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Confessions of an
11-year-old Screenwriter
The bus is filled to its capacity as the DRIVER blares classic Eric Clapton ROCK from scratchy speakers near the front. A group of BOYS play keep-away with a younger child’s backpack. Nearby, three GIRLS sit in a seat gossiping and pointing at the boys. Further back sits Jen, alone in one of the enormous, ripped, tacky green seats. She opens up her bag and pulls out a Lisa Frank trapper keeper, then fishes inside for a notebook and pen.
CU of the notebook as she opens it up and writes “FUTURE PLANS” in big letters across the top. She taps the pen on the page twice and stares off into space.
ADULT JEN (V.O.)
I had no idea where to begin.
INT. BOOKSTORE- NIGHT
Jen waits in a long line of patrons buying paperbacks and a WOMAN walks by with a stack of Sue Grafton novels. Jen follows.
JEN
Excuse me. How do I be a screenwriter?
EXT. BOOKSTORE- NIGHT
We see Jen leave the store with two full shopping bags.
INT. JEN’S BEDROOM- NIGHT
Jen flips on the lights and pushes play on the stereo. Loud early 90’s pop music comes BLARING from the speakers as she goes to her bed and puts the few pennies she has left back in her piggy bank. She sets the bank on the nightstand and sits at her desk, pulling open the shopping bags.
She opens up “The Writer’s Market” and begins flipping through it.
ADULT JEN (V.O.)
A bible for writers with publishers as gods and agents as saints— “The Writer’s Market” was just the book I needed.
Jen reaches in the other bag to take out Syd Field’s Screenplay.” Realizing she’ll need her full concentration, she switches off the music and returns to her seat with the books. She grabs “The Writer’s Market” again and starts to read.
INT. LIBRARY- DAY
Jen’s MOM, an attractive brunette woman with glasses, pushes a cart of books and leads Jen to the nonfiction section of the library. She points out the shelf labeled “writing” out to Jen.
JEN
Thanks, mom.
Jen opens up her Esprit bag and begins to sweep the books off the shelf and into it.
ADULT JEN (V.O.)
Next, I put some frequent flyer miles on my library card by checking out the entire screenwriting section. I needed to teach myself how to write a professional looking script.