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Confessions of an
11-year-old Screenwriter
INT. LIVING ROOM- DAY
Jen curls up on the couch and reads the letter. CU of the large white envelope that bears the “Seinfeld” logo.
ADULT JEN (V.O.)
It was an encouraging blow-off letter, stating that they didn’t accept unagented, unsolicited submissions, but it was beautiful. I didn’t recognize the name of the writer; he introduced himself as a member of the staff and sprinkled the words “sincerely” and “thank you” throughout. But he’d read my work and cared enough to send it back.
Jen empties the rest of the contents of the envelope and her script falls on her lap. She flips through the battered copy and begins reading. The pages are dog-eared and spotted with coffee stains.
ADULT JEN (V.O.)
(Con’t)
I suddenly felt very self-conscious. My script had been read indeed or else simply used as a coaster. Jerry Seinfeld himself could have looked at something I’d whipped up on my Mac. I’m glad I hadn’t spent too much time considering this possibility beforehand or I never would’ve had the courage to send it in the first place.
EXT. JOHANS BACKYARD- DAY
Jen sits on a swing and opens a large blue envelope bearing the “Coach” logo. She pulls out a letter and begins to smile.
ADULT JEN (V.O.)
A few weeks later that summer, I received correspondence from “Coach.” This time, the response was completely different. I’d received my very first fan letter and the writer was none other than TV and film writer/director/producer Barry Kemp. He said that he’d enjoyed the script I’d submitted and added that I’d beaten him to an early start writing—he’d begun his career at seventeen. He was amazingly kind, encouraging and said he was impressed enough that he hoped I would contact him again when I was older, though I’ve never had the guts—deep down I still feel like that eleven year-old writer.
INT. JEN’S BEDROOM- NIGHT
Jen places her worn copies of Syd Field’s “Screenplay” and “The Writer’s Market” on her bookshelf and straightens up her desk.
ADULT JEN (V.O.)
I appreciated his advice and decided to keep working on my writing, experimenting with other genres and give my sitcom writing career a rest until I was a bit older.
INT. COMPUTER ROOM- NIGHT
23 year-old Jen sits at her small desk and types. Near her desk is a large oak bookshelf, housing numerous writer’s reference guides and film encyclopedias. Above it is a framed Scholastic Art and Writing Awards certificate for the “Silver Award” in dramatic screenwriting, earned when she was 15. She switches on the lamp to see better as she writes.
CU of the computer screen as she begins an essay on “Antonia’s Line.”
ADULT JEN (V.O.)
Film has always been the driving force in my life because it got me interested in writing and helped me become the person I am today. I still write diligently and have worked in all genres but film criticism and essays have always been a passion of mine. I would love to be a film critic someday.
INT. BOOKSTORE- DAY
In the creative writing/reference aisle, Jen reaches for a copy of “The Writer’s Market” and notices a small hand reaching up for the same sole copy. She looks down and notices a gawky, eleven year-old GIRL wearing glasses and a toothy smile. Jen smiles back and hands her the book.