Why We Wright

FADE IN :

INT. CAFE - DAY

Bucky and Elaine sit together. From the way they talk and sit, it is obvious they are close friends.

BUCY

Did you know that Ernest Hemingway once bet everyone at a table ten dollars each that he could craft an entire story in six words?

Elaine shakes her head.

BUCKY

... You know what it was?

ELAINE

What?

BUCKY

“For sale, colon, baby shoes, comma, never worn, period.”

Elaine takes a second before she realizes what the story is.

ELAINE

... I wish I could come up with something impactful like that, that quickly.

BUCKY

Well, he took time to plan out the plot first, and had to think about it for a while, but he did that at the table, so... It’s called flash fiction. It’s generally made more so to hint at a lager story, allowing us, the reader, to incorporate more of our own ideas.

ELAINE

But, that’s a cop out. ‘Cause you’re not actually telling a story.

BUCKY

I don’t think so. Hemingway didn’t. And - no, we still tell the story, we just don’t physically write every bit of it. You put the pieces together, yeah, but I’ve still given you the story.

Elaine gives a face that says “fair enough.”

ELAINE

Too bad we can’t write flash fiction for this stupid project. I don’t even have any ideas.

BUCKY

What do you mean? The world is full of ideas.

ELAINE

Shitty ideas that go no where.

BUCKY

Well you gotta pick one and workshop it for long enough until it becomes something.

ELAINE

What if I work my ass off and I still don’t like it?

BUCKY

You’re not going to. You’re gonna hate it. It is gonna suck real bad, but you have to keep going with it.

ELAINE

Maybe some people just aren’t creative enough.

BUCKY

What? No. You’re plenty creative. You just need to sit down and put in the necessary effort. You have to really want it, you know? My uncle was an author,

As she talks we

CUT TO:

INT. SHITTY APARTMENT - 1970S - EARLY MORNING

It’s a cheap, one room apartment, cluttered with old books, papers, and piles of crap. The stove is just a camping stove on a table. Looks like a work room transformed into an apartment. BUCKY’S UNCLE, (30s) in white briefs, with crazy hair and a mustache, gets out of a pull out futon. BUCKY’S AUNT asleep.

BUCKY (V.O.)

He would get up real early every single day and just write.

Bucky’s Uncle sports a large, thick pair of eyeglasses. He types furiously on a typewriter. Bucky’s Aunt rolls over in bed, moans.

BUCKY (V.O.)

But his type writer was way too loud so he would have to move outside.

Bucky’s Uncle turns to look at her.

CUT TO:

EXT. SHITTY APARTMENT LAWN - 1970S - EARLY MORNING

An open apartment complex. Bucky’s Uncle sits in a hideous, wire frame chair, still looking just as disheveled only adding a funky bathrobe to his outfit that doesn’t cover his thighs. He chain smokes as he speedily types on his typewriter on an equally hideous, wire frame table.

BUCKY (V.O.)

He would just sit down and force himself to write out all the terrible ideas he would never finish so that one might be decent enough to turn into something, and he would write all the terrible ideas he could attach to them until those terrible ideas could be molded into his next novel.

CUT TO:

INT. CAFE - PRESENT DAY

Bucky and Elaine sit across from each other.

BUCKY

You just gotta force yourself to do it sometimes.

ELAINE

More like all the time.

BUCKY

Yeah.

ELAINE

Wow, if you don’t really love this that would suck.

BUCKY

Yeah.

ELAINE

But - but that still doesn’t mean we I have stories to start off with.

BUCKY

What are you talking about? We’ve both written plenty of stories already.

ELAINE

But that’s just it, writing is all we do, but what makes it genuine?

BUCKY

What?

ELAINE

What makes it genuine?

BUCKY

... Experience.

ELAINE

-Experience, knowledge on the subject matter. You have to have some basis for the topic, the people, the things that make up your story, content.

BUCKY

W- yeah. You write what you know, that’s like the first thing they say, write what you know.

ELAINE

And we do, but at some point they all start to sound the same, because we don’t really know all that much honestly. We only know a certain number of people or scenarios to play out. We’re not really all that worldly... are we?

BUCKY

OK, fine, whatever.

ELAINE

Whatever? What do you mean whatever?

BUCKY

I just mean, I just mean, that then you think for a while, be creative, and you set whatever problem you come up with in that one world that you know, so the filler is easy.

ELAINE

But that’s what I’ve said, I don’t have the ideas to begin with.

BUCKY

And I said, you just have to sit down and work at it, just write until something comes to you. That’s what I’ve said. We’re going in circles. Why - why are you changing the subject?

ELAINE

... I’m not!

BUCKY

You are!

ELAINE

Am not!

BUCKY

Yes you are! You could sit down and write a story about this, probably, maybe.

ELAINE

No.

BUCKY

No?

ELAINE

That’s terrible. That’s utterly terrible. I don’t want to be here, who would want to read about this?

BUCKY

I would.

ELAINE

Why?

BUCKY

If you found a way to make it about some realization of some aspect of life.

ELAINE

It’s just two people talking, nothing has happened.

BUCKY

Yeah, but, yeah, take a look at theee... Three Musketeers, for example most of that book’s content is the characters talking to each other. Doesn’t mean nothing happens, no information is passed.

ELAINE

But-

BUCKY

No, no, the only thing keeping you from writing something, anything really, is you.

ELAINE

But we still haven’t really anything to write about.

BUCKY

Well that’s your fault then. That’s your fault. Just do the work. Just do the work.

They glare at each other in silence. Bucky looks over to a couple across the cafe.

BUCKY

Look.

The couple talks, it looks serious. Sad, with a few smiles.

BUCKY

What’s their story?

ELAINE

I don’t know.

BUCKY

Just try it.

ELAINE

Um. Maybe they’re breaking up?

BUCKY

What? No, they already broke up.

ELAINE

Is this my story or is it yours?

BUCKY

It’s theirs, but you’re gonna tell it. Go ahead.

ELAINE

Ok, so they’ve been dating for two years, right? It was amazing at first but now, he kinda feels like he’s sacrificing time with his friends to be with her and her friends and she feels like he’s around too much, and becoming a selfish prick.

BUCKY

Nice, nice.

Elaine looks at Bucky, done. Bucky expects more.

BUCKY

What? You’ve got your back story, how is this scene playing out?

ELAINE

They’re not really doing anything, they’re just sitting there talking.

BUCKY

But what are they saying? How are they saying it?

ELAINE

What’s the point?

BUCKY

So, maybe we can make an impact on anyone, just one person, someday.

Elaine looks back at the couple. Her voice changes as they change who’s talking.

ELAINE

(male voice)

I just need time with my friends. I actually like these people.

(female voice)

But you never spend time with me anymore. You literally went to a movie you’ve already seen rather than hang out with me.

(male voice)

They hadn’t seen it yet! What we’re we gonna do? Sit in your apartment and watch some god awful, purely trash reality TV show you’ve already seen.

(female voice)

That’s not the point! I wa-

(male voice)

I don’t get to hang out with anyone but you anymore, it’s ridiculous!

(female voice)

That’s not true!

(male voice)

It so is! Remember on the maymester, you made me sit in that broken seat next to you at the front of the bus instead of with everyone else. Sorry you get carsick, I can’t do anything about that.

(female voice)

You’re an asshole, you know that?

BUCKY

This is great.

ELAINE

Yeah, well it’s what I know.

BUCKY

That’s great though. Means you can write a good story about that.

ELAINE

Great. Two years of my life so I can write one story I may or may not botch.

BUCKY

No, no. You now have a shit ton of stories to write. Just use your base knowledge, change some stuff up a little, and add new specifics.

Bucky looks to the couple.

BUCKY

(female voice)

I cannot believe you slept with my aunt!

(male voice)

I didn’t know you guys were related.

(female voice)

It was right after the family photo! And how would that make it any better?

(regular voice)

He’s not gonna respond.

The real guy talks.

BUCKY

(female voice)

Well? Aren’t you going to say something?

(male voice)

Why am I always the one who has to apologize? You never own up to anything you’ve ever done.

(female voice)

What?

The woman stands up. Bucky stammers trying to make something up on the fly.

BUCKY

(female voice)

I’m through with you, you’re mentally unstable and a sex addict.

The real people’s faces are no where near this dramatic. They hug and the woman leaves. Bucky looks at Elaine.

BUCKY

Boom. We just both made a story. Well, part of one. Could be the end or the beginning.

ELAINE

What if they were just coworkers talking about a hard project, architects griping about an incompetent school board.

BUCKY

Ha! Or neighbors who have been roped into looking for a lost cat, who’ve experienced hookers and phone sex, ex’s and interests, and ooh, a fancy gala.

They sit in silence. Look around the cafe. Elaine pulls out her notebook and pen, writes. Bucky watches her, void of thought.

FADE OUT