ACT ONE
INT. DEON'S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Deon sits at his desk bathed only in the light from the monitor of his PC.
He is reviewing the guidelines of the induction like Brian told him to do on the phone...
...And he remembers the phonecall:
BRIAN (ON PHONE): Just have a read through the email and go over each point.
DEON (ON PHONE): (approving) ah-ahn!
BRIAN (ON PHONE): First is 'Meta'. It just means: define the agents and conditions of the story.
DEON (ON PHONE): Yeah.
BRIAN (ON PHONE): Then it's 'Lore'. It means: introduce the background and set the stage for the theme of the story.
DEON (ON PHONE): Yeah-yeah-yeah!
BRIAN (ON PHONE): Then it's 'Character'. It means: introduce us to the Main Character — the 'M.C.' — and explain to us why they are worthy of being the Protagonist. And what they have to do to earn that reputation.
DEON (ON PHONE): (intrigued) Oh!
Deon writes something with the keyboard, riding a wave of inspiration while navigating his story worldbuilding database.
BRIAN (ON PHONE): Then it's 'Goal'. It means: introduce a 'Catalyst' where something happens that brings the M.C. to an irreversible 'Choice', through which a 'Lesson' must be learned.
DEON (ON PHONE): (processing) Mmmh!
BRIAN (ON PHONE): It's all about the 'Who', the 'What', and the 'Why'.
DEON (ON PHONE): (GASP!)
Deon fills article after article on his story page, writing furiously on the keyboard.
BRIAN (ON PHONE): You with me so far?
DEON (ON PHONE): Yeah-yeah-yeah!
BRIAN (ON PHONE): (satisfied) Good.
DEON (ON PHONE): So I... (breathes) ...just... (breathes) ...write a 'Meta' opening, followed by... ...a... ...'Lore' introduction. After which I drop in the main 'Character' — the M.C. — and then put the 'Goal' by... ...a... ....a...
BRIAN (ON PHONE): Good. At that point, you ask yourself: "Who is my M.C.?"
DEON (ON PHONE): (getting it) Mmmh!
BRIAN (ON PHONE): Who is your M.C., Deon?
DEON (ON PHONE): (startled) Oh! Urmm. (processes) His name is 'Kid', sir.
BRIAN (ON PHONE): (friendly) You can call me 'Brian', Deon.
DEON (ON PHONE): (embarrassed) Okay.
Deon opens up a CREATURE DOSSIER on the PC. It shows a SHELDORAPTOR RAIVEI EGG in a nest — with other eggs — with STATS and other ICONS. It is Deon's CARD GAME he's playing.
BRIAN (ON PHONE): Alright. So, who is Kid, Deon?
DEON (ON PHONE): He is a young dinosaur... ...on a distant planet... ...but he's been 'Chipped' by 'Human colonists'.
BRIAN (ON PHONE): (amazed) Ooh! Cool! Cool... ...and 'What' is his 'Goal'?
DEON (ON PHONE): He wants... (breathes) ...Urrr... ...to... Urr... (breathes) ...Meet the humans that chipped him... ...and... ...Urr... ...Discover what he is and why they chipped him.
YOU ARE READING
The Road to Hastral
AdventureDeon, 15, is approached by a movie agent over a compelling story award he won through his school, and now they want to make a movie on it, but how is a teenager going to write that killer script and work as a consultant too? Is this a dream or a nig...
