The January 2016 One Week Challenge Theme Is...

Welcome to the January 2016 One Week Challenge:

For decades, on Friday nights, families would gather 'round a table in preparation of "Game Night". Tonight, so will we. For the next 7 days (and 3 hours), your job will be to write a 5-12 page script by writing a script with a game that is integral to the plot.

Don't bother writing a script that opens with a couple kids playing hopscotch as a vanload of ghosts pulls up to heist a bank (besides, that's my idea, now). The story should not be able to exist without said game.

In addition to this, the game should be real and should not be made up for your script. No Jumanji 2 scripts and no made-up games like Shabbadabblooie. If it exists in the real world before your script is written, you're golden (and I remember the Jumanji board game, okay? I owned it. That still doesn't count).

T-minus 171 hours until your OWC script is due.

Topic: Game Night
Genre: Open
Budget: Open

You have seven days to write a screenplay between 5 and 12 pages. The screenplay must be properly formatted and in PDF format. The scripts are due on Friday, January 22nd at 11:59PM EST and must be submitted to: SimplyScripts.com/owc.

There will be a Writer's Choice wherein the participants (and only the participants) will be asked to select the three scripts he or she likes the best.

Timeline:

January 15th at 9:00PM EST - Theme and Genre announced.

January 22nd at 11:59PM EST - Scripts are due.

January 29th at 5:00PM EST - Names and writer's choice revealed.

Jargon:

5 - 12 pages (nobody's going to come after you if it's a shade shorter or a shade longer. But, if it's 20 pages, there may be a couple pissed off people).

Properly formatted & saved as a PDF file.

This isn't a contest. There are no prizes.

Free to submit.

One entry per person.

No pissers, please (you know who you are...).

You can revise your script as many times as you wish up until 11:59PM EST on January 22nd.

Participants are strongly encouraged to read and comment/review on 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 © on the bottom left corner of your title page.

Best of luck and I hope you guys have a lot of fun with this contest.

An interesting premise!

I love this theme! So many possibilities in my head right now.

So, because we are not supposed to put our name on it, do we just leave that off of the title page, and put only the title there?

Yeah, just the title on the title page. Of course, just in case, you can always add "©" to the bottom-left corner, if you choose.

lol Bunnyman Monopoly...

only joking.

Good to have a specific theme for a change, though some more requirements would make it more cool. I will have to prolly get this done by Tuesday night as I'm flying down to Melbourne the next day and I don't wanna quite trust the Ipad to upload a script or whatever.

Ironically I am a huge gamer and am playing online right now

Blondie, just re-reading the criteria and a coupla queries...

Does it have to be the old fashioned board type game?

Can someone be playing a computer or console game and suddenly get magically thrown into it? Or vice versa with chars from said game? The budget is open so no prob there with SFX.

C'mon people!!!!

Where's the outrage? Where are the promises to NOT write anything? The conspiracy to kill Sean????

Sean, I wish you had run the last one. At least then, people wouldn't have shat on mine for being over the page count!!!!

I'm WAY TOO busy to take part, but I like you Sean, so I will write something. Not tonight though. I'm having trouble focusing. ;D

A game is very non specific... yet you open with the types of games people used to play before the internet, consoles and on demand TV came out.

Games can mean anything. Sex games? Are you actually referring to well known board games only?

I'm assuming board games, card games, parlour games etc... Do families get together to play console games?!?

Maybe a group of people would get together to play pre- 2015 games whilst getting pissed, before going on a night out? A gathering of family members over a festive season. A birthday or a Ouija board job.

The online frenzy might be a common "hook", being cut off from a connection mid-game etc...

Pretty limitless really...

Quoted from AnthonyCawood

Do families get together to play console games?!?

We have done on plenty of occasions. Worms is an excellent game to play with the kids. Scrabble and Monopoly are also playable on a console.

Do families get together to play hopscotch? The only reason we shouldn't write a script about hopscotch is when it isn't integral to the plot.

Must we also write about a family?

Would a ouija board be considered a game? I'd certainly consider it so, yet others might consider something like that to be dangerous and nowhere near a game. What about playing chicken with cars? Run out in front of speeding cars and see who doesn't die. Great game for the kids, that one.

It's a bit too open in my opinion.
The games we used to play...

But good luck to all that take part and all the best.

OPERATION -- could be a good one for the horror/gore fans. :)

Quoted from JackJ

OPERATION -- could be a good one for the horror/gore fans. :)

You should use it. That's a good idea.

I've already written Ouija, the board is definitely integral to the plot (plus the 3D printer) would it be too lazy to just re-submit ;-)

Quoted from AnthonyCawood

I've already written Ouija, the board is definitely integral to the plot (plus the 3D printer) would it be too lazy to just re-submit ;-)

It's a Ouija board.
You can come up with more than one story for that :)

Quoted from stevie

lol Bunnyman Monopoly...

Good to have a specific theme for a change, though some more requirements would make it more cool.

Leave the Bunnyman alone, Stevie. Let him die in peace. Lol.

I probably could have included more requirements, but games are open-ended and restrictive at the same time.

Quoted from stevie

Does it have to be the old fashioned board type game?

Can someone be playing a computer or console game and suddenly get magically thrown into it? Or vice versa with chars from said game? The budget is open so no prob there with SFX.

No, it does not. It can be toys, video games, board games, any kind of game that existed prior to the writing of your script. But, it has to be integral to the plot.

Quoted from Grandma Bear

Pia, I never get the outrage that I expect (although I did have a bit of backlash to the Urban Legends OWC...). And, in your case, Pia, it's warranted. If you go two lines over the page count, the villagers are going to come after you with their pitchforks... Lol. I'm sure you can come up with something really good since this will likely bring out genre-heavy scripts.

Quoted from DustinBowcot

That was just the basis for the title. Like when I did my time travel one a few years ago. The title's not meant to be restrictive. If it's a game, it counts, but it has to have existed before your script was written. Sex games count and no. If it's obscure, all the better and more likely that nobody else will duplicate your idea.

Quoted from AnthonyCawood

I'm assuming board games, card games, parlour games etc... Do families get together to play console games?!?

Don't worry about the family part. Any game will do.

Quoted from JackJ

Yes and no. Your first suggestion, the games aren't integral to the plot. Weird things happening with a Ouija board is. It comes down to what you feel, but if you can rewrite the same script without the inclusion of the game, it's not meeting the requirements.

Quoted from DustinBowcot

Do families get together to play hopscotch? The only reason we shouldn't write a script about hopscotch is when it isn't integral to the plot.

Must we also write about a family?

Would a ouija board be considered a game? I'd certainly consider it so, yet others might consider something like that to be dangerous and nowhere near a game. What about playing chicken with cars? Run out in front of speeding cars and see who doesn't die. Great game for the kids, that one.

There doesn't have to be a family and you can write the most lethal game of hopscotch in history, but don't have it be just an aside.

Yes, it would (to Ouija and Chicken). They are both games.

Quoted from AnthonyCawood

I've already written Ouija, the board is definitely integral to the plot (plus the 3D printer) would it be too lazy to just re-submit ;-)

Unfortunately, yeah, I mean, you could... but it defeats the purpose. These challenges are really designed to help people grow as writers, so if you're submitting scripts you've already written, are you really challenging yourself?

Quoted from JackJ

It's a Ouija board.
You can come up with more than one story for that :)

Hell, they already came out with a movie for it. I have no doubt that many scripts could be written about it.

It's our job, Sean, to make you sick with questions. Too bad I can't come up with any for this one. But I will. I can feel them gurgling in my throat.

Nice conctrete theme. And I like you too. But I don't know if I'll be able to come up with anything (except for questions)

Quoted from khamanna

Well, when you come up with some questions, I'll be sitting right here, laughing at their ridiculousness... No, I'm kidding. Lol.

Have some faith, Khamanna. I believe you can do this. With all the games in the history of the world, you know you've got something really special in the back of your mind that's just ready to pop.

Quoted Text

No pissers, please (you know who you are...).

I'm looking at you Stevie ;D

Quoted from Stevie

Ironically I have a huge boner and I am playing on it right now

As long your happy buddy ;D

Quoted from Dustin

Games can mean anything. Sex games?

Stevie is working hard on his script ;D;D;D

It's ok, I'm here all week folks ;D

Sounds interesting. A few ideas floating around my head now.

I've got an idea, but I'm not sure if that qualifies as a 'game' - the problem is, if I ask, everybody will know which script is mine :)

Yep. Any time you have questions that may give away your idea, just PM them to me. Doctor/patient confidentiality and all that good stuff.

Thanks for the clarifications Mr B! It's good that we can use any type of game. The only prob is we may see a glut of 'I was sucked into my Xbox and defeated the Covenant with Master Chief' type scripts. That in itself isn't bad depending on the quality of the writing and what can be done with a 12 (and no more!) page max.

Will roll this around today and see what happens. Comedy more than welcome due to the open genre. Could be a slot for the old Bunnyman if I choose and do it within the parameters but he can have a few more months off lol.

If I don't get one done, will read a few anyway

Lol, Mark you pisstaker! Woohoo!

Quoted from stevie

I'm not so sure that we'll have a bunch of Halo scripts (we'd better not. Lol). I imagine people having a lot of fun with old school toys and board games as there's lots of untapped potential in there somewhere.

That's what I was thinking when I saw people mentioning comedy. I think comedy and horror are the most likely genres to happen from this contest, so I saw that as a nearly fair compromise. Should be a good turnout, I hope.

Well, if Bunnyman makes a cameo appearance, I can't stop you. If you want to involve some time travel, you'd have covered my three OWCs in one entry... =)

Just checked in as I'm travelling.

Overall, a good challenge with lots of latitude for folk. Should lead to a great variety.

I've had an idea. Most will think it stinks. Hey, if I get the chance to write this week, that's the one that will be delivered. What's a shame is I like 'trying' to write film able scripts. This wouldn't be filmed, but when I get an idea I find it very difficult to shake it off and find another. That's the way it goes.

But since I write eff all these days, must be worth a stab.

All the best everyone.

Got mine all planned. Interestingly it's based on a meme I saw on Facebokk the other day before the challenge announcement lol. Ran the idea past my daughter and it's good to be written asap. Will submit it straight away as I'm away from Wednesday.

And no Bunnyman, I promise.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde

I think comedy and horror are the most likely genres to happen from this contest

Yeah, that's what I thought also when I read the topic. I doubt there will be many drama scripts, could you write a script about a dramatic game of Monopoly without it coming off as a satire? Well, perhaps you could, but I imagine that these will mostly be horror and comedy, with also some like action/adventure and some sci fi/fantasy.

Right now I'm playing solitaire and I asked cards if I should write for this contest or not. Solitaire said no at first, then it said yes twice. Let's see what solitaire tells me next ten times. I'll go with the mean.

Or should I go with them median? In my case it would be the 7th game. If I go with the median that would mean I don't have to play the next six games. But the solitaire is so playable...

Quoted from Mr. Blonde

I believe you can do this. With all the games in the history of the world, you know you've got something really special in the back of your mind that's just ready to pop.

"Pop" or "poop"? both words would fit nice in this context I think.

Quoted from khamanna

"Pop" or "poop"? both words would fit nice in this context I think.

Yes. Lol. =)

When in doubt, write about pinball. We haven't had one of those in a while. In fact, the last one I remember really well is "Are You Afraid of the Dark"'s "The Pinball Wizard". Great episode, by the way.

Anthony,

Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

"Family'? Has to be member of a group related by blood? Like Father, Son, Mother, Grandma or like members of Charlie Manson Family?

John

Sure Mr Blonde will respond but definitions tend to be fairly loose... so I think Manson Family would count, plenty of scope for some f**ked up games there ;-)

I wasn't going to take part, I'm too busy, but the OWCs have always been one of my favorites and sure enough, last night my idea came to me in a dream. Amazingly enough, it sounded like a pretty good idea in the morning too, so I'm going with it. Can't help myself. ;D

Always knew you'd join us Pia ;-)

My first idea was to do something with Monopoly, where every play happens in real life (e.g. going to jail). But I've only played it once or twice and am not well-versed.

So I picked a different game and plot, and the idea has a lot of potential. Let's see how it materializes over the week.

GL Chris (and all)...

I'm still waiting for my muse to smash me over the head ;-)

Quoted from JohnHunter

"Family'? Has to be member of a group related by blood? Like Father, Son, Mother, Grandma or like members of Charlie Manson Family?

You can absolutely do a story involving them playing some sort of game. Just make sure that they're playing a game that really exists (and you don't have to get hung up on the family part. That was just a lead-in to the contest, not a requirement of it).

Raise your hands if you thought Pia was going to sit this one out. Go ahead, I'll wait... Lol. =)

Ah a trip down memory lane...

See! First one submitted and...WHAT?! I gotta do another??
Drat! Foiled again!

;D

Quoted from Mr. Blonde

Well, if Bunnyman makes a cameo appearance, I can't stop you. If you want to involve some time travel, you'd have covered my three OWCs in one entry... =)

Eureka! I got it! Thank you!
See, Bunnyman and Goatman are playing a game of chinese checkers....

Blondie, I'm hopefully gonna bulge it and get this done and submitted tonight (Tuesday here in the land of Oz) as I am flying out to Melbourne tomoz. If I don't get it done to my satisfaction, I can finish it on the road on my Ipad but will have to submit by email as it won't work on the ipad using the normal submission page on SS.

Cheers in advance!

Lol Darren!

The big question is: to Bunnyman or not to Bunnyman? =)

How is everyone else doing with their entries?

Don't know about this one. No idea has really stuck yet.

Just finished off another short I was doing so I suppose I have some time now to really think.

Hope it's going well for everyone else.

So the drummer from Mott the Hoople and the Eagle's Glenn Frey decided to ignore my plea of running out the back as fast and hard as they could from the Grim Reaper.

This is frankly typical.

I just saw a headline about Don McLean and thought 'For the love of tush.' But thankfully he's only been arrested by the police, rather than by cardiac attack.

All this departing has put me off me game. And yes, I was on one.

I've a few ideas. Thank Christoph, I hear you cry. Sadly none of them have me strutting around in me pants proudly. And a few beers can normally do that.

We'll have to see. Now, for the sake of saki, please nobody else I admire die anytime soon. This is turning into a bad year already. It usually gets to mid February before I normally start thinking that.

R

Ive a few ideas jotted down re interesting games, but nothing is sparking right now... fingers crossed.

Quoted from rendevous

Sad day indeed. Frye was great. If you haven't seen the four hour documentary - History of The Eagles - do. It is must viewing for any Eagles fans.

Well, it's late here and an idea has popped into my head. Think it'll work.

I'll get writing tomorrow.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde

How is everyone else doing with their entries?

I quickly figured out what I wanted to do, but so far I've only come up with basic character descriptions and a basic outline. I should start writing here soon. Probably tonight. I just haven't been home much this weekend.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde

How is everyone else doing with their entries?

Uhmmmm....there's still four days to go. I'm thinking I'll start on mine on Friday after lunch. :P

Just submitted my first draft.

Quoted from AnthonyCawood

Ive a few ideas jotted down re interesting games, but nothing is sparking right now... fingers crossed.

I'm in the same boat. Probably doesn't help that I'm concentrating all my efforts on that horror feature. I've turned a few ideas around but, like you, nothing is sparking just yet. No time tonight either as I have a chess match. Probably end up sitting out of this one.

But good luck to everyone else.

GL with the Chess match... one of it's predecessors is on my potential list of games ;-)

Quoted from AnthonyCawood

GL with the Chess match... one of it's predecessors is on my potential list of games ;-)

I researched similar, chaturanga being one of them. Just nothing jumping out at me.

i was thinking of Kings Throne and some sort of Game of Thrones thingy, got stuck at thingy ;-)

Only have one night to give this and it was last night...so I'm finished. It will be short ...not sweet.....

Quoted from Pale Yellow

Only have one night to give this and it was last night...so I'm finished. It will be short ...not sweet.....

at least you'll be in

I'm away again so time is short and ideas not existent.

not out yet, just unlikely

i had one idea, sketched it out, and it appeared like an advertisement for a dodgy church. not good.

best of luck everyone with their ideas

For those of you who can't think of a game to use, why not do what I did? Since it's such an open OWC, think of a story you want to tell and then come up with a game to use in that story? The choices for games are almost endless.

I'm drawing a blank. Normally I have an idea by now but I'm stumped. :-(

At airport to fly out but have notepad and ipad on hand to finish it still heaps of time and its nearly done

I entered 6 times just to make up for the lack of entries.

You're welcome :D

You know, I always think there's going to be a lack of entries, but am always surprised (relatively). But, Mark, just for the fun of it, I'm going to make sure I hate on every one of them. Lol. =)

Like the avatar, Mark. So, are you entering?

Quoted from Sean

You know, I always think there's going to be a lack of entries, but am always surprised (relatively). But, Mark, just for the fun of it, I'm going to make sure I hate on every one of them. Lol. =)

As usual then :D

The first 5 are pissers, the other one is well thought out comedy that checks the boxes for the parameters required and has a well defined storyline from start to finish... in other words in true OWC style it'll be called a pisser ;D;D;D 6 for 6 ;D

Quoted from Steve

Like the avatar, Mark. So, are you entering?

It looks likely buddy... this is the year :D last year I wrote nothing, so far I've finished the first draft of our feature, added 15 pages to my other feature and now an entry in the OWC... I've become a monster! ;D;D;D

What about you? Probably sneak in a Friday special :D

Quoted from irish eyes

in other words in true OWC style it'll be called a pisser ;D;D;D 6 for 6 ;D

Only if it's bad intentionally. Otherwise, they'll just say that that script is terrible and should be burned, shot and buried, in that order. Lol.

Arthur The Legend II: The Board Game Edition!!

Just submitted the second draft. Much more fleshed out, and I fixed a few goofs such as numbers. And I put a 2015 copyright on my first draft. :P I fixed some of the dialogue and I even came up with a cool (and funny) line.

Second draft, eh? I'm jealous. I'm not even halfway through my first yet. Lol. =)

Well I had a surge of inspiration late last night and stayed up till the early hours of the morning to write it. Looking at it now, it's not as great as I thought it was. I may have time for a second draft before the deadline. Hopefully a second draft that doesn't involve staying up late.

So there's something. I will have an entry. Probably not anything I'd stick my name on afterwards, but it's something.

Oh gee whiz, OWC yeah? Hope it's not too late to throw a couple of quick sessions together.

I like the theme, but why can't I think of anything?

I have a beautiful idea but no story.
It has no middle or end, nor does it have the main character. Just sharing where I'm at.

Quoted from khamanna

It has no middle or end, nor does it have the main character.

They're just minor details to storytelling ;D

It's not the end of the world, Khamanna. There are still nearly two and a half days left. I bet you can do this. =)

Quoted from khamanna

I have a beautiful idea but no story.
It has no middle or end, nor does it have the main character. Just sharing where I'm at.

You got plenty of time left K ;) a great story deserves telling!

Quoted from khamanna

It has no middle or end, nor does it have the main character.

Sounds exactly like the last few Terrence Malick movies I watched. I won't be doing that again. Bloody Uwe Boll with great cinematography.

R

Quoted from rendevous

Sounds exactly like the last few Terrence Malick movies I watched. I won't be doing that again. Bloody Uwe Boll with great cinematography.

But, still, The Tree of Life was pretty damn good, overall...

Have finished mine on iPad app Blondie and will email to Don. I will be away from wifi for a couple of days after scripts are posted but promise I will catch up and read all entries. Look forward to some good variety!

Sounds good, Stevie. How is everyone else doing? Just about 24 hours left. =)

Sean, don't know if I'm in or out yet. Creative thinking has been taking a back seat to proper 'work' unfortunately. I'm a 'maybe' if I can get my act together within 24 hours. Will still read some either way. :)

Kham: I'd love to read a 'beautiful' story - those are usually few and far between in OWCs - plus you've intrigued me so I hope you get it together.

Also: Don, where is the countdown clock? ;) It appears to have gone AWOL again...

P.S. Speaking of beautiful - Tree Of Life was, very, but it also put me to sleep.

I'm two days behind schedule. My son's dog, Murphy have been violently sick so we had to take him to the vet and he stayed at the hospital. Murphy is back home today, but their apartment needs sanitation. :( :-/

Finishing up tonight. I have like 2-4 more pages left to write. OWC and finals week just about done.

Quoted from Grandma Bear

Ooh, dear. Was he poisoned or bitten by something nasty, or what...? Good to hear he's going to be alright.

Kool aid guy!

Just submitted. I think it's on the shorter side of the limit, i couldn't think of anything else to add.

Hopefully we can start reading the entries shortly after the deadline.

Just finished! Yay, I completed my first OWC! I'm excited to read the other scripts!

Quoted from Mr. Blonde

But, still, The Tree of Life was pretty damn good, overall...

Was it? I liked the bit with the dinosaurs. Yes, a film about a family in present day America has dinosaurs in it, and not Jeff Goldblum. Or Sam Neill.

I love the Thin Red Line and Badlands, but his new stuff seems all shine and no story. I won't be watching anything by him again. He's on my shitlist alongside Lars von Trier.

I'm sure this irks them no end and keeps them up at night.

R

I’ve not been able to come up with anything so I’m out. Gutted as I love doing these. I’ll keep an eye out for the entries and I’ll try to review some.

The only idea I had was I wanted to incorporate the brilliantly fun game ‘Cards Against Humanity’ into an actual spin were the cards were indeed against humanity but that’s as far as I got. :-(

When's the deadline? I've just finished a draft, but not sure I like it...

The deadline would be roughly 17 hours from now.

Couldn't get a good enough script together to enter.

Had three reasonable ideas but couldn't get any of them to work on the page to an acceptable standard. Tough theme. It was hard to avoid the "playing the game to survive trope whilst still coming up with something dramatic.

Be interested to see what others managed to achieve.

Sad to hear that, Rick. Always thought of you of my main opposition. In a good way.

I watched your film again. It's still rather good. You complete barstard. Get yer act together. You got hours yet.

Those last sentences I reread to get my own act together.

Now, I need to find my trousers. They aren't where I left them, This is frankly typical.

R

Quoted from Scar Tissue Films

Pretty much sums where I am.

I've had about two days to think with travelling and all, and so...not good.

I have script down which is a touch...flaccid . If I can't perk it up I won't embarrass myself, if I can I will still be embarrassed, just may be less so. I feel as if I should enter something to respect the effort of others. Wish it was better.

Quoted from AnthonyCawood

When's the deadline? I've just finished a draft, but not sure I like it...

I'm the same, but I'm going to enter it anyway. I read it today and I was like, wtf was I thinking? But, no going back now. Good luck to everyone else in writing a short that's likely to get made. That's what this is all about.

For the new people... don't take it to heart if your script is annihilated. We're all writers and if the writing isn't on point, or even in a style we can get along with, we will often bail early. If I do so, I will say why and provide tips on how I think it should be done. Feel free to ignore me. Just refrain from name-calling, if you can.

Right, Red Planet submission in... now for some extra work on my OWC, see if I can get anywhere near liking it!

Looks like I'm the same position as few others. Had an idea for a gruesome game of Twister, but couldn't get it beyond the torture porn level. The villain never really took shape and now I'm pretty much out of time. In addition to that, I'll be spending most of next week in place where modern technology is but a pipe dream. No, not Detroit. It's a cabin in the mountains. I probably wouldn't have had any real time to review other scripts before going. I'll try to review a few anyhow, pro bono.

Good luck to all who get an entry in. It's a good challenge.

Quoted from LC

Ooh, dear. Was he poisoned or bitten by something nasty, or what...? Good to hear he's going to be alright.

Some intestinal bacterial infection. It was very bad. The interesting thing here is that Murphy eats that Blue Buffalo dog food everyone brags about as being the best, but now I know at least a handful of people with dogs who's on that that have been violently ill to the point of having been taken to the vets. Coincidence? Maybe, but my dog's definitely NOT going to eat that ever! :/

Woah - wait a minute. I know you alluded to this on FB, Pia - but you know other people whose dogs ate Blue Buffalo, and got violently ill? In that case - this WILL be Rayne's last bag! (Really, that emergency trip last year caused him definite misery and hit our pocketbooks, too. We just couldn't PROVE it was the BB's fault, and theorized that maybe he ate something off the sidewalk and we didn't see...) :(

Well, like I said, it could be coincidence, but now with Murphy too, I can't help but wondering. My daughter's spaniel/chihuahua mutt got sick and taken to the hospital last fall. They ran all kinds of tests on him. First they said he had some type of colitis, then bacterial infection. There were also a couple of people at the barn that had the same thing happen. Who knows why this happened. All I know is that all of them ended up spending anywhere from 500 - 1,500 bucks and they all ate Blue Buffalo...

Oh God. I'll make that crystal clear with Phil - and we'll have to dive into that other brand you recommended for the next purchase... Better safe than sorry - thanks for the heads up! :/

I've submitted mine. Had a pretty limited time to write it, glad I got something in.

So there's my excuse :P

Best of luck to everyone.

Quoted from IamGlenn

So there's my excuse...

I wrote mine wearing an eye patch and with one arm tied behind my back.

My excuse will be that it's Friday and five o'clock is only 3 hours and forty-five minutes away. ;D

Quoted from DustinBowcot

I wrote mine wearing an eye patch and with one arm tied behind my back.

I was born with one eye and one arm. That's no excuse.

Quoted from LC

Ugh, tough day today and I'm in no mood - my daughter had this big music exam and she almost failed it. Well, got a B and to her it's a total failure. But she was getting ready for it for really long time - 5 months. Nerves got the best of her I guess.

anyway, I don't have much written, I mapped the story in my head, the ending is clear now but I'm in no mood to write. Besides it's past 10 here in Baku and I'm sleepy.

Thanks for the push guys and too bad I posponed writing to the last day. I shouldn't have - I don't write at all these days.

Too bad, as I just loved the theme. And it's open to all genres... too bad. I'll read though as many as I can because of the theme - curious to read about all these games.

Damn time!

If I can carve out 5 or 6 hours tonight I'll try my best to be in. Just saw this yesterday and I got an idea dear to my heart. We'll see.

I'm in... can't decide if I like it but at least I managed to get one done...

I entered another 5 scripts today, so that's me up to 11 entries... still got a few more hours though. ;D;D;D

Dam! I really need that mug ;D

You need to calm down with all those scripts, Mark. Lol.

Quoted from Dustin

Just refrain from name-calling, if you can.

Not usual for me to agree with the English, but Dustin is right ;D;D;D I kid

It would be great if we don't make personal attacks on the actual writers but concentrate on their scripts, help if needed, particularly my 14 entries all need help ;D;D;D

Yep, 3 more in the last hour Sean :)

Quoted from irish eyes

Not usual for me to agree with the English, but Dustin is right.

Oh. I took that to mean Dustin was requesting he not be called names for being critical of writer's entries. ;D

P.S. Don, thanks for the countdown. It definitely helps... if I'm going to make it.

I too am OUT!

My Mom's still in critical condition on life support and has now gone through 5 rounds of Dialysis.

I just can't focus on writing. I really wanted to be in on this one, as I missed the last one too.

Good luck to all who are entering!

Perfectly understandable, Jeff. Focus on what's important right now. I have no doubt everyone hopes that it all works out for you and your mother.

Thoughts are with you and your Mom Jeff.

Sorry to hear about your mom Jeff, hope she gets better.

Sent something in. Not real crazy about the ending, but who knows, maybe the SS crowd will offer up some great suggestions. 8)

I'm in, too...sent in finally ....11 pages of shit prolly but I'm in. :) Will do my reading Sunday night. Look forward to see what everyone has come up with.

I decided not to enter one of my own this year. Just couldn't get the idea to come together like I wanted. Still, the possibility is there that someone did a similar idea, so we'll see. Three hours to go. =)

Managed to jot one out in time....2 hours left. Struggling to think up something until last night but we'll see how I do for my first OWC

I just need to submit it

Do it, Lightfoot! It's always worth diving into the deep end of the pool! :))

Cheers,

--Janet (W)

For some, strange reason I find myself listening to an ol' Cypress Hill tune "Hits From The Bong'.
That about sums up my entry.

Yes folks. I will be represented.
You were warned. ;D

I've posted the first six. I'll post six every six hours (or so).

There were about 27 submissions.

- Don

Well, I wanted to say that I sent in a pisser.

But, it isn't my fault.  I just found out about this 4 hrs ago.  Literally.

So, I came up with an idea and wrote it.  No time to check it or anything.

I'm sorry.

Just look for the worst one, the one with the kool aid stickers and that's mine...

I entered b/c i liked the premise of the OWC and I wanted to do better then the last one.

Sadly, I think I took a step backwards, with the whole 4 hrs to write it nonsense.

Thought about asking for an extension, but, it's my fault for not being here.

Be kind folks, remember, kindness is next to greatness.  Yeah, I'm the one with the Laser Tron idea with real lasers.

Okay, I'm not, but, I'm not kidding about the rest.

I hope to be one more!!

Dan

Ps  Jeff, just read about your mom.  My thoughts and prayers are with her!!

27 - good result.

Thanks Don for this.

Dan - don't worry. I think a few scripts will struggle, mine included. The genre was so open it almost made it difficult, well to me anyway. I also didn't have much head space this week when I probably needed it.

I debated whether to enter the 'thing' I had knocked up - hell, why not. As Dustin right said, we enter things that we won't really want to put our name to later on

Be gentle folks...please....pretty please :-/

I hope we don't get any whiners this time. The writers devastated at bad reviews should just suck it up instead of crying hints and all but begging for good reviews from their friends.

You know who you are.

Don was ready to go on this one. Lol. Started getting them up just after midnight. Thank you for that, Don. =)

Don is always good like that! And you, too, Blonde! You boys always do a great job.

time to read.

just back from a day out, cup of builders tea in hand and a handful of OWC scripts to read.

ill have do my best to wade through marks's numerous entries, but we'll get there, he usually makes me chuckle ;D

makes a miserable Saturday feel better :D

thanks don

Ran out of time for this OWC.

Was going to submit "Malibu Barbie - The Musical"

Stopped at a critical point. Ken's poignant show-stopping song "Boy Without A Dick."

I'm sure this would have done well.

Hi Dave, shame you couldn't make it, but I guess life is a tad busy for you at the moment, plus snow.

Keep well. The young one looks like he's growing up well. Keeping you busy?

See if you can spot mine. Clues - crap longline, weak script etc etc

Ps - extra clue - alas, not an Alice quality of script.

Please - someone put up the "here's all the OWC submissions in one place" list...! At least for me, it makes it *that* much easier to go through the scripts smoothly... :)

Cheers,

--J (W)

It's at the top of every page where it says, OWC are being posted. :)

My legion of fans will be pleased to know that I managed a script after all.

I know you were all worried for a minute , there.

Alas, it's not great. Decent little story, but it was a 2 hour job. It's not told very well at all.

Still, I think it would make a good film.

If I was reviewing it, it would probably squeeze in as a weak consider.

Good luck all

For those interested, the links to all scripts in one place can be found Here.

I took a brief peek and didn't see any that resembled what I was going to do. I got it about half-done then realized it wouldn't work how I wanted it to.

It was called "Simon Says" (I'm sure you can see where this is going already): A meek ad agency exec is on the verge of being fired by his brother for not bringing in an adequate pitch and has 24 hours to create one. On his way home, he picks up an old Simon game at a yard sale which, when he plays it, lights up sinister phrases such as "Murder him". The man figures out his pitch and presents his new Simon game to the ad board.

Unfortunately, the last act didn't come together right, so I scrapped it.

18 Scripts and I've read them all... my head hurts

Overall a lot of pretty decent efforts. A few scripts did little to use actual games as the main premise, which I find strange as it was pretty much the only premise.

Honorable mentions so far in my opinion of course

The roll of the dice
It's only words
Kill your Demons
Tick Tock Toe
Ready or not

Great job everyone

Quoted from irish eyes

As 14 are yours they should be familiar :D

Ps as almost as many goals in our heroic victory today !!

I've read most of them. My favorite so far is Tick Tock Toe. I also loved 20 Questions, The Role of the Dice, Ready or Not, and It's Only Words.

Quoted from Bill

as 14 are yours they should be familiar

;D

Don't you know it Bill... it's the 14 that I don't like ;D

Quoted from irish eyes

18 Scripts and I've read them all... my head hurts...

You're in for quite a bit more pain before it all ends... ;D
They're not all up yet.

I think Don said there were 27.

The ones I've read so far have been quite good. A few left me confused, but overall, I think these OWC scripts keep going up in quality every time.

Ahh I see :D

I'm gonna have to ask the wife for more alone time... not gonna go well :(

Just want to say, some people (yes, you Steven Clark ;D) seem to think the 'board game & family' thing is compulsory for entries but Blondie Sean said any game would do, and the family component was just a preamble to announcing theme etc. Just sayin' ...

Hi guys I will get into the reading later week when I get home from holidays so don't fret!

You will all get your dose of Aussie criticism lol

Quoted from Hunter

I've read most of them. My favorite so far is Tick Tock Toe. I also loved 20 Questions, The Role of the Dice, Ready or Not, and It's Only Words.

Adding to this list from earlier is Truth or Dare. Tick Tock Toe is still my favorite.

Quoted from LC

Libby's absolutely correct. Mentioning game night and families was just the introduction to the OWC and not necessarily a part of it. The only rule was that it had to feature a game which previously existed in the real world and have that be crucial to the story. I know there are a couple that aren't that, but they don't need to be crucified. After all, this is all for fun (and I think a big opportunity was missed by nobody writing about writing an OWC script and all that chaos that could derive from it. Just saying...). =)

To be fair, Steven's not the only one getting the wrong idea.

Thanks for clearing up the 'game' element, Sean. :)

Hide n Seek and Scrabble seem to be the main focus on a lot of scripts ;D

Quoted from LC

To be fair, Steven's not the only one getting the wrong idea.

Yeah, Janet.

Right, all done except the missing one... think there are some strong scripts in this OWC and a lot of variety, well done all who entered!

Quoted from LC

Uh oh! What's that they say about a woman scorned? Sorry, Libby ... I seem to have been under the wrong impression here. :D

Steve

Also all done again ;D except the missing one.

A lot of great entries... great job Don and Sean.

There were a few heartfelt dramas that very simple and poignant, yet for some reason a few peeps ain't happy unless they have a dramatic twist ending... personally I don't get.

Also I know it's early but i'm very proud that I haven't seen the word 'pisser' around yet ;D;D;D
Being a strong advocate for comedy entires of all types... it's refreshing but it is early ;D
i do notice that some peeps seem to question the believability. e.g. why would they continue to drink while a dead body lies next to them? That's what makes it a comedy.
Airplane or Life of Brian or any of the Farrelly brothers believable ?

Comedy is an exaggerated Drama and not for everyone's liking, but one the few genres where questioning motives is in itself laughable.

Just my wonderful 10 cents ;D

Quoted from irish eyes

Comedy is an exaggerated Drama

It can be that. Some comedy is like that, more of the satire type. Comedy writer Steve Kaplan says "comedy is the art of telling the truth about what it's like to be human". He believes, which makes sense to me, that Comedy shows the reality of our flaws as humans.

I'm mostly a comedy writer, so I've read a lot of comedy books, and I really liked Steve Kaplan's explanation of comedy. Just wanted to share my thoughts on the subject of comedy.

Hey Mark, I think you have said some sensible things. Comedy is very hard, and mixing genres makes it harder. It never get fairly judged. Shame.

I have said before we should have the chance to do a comedy OWC, and if not totally comedy, allow the comedies to be judged separately to the others. Even allow pissers if they want, just put them in that category.

Re - believability - I agree too many readers here are from the serious school of script writing, (I probably am capable as well) however, I also feel that if we are to suspended belief enough to accept the ridiculous, then this needs to be set up. Sometimes I'm not sure this is achieved so we then struggle to see why, or understand. Just jumping in or breaking out after a set up, may not be enough.

I would love to try a comedy OWC - I've tried twice and been roasted on both occasions - but it doesn't mix well with other genres, as reviewed here. They need to be separate.

Cheers

As I think I said in one of my reviews... I've got a tin ear for comedy, especially written... but full respect for those who write in the genre and experiment with it too.

If there were a comedy OWC then I'd definitely enter and just suck up the abuse for my poor entry!

Quoted from Reef Dreamer

I would love to try a comedy OWC - I've tried twice and been roasted on both occasions - but it doesn't mix well with other genres, as reviewed here. They need to be separate.

I don't really like comedy too much. Not something I seek out for entertainment for myself and I hate rom-coms. I did still suggest comedy for the OWC because I don't think I can even remember us ever doing one.

Quoted from Bill

Hey Mark, I think you have said some sensible things

That's the funniest thing I've read all day ;D;D;D

Cheers fellow Kopite

What two Liverpool fans who can read AND write? That defies the odds somewhat...

See told ya my comedy was rubbish, but as a West Ham fan you'd think i'd be better!

We'll see next Saturday :D

Although our defence is comical :D

It's only the cup, we're concentrating on the league but a triple would be sweet ;-)

Hey guys,  I read each script.  My head hurts.

Some really stood out, some had some trouble, mine included.

I just hope you guys remember that I only had 4 hrs to think of a story and write it down.  i had to scrap a few pages b/c I couldn't get it done in time.  I actually submitted it at 12:01 and Don made fun of me :) for cutting it so close...

So, I know it sucks...  I really shouldn't have entered, but, the idea did come together pretty easily.

And i"m very happy to say that Dustin has finished a story of mine PROGRESS!!!!!!! :)

There is so much talent on this site that I know for a fact that some of us will make it and get movies made!!  I know that for a fact.

Lastly, I just wanted to say thanks for being such a good site.

As most of you know, I've gotten worse.  The pain in my neck (no jokes please) got worse when I started to write and read others stuff, but, I won't give up on this.  I consider a bunch of you guys friends and I will do all I can to help you get stuff sold.

Thanks again guys
Dan

Oh, by the way how would everyone feel about having a second contest within the contest?

I propose that the titles be given to each script, then in a second blog (?) have all the names of who entered. I think it might be fun to try to guess who wrote what based on who entered the contest. It might be fun. The winner could win a second mug, or something else small like extra readings etc.

Also, I wonder if we could do OWC more often (once a month, or every 2 months??) and if I could submit an idea. Write an old fashioned Sat morn cartoon that we would have wanted to watch as a kid. It can, but, doesn't have to be based on anything that actually existed.

Dan

Hey Dan, FWIW, I think we just have different tastes and perhaps general attitude to life. You're a nice guy and I'm a recovering cynical arsehole.

For those who wanna guess who wrote what I have my own means but I'l never tell ;D;D;D

Living on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean for 20 years a piece... here are a few differences.
Although I've never lived in Australia I'm pretty sure Libby and Stevie could vouch for these.

BRIT/IRISH                              USA                             AUSSIE

Snakes and Ladders       Chutes and Ladders            Death adders and  Emus
Patience                                 Solitare                          Fosters
Draughts                                Checkers                        Fosters
Clue                                       Cluedo                           Barbie
Mum                                        Mom                             Shelia
Defence                                 Defense                           Amber fluid
Arse                                         Ass                               Brit
Boner                                      Boner                            Crack a fat

Just a few words to help narrow it down ;D ;D ;D  I'm glad you have a sense of humour/humor ;D ;D;D

Quoted from DanC

I think it might be fun to try to guess who wrote what based on who entered the contest. It might be fun. .

Dan

Nothing all that new. Usually a thread starts up with guesses about a week in. And most of the time it is fun.

Except for me, of course.
Most Everyone knows what I wrote before I write it :p
I cannot escape my usual voice

I'm kicking myself in the ass now for not participating in these OWC's before, not only was it fun, I am also getting great notes on my entry!

Quoted from irish eyes

Ha, that's so funny, Mark! ;D I've never heard of Death Adders and Emus or Fosters (the latter only as a Beer brand which is no longer fashionable to drink).

I think Aussie lingo (though we often have our own special made up brand) most resembles our Mother Country overall especially in terms of spelling and references, and yet we also soak up terms from our U.S. counterparts, which can mean we're a tough nut to crack, or else we're just easily influenced.

As far as the OWC goes, let's not forget that some of us use that ol' misdirection ploy in our writing just to try to fool canny types like you, Mark. Not saying I did that, but I might have... ;)

P.S. I know you're being funny you ol wag, but if I ever called my Mum, Sheila, she'd clock me one. ;D

Quoted from Libby

As far as the OWC goes, let's not forget that some of us use that ol' misdirection ploy in our writing just to try to fool canny types like you, Mark. Not saying I did that, but I might have... ;)

I feel like this now :D

INCONCEIVABLE

Great clip, Mark! Very entertaining and apt for the OWC. Never seen that movie...

'Australians are criminals'. Hey, what can I say... It's in our blood. Personally I blame our English/Irish heritage. ;D

I knew those Irish were good for nothing ;D ;D

'The Princess Bride' is a classic, you gotta check it out :)

I second Mark... Princess Bride is an absolute must watch classic...

And Mark, your travels may have affected your memory... I may not have a Clue about much, but in the UK it's Cluedo ;-)

Yeah, everybody says it's a classic. Will give it a go.

Oh, and Anthony, about Mark's memory - we all know what the Irish are like with their whiskey. Bound to have a long term effect. ;)

Just want to add re OWC reviews, the two RICKS are entertaining me thoroughly.

Rick (Canis) just adds so much insight, I can't believe how he scratches the surface and gets to the nitty-gritty so eloquently, and Rick (Scar) has come to this party with his very own Bored-o-meter - example below:

The boring bone has torn through the cage, ripped the room apart, and has already feasted on all my limbs. It's now slowly and deliberately working its way through my stomach cavity, and is consuming me from the inside out...

I know as writers we have to have thick skins, but he hasn't got to mine yet and I'm quivering in my boots.

Quoted from Hammers fan

And Mark, your travels may have affected your memory... I may not have a Clue about much, but in the UK it's Cluedo

I wrote it the wrong way around... in the US it's called Clue ;D ;D

Quoted from Libby

we all know what the Irish are like with their whiskey. Bound to have a long term effect.

;D;D;D

Ha! Cracking me up, Mark. ;D

Hey Libby, thanks for the shout. To be honest, I've been quite the lame ass this time around... hope I didn't crap on your script, or anybody else's for that matter. It's all in good fun till' someone gets upset.

I once approached a wise sage by the name of 'oJOHNNYoNUTSo' "who sits upon his armchair of fire, smoking a cob pipe', and asked him, "How do you stay so positive, man?" He replied with something like, "say what's on your mind, Canis-san, just don't be a dick... now go paint all of fence.". I think if we all live by those words around here, we would all get along just fine.

Scar, I'll agree with Libby... you're out of the box and on a roll. You haven't hit mine yet... maybe you won't but, I have a P.R.N. on hand just in case.

Side note: for those who may not be familiar: Fox and Hounds or a Rabbit Hunt is a long distant game of Hide and Seek ... yes ~Hide and Seek~ boys and girls. It's played with two way radios. Just sayin'...

Quoted from Canis

Side note: for those who may not be familiar: Fox and Hounds or a Rabbit Hunt is a long distant game of Hide and Seek ... yes ~Hide and Seek~ boys and girls. It's played with two way radios. Just sayin'...

Oh, jeez. The days of John Ritter have somehow evolved to this...

Interesting list of the different slang, Mark my Irish brother (I'm a McDonell but my mum was a Hayes).

But fair suck of the sav with the Fosters, digger! No dinkum Aussie would drink that unless he was drier than a dead dingo's donger!  An ugly thought indeed...uglier than a hatfull of arseholes!

Anyway I'm back from holidays in my hometown and in Melbourne, where I was busier than a one legged man in an arse kicking competition!  Today my 9 year old son Coop and I travelled on a bus, a train, another bus, a plane and finally a car to get home.  I am as tired as ten men so will be crashing soon (it's 615pm Tuesday)

Anyway, will read an entry now then the rest over the next few days. If any cobber wants me to read their little pile of brilliance earlier, I'm open for a PM!   Cheers all and good luck guessing mine!  Lol

Ummm,
My head hurts after reading some of these comments. You guys are bonkers.

And I love it!

Read/commented on all. I thought this was a good batch.

Henry

Quoted from oJOHNNYoNUTSo

Oh, jeez. The days of John Ritter have somehow evolved to this...

Ah, yes. I remember that script vividly. A personal segue into this dark underground world of screenplays. Funny thing is - a month after writing that I found a 20 inch ’Hajime Sorayama Robot’ (the Gynoid character in that script) at a local Anime shop but, the guy wanted like $400 bucks for it! I’m still contemplating it, lol.

Commented on all as well. Some standout scripts and great to see the variety of stories.

Rick, (Canis) at risk of looking like an eejit what is a P.R.N?

p.r.n.: Abbreviation meaning "when necessary" (from the Latin "pro re nata", for an occasion that has arisen, as circumstances require, as needed).

That's just my own knowledge... it only looks like i copy and pasted it ;)

Quoted from irish eyes

That's just my own knowledge... it only looks like i copy and pasted it ;)

Well done.

Quoted from irish eyes

Well done, you! You know, I didn't imagine the Latin was what Rick was referring to. I instantly jumped to thinking it was some lingo I'm not up to date with. I'm so used to looking up acronyms/abbreviations on Urban Dic etc. ;)

I just assumed it was missing an O ;-)

Quoted from Stumpzian

I thought this was a good batch.

Henry

Not only that imo. From what I read so far I think it offers the best quality of scripts of any OWC I saw within the last two and a half years. An insane quality for me. Such a hard challenge with all those games, never expected this standard. Open genre is also a big win here; pretty entertaining stuff.

Just a few more to review for me. My overall impressions:

Of the three OWCs I have read in my life at this site:

1. The scripts for this one had by far the highest percentage that stuck pretty closely to the parameters of the challenge. I don't know if that is because we are getting better or if it is a function of this particular theme.

2. This one had a nice mix of drama, horror, comedy.

3. I learned a lot about how to write descriptions from review these scripts. There were just some outstanding efforts in that area - the writers did a great job in placing the reader in the scene.

4. A few too many scripts had debates about what particular game the group or family should play - it was kind of common. In almost all cases I thought that it was unnecessary and would have rather had the writer spend those pages on other aspects of the story.

5. As with all OWCs - fascinating to see the different reactions to the scripts.

This was a very good batch of scripts IMO - many of which could easily be filmed.

Quoted from eldave1

This was a very good batch of scripts IMO - many of which could easily be filmed.

I haven't finished them all yet, but I'm gonna agree with ya.

It's also a plus that everyone who submitted seems to be involved. This OWC doesn't have that hater vibe, instead feels more like a potluck where everyone's asking each other for the recipe.

Lots of talent showcased here, big-league caliber players.

Got a few more to do, it's been really enjoyable.

Glad I decided to have a quick and dirty rewrite and take part. I wasn't entering Thursday night, so it was only the time to mull over the script during a drive in the drizzle to gat wick - all fun stuff - that gave me the time to see what could be done.

Nice mix. I always come away from an OWC amazed that the scripts are so different, it's rare for any to be simailr. Sometimes the location is simailr, with here the occasional board game, but that's about it.

I think a few have some decent potential that hopefully the writer will take on afterwards.

Now where's my script, time for a glowing review of its eloquent genius .... if I haven't done it already :-)

Ps mark - thanks for the education. I often find people think I've copied and pasted when I've said something clever...well it's not that ofte. :-(

Quoted from AnthonyCawood

I just assumed it was missing an O ;-)

pron?

I honestly don't think this one has been very good. The standard of actual stories seems down to me. On the up side, the standard of the writing has gone up.

I think most struggled with the subject matter. Not that I'm blaming the organiser(s). It's impossible to know what will and will not work beforehand. Better to have tried and failed than to not have tried at all. I think that sounds right.

For my own effort, the old adage, you get back what you put in, certainly rings true here. Although, all things considered, I've probably made a profit. People here are too kind.

I'll echo what some folks have already said in that the quality of the writing and format is up. A lot of clean reads -- but that's what happens here at SS: you learn! There were a few swings and misses, but overall they were pretty good this time around. That may be because Game Night has a seemingly endless amount of possible story lines to choose from. After that, just let your imagination take it away. Looking forward tonthe reveals.

I'm looking forward to guessing who wrote what! I'll probably be completely wrong on all counts, but I'm going to give it a good go. :)

I still have a few to read. I try to read two or three every day.

Over the ten years I've been reading OWC scripts, I think the quality of the stories and writing is getting better with every one. There used to be some script where you just scratched your head because the stories were impossible to figure out what was even going on. There used to be less focus on the writing itself though. If the format and spelling was off, people were nice enough to point that out, but it was never held against the writer as we were all just trying to learn and get better. Maybe because we had some non English speaking writers who came up with great stories, but could hard to read thanks to the language barrier. The readers are a LOT more picky now. Perhaps because we didn't have the much coveted mug and thong to fight over. ;D

I'd fight over any thong, wait, what??

Actually, I thought there were several really good stories.  I have been biting my tongue b/c I want to defend my piece badly.

I know I conceived and wrote it in 4 hrs, but, some people really missed out on some stuff that I thought would be obvious.

Although, at least one reader, you know who you are, figured out which one was mine, and perhaps more did...

This was my second OWC and I think this one was better then my first.

I will say this, since I joined several months back, I have become a better writer.

I think the critiques here are tough BUT FAIR.  And folks, if you don't have a thick skin as a writer, you won't survive.  You know what they say about opinions and butts...

And like I have said numerous times:  I'd rather hear it on here for free rather then pay for the same info or (worse case scenario) have someone who has the money to produce your story, but, turn it down or (even worse) put the script down for reasons that were said on here.

This is a bit of the blind leading the blind (since none of us have really made it into the promised land yet, but, there are some exceptional story tellers on here and I can't help but feel that they are close to getting that big break, and if so, then what they suggest is on the correct path...

Don't we all wish we could take that screenwriting class as UCLA and get offered the million dollars for our story?  But, more often then not, it doesn't work that way...

So, through the grinders we have to go...  Soylent Grounders I call them.  Each one tailored to your specific flavor...

Do I really need to say more?

Oh and I really gotta ask:

1.  Can we do these once a month, or every 2 months?  And I think there should be a second prize for the person who guesses the most entries correctly.  If it is just a case of needing help, I would offer to help out or arrange it.

And a suggestion:  Lets really challenge ourselves.  Lets have a bizarro challenge.  Lets write something that no one would ever expect from us.  Like I could write a love story (blech) and Dustin could write a comedy  (I'd almost pay cash to read that)...

It might be fun to have assignments handed out to us.  Oh, that might be fun too.  Have like a roulette table of different genres or ideas (or both) and be given a random assignment for the OWC.

Still think it might be a blast to write a cartoon based on a series we watched as kids...  The Herculoids vs Space Ghost!!

Dan

I mentioned this in the last OWC but I think we should do a OWC pisser contest, just for fun....winners announced 1st of April and get nipple tassles as the prize.

Quoted from MarkRenshaw

I mentioned this in the last OWC but I think we should do a OWC pisser contest, just for fun....winners announced 1st of April and get nipple tassles as the prize.

Oh Oh Oh , I second that.  If I can write a pisser by accident, imagine what I could come up with if I tried.

By the way, what is the definition of a pisser?  I mean, I have seen that used on some scripts that were "bad" but, don't really know what goes into one.

But, yeah, april 1 deadline would be awesome!

I actually think we should do those every other month.  I know I'd help out.

Others??

Dan

How do we vote on writers choice? Says names revealed and writers choice tomorrow but I haven't gotten a vote email yet?

And I am agreeing with Pia that the quality has gone way up over the years! :)

Quoted from MarkRenshaw

I mentioned this in the last OWC but I think we should do a OWC pisser contest, just for fun....winners announced 1st of April and get nipple tassles as the prize.

Don't give Don ideas, he's already dishing out all sorts of under garment :K)

Really upset I wasn't able to get my script submitted in time, comp probs literally at the stroke of midnight that screwed me over, but I've read a few of the scripts and I really like what I've seen. The quality is pretty high and some of the ideas have been very imaginative.

Because this was a great idea for a OWC. Is was limiting enough to really force some creativity but also open ended enough to allow for some great ideas. Sci-fi, family dramas, love stories, lawn dart snuff films, lol.

I'd really like to see more challenges in the future like this with interesting premises. It was great to dust off my Celtx after so long away, so thank you Mr. Blonde for running this one. I'll post what I had in the shorts section for some comments once this OWC calms down a little. I thought it was pretty good. :)

Since it appears the names will be revealed soon, I thought I'd take a few guesses as to who wrote what.

Sugar Pie - Dustin
Kitty and Moonwolf - Dena
Get a Clue - Stevie
Role of the Dice - Rick
Tick Tock Toe - Reef

Overall, some very good writing in this owc.

Blondie...Don...I need to remove my entry! It doesn't fit all the challenge parameters!

I've read about 7 so far and I must've missed the bit about using a gun as a prop (dang, where's a good wheelchair when you need one? And a mime...) and people illicitly shagging other people's husbands and wives and god knows what else lol!

Guess the name of the game is...game for anything. Sorry, it's very hot and humid here as a supercell is predicted for this arve and I'm tired from work. Carry on!

Quoted from Ryan1

Since it appears the names will be revealed soon, I thought I'd take a few guesses as to who wrote what.

Kitty and Moonwolf - Dena
.

Nope ...not mine even though I loved it bunches! :) Can't wait to find out who wrote that!

Has anyone got the voting email yet? I haven't. :-/

Nope - but sure it'll be out soon

I know it says the reveal is today, but it's normally 2 weeks after, right? I've still got a bit of reading to do.

I got it.

It states votes are due November 6th... plenty of time then ;D

Voted, well in advance of deadline ;-)

Aha, got my email. Time to vote...

But before I do, few guesses:

Sugar Pie - Dustin
Mindcraft or Get A Clue - Stevie
Kill Your Demon - Dena
Solitaire or Ready Or Not - Reef
Tic Tock Toe - Anthony
Future Quiz - Chris/ I thought maybe Henry at first but not sure now...
Game Night on 27 - Chris - could be?
Favorite Game - Henry
Heartbreaker, Norma Jean - Johnny - type of thing CJ writes, but I don't think he's in this OWC
Kitty & Moonwolf - Johnny
Lawn Dart Massacre - DJ
What Passes Through - Alex
Truth Or Dare - Pia
You're It - Rick
Checkmate (the other one) Dan C

Yes, hedged my bets on a couple.

Just voted.

LC, you got one wrong. ;)

;D Very good guys.

You know Anthony and Reef (and Dave and Steven) I could peg for a few. And Pia, I didn't see anything automatically that popped out as yours... it's either you or Dena for Kill Your Demon, I'm almost entirely nearly sure of it... See what I did there. Ha.

Anyway, the speculation continues...

Where are everybody else's stab in the dark guesses?

Quoted from LC

See what I did there. Ha.

You sneaky...

Seriously, I don't have a clue as to who wrote what. I'm not even sure who participated. I think some of the readers didn't submit anything.

Quoted from LC

Lawn Dart Massacre - DJ

If by DJ you mean me, then you got another wrong.
In fact, I just found out something about my entry as I read through the comments, wondering why my script was subbed under a different alias. ;D
Perhaps it was subbed under my evil doppelganger.

I got a few more to read yet.

I'm rubbish at guessing but I think I pegged a couple or three

Checkmate (the other one) Dan C

Ready or Not, think it might be Janet

Game Night on T27 - John Hunter, similar setting to another of his

If CJ is in then I'd have pegged the Norma Jean one, but not convinced.

It's hard because there's a lot of good writers on SS who can adapt their styles.

Anthony

Yes, I did mean you Darren, but apparently I bombed out.

And, Anthony I think CJ ain't in - unless he's going to do a flurry of reading/commenting - also his strongest characters (as he says) are usually females, too many front and centre males in that one.

I might have to concede I'm rubbish at guessing too, however I know emphatically a couple of those are right! See, that's me having it both ways again. But no, really... A couple are on the money. Ha. :) Think I'll give up now and go eat brekky.

Quoted Text

Where are everybody else's stab in the dark guesses?

I am horrible with the guessing other than it is generally easy to separate the States from the Brits and the Aussies (e.g., favourite vs. favorite, etc).

Don't have my ballot yet, which is OK because I need to remind myself of what I thought of certain scripts.

I have no guesses this time. Maybe I've been away too long.

Libby, is it fair to say you did not write any of the titles you guessed?

Henry

Yeah. Pretty bad at guessing too. I got one right for sure, and another I was sure was someone's turned out to be someone else's, then I found out he wrote what?? Holy crap! I will venture one guess ... Game Night On T-27 I think is Alex (Prussian). That's all I've got. I gotta read over who I blasted for not having a board game and I can find Libby's as well.

Quoted from LC

Heartbreaker, Norma Jean - Johnny - type of thing CJ writes, but I don't think he's in this OWC
Kitty & Moonwolf - Johnny

These two classics were probably inked by writers who get their flu shots at trader joes or believe in the healing power of crystals.

Got my form. I'll get them all read by Monday and submit it. From the ones I've read, no idea who wrote what.

I can guess some of who wrote what. There's a few "no doubters", other I'm completely clueless.

One that I'm super curious to know is "Kill Your Demon". It feels like a combined effort. Normally writers have certain quirks that give them away, this one feels purposely tinkered with to throw us off the scent.

Quoted from oJOHNNYoNUTSo

These two classics were probably inked by writers who get their flu shots at trader joes or believe in the healing power of crystals.

Yes, probably. But this comment coming from the writer of that other classic: Halloween Baby! ;) Hmm...

Quoted from Stumpzian

Libby, is it fair to say you did not write any of the titles you guessed?

Oh god, no! The only thing fair to say, and, I'm guessing here ;) is that I'm not in the running for a mug. Damn, gotta give it a go again next time. :P

Quoted from SAC

... I gotta read over who I blasted for not having a board game and I can find Libby's as well.

Insert evil laugh... ;D

Quoted from LC

The only thing fair to say, and, I'm guessing here ;) is that I'm not in the running for a mug. Damn, gotta give it a go again next

Me, either.

Quoted from LC

Yes, I did mean you Darren, but apparently I bombed out.

There was once a day when you were right on. Actually, i'm surprised I wasn't a dead giveaway by now.

I know who wrote a few, but, I'm still waiting for their bribe money to come in the mail.  Anytime now guys :)

I voted tonight...  No sense in waiting.

I don't know who wrote what.  I don't even know who sent in entries.  I actually think instead of going with the fake names, next time, Don should use a name from a person's other entry.  So, like say Libby, Pia, Anthony, Bill and myself all submit stories, you could say that I wrote Pia's story, Bill wrote mine, Anything wrote Libby's etc.

That way, we know who entered.  And we also have one guess as to who didn't write what (the name listed).  I think that'd be a lot more fun then the fake names.

I know I'd venture guesses if I knew that someone sent in a story.

My guess is that Sugar Pie was Dustin.

I can't say on some others, like I said, I know stuff, people visit me in my dreams and whatnot...

I really don't know who wrote a story.

Perhaps we can say it here.  I wrote one story.

Anyone else care to say if they wrote a story?

Dan

Ps, I think I'm a lock for a mug.  Oh wait, you mean one that I don't have to buy??  Oh, yeah,  I have about as much a shot of winning that mug this time as Donald Trump's hair finding love...

Quoted from DanC

Perhaps we can say it here. I wrote one story.

Anyone else care to say if they wrote a story?

I wrote one story as well. I'm fairly new here, though, so I doubt people would guess which one is mine. But maybe they can...

Quoted from DanC

I actually think instead of going with the fake names, next time, Don should use a name from a person's other entry. So, like say Libby, Pia, Anthony, Bill and myself all submit stories, you could say that I wrote Pia's story, Bill wrote mine, Anything wrote Libby's etc.

That's typical - 'anything' wrote Libby's? ;D

Quoted from Dan

That way, we know who entered. And we also have one guess as to who didn't write what (the name listed). I think that'd be a lot more fun then the fake names.

I've always been partial to the fake names. Usually they are chosen by Don with some relevance to the specific OWC - I must look mine up, haven't done it yet...

Would be a bit weird, Dan, if you ask me, re your suggestion.

The thing is you can usually guess the suspects who entered cause they post feedback, a lot, on different entries, and you can also guess from the other announcement thread - i.e., 'I just got my entry in' etc..

Granted here and there you'll get some members who didn't enter who post feedback but they're unlikely to post on twenty-eight entries. I think we can safely say who entered this time around, with maybe a couple of ring-ins (if that).

Quoted from DanC

Anyone else care to say if they wrote a story?

I'll save you time wondering, Dan...

Alex, Dave, Anthony, Rick (Canis) Rick (Scar), Pia, Dena, Janet, Steven, Stevie, Darren, Hunter, Glenn, Reef, me, Henry, Tim (Trojan) Chris, Ryan, Johnny, Mark (Irish) Dustin, Richard, Cameron? Lightfoot, Mark Renshaw, Dan, etc.
Edit: Scratch Alex, (he was just kind enough to read), and add cbead. :)

That's pretty much the cast of characters - perhaps missed one or two, but equally one may have got two entries past Don. Just look at the posts.

So, now you can start guessing, Dan. It's all a bit of a wild stab in the dark anyway, believe me. :)

Hey yo, Libby. I didn't enter this OWC. You should know that because there was no grammar training this time ;-) which I greatly appreciate in the usual run of course.

I just peeked into some entries, and while I found the overall quality amazing, I decided to read on.

Since you and Steven had a guess on my entry, I'd carefully say you wrote a thriller and Steven perhaps has gone back to drama territory ala The Combination.

On another note: I think RayW would have given some high scores on his chart this time. Lots of doable projects, not?

Quoted from PrussianMosby

Hey yo, Libby. I didn't enter this OWC.

Aha, classic deflection, Alex - now who are you working with?! ;D

Quoted from PrussianMosby

Since you and Steven had a guess on my entry, I'd carefully say you wrote a thriller and Steven perhaps has gone back to drama territory ala The Combination.

You know I have no idea how I came up with that guess for you anyway, must have been typo - clearly a UK writer...
Anyway, as for your guess, I might and I might not have. Regardless, I don't think you were particularly fond of my entry... or maybe you were. ;)

Hey good to see Brain up on STS the other day. Good luck with it.

Quoted from PrussianMosby

If true, bravo. Thanks for reading and reviewing if you are not taking part.

Libby

Some good guess and well done for trying.

I would agree with Suagr Pie for Dustin
Favourite game - possibly Rick
Solitaire - stab in the dark with Steven Clark
Role of the dice - wild stab at Pia
Mindcraft - another stab with Janet - reminded me a little of magic in the machine
Dames and games - Irish eyes??
You're it - Dena??
Tic tock toe - Ren

Now I need to vote

Cheers all, been a bit of fun

Quoted from LC

Hey good to see Brain up on STS the other day. Good luck with it.

Thank you.

Quoted from LC

Aha, classic deflection, Alex
clearly a UK writer...

Who knows. My school English was British, so perhaps I picked up my old vocabulary books and interchanged all the z with s and made the o an ou...

Somehow sure I liked your script.

The plot thickens, but I think I believe what you said first, Alex.

As for the second statement. We shall see... :)

Some interesting guesses from Reef too.

Well how good is this. Been on the site for 2.5 weeks and fell smack bang into a OWC... I did take the opportunity to submit an entry so, yep one of them belongs to me.

So I am a 'Chris" but perhaps not the Chris you may have pegged against one of the scripts...

Given it is probably the 5th ever short I've completed, and completed in a rush (name of the game) it's safe to say my entry may be easier to identify against some of the more refined submissions. Having said that, I have been buoyed by the constructive feedback and suggestions I have received for my entry, and certainly don't feel a million miles away from the mark.

Trying to pick who else wrote what, well, I've got Buckley's! ... the Aussies will know what I mean :-)

Hey, 'other Chris' - I added your name above 'cbead' to the as yet hypothetical list - didn't know your name at the time.

P.S. Good old Buckley. I for one know it cause I'm Aussie as well. If anyone's curious:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Buckley_(convict)

What a life!

Btw, welcome Chris, great to hear your first OWC was a positive experience, and you didn't run a mile. :D

I will double check but at the moment I think I have one recommend and several considers. Many scripts felt like they were sound ideas that just needed a Little more.

OK, I'll guess a few:

Checkmate -- Edward Albee
The Future Quiz -- Charles Van Doren
Get a Clue --Oscar Wilde
Game Night on T-27 -- Nevil Shute
It's Only Words -- Sophia Coppola
The Role of the Dice -- O. Henry
Heartbreaker, Norma Jean -- Robert Mitchum
Favorite Game -- Noel Coward
Kill Your Demons -- Rod Serling
Mindcraft -- Tobe Hooper
Kitty & Moonwolf -- Max Fleischer
Sorry, Not Sorry -- William Inge
Dames With Games -- Nelson Algren
Ready or Not -- J.M. Barrie
20 Questions -- Lillian Hellmann
Tic Tock Toe -- Billy Wilder
Your Turn -- Harold Pinter
Sugar Pie -- Sophocles
What Passes Through -- Henry James
Double Word Score -- Vladimir Nabokov
Truth or Dare -- Tom Stoppard
Family -- George Costanza
Solitaire -- Arthur Miller
Pop Goes the Weasel -- C.S. Lewis
The Stalking Light -- David Mamet
Lawn Dart Massacre -- Ethan Cohen
Checkmate (the other one) -- Harlan Ellison
You're It -- Robert Bloch

3 of you I know :D

I also know who wrote mine.

The one about the Wallaby, the bush Kangaroo and an episode of Neighbours is definitely Libbys... or maybe Stevie

;D;D;D

Libby, I didn't understand what you had said about Anything wrote Libby's but, oh man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I was getting confused by the name swapping...

Obviously, no one can write some of the stuff you do :)

Peace ??

I chalk this up to mental highness.....

Dan

Checkmate was either :
Alex, Dave, Anthony, Rick (Canis) Rick (Scar), Pia, Dena, Janet, Steven, Stevie, Darren, Hunter, Glenn, Reef, Libby, Henry, Tim (Trojan) Chris, Ryan, Johnny, Mark (Irish) Dustin, Richard, Cameron? Lightfoot, Mark Renshaw, DanC

It's Only words was either :
Alex, Dave, Anthony, Rick (Canis) Rick (Scar), Pia, Dena, Janet, Steven, Stevie, Darren, Hunter, Glenn, Reef, Libby, Henry, Tim (Trojan) Chris, Ryan, Johnny, Mark (Irish) Dustin, Richard, Cameron? Lightfoot, Mark Renshaw, DanC

Tic Tock Toe was either :
Alex, Dave, Anthony, Rick (Canis) Rick (Scar), Pia, Dena, Janet, Steven, Stevie, Darren, Hunter, Glenn, Reef, Libby, Henry, Tim (Trojan) Chris, Ryan, Johnny, Mark (Irish) Dustin, Richard, Cameron? Lightfoot, Mark Renshaw, DanC

Double Word Score was either :
Alex, Dave, Anthony, Rick (Canis) Rick (Scar), Pia, Dena, Janet, Steven, Stevie, Darren, Hunter, Glenn, Reef, Libby, Henry, Tim (Trojan) Chris, Ryan, Johnny, Mark (Irish) Dustin, Richard, Cameron? Lightfoot, Mark Renshaw, DanC

You're it was either :
Alex, Dave, Anthony, Rick (Canis) Rick (Scar), Pia, Dena, Janet, Steven, Stevie, Darren, Hunter, Glenn, Reef, Libby Henry, Tim (Trojan) Chris, Ryan, Johnny, Mark (Irish) Dustin, Richard, Cameron? Lightfoot, Mark Renshaw, DanC

That's just a few guesses, but I think I'm right ;D

And, of course, Mark, we all know the rest of the scripts were yours. =)

Quoted from Sean

And, of course, Mark, we all know the rest of the scripts were yours. =)

That's right buddy, no point guessing the rest... all me ;D

Hey Mark, just to say your posts do put a smile on my face. :D

Alas, whilst it won't happen, you are one of those around here I could picture having a pint with. Cheers

Quoted from Bill

Hey Mark, just to say your posts do put a smile on my face.

Alas, whilst it won't happen, you are one of those around here I could picture having a pint with. Cheers

For a fellow red and one of fav writers on SS , I would surely enjoy that :)

Maybe we'll meet on the Kop end one day :)

Hey guys, I've been busy the last few days with holidays and work. And it's stinking hot and raining so the humidity has been knocking us around lol. I've read about 10 scripts I think. Apologies if I haven't read yours. Feel free to PM me and I will endeavour to do so. I'm gonna vote now so if a script I haven't read is better than the one I've picked out then congratulations! If my non vote costs you the mug then I will be happy to provide compensation by sending a signed picture of my shorts with the mug I got courtesy of Ryan! You will be a winner anyway!

Have no idea anymore who wrote what lol. I gave up on trying to guess a few OWC's ago

Good job to all who entered and next one can we please make a specific strictly comedy genre!

3 games vs Liverpool this season and they still can't beat us... IRONS!

Quoted from irish eyes

For a fellow red and one of fav writers on SS , I would surely enjoy that :)

Maybe we'll meet on the Kop end one day :)

Guys, not sure if I posted this awhile back but you may have seen it already. Found it on YouTube a couple of years back. That final is the greatest game of any sport I've ever seen (got up at 4am to watch it live). And I love this clip, linking Liverpool's 2 famous things - The Beatles and Liverpool FC

https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=RDmDLSu8VZ8G8&params=OAI%253D&v=mDLSu8VZ8G8

Quoted from Stevie

Still get chills watching it... The greatest game ever... on the other hand

Quoted from Silly hammers fan

3 games vs Liverpool this season and they still can't beat us... IRONS

Not the greatest game ever :(

I don't know, I think two of the three games have been fantastic ;-)

Lol I was glad Villa are out of the Cup we can concentrate on staying up!

Easy games against Liverpool and West Ham before the end of the season so we should be jake.

;D 8)

And then there's always Villa fans ;D ;D ;D

I'm surprised anyone admits that this season!

I didn't write any this time and I've not had chance to read/review either so sorry on both counts. I've been tied up with writing some prose and post production on a short film. So I hope that helps a little with your guessing who wrote what.

I made it through 15 scripts, most of them today and yesterday. That's more than half. Overall, I thought the quality was quite strong. It was a fun, um, game, this time around.

Just finished reading one more. I think that's all I can squeeze in before the Writer's Choice deadline.

Yeah, think I missed out on nine. Sorry if I didn't get around to reading yours. Time was against me. Going to submit my scores now.

If I didn't read yours and you'd like another pair of eyes on it, PM me and I'll take a look.

Somebody please straighten me out on the deadline for voting.

My ballot says Friday, Nov. 6, which I assumed meant Feb. 6, but that's next Saturday.

Some people say they ran out of time to read the entries. So is the deadline today?

Henry

My email says 1st Feb... so I think it's today...

Don said this on the email:

If you can get this back to me by Feb 1, that would be cool.

But this was on the voting thingimy:

Votes are due Friday, November 6th at midnight your time.

Perhaps he was optimistic we could all get our act together by the 1st. :)

I assume the Nov 6th was just a copy and paste error and it was 1st... sure Don or someone will chime in and clarify... not that I mind - have already voted ;-)

Thanks, Anthony and Libby. Will vote today.

I think I made it through all of the scripts this time :) IF by some chance I missed yours, give me a kick, it was hard keeping up with the list for me. Lotta good entries this challenge.

I think the 1st was preferable, but not a requirement. That's what I took from it.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde

I think the 1st was preferable, but not a requirement. That's what I took from it.

In other words, entrants still have time to read and comment before voting. I see quite a few entries that didn't get at least 27 reads.

Quoted from Stumpzian

In other words, entrants still have time to read and comment before voting. I see quite a few entries that didn't get at least 27 reads.

No one is required to read all of them. It is however considered poor form to not read any. :)

It's gonna need some form of cutoff for the voting otherwise how will Don know when to count the votes?

I try to read all of them.  I think it's only fair b/c I want others to read mine.  I'm a firm believer that if you want to gain respect (especially for the newbies here) jump in, read stuff, EXPECT NOTHING BACK.

Do it b/c you want to and should do it.  You will learn a lot.  When I first joined here, I didn't know what on the nose dialog was.  Now, I can sometimes spot it in others' works.

I was lucky in that a lot of the regulars embraced me pretty early on.  People like Libby, Pia, Anthony, Jeff, Dustin, Bill, Max Debra and others that I can't think of off the top of my head, really enjoyed the fact that I was willing to read and help out.

Then, people started reading my stuff, not b/c they felt obligated, but, b/c they wanted to.  They wanted to see what I had b/c I was so honest with them.

Like I said, for all the newer people out there, especially if you didn't get great reviews, or not a lot of reads, or your stuff (outside of the OWC) hasn't gotten many, if any reads, don't fret.  Jump in and make contacts.  The reads will come.

That's my advice for the day.

Dan

Quoted from AnthonyCawood

I'm rubbish at guessing but I think I pegged a couple or three.

Ready or Not, think it might be Janet

It's hard because there's a lot of good writers on SS who can adapt their styles.

Anthony

BTW, Anthony - thanks a mill for guessing Ready or Not as mine. NOT mine. But it's definitely my favorite. (With some very close seconds...)

Damn! See, said I was rubbish at it!

So, any info on when the writers choice will be announced? I know I'm not going to win because it turns out my entry was crap, but I'm interested to see how well my favorites did.

I guess this is a time of eagerly awaiting results for me. Really hoping that Bernie wins the Iowa caucus and that one of my favorite scripts wins here.

Quoted from Hunter

I know I'm not going to win because it turns out my entry was crap, but I'm interested to see how well my favorites did.

If it is crap, then you should know that already. Mine was crap too, but I knew it was crap from the outset. I didn't have time to put as much effort into this as I would have liked.

Funnily enough, I'm not writing anything in particular this week. If the OWC had been run this week, I would have had a lot more time for it.

Code

Really hoping that Bernie wins the Iowa caucus...

I had to Google that. I watched some 'news' in my country yesterday morning and on it, were some Americans sitting in a diner. There were some republicans and some democrats. One of the Republicans was asked what she would do if Trump made it as leader. She obviously supported one of the other candidates for leader (not that I know who they are).

She said, that even though she doesn't agree with Trump's politics that she would still vote republican because she had taken some kind of party pledge.

It doesn't really matter who you vote for anyway, the choices you have are an illusion, but all I could see was some crazy, brainwashed woman with a very low IQ. How can you support a party no matter what they do?

I find it scary that people can be so stupid.

Quoted from DustinBowcot

Code

Really hoping that Bernie wins the Iowa caucus...

That's US democracy in glorious action right there! Everyone believes they have a choice but they don't, all they have is a flip of a coin and some don't even have that option.

Plenty of people like that in the UK too, people who'd vote for a monkey in a suit if they had the right colour tie on ;-(

A shame, but its a fact of politics/life.

Quoted from Hunter

I know I'm not going to win because it turns out my entry was crap.

Hunter, yours definitely is NOT crap.  I say that because (while I have not had it confirmed, I'm SURE I know which is yours.  Sometimes, you know a person's writing style.)

Re: American politics... since it's been brought up on this thread.  Yep, there are definitely people that vote the party line - regardless of the issues.  Sad.  Extremely, extremely sad.

Anthony: if Bernie DOESN'T win, will you vouch for me as I run like heck to another country?  :)) I'd consider Australia, too.  But no way am I putting my puppy through quarantine...  And since Canada's connected to the US geographically - that puts them at risk if someone like Trump actually got in office, too.  Sigh.

Of course Janet... We've a lot less poisonous and dangerous animals in the UK, though Australia has the weather ;-)

I only commented on 1 script so far, but I've actually read about 15 - all in their entirety! I was on a plane, so couldn't take notes, but if anyone wants my input, PM me and I'll get to it this week.

Quoted from MarkRenshaw

That's US democracy in glorious action right there! Everyone believes they have a choice but they don't, all they have is a flip of a coin and some don't even have that option.

"You get the government you deserve". We could fix our process pretty quick. 1)We could have open primaries rather than party based primaries. Rather than having the far wacko right and the far wacko left facing each other in a general election you would have a moderate right and a moderate left. 2) we could cap the amount of money you can spend on a campaign and eliminate PACS. ETC. ETC. Christ, we don't even allow for voting over the internet.

But far and away the biggest problem is that Americans don't vote and far too many of those that do would disqualify a candidate based on whether they believed in the right God, smoked weed or had an affair rather than how they would govern. i.e. we get what we deserve. When we decide to have a better process to yield better candidates - we will.

Not talking about anyone here, but in general.

When it comes to politics, no matter where people are on the political scale, it always amazes me that people always think they are smart, informed and right and anyone who disagrees with them is an idiot.

Quoted from Grandma Bear

Concur

Agree, unless that makes me an idiot ;-)

Quoted from anthony

Agree, unless that makes me an idiot

You support West Ham ;D

Good point, clearly massively intelligent then - COYI

Wow, we are getting into politics.

I might get hate mail for this, but, at this stage, I don't know how anyone can look at any of the Republican choices and like them.  Heck, the Dems are bad too.  For me, it's a choice of who's the least of the bad choices?

But, the Rep party has disintegrated into too much religion and not enough governing.  The Dems can't stop spending someone else's money, but, the Reps want to send this country back to 1775.

I have no choice but to vote Democrat b/c if the other party wins, this will happen:

1.  I'm not gay, but, believe in gay marriage and they will overturn that.  Pretty bogus.

2.  My only hope is "far out" stuff like Stem-cell research and of course, they are against that.  They are against anything that deals with "God's work."

3.  Abortion is a private matter and people should have the right to that medical procedure if they so chose.

4.  Women will have to "cover up."  It's happening in the schools now.  Girls are being sent home for wearing certain clothes and they are allowing boys to have too much latitude in dealing with women.  It is pretty awful when boys can act like idiots and not take any responsibility if an attractive woman shows some skin.  Like Pia's pic of her legs, the Rep would want her to take that down.  It's crazy.

5.  Force people to believe in Creationism instead of Evolution.  Some of the more fanatical ones actually deny the existence of dinosaurs or believe that man had them as pets (since the world is only 2000 years old).

6.  Everyone would be forced to believe in the Christian version of the supreme deity, or at the very least, the smart money would be on a heavy handed (why don't you want to be a believer, those others are bad) intolerance of others rights and religions.

There are plenty more, but, when was the last time a Republican candidate really talked about the important issues of wages, jobs, etc.  They believe in giving rich people extra tax breaks b/c they are the ones that create jobs.

But, the truth is that, in practice, neither side works like it should.  It's been proven that rich people will hide their extra cash in passive accounts like off-shore accounts when they have extra cash.

And Dems and poorer people will save for a rainy day in savings accounts.  Neither side fundamentally works anymore.

For me, at least, it comes down to who is the least of all the evils?  Until the Republicans get religion away from politics, I can't ever support them.  Honestly, I don't know how any woman or poor/middle class person could support them...

Onto important stuff:

Jeff, good to see you again.  Hey, when are the names coming out?  I should just out mine, it's been over a week and most know which one was mine.

Here is a promise:
The next one I enter, no one will know which is mine (hopefully) :)

I will shock you with a love story, that has axes in it, yeah, that's a good idea ;)

Mine was Checkmate, the other one.  I conceived and wrote it in under 4 hrs.  I found out about it at 8pm and barely got it in at midnight.  I am shocked that some people thought it wasn't bad.  I thought it'd get slammed, but, for the most part, people thought it was okay.

Certainly not good enough to win, but, not as bad as my first attempt.

For you noobs, that's proof that reading, chatting, and being open to criticism does work.  This site will make you a better writer if you allow it.  That is up to you.  Be honest with your work.  Dive in and help others' first.  The rest will happen in time.

Like I said, there are plenty of people on this site that embraced me early on and I know they have made me a better writer and I (hope) that I was able to help them be the best they could be.  A site like this that really cares for each other is rare and I know if I sell anything, I will send Don some cash.  None of this would be possible without his efforts!

I will stop b/c I'm not writing a book here...

Really...

Dan

When do we know who won?

Quoted from CameronD

When do we know who won?

From what I've read in the posts, it looks like the Democrats :)

Quoted from wonkavite

:)) I'd consider Australia, too. But no way am I putting my puppy through quarantine...

Don't worry about silly quarantine laws, just do what Johnny Depp's girfriend (Amber Heard) did, just put your puppies in your handbag, and come on down. ;D

P.S. Anyone... (almost) but Trump! That'd be scary as hell.

Lib -

Yep!  I agree... Trump's pretty bad.  But trust me... start digging into the religious beliefs of the other GOP candidates, and you'll really find yourself truly afraid.  Seriously.  Especially Huckabee, Rubio, Cruz, and Jeb Bush, too.  (Ever hear the name Terri Schiavo?)  Jeb thinks he was the hero in that scenario...

Dan - here here on what you posted!  Plus, Checkmate (the other one) *was* a good, fun script, IMHO.  Wild and fantastical, but it worked.  Honestly, probably my favorite of yours thus far.

And Lib - that quarantine.  Sadly, my puppy weighs 115 pounds.  His German Shepherd butt wouldn't fit into a suitcase.  Let alone a purse...  :)))

And - I'm half convinced Trump's actually running as a joke.  That at some point he'll walk up to the mike and comment: By the way, the joke's on you.  Then again, the rest of his career shows that probably can't be.  He's been pretty evil all his life...(Just look at what he did to the folks who enrolled in "Trump University.")

Okay. Rant over.  :P

It's okay if Trump wins and then becomes president, because Christopher Walken will try and assassinate him, Trump will shield himself with a baby and that'll be the end of that...

Oh, wait a minute, that's King's Dead Zone!

Quoted from wonkavite

Okay. Rant over. :P

So does this mean we're not gonna be members of the Janet-arian party by 2020? ;D

Quoted from wonkavite

And Lib - that quarantine. Sadly, my puppy weighs 115 pounds. His German Shepherd butt wouldn't fit into a suitcase. Let alone a purse... :)))

Yep, I guessed as much, somehow I couldn't picture you with a fluffy puppy. ;D

Quoted from wonka

And - I'm half convinced Trump's actually running as a joke...

That'd be nice wouldn't it? All I know is you need your Democrats, if only to balance out those right wing gun-toting zealots, Bernie, or at the very least Hilary. Obama wasn't as impressive as I thought he might be, but he has to be commended for your healthcare reforms, right?

Oh, and onto another topic: Dan C., naughty you for outing yourself before time!

Quoted from oJOHNNYoNUTSo

So does this mean we're not gonna be members of the Janet-arian party by 2020? ;D

Vote Janet-arian! Twinkies for everyone! Even during the Zombie Apocalypse! :) Woody Harrelson must be appeased!

PS: Lib: as usual - you're correct. Obama's done a lot that's changed the US for the better. For instance: championing basic gay civil rights, and cleaning up our Health Care mess a bit (though Bernie could probably do him one better... *if* he can get the rest of the government to play nice.)

Oh god, I have started a political discussion here. I am too political, I need help. Maybe get Bernie elected and I'll shut up :P

Quoted from wonkavite

Hunter, yours definitely is NOT crap. I say that because (while I have not had it confirmed, I'm SURE I know which is yours. Sometimes, you know a person's writing style.)

You think you know which ones is mine? Let me know which one! I think that my comment here gave a couple of clues, haha.

okay first things first.
When next November rolls around, then I'll care. Then I'll vote.
A Republican's religious beliefs are generally irrelevant to me at this time.It neither qualifies nor disqualifies them for the possible job they seek. Democrats go to church too.

I believe in the same God,son and holy spirit that some of the GOP frontrunners do (and hopefully some Dems). Granted, I will NOT vote for Trump under any circumstances what-so-ever, and I'm a bit of a center-ist, but still I do take some issue with this, as you could understand. But, that said...I am a little disappointed in my peers here.

Ask me someday why I gave up on Zoetrope's SP wing. Long story short, folks stopped talking about films, writing and related issues and chose to get into flame wars on the main boards regarding politics and religion (even though the site requested that the users not do so). It's one thing to be passionate about such topics. It's totally another when that sort of thing carries over into the reading and reviewing of scripts. And that's one of the biggest reasons why Zoetrope SP wing is practically a ghost town.

The thread has been hijacked.
I hope this is an exception and not the rule.

-DjS

Quoted from LC

Yep, I guessed as much, somehow I couldn't picture you with a fluffy puppy. ;D
That'd be nice wouldn't it? All I know is you need your Democrats, if only to balance out those right wing gun-toting zealots, Bernie, or at the very least Hilary. Obama wasn't as impressive as I thought he might be, but he has to be commended for your healthcare reforms, right?

Oh, and onto another topic: Dan C., naughty you for outing yourself before time!

I'm naughty.  But, in my defense, everyone knew it was mine.  Somehow.  I was going to places I shouldn't with the I'm naughty, but, you can figure it out ;)

Spankings anyone??

I'll stop now and see myself out...

As for the politics, this is the first board that I have ever seen that happen to.  I've only been here a half-year, but, I don't expect politics to be much of a topic b/c people from other countries aren't as directly affected by whom we choose.  They are the lucky ones.

And honestly, it seems like most of the people on here are democrats, so, that means we should get along.  I also don't think any of us are dumb enough to believe that either party is good.  Like I said, it's the least of all the evils.

Janet, you are right about the religious right's scary opinions.  I'm happy gay rights have come so far, but, people like Kim Davis still show how far we have to go.  By the way, this is the same Kim Davis who can't find it in her heart to marry gays b/c it is wrong in the Bible, but, she's on her 4th husband, yes, you read that right, HER FOURTH HUSBAND...

You know Pia's pic of her on a beach, you know they'd want her to cover up.  Look at what they are doing in schools.  I'm proud of some of the young people taking up the cause.  I saw that in one school with an unfair dress code, several boys and girls switched dressing roles meaning that guys wore dresses and girls wore pants and a shirt.  Good for them.  I find it crazy when a guy can wear a tank top (and he works out) but, a girl can't b/c her skin is simply too enchanting for the boys to concentrate...

I, for one, don't want to return to 1776 to live...

And Darren, I suspect this post delved into politics b/c there was no where else for this to go.  We still don't know who submitted anything, nor who wrote what...  Boredom is the devils plaything...

Dan

Quoted from wonkavite

Oh Janet, I will proudly support your party. Don't care what you stand for, it's gotta be better then what we have.

Janet for president in 2020!! Start it now.
Dan

Okay...

Politics and religion are usually topics that divide people and threads about either never end well.

Let's stick to the OWC discussion here. If anyone still "needs" to vent about politics or religion, start a new thread in General Chat. Just know that in the past, it has always ended up ugly.

As far as the OWC goes, it seems most people that were going to read, have read, and I would assume voted. I'll out myself as having written Truth Or Dare. I did run out of time to end it properly due to my son's dog Murphy being violently ill for two days during that week. He's okay now, but it was a mess. Yuck...

You're right.

Politics and religion aren't important for here.  Unless you are writing a story about it, and honestly, I'm shocked at how much reflects in my writing, it has no bearing on anything.

Pia, I enjoyed that story a lot.  But, since you outed yourself, can you answer one burning question.  What was up with the omniscient kid?

Was it your impression to make him like Dr. House on House MD or say a profiler like on Sanctuary (it was a sci-fi show that aired her for (I think) 5 seasons...

If that was your intent, I wish you had taken it further...

It was a very good story.  I really enjoyed it a lot...

Great job.

Dan

Of course anyone can write a story about anything. Politics, religion, taboo stuff. Anything. But, if we need a discussion about those subjects themselves, start a new thread.

As far as my OWC went, my intention was for the kid (can't remember his name right now) to be kind of an evil Damien type. He got his info from snooping around. Like finding a partial wrapper to the pregnancy test kit in the waste basket in the bathroom for example. I thought maybe he could see what was on the guy's phone by seeing it in the reflection in his glasses. Something along those lines. Just didn't have the time to flesh it out properly. Was probably having a few beers on the last evening too.... :)

PS: my legs were in Barbados at the time...now stop talking about them! :D

Hey Pia - good script. As you know, everyone's script is somewhat rushed. This time around I felt that folk had struggled more with this one and that several were rushed through, like mine. Stuck in a travel motel in the middle of nowhere I wasn't entering a script on Thursday night so I was pleased just to take part.

If we're outing, I didn't write Ready or Not ;-(

Ta

I can't believe your entry (Pia) had 'Me' on it. I thought nah, Pia wouldn't put her well known alter-ego as a name. How wrong I was. ::) Btw, it was one of two 'Recommends' cause despite some fixes needed I really enjoyed the story and thought it'd film well.

P.S. Stop outing yourselves guys... Or else I'll have to stop peeking. I like seeing the surprise list when it comes out. :P Oh well.

I've been really busy lately so can't remember who I voted for and who I didn't. Well done, Pia. Truth or Dare is a good effort for this OWC. I can see somebody picking that up.

I won't "out" myself, but I will say that my script had a few Springsteen Easter eggs in it... for those of you who are really into Bruce. Extra points for guessing the correct song.

I outed myself because the guessing has stopped and it's been awhile now. Don's probably busy. Someone told me has a life. ;D

I'm glad you guys thought the script was okay. Reading reviews can be hard with the OWCs sometimes. Maybe I'll give this a rewrite after all. 8)

Libby, I forgot I had Me in my sig. It used to be my board name too until my family (husband 25% native American) gave me the name Angry Bear.

Quoted from Reef Dreamer

I felt that folk had struggled more with this one and that several were rushed through, like mine.

Agreed. Which is why I don't like "feels rushed" from others or from my own reviewing. I struggled with my entry too- and early on I even had a different game. It was a D&D-ish Lovecraftian game where the people accidentally conjure up an Old One. It sounded nice but I dropped it by that Monday because it wasn't working for me writing it and had to come up with a different story and game.

Well, Ready or Not was my hands down favorite - can't wait to see who wrote that one. Along with Tic Tac Toe, Solitaire and notable others. Heck, I rather enjoyed Lawn Dart, too. :)

(And kudos to all who submitted, of course. But that goes without saying...) :)

I thought the quality was high overall. My two RECOMMENDS went to Tic Tock Toe and Kill Your Demon. What I liked about KYD was that it actually did send a chill up my spine. I thought to myself while reading, is this how this people that go into places and shoot them up feel? Convinced that they are actually saving the rest of us from something evil. They are doing the right thing. That's what I thought was chilling.

Several other several others made my CONSIDER list. I can't remember all the titles without going to check, but they could definitely be made into RECOMMENDS with a rewrite. :)

Wonder when the reveal and the 'scores' are going to be announced?

Quoted from wonkavite

Ready or not was my fav as well - like every script on an OWC it could do with a little extra but I just loved the simple premise. Reminded me of the best of Movie Poet scripts - short, simple, decent message.

Quite a few made my favorite list, including' Its only words'
I thought that was kinda ballsy without any dialogue

My initial stab at this OWC was a take on the game Battleship, involving a sadistic military man whose son was fired from his job by the man they had kidnapped. They forced him to play an all too real game of Battleship, and instead of using harmless pegs they used something else... Knives, daggers, something. Had a good twist and everything. I wrote one page and scrapped it because I just wasn't feeling it. But I'm gonna come back to that one for sure cuz I think it could be quite a hoot!

Actually, I'm shocked that no one used Battleship. I figured there'd be several.

Quoted from irish eyes

Quite a few made my favorite list, including' Its only words'
I thought that was kinda ballsy without any dialogue

I agree. A decent effort.

Beforehand I believed most stories would read artificial around the subject, but instead the creativity was a blast.

My favorite was

Ready or Not

I also would have given recs to

It's Only Words
Solitaire
Kitty & Moonwolf

don't know what you think but

The Role of the Dice was exceptional thriller material imo

and not to forget

Tic Toc Toe
Game Night on T-27

Considers in my book

Checkmate 1
The Stalking Light
Kill Your Demon
20 Questions

Makes 6 Dramas, 3 Thrillers, 1 Animation and 1 SF on my fav list.

7 recs and 4 considers if I'd be allowed to vote. Much more than in my usual rating. Must be due to the amount of dramas which we have awesome writers for imo.

Probably
worth
another OWC award show...

Quoted from Grandma Bear

I agree with you.  I wondered that too.  I was actually hoping that he was nuts.  To get a peek inside the brain of the batman killer (for ex) would be fascinating.

The fact that the guy brought a gun to a demon fight was silly, but, what can you do?  I doubt the gun would hurt the demon.  Hell, depending on the type of demon, the bullet might not even puncture his hide...

I wish all the names in a separate post had been listed.  Just the names, so that we could all try to peg who wrote what.  I still think that'd be fun.  I don't know people well enough to guess yet, but, I'd venture a guess at some.  Problem is, I know who wrote like 4 stories, so, I can't say (am accepting bribe donations right now, step right up) ;)

Pia, how was Barbados?  I've never been.  Now, with my health, I doubt I ever will...

And that was an awesome story how you got the name Angry Bear.  Very cool...

And Libby, make more guesses!!

I find it funny that so many of you guys said that you rushed the story.  You had the whole week.  I mean, I literally had 4 hrs.  I wish I did have the whole week b/c I have had so many ideas (won't call them good :) ) on the subject since the deadline ended...

Dan

Oh, we're outing ourselves?

I wrote the one everyone loved. You're welcome.

Quoted from irish eyes

Quite a few made my favorite list, including' Its only words'
I thought that was kinda ballsy without any dialogue

Really? I thought that one was kinda so-so, to be honest. It just went on and on really.

Congrats to the writers of two great winner scripts!

Then there is

The inofficial, yet traditional 3rd OWC award show:

(Join in if you like to add other categories, insert your own favorites, or just enjoy the show)

TOP 3 TITLES:

Lawn Dart Massacre

first and second runner-up

Game Night On T-27
Kitty and Moonwolf

TOP 3 STORIES:

Ready Or Not

first and second runner-up

Solitaire
It's only Words

TOP 3 CONCEPTS:

Ready Or Not

first and second runner-up

Checkmate 1
Dames With Games

TOP 3 MAIN CHARACTERS:

Chuck (The Role of the Dice)

first and second runner-up

Kitty (Kitty and Moonwolf)
Thomas (20 Questions)

TOP 3 VILLAINS:

Bishop Tom (Kill Your Demon)

first and second runner-up

Happenstance (The Future Quiz)
The Acheri (What Passes Through)

BEST ACTION:

The Role of the Dice

BEST SETTING:

Lake House property (You're It)

BEST CONCEPT STREAMING PLATFORMS/ MASS MEDIA:

Dames with Games

BEST CONCEPT FEATURE/SERIES DEVELOPMENT:

Kitty And Moonwolf

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