of the enormous window       
          on the Moon Base Observation Deck, watching the Earthrise        
          

          There are a few others on deck, having private conversations,          
          walking in and out of the scene in the background. 
          ALICE (25 - 35) walks up and joins him.                                    
                                                                           
                              KENT                                         
                         (Noticing Alice’s arrival)                        
                    Kind of romanitic, isn’t it?                           
                                                                           
                              ALICE                                        
                    Almost makes me miss it.                               
                                                                           
                              KENT                                         
                    Almost? I thought you had some                         
                    leave time coming up.                                  
                                                                           
                              ALICE                                        
                         (Smiling)                                         
                    Just long enough to get my earthly                     
                    affairs in order.                                      
                                                                           
                              KENT                                         
                         (Excitedly)                                       
                    You got assigned to one of the                         
                    colonies?                                              
                                                                           
                              ALICE                                        
                    Just found out this morning!                           
                                                                           
                              KENT                                         
                    You lucky dog! Man! I would almost                     
                    die for a chance to live on the                        
                    moon!                                                  
                                                                           
                              ALICE                                        
                    Uh, hello? You have been living on                     
                    the moon for the past two months!                      
                                                                           
                              KENT                                         
                    You mean I’ve been deployed here.                      
                                                                           
                              ALICE                                        
                    Same thing with the colonies. I’ll                     
                    still be serving for the next                          
                    eighteen months.                                       
    
                              KENT                                         
                    And then what?                                         
                                                                           
                              ALICE                                        
                    Depending on how things go, I’ll                       
                    have the option to stay in the                         
                    colony as a civilian, or I can                         
                    re-enlist and stay on in the                           
                    service, with promotions, of                           
                    course. And then there’s the option                    
                    of becoming a civilian and going                       
                    back to Earth...                                       
                                                                           
                              KENT                                         
                    You say that like it’s a bad thing.                    
                    Not that I disagree, but still,                        
                    there would be a few things I would                    
                    miss.                                                  
                                                                           
                              ALICE                                        
                    Like what?                                             
                                                                           
                              KENT                                         
                    Like any of my friends and family                      
                    members who are still back on                          
                    earth. Like certain foods and                          
                    products that won’t be available in                    
                    the colonies yet.                                      
                                                                           
                              ALICE                                        
                    My family is gone except for a few                     
                    distant relatives, who I can keep                      
                    up with online --if I even want to                     
                    do that. The vast majority of my                       
                    friends are the ones I made in the                     
                    service. Many of them will already                     
                    be in the colonies, or will be                         
                    there soon. If not, again, that is                     
                    what we have the internet for.                         
                                                                           
                              KENT                                         
                    What about surfing? Going to the                       
                    beach? Skiing? Even with the                           
                    terraforming, they won’t have real                     
                    beaches or snowy mountain tops.                        
                                                                           
                              ALICE                                        
                    Are you aware that a significantly                     
                    large number of Earthlings live in                     
                    states or territories that are                         
                    landlocked, and will never see the                     
                    ocean in person? The same goes for                     
                    snowy mountain tops. You’ve seen                       
                    the pictures of the results of the                     
                    terraforming, and it’s beautiful                       
                    there! They have lakes, rivers,                        
                    streams.                                               
                                                                           
                              KENT                                         
                    So, you’re going to live in a cabin                    
                    in the woods on the Moon?                              
                                                                           
                              ALICE                                        
                    Ha ha. Not quite. At least, not                        
                    while I’m still in the service.                        
                                                                           
                              KENT                                         
                         (Shaking his head)                                
                    Well, I still envy you, Lt.                            
                    Pleasance.                                             
                                                                           
                              ALICE                                        
                    Actually, Lt. Clark, you don’t have                    
                    to envy me...                                          
                                                                           
          Alice pulls a folded document from her back pocket               
                                                                           
                              ALICE                                        
                         (cont.)                                           
                    Your orders came in today!                             
                                                                           
          Kent grabs the document from Alice.                              
                                                                           
                              KENT                                         
                                                                           
          He is very excited, and can barely contain himself.              
                    Ho-lee shi--(Kent looks around,                        
                    remembering there are other people                     
                    nearby) This is fantastic!                             
                                                                           
                              ALICE                                        
                    The Captain let me tell you, but he                    
                    wants to see you in his office                         
                    A.S.A.P.                                               
                                                                           
                              KENT                                         
                    On my way!                                             
                                                                           
          Kent excitedly goes to hug Alice, then remembering where he      
          is, starts to give her a fist bump, aborts that, salutes and     
          exits.                                                           
                                                                           
                                                            END SCENE.     
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           
                                                                           

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