Wishbone (23 pages in pdf format) by Jeremy Storey

Make a wish.

Snap! With the breaking of a wishbone from a simple chicken dinner, inspirational author Nick is sent down an alternate reality.

As an author, Nick has served as an inspiration to many a reader. Recently, though, Nick could use some inspiration himself. You see, he’s been down on his luck ever since a car accident took his wife, Chloe. Riddled with guilt and haunted by dreams (and perhaps his future self),

Nick contemplates just how he has ended up at this low point. But is there another way?

Enter Kat. Kat has just moved into Nick’s building, and it seems she has a past that haunts her as well. As their friendship grows, the parallels between Kat and Chloe become undeniable, and the line between fantasy and reality begins to blur. What unfolds is a dreamlike romance that defies reason and even time itself. All of this builds to an unforgettable finale that you’ll never see coming.

Filled with surreal imagery in the tradition of Vanilla Sky and Shutter Island (hey, if it’s good enough for Scorsese, it’s good enough for you!), Wishbone deftly delivers the kind of weighty rumination that continually garners accolades on the festival circuit. It is a confident, considerate, contemplation of life, and the choices we make, with a ponderous political pitch. Think Déjà Vu meets The Dead Zone. This is one script that will keep audiences and critics intrigued, entertained, and ultimately satisfied.

What more could you wish for? And – as collectors of Monkey Paws are well aware – be careful what you wish for, too.

Budget: Medium. Mainly because of script length. A scene involving a wrecked car may require some savvy directorial skill.

About the writer: Jeremy Storey has been writing on-and-off for the last fifteen years. He’s dabbled in stage plays, screenplays and shorts. He even wrote a novel once, but the less said about that effort, the better. He’s had a few things produced along the way – a feature (REWIND), two shorts (GOOD DEEDS and ADRIFTING) and a play (LAST CUP OF SORROW). He’s even done quite well in a number of screenwriting contests over the years. However, it’s the process of writing and collaborating on creative projects with likeminded folks that really makes him happy and content. He’s delighted to be asked to participate in Simplyscripts, and is genuinely looking forward to connecting with other writers, producers and directors. Contact him at jeremystorey (a) yahoo!

Read Wishbone (24 pages in pdf format)

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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: Dane Whipple comes in a little glass vial. A little glass vial? A little glass vial. He is currently working on that screenplay everybody keeps talking about: The Wild Age. Contact him at dane.whipple (AT) live.com

Over on the original scripts page are eighteen original scripts for your reading pleasure.

– Don

I am a regular (as of April) Patreon supporter of the Script Shop Show. I am one of two supporters of the show. That is important to remember as you listen to this podcast. You can imagine the look on my fact as I listened to this week’s show where they give a shout-out to the Patreon supporter who “Isn’t Allyson West’s Mom…”

It’s a great one.

They talk also about Bad Times at the El Royale (which I’m looking forward to watching).

They most importantly talk about this ‘must-read’ short script A New Suit by Matthew Muchka. It’s only 11 pages – a quick read.

An aspiring hitman is accompanied by his mentor to purchase a new suit for his first job.

Listen to the show and more importantly, please support them.

The Scripts of the April 2019 OWC

Theme: Vehicular Suspense
Genre: Horror
Challenge: The majority of your screenplay must heavily feature some sort of vehicle AND have at least one sequence of prolonged suspense. But that’s not all. This OWC has a twist. Gore is to be kept to a minimum. Put readers on the edge of their seat with suspense, don’t shock them with disturbing gore.

Check them out on the Original, Unproduced Scripts page.

*Note: Until May 5th, the names you see are not the author’s true names. If you are interested in producing any of these works, reach out to me and I’ll put you in touch with the writer.

– Don

Over on the Original Scripts page are twenty two original scripts for your reading pleasure.

– Don

Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are twenty four original scripts for your reading pleasure.

– Don

Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are 24 original scripts for your reading pleasure.

– Don

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Over on the Unproduced Scripts page are fifteen original scripts for your reading pleasure.

– Don

Terms of Engagement (10 pages in pdf format) by David Lambertson

Sometimes a break-up is the first step towards an engagement.

Man walks into a bar…

Typically to drown his sorrows over a woman.

David Lambertson’s, Terms Of Engagement opens with just this scenario.

The place is Sullivan’s Bar. Tending bar is Tina.

The date: Valentine’s Day.

The aforementioned Man seeking to drown his sorrows is James, replete with a box of chocolates, a dozen red roses, a red heart-shaped pillow and a sullen expression.

     Head bowed, muttering to himself, he lumbers to the bar.

When the roses are quickly dunked into a pitcher of beer and James slams back a shot of tequila we know Cupid’s arrow must have overshot its target. When James proceeds to bang his head into the pillow over and over we know there’s been trouble in paradise. What kind of trouble you might ask? Well, it seems Amy, James beloved, wanted something special this Valentine’s Day and James failed to deliver.

Hmm, something special… Yes, sometimes we girls speak in code. How fortuitous then that Tina is on hand, not only to offer a friendly ear and a kind word, but to also unravel that code for James.

Tina sets about telling James where he’s gone wrong –

            TINA
The pillow’s bout five bucks. The
roses are bound by a rubber band.
any florist worth their weight
would’ve bound them in a ribbon.
     (points at roses)
Those scream retail.
     (taps the box)
But those are the dead give-away.

James is about to discover that a heart-shaped pillow ‘made in China’ is not at all classy, that drug-store flowers don’t cut it, and that chocolates are a far more complicated purchase than he ever would have guessed.

            TINA
…You got your Godiva chocolates.
For my money, the best… but they aren’t
going to be on the shelf of your local grocery.
After that, you have your Sees Candies.
Not real expensive, but you have to actually
drive to a Sees store to get them. You know,
Make an effort. And then…
     (picks up the box)
You got your Whitman’s Samplers.

     No good, asks James?

     Only if you’re broke or if you’re twelve, says Tina.

And so proceeds James’ education in the art of love and all things special.

With its clever twist in the final act Terms Of Engagement is a delightfully funny RomCom in the style of How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days, and with the comedic insights of What Women Want.

FILMMAKERS: We trust you’ll know what you want especially when it’s right in front of your eyes. Best save the date pronto with the writer of this one though, lest it be booked out.

About the Writer, David Lambertson: I took up writing rather late in life having already been retired before I put pen to paper (okay – finger to computer key) for the first time. My favorite genres to read and write are dramedies and romantic comedies.

In addition to this short, I have written four features; “The Last Statesman” (a 2015 PAGE finalist and a Nicholl’s and BlueCat quarterfinalist), “The Beginning of The End and The End” (a PAGE Semi-Finalist). Taking Stock (a drama) and a new comedy – “Screw You Tube”. Want to learn more? Reach Dave at dlambertson (at) hotmail! And visit his website.

Read Terms of Engagement (10 pages in pdf format)

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

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About the reviewer: L. Chambers has been writing all her life – especially in her head, and on scraps of paper. It’s only in the last few years she began to get serious about screen-writing. Prior to this she worked in the Features Department for ABC TV as a Program Assistant, and trained as a FAD. She currently works as a freelance web-content editor and lives with her husband (also a screenwriter) in Sydney, Australia.