Here’s the deal:
I didn’t like where my original play was going after re-editing the stuff that I had from this summer and writing new scenes, so I decided to put that one to the side. After mulling over other topics that I thought I could write about, I came up with the idea of a love story about a pathological liar and her relationship problems. This required research into the issue of pathological lying, which was very interesting. I really liked/like where my idea was/is going, but seeing as I got a really late start (like came up with the idea on Saturday) I’m kind of behind. I still like the idea from my original play, but I think the problem was figuring out exactly how the plot was going to work. I think once I do figure it out, I’ll be able to pick back up on that play, but for now I’m really excited about the current one. I think that figuring out the entire plot from the beginning was a good move and I’m glad I have something to stick to, rather than just writing scenes and hoping they’d all go together (like I was in play #1).
Act I
Scene 1- Becca and Mark’s first date. They’re in a bar and are just having polite conversation. Mark excuses himself for a minute and Becca starts talking to the bartender. She makes up a different version of a story she told Mark and this is when we first realize that something is up.
Scene 2- After they leave the bar, they go back to Becca’s apartment. Mark goes inside for a cup of coffee. They talk and get closer and we see that Becca is indeed kind of weird, but Mark is too blind and into her to see it.
Scene 3- Mark leaves Becca’s and immediately calls his brother. We hear Mark’s half of the conversation, but it’s all pretty much just him raving about how wonderful Becca is. At the same time we see Becca. She talks to herself a bit, soliloquy style.
Scene 4- Becca and Marks’s third date. It’s a double with Mark’s brother and his fiancé. Doug, the brother, is a funny guy and through him we see Becca form a deep connection with Mark. Becca gushes over the way Doug proposed to his fiancé and describes her perfect proposal.
Act II-
Scene 1- The engagement. Mark and Becca have been together about three months and it’s a really good fit. There’s this big proposal scene in a restaurant and Becca gets upset with Mark for making it such a big deal.
Scene 2- Outside the restaurant Becca realizes how lucky she is that Mark wants to marry her and there is a big lovey cute scene. Any awkwardness that Mark had felt about the proposal is wiped away and once again he is blind to her lies.
Scene 3- Everything is perfect. Mark and Becca are out shopping and they run into an old friend of Becca’s. Through a conversation with her, Mark starts to realize how much he’s being lied to.
Act III-
Scene 1- Later the same day in Becca and Mark’s apartment, yes they’re living together, Becca makes up an elaborate story about what happened to his shaving cream. He gets fed up. He and Becca start fighting and when Mark accuses her of being a liar, she automatically gets defensive and starts turning everything around on Mark. Mark calls off the wedding.
Act IV-
Scene1- We see a very depressed Becca. She is at work, but isn’t doing anything productive. At the same time we see Mark crashed at his brother’s place and attempting to date again.
Scene 2- Comic relief. Two pathological liars together in a waiting room.
Scene 3- Becca with her shrink. Together they analyze a past relationship and Becca comes to grips with her problem.
Act V-
Scene 1- Becca’s attempt to be honest. In the grocery store one day, she runs into Doug’s now wife. She talks to her about Mark and how he has been and is completely honest.
Scene 2- Doug’s wife goes home and tells Mark about what happened. Mark is still heartbroken and skeptical, so he doesn’t believe her.
Scene 3- Becca is back at the doctor’s. She eventually gets up the confidence in herself to go talk to Mark.
Scene 4- Becca and Mark talk. I haven’t decided what their resolution is yet.
What I have written jumps around a lot and some of it needs to be extended or isn’t the whole scene, but I’ll get to it. Hey, that’s just how I write.
And I realize that the around nine pages that I have written of my current script makes it look like I have not fulfilled my checkpoint and you could look at it that way, or you could look at it that I now have TWO plays in the works and the combination of pages I have for both plays exceeds that number I said I would have written for this checkpoint. It's not like I've been doing nothing, I just switched it up a little. If you want to see said pages from the first play, I can show you, but they are on the back burner until I finish this play or I come up with better plot justification. And I am very excited about the new play, so making up the 10 pages that I didn't write this checkpoint will be easy and will be added to the 20 I will do for December. I also realize that I may have put too much pressure on myself for this month, but from here on out I will be less pressured.So pretty much this is a round about way of saying I suck at planning but now I'm finished planning and I can just write.
Look here for my play
Look for my first attempt at a play here
