First Screenwriting draft

((Masterpost here))

This is my first attempt at screenwriting for a project that hopefully will move forward as well. This isn't even complete and in fact is being revamped. But this is really my first effort at getting the formatting right and doing the transition from prose and long-form fiction writing to the practice of writing for stage and screen.

Enjoy and comments are appreciated. I will also post some additonal project information as it goes forward.

Thank you for reading!

Clickety Clack

A first draft by Suzanne Helen James

  [INT. A DARK, CLUTTERED ROOM]

 In the early hours of the morning, a girl sits on her bed
 and types on her computer, bulging eyes glued on the screen.

 She glares and grunts and occasionally slaps the monitor in
 frustration.

                              ANNA:
                    Come on, Striker...don't let me
                    down! You can do it! Only a few
                    more bases to go! You can do it!
                    Destroy that bastard!

But then a single shooting sound finishes her as Anna groans
in defeat and falls back on the bed.

She takes off her headset to ignore the sounds of her
fighter being shot down.

A huge explosion brightens her screen as her plane is

destroyed, but she's not willing to watch the virtual
carnage.

There's no point after all since it's game over.

When the room darkens and all quiets down, a beeping sounds
rouses her attention back to the screen.

                              ANNA:
                         (mutters)
                    Can't fucking believe this..that
                    fucking bastard shot me down again!
                    Fucking shit...urgh. Fuck. This.
                    Shit.

One of her tabs sounds off with a notification. With a roll
of her eyes, Anna sighs and opens it.

It's a dating site, and she has a message.

She opens the message and skims it quickly. The message is
dated from 2 hours ago...which was when she logged onto her
RPG account and began the war to save the universe.

                              ANNA:
                         (under her breath)
                    Fuck.I completely forgot to respond
                    to her. Damn you striker!

Taking a deep breath, Anna formulates her thoughts to
respond. Glancing up and down at the whole message again,
she cracks her knuckles and begins to type.

(shot to the screen as her words she types appear on the

screen)

                              ANNA: (V.O.)
                         Dear...No, that's not right.
                         (pause)
                    ...Um...Hey there Joegirl! Hope you
                    are doing well! I'm sorry my
                    message was late...No no, that's
                    not right.

With a shake of her head, Anna erases her message and starts
over again.

                              ANNA (V.O.):
                    Hey ho, Joegirl! It's me, Anna.
                    Sorry i'm late...but like...I had
                    gotten...busy...?

Anna shakes her head and rolls her eyes. Busy seemed too
obvious...

She blinks slowly as she glances at the time. Much too late
to have the proper response to such a nice message.

                              ANNA:
                         Yep. Much too late for this.
                         i'll try again tomorrow.

          

With a shrug, Anna turns on her lamp and closes her
laptop,which she places on her bedside table.

                                                          CUT TO:

          INT.A COFFEE SHOP- MORNING

Anna sits at a table, head turned to the window mindlessly.
Though she looks relaxed, she chews slowly on her lip and
keeps tapping her finger on her cheek.

Her thoughts revolve around the message that she didn't send
to that Joegirl..and more than that, her mind keeps
reminding her of the utter defeat that she still reels from
at the hands of her top rival, SKYKING21.

The vibration of her cellphone brings her back to reality
and she takes her phone out of her pocket.

Her friend SYLVIA sends her a text to tell her friend that
she's on her way.

Along with the text, there's a link below Sylvia's message
that Anna scrolls over, deciding to listen to it later.

Deciding to chat with her friend while she waits, Anna
begins the conversation with what occurred last night.
(shots back and forth between sylvia and anna as their texts
are narrated)

                              ANNA(.V.O.):
                    So, I totally and utterly tanked
                    last night...

                              SYLVIA(V.O.):
                    Aww (sad face emoticon) D'you mean
                    you got defeated again on that game
                    of yours or did a girl actually say
                    no to you?

                              ANNA:
                    Oh no, no! Not girls. Yeah, the
                    game. I was this close to actually
                    beating that level...but was once
                    again thwarted by the efforts of
                    that dreaded SKYKING21.

                              SYLVIA:
                    Sigh. Sorry to hear that, girl. But
                    seriously though...how could
                    someone spend most of their time
                    online playing video games when
                    there are beautiful women out there
                    to befriend and get to know?!
                    Speaking of beautiful, have you
                    touched base with your lady
                    Joegirl91 yet?

                              ANNA(.V.O.):
                         Sigh...actually, I had gotten
                         distracted by said game when-

          

Anna doesn't finish her sentence because she hears a gasp
and looks up the table to see Sylvia, in a huff, marches
over to Anna and slams her hands down menacingly on the
table.

Anna recoils further in her seat at the tall brunette's
pointed and decidedly mad stare behind her aviator shades.

                              SYLVIA:
                         (eyebrow raised)
                    ...You said...you got...distracted?

                              ANNA:
                         (hesitates before answering)
                    ...I'm afraid I did. I couldn't
                    help it! My inbox was filled with
                    requests from other members of my
                    flight squadron asking for my
                    immediate assistance! I had to do
                    it to save the galaxy!

                              SYLVIA:
                    ...How are you sure that they
                    weren't ads from the many many
                    games you're already suscribed to?
                    They could've been baiting you to
                    go back and aid their noble cause
                    of swindling a lonely girl like you
                    purely for money!

                              ANNA:
                         Hey! I'm not lonely! I have
                         friends from all over the
                         world and a family...who I've
                         successfully deluded into
                         still thinking I'm straight!
                         (pauses to look down at her
                         phone sadly)
                    Still.

                              SYLVIA:
                    Oh. (beat) Sorry.

                              ANNA:
                         (distant)
                    ...It's ok.

Anna's last line made Sylvia frown in regret.

She feels like she's hit a nerve with that last one.

With a sigh, Sylvia moves away from her friend and relaxes
with a stretch.

                              SYLVIA:
                    ...No, really,I'm sorry about that.
                    D'you wanna talk about it over some
                    of Liz's coffee? My treat.

                              ANNA:
                    Sure. Since you're paying.

Sylvia smiles and rolls her eyes as she walks over to the
coffee counter, where we meet the handsome barista LIZ,

who's currently busy currently making a drink for another
customer.

                              LIZ:
                    Hey there S! Nice to see you today!
                    i'll be right with you! Are you
                    gonna have the usual?

                              SYLVIA:
                    You bet! And we'll take them to go
                    today!

                              LIZ:
                    Oh? You're not staying this
                    morning?

                              SYLVIA:
                    Nah, not today. Anna's got class
                    and I've got rehearsal for my gig
                    tonight! Which reminds me...can I
                    count of you to promote my upcoming
                    open mic?

                              LIZ:
                    Oh yeah! After the turnout last
                    time, Gail was completely estatic!
                    Just tweet me the details and I'll
                    make a reservation for whenever you
                    want it!

                              SYLVIA:
                    Will do! Thanks Liz! You always
                    know what's best! And also,(looks
                    behind her) while you're at it...

Sylvia smiles as she sees a cute girl staring at her from
the corner of her eye while she's waiting in line. When
their eyes meet, the girl giggles softly and looks back in
her book.

Sylvia winks at her and waves as the line moves forward.

She just loves getting a cute girl's attention.

                              SYLVIA:
                         (snaps her fingers to point at
                         the girl) Actually, if you can
                         also get me whatever that
                         cutie by the 3rd stool there
                         gets too. It's on me.

                              

                              LIZ:
                    Well actually, you'll be happy to
                    know that it's her first time here,
                    so your treat will certainly have
                    her coming back!

                              SYLVIA:
                    Perfect! Then I will get the
                    beautiful newcomer your best
                    Cappucino Latte on me, please!

                              LIZ:
                         (chuckles) Whatever you say,
                         superstar.

          
As Liz finishes her order, Sylvia keeps her eyes on her new
girl with winks and smirks going her way...until her phone

rings and she receives a text from Anna, who is decidly
pissed that their drinks have taken this long when Sylvia's
the only one left who's waiting in line.

When Sylvia looks up to see her friend...she sees their
table empty and groans.

With a grimace, Sylvia sends an apologetic text and turns
around to see Liz handing her two medium-sized hot coffees
with sleeves.

                              SYLVIA:
                    Thanks Liz! You're the best!

With another huff, Sylvia rushes to meet up with a smirking
Anna, sitting down at the steps of the shop outside.

As the two leave, Sylvie's crush who sits at the stool grins
as she twirls a piece of paper with the brunette's number on
it.