We had a writing challenge on the discussion board.

Create a realistic world where a certain major world event never happened. At the same time, the altered event is not your story, your story simply takes place in the altered world.

This was a difficult challenge. I think we had more people drop out then entered. This topic engendered quite the lively discussion.

Thanks to Sean “Mr. Blonde” Chipman (writer of Christmas Crime Story for leading the challenge and coming up with a stumper of a theme.

Signal Fire by Neil Percival Young – How will anyone find their way in a brave new world? 13 pages (Short, Adventure)

A New Plan For Fat Man by Ny Name Here – Leaders of the United States Armed Forces debate whether they should declare war with Germany or stay home and savor their victory in the Pacific. 11 pages (Short, Drama)

Fire and Water by Deep Throat – Ben Bradlee’s decision to ignore the Watergate break-in comes back to haunt him four years later as Woodward & Bernstein try to prevent the Presidency of E. Howard Hunt. 15 pages (Short, Crime, Thriller, Drama, Political, Historical Fiction)

Sapere Aude by Kant – The leader of a boys’ club for troubled teens finds himself in a war with the most powerful, corrupt, cruel entity in the world, the unchecked Catholic Church. 12 pages (Short, Adventure, War, Religion)

Miss Yemmie by Hollis Brown – The Soviet Union’s plan to restart its failed Sputnik Program prompts the United States to build a new space center at the remote home of an aging prostitute. 11 pages (Short, Drama)

Not Even God Himself by Buckwheat – When a travel agency undertakes the most ambitious voyage into space in the history of mankind, the men responsible are faced with the consequences of endangering a hundred thousand lives. 13 pages (Short, Sci Fi, Drama)

Operation Downfall by Night Train – The atomic bombings against Japan never happened. The invasion of Japan did. 15 pages (Short, Action)

The Broken Kingdom by Some Guy – Set in an alternate timeline in which Guy Fawkes and his co-conspirators blew up parliament and overthrew the monarchy. On the 513th anniversary of this historical event, a French-American businessman, on his first visit to Great Britain, finds himself on the run and embroiled with terrorists after he inadvertently commits an act of heresy. 14 pages (Short, Fantasy, Historical)

The 13th Generation by E Pluribus Unum – Texting obsessions takes over a company’s communication as a car designer gets a promotion. 15 pages (Short, Comedy, Satire)

Full Circle by Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Logline – {no logline} 11 pages (Short, Drama)

Olympic by The Sullivan Brothers – Two US marines and two young schoolgirls must find a way to survive the American invasion of Japan. 14 pages (Short, War)

Hell Bent (10 pages in pdf format) by John Staats writing as Louis No’mour (JEStaats)

Three bandits on the run must choose their own path to Peace.

Three horseback riders must ride through an Indian cemetery to get to freedom. But Indians don’t like it when white folks wake them up.

Characters – 3 main
Locations – 3 – desert, mountains, hotel
CGI – skeletons, ghostly horses, real horses

John Staats is a talented and prolific writer who can be reached at: jestaats (a) hotmail.com.

This is an October 2017 One Week Challenge is a short. The OWC is a screenwriting exercise wherein writers are given a week to write a short script on the theme and genre provided. These are quickly done and may be a little rough around the edges considering the short time frame in which they are written.

This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

About the reviewer: Khamanna Iskandarova has several features completed, as well as a dozen shorts, some of which have been independently produced. Khamanna can be reached at khamanna (a) hotmail. Check out her IMDB Creds

Living Nightmare (10 pages in pdf format) by Warren Duncan

A woman with severe Insomnia finally gets some rest, but it comes with horrific consequences.

Two identical twins, Jemma and Cassie, used to be inseparable. One day Jemma leaves without a notice. Everything goes downhill since then. Cassie develops severe insomnia that wouldn’t let go. Her doctor finally finds a cure – now Cassie can fall asleep and see Jemma in her dreams all she wants.

Characters – 2 main, 1 episodical
Location – 3 – 2 houses, doctor’s office

About the Writer: Warren Duncan is a multi produced writer from Australia. He has email and can be reached at Warren_Duncan (a) hotmail.com. He has a website where you can find his screenplays.

This is an October 2017 One Week Challenge is a short. The OWC is a screenwriting exercise wherein writers are given a week to write a short script on the theme and genre provided. These are quickly done and may be a little rough around the edges considering the short time frame in which they are written.

This screenplay may not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.

About the reviewer: Khamanna Iskandarova has several features completed, as well as a dozen shorts, some of which have been independently produced. Khamanna can be reached at khamanna (a) hotmail. Check out her IMDB Creds.

Over on the Original Scripts page are thirty scripts for your reading pleasure.

Also, Who Wrote What for the October One Week Challenge.

Writer’s Choice will be announced at a later time.

– Don

In the run up to Halloween we had screenwriting exercise – the One Week Challenge. It was lead by the productive and talented Khamanna. The theme was “Phobias” and the genre – Thriller, Drama, Horror. The scripts are submitted anonymously for the first week or so. (If you have any interest in any of the scripts before the writers are announced, please contact me.)

So, over on the Unproduced Scripts page are thirty original, short scripts for your reading pleasure.

– Don

One Week Challenge scripts…

…are in the process of being posted. You can begin reading them on the discussion board.

– Don

You have seven days to write a screenplay between 6 and 12 pages. The screenplay must be properly formatted and in PDF format on the following theme:

Fight that Phobia

Genre: Drama, Thriller, Horror
Rating: Children / Young Adult / Adult
Budget: Open

A character must possess and fight some kind of phobia. And, the last line of dialogue should contain “Rest in Peace”. Here is a list of phobias for inspiration.

The scripts are due on Friday, October 20 at 11:59PM HAST (Baker Island Time – this is the last place in the world that it is October 20th in the world aka GMT-12) and must be submitted to: SimplyScripts.com/owc.

Timeline:
October 13 at 12 Midnight GMT – Theme and Genre announced.
October 20th at 11:59PM HST (GMT-12) – Scripts are due to SimplyScripts.com/owc (check the timer on the Discussion Board)
October 22st (Sunday edt) – Scripts Posted
October 29th – Writer’s Choices submitted
October 31th – Names and writer’s choice revealed.

The Gist

6 – 12 pages, properly formatted & saved as a PDF file, Script submitted anonymously, Free to submit*, This isn’t a contest. There are no prizes. One entry per person.

You can revise your script as many times as you wish up until the deadline.

Participants are strongly encouraged to read and comment/review the scripts submitted.

Do not put your real name on your script. However, please use your real name when submitting your script. (After the challenge closes you can either have your script removed or resubmit with your script with your name on it.)

Please put © 2017 on the bottom left corner of your title page.

There will be a Writer’s Choice wherein the participants (and only the participants) will be asked to rate the scripts.

Questions? Post ’em on the Discussion Board.

The theme and genre will be announced this Friday the 13th at Midnight Greenwi[t]ch Mean Time.

Scripts will be due Friday the 20th at Midnight HAST (Baker Island Time)

This will be open to all comers.

And it is free. (Not a contest).

We had a quick challenge – 3 page scripts in three days. Two options:

Location: A Retirement Home
Object: A Jump Rope
or
Location: A Church
Object: A Pair of Dice

Check them out!