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SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board    One Week Challenge    October, 2011 One Week Challange  ›  The Woods - OWC
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SpecialAgentDaleCooper
Posted: October 23rd, 2011, 9:39am Report to Moderator
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I'm going to try something different, and comment on this one as I read it.

Some awkward dialogue. I think I cringed when Grace said, "I shall start dinner." It doesn't feel realistic, nor does it really make a lot of sense in response to Emily's ignoring her. I get that you were going for more formal dialogue to ensure that it's obvious it doesn't take place in the present day, but it seems really stiff and unbelievable in general.

Also - I am REALLY not a fan of sluglines telling character motivation. SHOW us. Don't TELL us. Example:

Grace notices that Emily doesn't want to talk to her. She refuses to give in to Emily.

That is completely unnecessary. Scrap it.

Emily also rolls her eyes entirely too much. Very weak way to show that your character is showing attitude, especially if done excessively. Be more creative.

Also - a lot of this doesn't seem to be able to take place in the past, so I'm confused even further by the anachronistic dialogue, horse and carriage, etc., if this were to take place in the modern day.

Divorce (is that what is supposed to be going on?) was pretty much unheard of for a great many years...in fact, my great great grandmother got one of the first divorces in my state - in the early 1900s. Fact-checking, maybe? Or MAJOR dialogue clean-up, if this is supposed to be the present. On that note, work much harder on really setting a believable setting - the reader of your screenplay should never be this confused about the intended setting.

Okay, I see, the radio. It's more modern. Yes, definitely work on the dialogue.

"The words COME INTO THE WOODS are written in blood all over the house..."

Oh my. This is where you're losing me completely. I feel this description, and other things happening aren't at all frightening for a reader / viewer because they're so outlandishly excessive.

I also feel like she went into the woods far too willingly, and her little, "I am going to regret this. This better stop it," is definitely not believable to me. Especially considering the gratuitous terror she just witnessed inside the house, and the state of panic she should undoubtedly still be in at the time.

The twist was somewhat predictable and tacked on. The little boy's body being found on the grounds was also very obvious from her mother's insistence that she not go into the woods, and his appearing damp.

I also don't think his ghost was at all misunderstood, but that may just be me.

Overall, read like a weak episode of "Are You Afraid of the Dark" but I still feel like there may be promise underneath all of that.

Definitely needs to be reworked.
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rdhay
Posted: October 23rd, 2011, 11:17pm Report to Moderator
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Hi This read okay, but yeah, you did have a lot of unfilmables. I think the twist at the end could work, but it doesn't as it is now because we don't have any kind of foreshadowing to hint that it's coming (and, admittedly, it's not entirely clear what the twist is meant to be...). I think you've put in a good effort, but this could use some tweaking.

Happy to see a rewrite Good job.
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