Ah, Decisions...

Narrowed my choice of scripts to work on to three finalists. Each has had some degree of preplanning gone into them. And each, I think, is distinct and interesting enough to carry me through a few weeks, at least. I figure, if worse comes to worse, I can always drop my current script and switch to another (The dilemma of whether I'll be counting the words from scratch of cumulatively depends, I think, on how close to the finish line I am.) but the choice before me is which one to work on first. To help me decide, I wrote these “pitches”. And partly to see if I could get my plots into 100 words or less, given my tendency to run off at the keyboard. You have to imagine them being read by Don LaFontaine replete with ominous pauses yourself. And, as always, the names and titles are about the last thing I worry about so consider them highly mutable at this phase. But, here, in no particular order, are my ideas:

First Kiss

The summer of 1993 doesn't seem all that promising to start with for Arturo Whittenberg but little does he know what's in store. Arturo fancies himself, at the tender age of 13, an intellectual – if only he could get everyone else to agree. And when he's not busy musing about the philosophical meaning of the latest play of his beloved Tigers or struggling with the aging lawn mower, he's got his nose buried in a book. Certainly not chasing after girls the way his obviously immature friends have started too. But over a summer filled with days at the stadium and nights around the barbeque, he'll have his first kiss. Eventually.

You've Got the Wrong Guy

Edward Lance - “Eddie” to his friends – is a small-time crook and industrial spy. He thinks he's about to make the big time, though, thanks to a carefully planned heist at Lacuna, a high tech firm. Not only did he get the plans for their latest development, he also walked away with a prototype and with that in hand, he expects to command a hefty price and even heftier respect. Unfortunately, while trying to examine the device, it's activated and Eddie's sent to a parallel dimensions. A world just like his own in a lot of ways but unlike it in even more important ones. Even if Eddie makes it back, he's got a bigger problem – he's not the only Edward Lance to bounce between dimensions. One of them found his way to Eddie's world. And he kind of likes it there.

Inherit the Earth

Carol Stone was your typical young woman. Average grades, average boyfriend, likes to party and have fun. She doesn't see much of her mother, Marcia, but that's alright with her since she can more than take care of herself. Marcia Stone is not your typical working mother. She knows she should spend more time with her daughter but since she's the caretaker of an ancient and powerful weapon, charged with defending her corner of the universe from alien intervention, resulting in a never-ending series of galaxy spanning adventures as the Star Guardian she just can't find the time. When Marcia is killed in Antarctica, she leaves her daughter one last, unexpected gift: her power. Now, Carol has to pull together clues scattered over decades, from her mother's secret life and others, in order to find what killed her mother. And, if she's lucky, keep it from destroying the earth.

I'm leaning towards “First Kiss” at the moment but, you never know.