Okay, so as I mentioned last week, this week I\u2019m sharing an excerpt from the movie script I\u2019m currently working on. It was inspired by one of my favorite scenes from the movie \u201cJungle Fever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To be clear, no one has hired me to write this script; I\u2019m not working on anyone\u2019s project. I just subscribe to the notion of writing the movies I want to see, so that\u2019s what I\u2019m doing. And who knows what will happen. Hopefully, someday, many people will see it. But for now you get to read it, at least a bit of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This script does have a name, however, I won\u2019t be sharing that just yet, as it has changed — could possibly change again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To give you a little background what the movie is about, it’s a love-triangle between three co-workers. I’ll leave it at that for now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this scene we join Raya, a main character, who\u2019s hanging out with friends at her friend Janae’s house. All five of these women have known each other a very long time, some dating back to college. They are all in their late-30s, early-40s.\u00a0 And as I\u2019m writing this, I\u2019m realizing that I should probably add some of this into the script itself. Bear with me, I have no formal training in scriptwriting. I literally skimmed through a couple books and watched a handful of YouTube videos to learn.\u00a0 This is still a very rough draft, not quite in the beginning stages, but still has a ways to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What else can I tell you, oh yes, everyone in this scene is black, and they are all between the sizes of 6 and 10 except for Lisa who is around a size 20. The Youtuber is really skinny, like no curves straight up and down, size 0 skinny.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also, I\u2019m not a wine drinker, so the wines that I mention my not even make sense. I will have to research them for accuracy later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All though this scene is about 6 pages, and it\u2019s supposed to be a minute a page, these ladies are quick, so I think it would probably run about two minutes of screen time, but I\u2019m not sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Come back next week to read about how I wrote this scene, and how I continue to write and edit it for that matter. That\u2019s right, it\u2019s a How I Write post. We haven\u2019t had one of those in a minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But anyway, without further ado, here\u2019s my living room scene inspired by the living room scene from \u201cJungle Fever.\u201d Hope you enjoy it, but if you don\u2019t, that\u2019s okay too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
int. Janae\u2019s house \u2013 night<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raya and her friends, JANAE, LISA, LASHAUNDA, and KEISHA are sitting in the family room surrounded by food and wine, talking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Janae<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So how did that meeting with your agent go?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He wants me to do a rewrite talkin\u2019 \u2018bout it should be less academic, more mass appeal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
keisha<\/p>\n\n\n\n
See I told you. It\u2019s a memoir not a textbook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s a compilation of autoethnographic essays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lashaunda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A what?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He wants me to add more about my love life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(a beat)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What love life? That\u2019s a totally nonexistent concept for me right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
lisa<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019d definitely push back on that. You\u2019re a respected scholar trying to solidify your place in academia. You don\u2019t want a sleazy tell-all-ish type book to be a part of your literary canon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Janae<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m sorry, I have to disagree. How is she going to be a leading authority on black women\u2019s experience in the workplace when she\u2019s stifled in her own career by antiquated criterion regarding who\u2019s worthy of being considered an academic scholar? It\u2019s ok if people know that she has a life beyond the hallowed halls of a dusty old library.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keisha<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mmm hmmm, especially if you want to sell books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lisa<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All I\u2019m saying is be true to yourself. If you really wanted to incorporate your love life, I imagine you would have already done so. Don\u2019t feel pressured to do it just because your agent wants you to. Not to mention it never hurts to be known solely for your intellectual prowess rather than your romantic dalliances, just sayin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lashaunda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wait a minute, wait a minute. Wait. A. Minute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(doing a wind back dance as she speaks.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wind it back now ya\u2019ll. Wind it back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(Looking at Raya)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Did you just say your love life is nonexistent?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(as if to say what\u2019s you\u2019re point)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lashaunda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Girl please, every time I look up you going on another date with a new man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raya takes in her response then waves her off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lashaunda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Don\u2019t make me start naming names. \u2018Cause I\u2019ll name \u2018em.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And? Going out on dates doesn\u2019t exactly equate to a love life. And by the way, I don\u2019t always date several men at the same time. When Tyrell and I were together he was the only guy I was dating?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lisa<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Were you guys ever really together?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, Lisa, we were together. In fact it was almost a year. Then that hideous stick figure came along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(as if she got an epiphany)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why would he want to fuck Olive Oil when he could fuck me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Perturbed by the comment, Lisa rolls her eyes. Raya reaches for a few pretzels on the coffee table, and doesn\u2019t see her, still baffled regarding the answer to her own question. Keisha pours herself a glass of Moscato and sips it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keisha<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mmm, Shaunda this Moscato is really good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lashaunda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(pleased)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You like it? I got it from the dollar store.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keisha stops sipping and exchanges looks with all the other ladies, but LaShaunda isn\u2019t fazed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Janae<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t know they carried alcohol there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lashaunda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yeah, they carry everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keisha<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well they shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keisha puts the Moscato down and looks through the other bottles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keisha<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who brought the Pinot Noir?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lisa<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keisha is relieved, confident that Lisa is too bougie too ever buy anything from the dollar store, let alone wine. She knows Lisa will only bring the best, so she pours herself a glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
lashaunda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what gets me is when I got up to the register not only did they NOT card me, but they had the nerve to charge me three dollars. I said, \u201cwhy you call it the dollar store if you gon charge people three dollars?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And since when does being on YouTube qualify you to teach at a university? I\u2019ve worked my ass off to get a teaching job again, not to mention the eight years of school, graduating with honors from both undergrad and grad schools, publishing mounds of scholarly articles in peer-reviewed journals, and what? She just posts a few silly videos and she\u2019s in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lashaunda picks up her phone and begins to pull up the YouTube channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
lashaunda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I think I know who you talkin\u2019 \u2018bout. She got a channel called Troyly Yours. She just had an episode not too long ago called Troy Goes to College. She\u2019s pretty popular too, she got over a million followers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raya gives her a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lashaunda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What? My daughter watches her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
LaShaunda has her channel up on her phone. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lashaunda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s her channel. This gotta be her? \u2018Cause like I said when my daughter was watching and I happen to see some of it, I was like ain\u2019t that Raya\u2019s school?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keisha<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let me see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keisha gets up from her armchair and goes over to Lashaunda. Janae is sitting on the same couch as LaShaunda, and leans over to see. Raya stays seated on the floor on the other side of the coffee table. Lisa stays seated as well in a club chair at the top of the table. She remains quiet, eating grapes and cheese, appearing annoyed by it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
lashaunda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(to Raya)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Have you seen her channel? Come see it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What I want to see it for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lashaunda, keisha, and Janae<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She\u2019s seen it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raya purses her lips, while Keisha, Lashaunda and Janae take in the video.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
keisha<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(distorting her face)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s her?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(looking at Raya)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\u2019m sorry but you look way better than her, tons better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keisha and Janae go back to where they were, while Lashaunda turns the video off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Okay! I mean I could see if she was like one of those young, hot, smart chicks, I\u2019d be like, cool, I get it. But that? She\u2019s not cute, she\u2019s skin and bones, and word on campus is she\u2019s dumb as rocks. How you gon ghost me and end up with that? It\u2019s insulting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keisha<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These men nowadays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And the thing is we were so good together. I swear I thought he was the one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
janae<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He still could be, you never know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
LASHauNDA<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Janae please, fuck him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Janae shrugs, clears empty plates and glasses and takes them to the adjoining kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
lashaunda (cont\u2019d)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What about that hottie Jeff you been seeing, how\u2019s that going?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(waving it off)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Girl, I\u2019m not thinking about his ass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lashaunda<\/p>\n\n\n\n
See, that\u2019s your problem. You know what they say, the best way to get over one man is to get under another one. You just need to get you some. Before long, this dude won\u2019t even matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who says I haven\u2019t gotten me some? I just haven\u2019t slept with Jeff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
LaShaunda looks on with approval. She and Keisha raise their glasses to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But honestly, it\u2019s not even about that anymore. Being with Tyrell made me realize I don\u2019t want to keep dating all these different guys. It helped me come to a place where I actually admitted to myself that I want something stable, I like stable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
janae<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(from the kitchen)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Maybe that realization is the gift your relationship with him came to give you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
raya<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hmp, what a fucked-up way to be benevolent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And Scene\u2026for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Okay, so that\u2019s it ya\u2019ll. This scene is much longer, but I thought I\u2019d give you a little taste. I hope you liked it. I really like these characters, especially the main characters, and I really love this story. Hopefully one day you\u2019ll be able to see it in a theatre near you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Until next week!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Okay, so as I mentioned last week, this week I\u2019m sharing an excerpt from the movie script I\u2019m currently working on. It was inspired by one of my favorite scenes from the movie \u201cJungle Fever.\u201d To be clear, no one…<\/p>\n