BLOG #13

Script Frenzy was a new type of experience for me that I was not used to. At first when we were given the assignment I was apprehensive, and unsure if I was going to be able to finish it and be able plan out the entire script to be ready in a month. I felt pressure to think of a strong idea right away and to get planning as soon as possible. I realized we had alot more time than I thought and the packet was really helpful in planning out scenes and characters. Without the packet I probably would have gotten stuck or bored later on in the project. Since we have been working on Script frenzy for so long, I am glad it is finally over. We planned out or script for awhile but towards the end of the project we lost our motivation to keep writing. After awhile it became hard to keep thinking of where to take the script next. Now that the project is completely done, I feel relieved however I did not reach my page count. I set an unrealistic goal of 80 pages and that was hard to achieve. In the Script Frenzy packet the outline was definitely the most helpful. Without it I would not have had as much of a solid idea and I wouldn't have known where to take my story. I didn't think the character bios helped that much, I already knew how to personify my character and the bios just took up time. Plus, I ended up changing some characters and adding new ones in anyways. Throughout this project I learned to keep writing even when it was challenging or if I was stuck. I learned to not self-edit and to just keep going with an idea. I learned to manage my time, even though I only wrote roughly 20 pages, I would try to write one or two a day. I learned that script writing is not as easy as it seems and a plan of action is needed before each day of writing. Without some sort of plan for the day the writing will be sloppy and the writing will get boring. My page goal was 80, and although I only wrote about 20 I still feel as though I planned my time well. Maybe I could have written more however I wrote as much as I could each day and Trevor and I would alternate. The page count goal was too high and so next time if I were to do this again I would not aim so high. In my script I like how we stayed true to the characters and their personalities. We also stayed true with the story line and the plot. At some points of the script it can be boring and not entertaining. I would change this by looking back at the script and adding in some action as well as new characters. Finally, I feel as though we spent a lot of time on Script Frenzy and I have become tired with my script. If I were given the opportunity to do this again I would completely change the idea of my script and go in a totally different direction. Overall this was a fun project and I enjoyed working on it.

BLOG #12

With writing a great scene comes knowledge of the character's behavior, proper setting and a steady plan. My scene delves into Baxter's mind and his internal thoughts and daydreams. The scene really explores his thoughts on his dad leaving him and how it effects him everyday. By him being embaressed in the beginning of the scene, it expresses his troubles with school. When he has a daydream of his birthday party, it is demonstrated how he has memory of his dad but it is slowly fading away. I am proud of my scene because of how I characterize Baxter: a troubled kid who daydreams about the way things used to be. He misses his father and all he really wants in life is a chance to see him again. However, with first drafts comes much needed room for improvement. At times this scene can be cliche, and the teacher is a little too bold. In a movie script it is important for the dialogue to be realistic, if that is what you intend to do. My script is intended to be realistic and easy to relate to. If I had the chance to re-write it I would add in more of the daydream, with pieces missing and it being a little more vague. A daydream or flashback is usually very foggy with things that just cannot be remember. It would be more realistic if Baxter couldn't fully remember what happened on his birthday with his father when he was young. I would change the way the teacher approaches him and not have him embaress Baxter in front of the whole class when he asks him about the appointment. In reality, a teacher would probably not do that to a student but I would still make Baxter feel uncomfortable to show his dislike for school and the appointments. This scene is short but concise and true to Baxter's character.

BLOG #11

Caroline Hess and Trevor Canham

BLOG #11

INT. WILMONT HIGH SCHOOL – HIGH SCHOOL – DAYTIME

It is a Monday morning, and everyone is bustling to get to their next class. BAXTER is walking alone in the halls, face down, until KENNETH comes running toward him. They stop at BAXTER’S locker to have a quick chat.

KENNETH

Baxter! Before the bell rings I need to show you the tickets my dad bought me and him for the concert next Saturday! I can’t believe they already came! I mean, my dad just ordered them and they’re already here! I’m so excited!

KENNETH pulls two TICKETS out of his backpack.

BAXTER

Oh, wow. That sounds really fun.

KENNETH

(Not noticing the change in his friend’s behavior) I’m so excited…I wish we could take you but it’s more of a son- father bonding thing, you know how those things go. Shoot, I think I forgot a book in my locker. I’ll see you later on the bus!

BAXTER

Oh…alright, I might see you later I have some things to do after school

 Baxter is in a daze the whole day. His teachers call on him and he does not know what they are discussing. Finally the last bell rings and Baxter gets on the bus. When he gets home he opens his garage. He sees two fishing poles and shows a look of determination. He grabs the poles and leaves the garage.

Blog #10

Caroline Hess and Trevor Canham

Blog #10

KENNETH

Baxter! Before the bell rings I need to show you the tickets my dad bought me and him for the concert next Saturday! I can’t believe they already came! I mean, my dad just ordered them and they’re already here! I’m so excited!

BAXTER

Oh, wow. That sounds really fun.

KENNETH

(Not noticing the change in his friend’s behavior) I’m so excited…I wish we could take you but it’s more of a son- father bonding thing, you know how those things go. Shoot, I think I forgot a book in my locker. I’ll see you on the bus!

BAXTER

Oh…alright, I might see you later I have some things to do after school

Baxter then goes home on the bus. He opens his garage to let himself in the house. Two fishing poles catch his eye. He remembers being like Kenneth, his father’s only son and proud of it. Now he realizes he wishes his dad had not left without even a real goodbye. He drops his bag and grabs the fishing pole and heads to the pond.

Blog #9

JANICE

(sigh) Baxter, what do you want for breakfast? I have to get going soon and I am already rushing.

BAXTER

(shrugs) Do you really care...? I’ll just make something for myself after I pack my bag.

JANICE

Baxter, you cannot just shut me out like that…I’m trying my best to provide for you and if you don’t like that then I’m sorry! Now go upstairs and get ready for school. We’re leaving in ten minutes.

BAXTER

Just forget it, I’m not even hungry anyways.

Blog #8

Creating effective dialogue is very crucial to a script because it pushes the story forward. The three most important things about dialogue in a script are the dialogue itself,  the description, and the action. The dialogue has to be able to carry the story or else the audience will get bored. The dialogue must intrigue the audience and have something that sets it apart from other scripts (maybe it is particularly witty or funny). Next, describing scenes and emotions are very important if the script is going to turn out how the writer envisions it Finally there must be some sort of action pushing through or else the script has no content. The dialogue must keep the main plot going, rising to the climax. These three elements are very key to creating an effective script.

Blog #7 THe Hollywood Formula

Opening Scene: There is a road heading towards a sunrise with peacefully swaying grass beside it. This setting is calm and a small bug flutters by. A man and his young son stand hand in hand looking ahead at the horizon. Although they say nothing, the man looks at his son and begins to run away from the boy. Looking scared and confused, the boy chases after him but goes nowhere. The man runs out of sight and is gone. The young boy looks hopelessly at the sky as it begins to turn a misty gray. This picture fades out and now is focused on the same boy, only now he is in his bed. The audience now realizes what happened previously to this boy was a dream. The boy sighs, turns off his blaring alarm clock, and stumbles out of bed.

Setting Up The Story: Because Baxter’s father abandoned the family he feels lonely and insecure as well as hopeless because he has given up on the fact that he will ever return. Baxter’s Mom is very busy with work, mostly to keep her mind off her failed marriage. During Baxter’s time at school he avoids confrontation with other people except for his friend Kenneth.

Inciting Incident: One day Baxter is in school on a particularly bad day and is contemplating his life and the situation he is in. He thinks about all of his problems and he decides that the most prominent one is the guilt that he feels for his father leaving and his family breaking apart. He goes home after school and goes through his garage and finds his old fishing pole that he used to use with his dad when he was still around and he decides that he’s going to take it out and go fishing at the old pond that his father and he used to go to. Baxter heads down to the dock and sits on the edge and casts out his line. He waits awhile but he suddenly notices that a huge fish is near his line and he leans over to take a look. The fish quickly grabs his line and Baxter, being as light as he is falls into the water. He falls headfirst and hits a rock and is immediately knocked out. Luckily a passerby saw the event and jumped in and saved Baxter but unfortunately Baxter was without oxygen for too long and went into a coma. He is brought to the Hospital and his mother and grandfather stay with him there.

Blog #6

Caroline Hess and Trevor Canham

 Script Frenzy Blog #6

1.  SET-UP  Baxter Goodman lives at home with his single mom, although sometimes he feels as though he is alone. His Mother’s extremely busy work schedule rarely ever leaves time for a cooked meal or a night for them to discuss each of their days. His father left the family years ago, so at this stage in Baxter’s teenage life he definitely feels abandoned and hopeless. The scene opens up with a man and his son standing on a road. The boy calls for his dad however he will not respond. The man starts running, leaving the boy behind. The son begins to cry as the man disappears out of sight. Baxter then wakes up, realizing he has just dreamt this. Many nights a week he has vivid dreams and they always relate to his absent father. Baxter is bullied at his school and not very well-liked. He has one friend, Kenneth, who is one year younger than Baxter. Kenneth and Baxter do not really discuss Baxter’s home life problems but Kenneth does know what he is going through. Baxter’s main internal conflict is the guilt he feels because he believes as though he drove his father away.

2.     INCITING INCIDENT: One day at school Baxter is sitting at his desk and thinking about his life. He realizes how depressed he has become and he starts to think of some way to turn his life around. He thinks about all of the problems he is dealing with at home as well as at school. He realizes that the bullying and the loneliness that he feels do not compare to the guilt he carries for his father leaving.  Later on as Baxter is walking into his garage after school and sees the fishing pole he and his dad used to use. Years have passed since he has gone out on the water and for some reason today he decides to because he needs time to think about his life. He goes down to the dock at the local fishing pond and just sits there and casts out his line. After waiting for a while he sees an unusually large fish in the water near where his hook is, he leans over to take a look and sees that the fish had taken his bait. The fish jerks forward and due to the slipperiness of the Baxter slips in and hits his head and is knocked unconscious. Luckily, a small boy and his dad were approaching the pond and saw this all happen, and when the father saw that Baxter had fallen in and was not coming up he immediately ran to save him. The man successfully saves Baxter from the water and calls an ambulance.  He is taken to the hospital and the doctors tell his mother and grandmother that he is in a coma.

3.     RISING ACTION...Events that build up to the climax:

·        Baxter is in the hospital and has a coma, his mother and grandpa stand by his bedside

·        Baxter “wakes up” in his mind in his bedroom, he remembers his “dream” about him falling in water

·        He sets off for the quest to find his dad, bringing along his good friend Kenneth, who surprisingly complies with the idea of going on this quest.

·        They find out where Baxter’s dad is now and go to find him.

·        Baxter’s dad finds out he is in a coma and goes to the hospital

4.   CLIMAX: Baxter’s mom is confused when his dad shows up in the hospital and is still spiteful because he left. She does not let him back into the family. Baxter dreams of finding his dad and realizes he does not need him anymore. The reason he left was because he was an unfit parent and Baxter and Kenneth leave together.

5.   FALLING ACTION: After three weeks Baxter wakes up finally from his coma. He realizes that finding his dad was just a dream and he wakes up to the cruel world he left. Baxter and his mom talk about how his dad came back. Although Baxter did not reconnect with his dad in reality, him and his mom have bonded as well as his grandpa.

6.    RESOLUTION: Baxter’s dad is still out of his life but Baxter has changed drastically and built a relationship with his mom and has developed more friends because he has become less shy. His grandpa has become a strong male figure in his family and Baxter is content with his life.

BLOG #5 (logline)

A scrawny and troubled boy, desperate to find his father, goes to great lengths to search for him even if it costs him his life.

Script Frenzy Logline

A scrawny and troubled boy, desperate to find his father, will go to great lengths to search for him even if it costs him his life.

Blog #3 6-Word Memoirs I Like!

"Acceptance is peaceful. Hope is playful." This provokes emotion  because I always have a strong feeling of hope for most situations. Hope is something you can rely on in a situation where the outcome is unclear. Accepting something will take courage yet give you peace of mind in the end when you know a final solution or answer.

"Everything and nothing-Snowday's promise." I thought this memoir was funny because of the oxymoron. It makes you think for a second and every kid understands what it is saying. It means everything to not have a day of school yet most kids end up doing nothing on a snow day in the end.

"Pain to purpose. Found new self." This memoir says so much in only six words. I like it because of the message it gives out while not even using full sentences. One can re-invent themself with the right mind set by becoming bigger than the struggles that has captured them.

"Left with memories I can't erase." This memoir is interesting because it provokes thought. You wonder, what memories does this person wish could be erased? What happened in the past that they wish didn't? By asking this, it makes you realize the memories you hold close to you and the ones you wish you could let go of.

"Serenity to heart. Changed what could." This 6-word memoir spoke to me and made me think of my favorite quote: "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." This  memoir says alot about the person who wrote it and it can say alot about all of us as well. We need to realize what we can and cannot change, and learn to accept it to have peace at heart.

Blog #2- Goals for this semester!

This semester I intend on expressing myself thoroughly within my writing. Making my voice come to life is one of the writing aspects I plan to work on. I want to explore new topics as well as dive deeper into my thoughts and go beyond what I have so far. Also, one of my goals is to write a little more each day. A way I can monitor my progress would be to time a writing session and try to write longer the next day. By writing more each day, my ideas will flow more and I can develop topics I want to pursue. Just like a sport, writing takes practice. By writing a little more each day I can practice my skills and hopefully evolve into a better writer. I would like to start writing more poems because the free style lets a writer develop their own original piece. There are no limitations with poems which make them  very individualistic. A goal for me this semester is to write more poems during my sessions each day. To make these goals more probable I will push myself and work hard to develop my voice in the writing world.

First Blog Ever!

Hi reader! I'm Caroline. Welcome to my blog! I hope you will find my posts fun and enjoyable to read. My favorite style of writing is stories or memoirs. Hopefully throughout my creative writing class I will find new styles that I enjoy as well. Writing is a great way to express yourself and there are pretty much no limitations. Writing can open new doors of your imagination that you did not even know existed! Writing for me is a tool that I know I will always have. As well as writing, I enjoy playing the piano and other instruments. Music is incorporated with writing because lyrics are poems. I enjoy writing poems and lyrics and I hope to get better as I progress in this creative writing class. I will most likely incorporate my love for music in my future blogs. Reader, I hope you can watch my writing excel as my blog grows more vast.