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girlyswot ([personal profile] girlyswot) wrote2007-07-10 09:47 am

Challenges, Challenges

In a fit of madness, I seem to have attempted to combine all of [personal profile] stmargarets challenges into one final chapter of The Muggle Girl. So here is my Weasley Crumpet meets Mary Sue in a Screenplay!  The screenplay was HARD!!

This won't make any sense unless you've read the earlier parts (and even if you have, I'm not promising anything!)

Scene One: By the lake

It is early evening on a warm autumn day. The sun is not yet setting but the shadows have grown longer. In the untidy garden of a ramshackle house in the English countryside there is a large pond, or possibly a small lake, with a copse of oak and elm trees off to one side. The leaves on the trees are just beginning to turn red. A fifteen-year-old girl with soft brown hair is sitting beside the lake with her knees drawn up under her chin. She is wearing scruffy jeans and a pink t-shirt, with a blue sweatshirt tied around her waist.

A red-headed boy of a similar age to the girl, wearing camouflage trousers and a navy v-neck jumper over a white t-shirt walks up to her without her noticing and kneels beside her.

Charlie: Hi.

Rosie (not looking at him): Hi.

Charlie: I’ve been trying to get you on your own all day. I wanted to explain.

Rosie: I don’t want to hear it.

Charlie: I see.

There is a long pause.

Rosie (angrily): Do you have any idea much you hurt me? How it felt to hear you talk about me like that? Like I was some kind of toy for you to share with your mates.

Charlie: I’m sorry.

Rosie: Sorry! Huh.

Charlie: It wasn’t like it sounded

Rosie: Oh I see. So you think I’m stupid as well?

Charlie: No! I don’t… Rosie, please. You don’t know those guys like I do.

Rosie shrugs.

Charlie: I wanted to get up and walk away but that would have made it worse.

Rosie: You didn’t want to make them shut up? Take it back? Apologise?

Charlie (mumbling): Wanted to punch the living daylights out of Carrow.

Rosie: Why didn’t you?

Charlie: Scared.

Rosie (disbelievingly): Scared?

Charlie: There were half a dozen of them. With wands. And I’ve been on the receiving end of Carrow’s hexes too often before. I thought if I agreed, I’d be able to manage Capper on my own. Thought you’d never need to know about it.

Rosie: Oh.

A brief pause.

Rosie: Why didn’t you tell me that earlier?

Charlie (redfaced): Embarrassed. Should have been able to deal with it. Shouldn’t have needed Bill to sort it out.

Rosie: Bill’s two years older. And he’s Head Boy. Sorting that kind of thing out is what he’s supposed to do.

Charlie: I know, but…

Rosie: It’s okay to be scared sometimes, Charlie.

They sit in silence for a while, watching the colours of the sunset change in the reflections on the lake.

Charlie: Bill’s got that thing working, by the way.

Rosie: The Walkman? Oh good. Does Ginny like it?

Charlie laughs.

Charlie: Yes, she loves it. Though I think Dad loves the batteries even more. Come on, I want to show you something.

Scene Two: In the wood

Rosie is following Charlie down a narrow path in the wood. He motions to her to keep quiet. They stop in a small clearing and Charlie points up towards what looks like a small bird box. They wait in silence. After a few minutes, a small animal pokes its face out of the box. Charlie moves forward and extends his hand towards the animal, making encouraging noises. A tiny, hedgehog-like creature crawls onto Charlie’s palm. He brings it over to Rosie. They speak in whispers.

Rosie: What is it?

Charlie: Tree-pig.

He shows her how to stroke the tree-pig so that its spines fall flat. Then she puts out her hand and he lets her hold the animal. It sniffs around then lets out a tiny burp and falls asleep.

Rosie: Magic.

Charlie: Yes, it is.


Scene Three: In the garden

Rosie and Charlie are walking across the lawn towards the house. It is nearly dark.

Rosie: Charlie?

Charlie: Hmm?

Rosie: What did you mean when you said you’d done plenty of stuff?

Charlie: Umm. Plenty as in enough?

Rosie: What does that mean?

Charlie: It means, I um, don’t expect anything else.

Rosie: Oh.

Charlie: What did you think I meant?

Rosie: It sounded like maybe you had more experience with other girls before me.

Charlie: There were no other girls before you.

Rosie: Oh.

Charlie reaches to take hold of Rosie’s hand. They stop walking.

Charlie: I’m sorry I hurt you. I’ve really missed you.

Rosie: I missed you, too.

Charlie brushes Rosie’s hair behind her ear and leaves his hand on her cheek. Slowly he pulls her face upwards to meet his. They kiss.

Charlie: You’re so special, Rosie.

Rosie: I’m not special. I’m just an ordinary Muggle girl.

Charlie: Ah, but you’re my ordinary Muggle girl. And I’m never going to let anyone forget that again.’

Rosie steps forward and lets Charlie put his arms around her. As he leans his head protectively over hers, the scene fades to black.

THE END

Well done Ros...

[identity profile] grandma-kate.livejournal.com 2007-07-10 02:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Even the format was correct. Your descriptions were thorough and helpful. And Charlie and 'Mary Rose' were sweet.

[identity profile] crumplehornedki.livejournal.com 2007-07-10 08:33 pm (UTC)(link)
too too cute and too too short! want more Rosie, more cute Charlie more more MORE

(okay will be calm now!)

[identity profile] stmargarets.livejournal.com 2007-07-10 09:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Aw, so nice. I love your scene setting first of all. (I love the English countryside and I could see it in my mind's eye) Then I love how you jumped right into their conversation and we found out Rosies emotions, the backstory, and Charlie's emotions in a few short lines. Lovely. I also liked the tree pig - he sounds like a mini porcupine. That was a nice touch.

I thought the screenplay was so hard! I now know that the novel form is for me!

[identity profile] moonette1.livejournal.com 2007-07-11 05:37 am (UTC)(link)
Ah HA!!! Flangst!!! You are drawn to it, my dear. You can't help it! You see its power.

I want a tree pig and I want one now! Especially if they always burp and immediately fall asleep in one's palm.

How cute your scenes were! Charlie seems so boyish here. He hasn't quite become a manly man yet, but he's on his way, since he had the courage to seek her out, apologize and be honest in his explanation. Nicely done!

[identity profile] tdu000.livejournal.com 2007-07-11 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
I kept wanting to explain exactly how the actors should look and how they were feeling.

You wanted to dwell on Charlie's appearance - never!

Cute, flangsty story. My official review will come later when Mary has compiled a master list of all the screenplays. (I've only read yours so far.)

[identity profile] talesofsnape.livejournal.com 2008-08-17 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Lol! Well, I guess it's not a completely hopeless excuse...

Nicely done, on all counts.

[identity profile] megan29.livejournal.com 2008-09-24 10:55 pm (UTC)(link)
You have a typo.

"A red-headed brown-eyed boy of a similar age to the girl,..."

There, fixed that for you.