In honor of screenwriters

During April, the folks over at National Novel Writing Month (or Nanowrimo or Nano, for short) run their sister competition -- Script Frenzy. Whereas the goal of Nano is to write 50k words in a month, thereby completing a draft book manuscript, the goal of Script Frenzy is to complete 100 pages of scripted material in 30 days.

This. Basically.

I've never participated in Script Frenzy myself. I've done Nano for three years running, and I figure one pseudo-masochistic writing competition a year is enough for me. But though I'm not formally signed up, in honor of the competition I did try my hand at writing a screenplay. The below is a portion adapted from chapter eight of Chronicle of Angels and Men. You may recall this chapter is simply titled "Angels and Men." 


If you've never tried it, let me tell you adapting scripted material from prose such as a novel is a lot more complicated than you might imagine. (It was certainly moreso than I imagined.) But all in all it was fun and educational.

I'd say also that knowing is half the battle, but 

that might be crossing too many memes.

There is a slight *SPOILER* warning here if you haven't ready Chronicle of Angels and Men yet (what are you waiting for!). So just a heads up. But for a little context, in this scene Agamatsu (shortened to 'Matsu' in the script for added readability) attempts to convince Arameus to betray his Human allegiances, and we also are given some insight into the Others' past.


By the way, if you're interested in screenplays yourself and the like, make sure you get in on the competition next year. If you're feeling frisky, you can probably even still sign up for the remaining 20 days of this year's challenge. Either way, be sure to check out the sample screenplay below, and let me know if what you think.  ~Tet

Excerpts from Chronicle of Angels and Men - Publish Date 6.30.2011
Adapted for Screen

EXT.  BELOW WORLD – CITY OF NAYRETH – EARLY EVENING

Nayreth is a city in the Below World and where the king resides. During the day, the city is often bustling with activity, as people greet one another and tend to their homes and small businesses. To Humans, the city might have a historical feel. There are no towering skyscrapers, and homes are modest, often more colonial in style.

The largest structure is the palace of the king, which rests at the north end of the city on the edge of a stunning underground lake. The area surrounding the lake itself has been encapsulated by the massive tree roots pushing through from the soil above and forming a sort of lovely enclosure. While Nayreth is easily as large as Augusta City in expanse, it is in no way comparable to Augusta’s complexity.

INT.  NAYRETH PALACE – ARAMEUS’ CHAMBERS – EARLY EVENING

Having finished his meeting with Kouna, MATSU returns from the Above World to bring the news to ARAMEUS. Arameus is reclined, with a nearby attendant seeing to his condition.

As Matsu enters, Arameus turns and attempts to sit himself up. Arameus looks visibly weary from the effort.

              ARAMEUS

     Ma-… Matsu…  

              MATSU

          (bowing)     

     My liege…

              ARAMEUS

     How did it…go…?

              MATSU

          (approaching)

     Not well…

              ARAMEUS

     No…?

              MATSU

          (visibly sneering)

He is sending the supplies, but… he refuses to deal with any but you again. He refused me outright today. 

    

              ARAMEUS

Well… I suppose we’ve little choice… but to deal with him on his terms…

              MATSU

I struggled at every moment not to tear his throat from his neck.

              ARAMEUS

     –Matsu…

              MATSU

I am sorry, Sire, but he is a devious man, this Kouna. I do not trust him.

              ARAMEUS

You don’t trust anyone – least of all Humans.

              MATSU (V.O.)

     I could not contest it.

The attendant finishes rewrapping Arameus’ arm. Arameus is visibly in discomfort, catching and holding his breath with each movement, as he shifts slightly.

Matsu notices the pained expression in Arameus’ face, and Matsu too grits his teeth alongside each wince.

              MATSU

     You don’t look well. You should get your rest.

              ARAMEUS

I have… been resting. The plague is indiscriminate, friend. It attacks whether weak or rested.

              MATSU

(catches Arameus by the arm, helping to reposition him)

It discriminates greatly. It cripples only Others and leaves Humans in peace. That’s a fine definition of bigotry, I would say.

              ARAMEUS

     Of your logic, I once again can’t disagree…

              MATSU (V.O.)

The plague had struck us without warning. 

HISTORY OF THE PLAGUE MONTAGE

EXT.  BELOW WORLD – VILLAGE – 30 YEARS AGO

INTERTITLE: NAYRETH, 30 YEARS AGO

Flashback to 30 years prior. The setting is similar to a Colonial America. The Below World consists of several townships and a handful of villages. In an Other village, people are going about their daily lives – tending to fields, walking with their families through the town square, etc.

          MATSU (V.O.)

As a people, we prided ourselves in our self-sufficiency, but in this we were wholly without response.  Sickness was not a trouble we’d dealt with in our former lives, even on the simplest of levels.  And to our despair, this was far from a simple ill. 

-One by one, people COLLAPSE, falling sick from the plague.

-The affected populous is small at first but grows steadily.

The affliction manifests itself initially with open sores, but these soon fade as the victim’s limbs become stiff and paralyzed, appearing to dry up.

-All the beds in the LOCAL SANATORIUM are filled, with new patients entering daily.

          MATSU (V.O.)

The plague was devastating, crippling our organs, one by one, robbing us of use of our limbs, and eventually killing us.  It was not a discreet assassin, and we had no evidence as to its cause beyond a few very thin working hypotheses.  As it was, the plague had not struck every one of us, though probably a good thirty percent or so had been affected.  I was of the other seventy. 

-Matsu ENTERS the NAYRETH PALACE LIBRARY to find Arameus COLLAPSED, seemingly a victim of the plague.

-Matsu RUSHES over to Arameus and CALLS out for help.

          MATSU (V.O.)

Arameus had been hit particularly hard with the illness, losing his left hand at the wrist, and his right arm at the shoulder.  It was at this point that we were advised into dealings with a Human benefactor by the name of Hiroyuki Kouna. 

INT.  ABOVE WORLD – OFFICES OF KOUNA HEAVY INDUSTRIES – NIGHT

-Arameus and Matsu WAIT in a darkly-lit room.

-Hiroyuki Kouna ENTERS. He comes alone but carries a BRIEFCASE bearing details of his business and available offices.

          MATSU (V.O.)

His arms were far-reaching in the Above World, and he was sympathetic to our plight.  He opened to us his offices of construct, commissioning prosthetic limbs by way of his metal and mechanica businesses in order to replace the crippled or discarded ones taken by the plague. 

WEEKS LATER

-Arameus and Matsu meet with Kouna again. As they enter the dimly-lit room, they find Kouna standing in wait.

-Beside Kouna are four large METAL CASES sitting on the floor, presumably containing experimental CURATIVE AGENTS.

-The CURATIVE AGENTS are successful is repressing some of the more painful qualities of the plague, but they cannot cure the condition.

              MATSU (V.O.)

He was, quite honestly and to our people, a Godsend. 

MANY WEEKS LATER

-Arameus and Matsu again meet with Kouna.

-Kouna eagerly DISCUSSES more of the details on their agreement and exchange.

-Also in attendance is a colleague of Kouna’s, who shows off some of the MECHANICA LIMBS to Arameus. 

-Matsu takes custody of more CASES of the CURATIVE AGENTS.

         

              MATSU (V.O.)

At first, he requested very little in return, only information – knowledge of our history and culture, our ancestry before us, the Angels and their story.  His curiosity was endless.  Rumor had it he had even taken an Other mistress.  Nevertheless, it seemed harmless and a small price to pay for salvation.  However, the time came when he requested of us something more. 

SEVERAL MONTHS LATER

-As Kouna comes to meet with Arameus and Matsu this time, Kouna brings with him four associates.

-The two dressed in suits are business aides, each carrying two METAL CANISTERS with the CURING AGENTS.

-The other two are research scientists, dressed accordingly, and each carrying a BRIEFCASE with research MATERIALS and TOOLS.

          MATSU (V.O.)

Hiroyuki was an ambitious man, kind to our people, but he craved power – supernatural power.  It was, in my opinion, something a man as resourceful as he should never have been allowed.  But with his people suffering, Arameus could not stand idly by and commit to their demise.  We were his new bride, after all.

LATER THAT NIGHT

-Kouna’s associates TAKE NOTES and RUN PHYSICALS on Arameus and Matsu.

              MATSU (V.O.)

But this man, Kouna, was a tinkerer.  He spoke so much of life and his interest in its very nature – what defined it, what defined death, what constituted sentient thought, how life was built – answers which escaped us now, but were theoretically all locked within the genetic codes of our Angel heritage.  For any other man, I would have thought his inquiries only the philosophical musings of a starstruck student.  But for this man, it seemed something more. 

-One of the research scientists produces a SYRINGE in the hopes of taking a BLOOD SAMPLE.

-Matsu and Arameus are immediately skeptical but eventually COMPLY.

              MATSU (V.O.)

And there came a time that he asked for a sampling of our blood – both plagued and healthy – he said to commit some resources toward devising a proper vaccine.  While we had no reason to doubt him – Kouna Heavy Industries did have a division of good repute devoted solely to medical research – the request struck as odd.  Arameus and I were prime candidates and so we complied, despite our suspicion of it all. 

-The researchers TAKE BLOOD SAMPLES, carefully placing each VIAL into a PADDED CASE as they complete the procedure.

DAYS LATER

-Arameus and Matsu meet once more with Kouna.

-Kouna has again brought his researchers and aides in tow.

          MATSU (V.O.)

However, it was only after he begged disclosure of the location of the Angel colony, information it had been agreed generations past would be kept in confidence despite the separation of our peoples, that we offered our first resistance toward him. 

-Arameus REFUSES to give up the location of the Above World ANGEL COLONY.

-Kouna looks ENRAGED and THREATENS to end their contract and cease aid.

MATSU (V.O.)

Kouna threatened to withhold from us his structured relief and aids. 

-Arameus STANDS FIRM in his refusal.

MATSU (V.O.)

But Arameus, caught between a centuries-old pact and love of his people, chose to trust his ancestry and called his bluff. It was not a bluff.

-We end on Kouna’s men closing up the CANISTERS containing of the CURATIVE AGENTS and taking them away.

END MONTAGE