Prosthetic Reportings - Part 2

    Jack shoved Justin to the corner of the newsroom showing him two cluttered desks. Atop one of the many mounds of papers laid a camera. "That's Greg," Jack said gesturing to a man peering behind said mountain of papers. "He's our photographer on our team. Across from him we have Monte-the man who blames everything on aliens or the government. Back there with the typewriter sleeping is Henry. He's past retirement age and shares various details about World War II-mostly when no one asks."
    Jack cleared some papers off a broken stool and pointed, "This here is your office-hope it's comfortable."
    Henry snored loudly as Justin set his bag down and he took a moment to asses his small working area. He jumped up and asked, "Wait! Sir, as a part of the team, what's my first assignment?"
    A woman rushed in between Justin and Jack, handing Jack a fresh cup of coffee, but quickly moved on. "You're first Assignment?" Jack contemplated and looked around for a moment. Follow Hilary Cane." He slurped his coffee slow as not to burn his tongue.
    "The actress? I thought we were a newspaper, not a tabloid."
    "Aw, he already thinks he's one of us." Greg said snapping a photo.
   Jack stepped closer handing Justin his coffee mug. "It's your first story. I'm giving you a light task." Jack swiped his coat from his desk chair and headed into the chaos of the newsroom. "Enjoy it while it lasts!" He yelled with slightly crazed eyes.

Prosthetic Reportings - Part 1

Technically I wrote this in my creative writing class last fall but, the character was a lot of fun to work with. It started out with having to create a story based on magazine clippings. The first picture I picked up was of a bunch of older guys and one young guy all looking at something out of view. Another was of an older gentlemen watching what looked like a race hoarse, and the third picture was of prosthetic legs and arms.

Here be Part 1

     "Here is your payment." Said the older man as he passed a thick envelope. "Make sure you keep your word. I can't have any information spreading across the front page of the Kenton Times. Lives could be at stake, as well as my reputation." The man straightened his tie and buttoned is vest.
      Footsteps echoed in the distance and the younger man made sure of the amount, both men cautious of their surroundings. "Don't work about anything, Mr. Senator. Everything will be taken care of discretely."
      The senator shrugged and left for home. As he sauntered through his front door his wife met him, "How was your day at the office?" She asked.
       He set his key on a coffee table and hung his coat saying, "Well, very well, my darling Anita."
       "Splendid." She replied, "Oh, don't forget we are going to the race track tomorrow." With a kiss on the cheek, Anita rushed happily out the door.


       The ringing of phones filled the room as Justin entered through the double doors of the newsroom. Clerks and secretaries rushed in every direction nearly knocking Justin off his feet. he climbed his way through to the editor's office and seeming knocked over a cup of coffee on one of the reporter's desks.
     "Aw shoot. What'd you do that for?" said the repeater loudly as he stood from his desk and towered over Justin. "Now I gotta get new coffee." He leaned forward and put both his hands flat on his desk. "You got a lot a nerve."
      "I apologize sir," Justin said gripping his cap off his head "my intention was not to ruin your coffee, or your work. It's my first day and I only wanted to get to the editor. I'm a reporter and I want to get started right away." He put his cap back on his head and held out his hand, "Vos, Mr. Justin Vos."
       "The reporter looked Justin up and down in disappointment of the scrawny, no talent kid. "Reporter, eh? Well the editor is out to lunch. Won't be back till three o'clock."
       Justin's shoulder fell but the reported came around and patted him on the back holding his other hand up to his chest. "I'm Jack. Welcome to the Kenton Times. I'll be your tour guide while the editor is out. Let me show you around.".....

Latest Read: Syd Field-3.The Creation of Character

Tonight I read a chapter of Syd Field's Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting. I've really been enjoying this book. Field has express so far how the basic outline of a script is written. The chapter I read tonight has been most interesting and it's been all about character. Character is something I struggle with. Sure I have the name, the background, the family, the history but even with all of these things, I struggle to know what the character will do in certain situations. I think what I struggle with is that I try and relate to the character, "If I were in that guy's situation," or "If I had that kid's childhood," "If I had those people for family," etc. But what I really want to accomplish is not what I would want to do, but what would the character do. Sure I can move forward in my story no problem, but I still feel I'm relating to the character too much. A little is okay, but too much and you have the same story people have been writing for hundreds of years. Some will come a long and say "Oh, I have seen that character before!" because humans can only do so many things before it get's predictable. The goal is erase predictability and create spontaneity. Experimenting with characters is what I plan to do in my future posts. I need to create a character with a deep history and an intense future.

Oh, how I love writing. There is anything much more exciting then pulling out my laptop and typing away the chapters to my book or putting a pen to my journal and recording down the many idea's I have for short stories. Oh how I lack the discipline to actually complete any of them. I've been working on that... discipline. Maybe by the time I have my own family I'll finally have some.