An exercise, trying to teach myself to write a comic script. I find it really, really difficult. So much to think about, so many more decisions to make than in straight prose. And how do you teach yourself to think in pictures?

X.1 – INT. LILY’S DRESSING ROOM. EVENING.
Page set up is one long panel, running the width of the page atop a four-panel grid. Dressing room is of the unrealistically spacious variety seen in 1940’s movies. Think ALL ABOUT EVE or THE WOMEN. Entrance is stage left, there is a dressing screen upstage center [I’ll be using theatrical stage directions throughout. Because I am several varieties of nerd.] and a vanity stage right. There should be two chairs in a grouping in front of the screen and costumes and shoes scattered (neatly) about. A rolling bar is situated downstage left. LILY enters through door stage/panel left. JOHNNY and HONEY stand facing one another on an angle stage right. HONEY is downstage of J.

LILY: Oh, don’t mind me –

HONEY: Lily! I’m sorry, we were just –

LILY: I’m sure. Johnny, long time no see.

X.2 – SAME.
TWO SHOT on JOHNNY and HONEY. JOHNNY, reaching in his jacket for a cigarette case.

JOHNNY: Lillian.

X.3 – SAME.
REVERSE ANGLE on LILY, fixing a drink. [NOTE: 40’s movies are full of “business,” speech is clipped, everyone is always moving – except when they’re not, which is a stylistic (if heavy-handed) underlining technique – “business” refers to all of the fiddling that our heroes do with cigarettes, drinks, earrings, whatever small props are available to them.]

LILY: Lillian? That’s awfully formal.

HON (OP): You know --?

LILY: Sure, Baby. Johnny and I had a mutual friend, didn’t we John?

X.4 – SAME.
MED C/U on JOHNNY, caught off guard, holding his lighter too far from his cigarette to light it.

JOHNNY: …

X.5 – SAME.
MED C/U on JOHNNY, having decided not to light up afterall.

JOHNNY: Maybe I should go –

X2.1 – INT. DRESSING ROOM. DAY.
PULLED BACK SLIGHTLY, LILY blocks JOHNNY from heading to the door, holding out one of the drinks she just made.

LILY: Not on my account. Baby here and I were just going to have a lesson. Maybe you should listen in.