EDIT:

Link to the Voting Page:

Voting Page



Well, we're down to the "Final Four" and it feels like the field is getting smaller and things are finally starting to come to a close. So, it seems only right that the same thing should be happening with your scripts. In this round, your characters will be confined to a car (or truck, for those of you who are obsessed with bending the rules. Let's just say "automobile"). With that said, it doesn't just need to take place in one automobile... I won't give you any story-based prerequisites besides that. Now, for the fun part...

In addition to your characters being confined to an automobile, and since this is the "Final Four", your script will be limited to only four characters (total). To make matters even worse, your page count must be divisible by four (4, 8, 12, etc. Seriously, if you go over 12, the quality might drop, considering the timeframe. I'd recommend keeping it to 12 or lower) and you will only be allowed to select from the four following genres: Horror, Thriller, Drama, Mystery. Good luck and have fun.

Simplified Rules:

Four total characters.
Page length divisible by four: 4, 8, 12, etc.
They must be confined to an automobile (no part of the script takes place outside of an automobile).
Can only be of the Horror, Thriller, Drama or Mystery genres.
Due Sunday at 11:59PM EDT.

Warren
vs.
eldave1

PKCardinal
vs.
RJP

To up the ante: only four-letter words. And, word count must be divisible by four.

I mean, if we're gonna do this thang...

Quoted from PKCardinal To up the ante: only four-letter words. And, word count must be divisible by four. I mean, if we're gonna do this thang...

Characters used in each sentence and paragraph dividable by four too

Quoted from jayrex Characters used in each sentence and paragraph dividable by four too

Well, I figured those were a given... =)

Just to be sure - 1 to 4 characters - right?

Quoted from eldave1 Just to be sure - 1 to 4 characters - right?

I took it as exactly four. Glad you're clarifying.

Quoted from PKCardinal I took it as exactly four. Glad you're clarifying.

In the opening he said:

Quoted Text be limited to only four characters (total)

Which to me means up to 4

In the simple instructions he said

Four total characters

Which could mean either . I think it's 1 to 4 - just want to be sure

Quoted from eldave1 Which to me means up to 4

Nope. Exactly four.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde Nope. Exactly four.

Gollum and Dr. Jekyl on a roadtrip...

Quoted from Mr. Blonde Nope. Exactly four.

Well I wouldn't have guessed that based on the "up to" - thanks for the clarification. Felt dumb for asking - glad I did

Wow, I thought I was really going to struggle, but I sat down, opened my notebook, thought for no more than 5 minutes, and I already have a fully formed story.

Now I have 2 whole days to flesh it out.

I'm coming for you, Dave! Not going down without a fight

Is a dog, cat, alien, monster, ghost etc. considered a character, or just flesh and bone humans?

Quoted from Warren Is a dog, cat, alien, monster, ghost etc. considered a character, or just flesh and bone humans?

If they talk, why not?

Quoted from jayrex If they talk, why not?

If they don't talk?

Quoted from Warren Is a dog, cat, alien, monster, ghost etc. considered a character, or just flesh and bone humans?

Bring it!

PS - struggling between 3 ideas - need to decide

Quoted from Warren If they don't talk?

I'd say it doesn't count.

Quoted from Warren If they don't talk?

If I was in this round, my question would be if voice-over characters like RADIO ANNOUNCER or TAXI DISPATCHER are Kosher.

I would certainly allow it. It would end up being a pissing contest either way. You have three characters, real life ones, and a voice over and want to count is 4. People can complain it's only 3. Or you can have four characters and a voice over and people could could complain that it's five. So when I look at them I know I will look for for real life characters and everything else is window dressing.

Ooh, you can have fun with this one.

Horror, please.

Quoted from Mr. Blonde Four total characters. Page length divisible by four: 4, 8, 12, etc. They must be confined to an automobile (no part of the script takes place outside of an automobile). Can only be of the Horror, Thriller, Drama or Mystery genres. Due Sunday at 11:59PM EDT.

This is to prevent anyone from recreating Owen Lift's three-page murder mystery that had only two characters, one of which died on page two.

Is the timer going up?

Quoted from LC Ooh, you can have fun with this one. Horror, please.

Can't - horrible at it

Quoted from eldave1 Can't - horrible at it

Horror-ble is fine.  

P.S. Love Me Tinder was great.

And I'm done. I think the concept was better in my head but I'll fiddle with it over the remaining time and hopefully mould it into something a bit better.

Quoted from LC Horror-ble is fine.   P.S. Love Me Tinder was great.

Thanks

Quoted from Warren And I'm done. I think the concept was better in my head but I'll fiddle with it over the remaining time and hopefully mould it into something a bit better.

Wow - haven't started yet - today is the day!

Okay - got one done - we'll see

Just went through mine again a couple of times.

I don't think it's bad, but I do think it's missing a little something. Can't quite figure out what that something is though.

Worst case, I'll submit as is and hope for the best.

Quoted from Warren Just went through mine again a couple of times. I don't think it's bad, but I do think it's missing a little something. Can't quite figure out what that something is though. Worst case, I'll submit as is and hope for the best.

Missing something? Hmm - maybe at 5 or six characters and a bunch of scenes outside the car (s).

I'm tired - not sure I'll go through it again - the tourney is finally wearing me down.

I like what I wrote. Not sure how others will respond but - WTF - I like it anyway so mission accomplished.

Need a beer.

Can’t wait to read these!

Got my taxes done. Don't owe anything, for once. Would rather be writing a script for Round 4.

Congrats to the final four.

I really enjoyed the one pagers, there were some outstanding entries.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with in the next round.

Good luck!!

Quoted from ScottM Congrats to the final four. I really enjoyed the one pagers, there were some outstanding entries. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with in the next round. Good luck!!

Thanks bud

And I've submitted. I don't think I went through my script any less than 30 times. I can't look at it anymore.

I hope that it's well received.

Not long to go now chaps.

Ready to read some quality stuff.

Quoted from LC Not long to go now chaps. Ready to read some quality stuff.

You got phenomenal language, Libby.

Quoted from PrussianMosby You got the phenomenal language, Libby.

Haha, lol, I see something from Libby and often think that, too)

Yeah. That's Libby.

Okay, I'm ready now

PK and RJP have been very quiet this round. You guys putting scripts up?

A, and K:
Ah, now see, I was up with the birds this morning. Must have been my ears were burning.  
Phenomenal? Dunno about that.

But if only I could parlay a lil' bit of that into some cold hard cash.
Thanks you two. You encourage me to keep at it.

P.S. Warren, I was thinking the same thing. It's the quiet ones you worry about.

Submitted mine a few hours ago.

Decently pleased with it, although I might read it again tomorrow and be like "what the hell did I write?"

Quoted from Warren Okay, I'm ready now PK and RJP have been very quiet this round. You guys putting scripts up?

Don't underestimate the Cardinal this round. He's coming from the church to the crip, long way to teach you his lessons and wisdom in screenwriting…

Quoted from PKCardinal To up the ante: only four-letter words. .

I feel bad for the final four whose characters are inside a car and yell out "f**k" "Shit" "damn" "crap' and "C**t"   every other line :p

Quoted from DarrenJamesSeeley I feel bad for the final four whose characters are inside a car and yell out "f**k" "Shit" "damn" "crap' and "C**t"   every other line :p

Crap, youv read mine worz.

Posting now.

Whew. That one fought me. Feel like I could spend weeks on it and still not get it right.

Can't wait to see what everyone thinks.

It's all gravy from here. Hope to win, of course. But, never expected to get anywhere close to this far.

Ooh, here we go!

Not bad writers, not bad at all.

I loved Next Stop, Salvation. Wins it on story hands down for me, and solid writing to boot.

But, and honarable mention goes to A Southern Night, truly great writing, beautiful in fact.

The other two weren't bad, weren't great either, but I think they did well with the parameters they were given.

I think all four met the challenge, some potentially playing with the rules a little, but I don't feel anyone outright broke them.

Well done to all involved

I look forward to the final round.

I've read them all, but I'm at a bit of a loss what to do.

I can with 99.9% certainty say which script belongs to which writer. Nah, screw it, I'm 100% sure.

So what are the writers doing comment wise? I know which one is my competitors and I don't want to influence a vote either way (yes I do think that happens), and I don't want to be biased, so do I just comment on 2 or do I comment on all of them? Because I can't just comment on 3, then I out myself.

Are no comments from the writers the best way to go?

Some pack mentally here, I'm going to do what everyone else does.

Wow, that sounds paranoid haha.

But seriously?

Don’t comment.

Quoted from jayrex Don’t comment.

I'm thinking that's the best course of action.

So... Just been given 2 days off because my place of employment is currently surrounded by apocalyptic level bushfires.

Cool because I get a paid break, not so cool because I might not have a job to go back to :/

Is someone a bit cranky they got knocked out in the first round?

Quoted from Warren Is someone a bit cranky they got knocked out in the first round?

I assume I've hit your script.

I loved the first script I read. That was written by somebody that should be a pro. So, I'm not cranky. I'm just brutally honest.

Quoted from Warren I've read them all, but I'm at a bit of a loss what to do. I can with 99.9% certainty say which script belongs to which writer. Nah, screw it, I'm 100% sure. So what are the writers doing comment wise? I know which one is my competitors and I don't want to influence a vote either way (yes I do think that happens), and I don't want to be biased, so do I just comment on 2 or do I comment on all of them? Because I can't just comment on 3, then I out myself. Are no comments from the writers the best way to go? Some pack mentally here, I'm going to do what everyone else does. Wow, that sounds paranoid haha. But seriously?

I'd comment on mine and skip the opponents to send the reading folk off the tracks!

Quoted from khamanna I'd comment on mine and skip the opponents to send the reading folk off the tracks!

I'm not going to comment on any. I'm very happy with my entry. So what will be will be. I may add some comments when the voting ends.

I'm also very conscious of the fact that I'm up against a great writer in Dave, and wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he takes out the crown.

First impressions after reading all four --

Nice story variety, although each is derivative in one way or another:
Salvation has the tired apocalypse plot, plus it uses the same setting as an earlier OWC entry (monster in a bus). Southern has been done a million times. Winter does trapped-in-the-snow. Witness does Me-Too and Death in an Junk Yard Crusher.

I'll read all again and comment on each before voting.

Quoted from Warren I've read them all, but I'm at a bit of a loss what to do. I can with 99.9% certainty say which script belongs to which writer. Nah, screw it, I'm 100% sure. So what are the writers doing comment wise? I know which one is my competitors and I don't want to influence a vote either way (yes I do think that happens), and I don't want to be biased, so do I just comment on 2 or do I comment on all of them? Because I can't just comment on 3, then I out myself. Are no comments from the writers the best way to go? Some pack mentally here, I'm going to do what everyone else does. Wow, that sounds paranoid haha. But seriously?

I had the same thought. It is hard not to comment and deductively out yourself (hmm - is that even a term?).

For me - I am going to write my comments on a separate file. When I'm done with all the scripts, on each thread I'm going to write:

"I have read the script. I will post my comments after voting has closed."

Then I'll post them after voting has closed

So for me A SOUTHERN NIGHT defeats whatever script it's up against, and I'm very interested to see what two other scripts are paired off...

A Southern Night works better for me too, however, I do think the number of characters and the use of characters is better explained in Unreliable Witness.
Unreliable Witness is another memorable one for me.

I'm saving my comments for post-voting as well. Seems like the logical solution.

So, now that I've read all four of these scripts and never, ever want to set foot in a motor vehicle again... how are we handling the voting?

Strangely, I can't put a name to a script this round.

Other than little hints of the writer's origin (i.e. windscreen vs. windshield), it's a tough guess on who wrote which short. Regardless, each entry is very solid in it's own way - very respectable for a two day challenge. Kudos.

I have my two favorites but am going to refrain from saying so until after voting.

Speaking of voting, will we receive a link to vote this round?

Quoted from SAC Speaking of voting, will we receive a link to vote this round?

Yes, you will.

Imho, don't give hints as to the writer of each script. That's like 'Guess who wrote what' before we've even had a chance to read and vote.

That said, if it's anything like the OWC, writers often deliberately misspell etc., to throw you off course. I often include some American spelling in mine.

Quoted from LC Imho, don't give hints as to the writer of each script. That's like 'Guess who wrote what' before we've even had a chance to read and vote.

I was going to guess that Unreliable Witness was written by Dave, PK, RJP or Warren. 100% certain

I hope we can talk about scripts without touching the authorship and tickling the writers too much.

I find all four scripts to be strangely alike. Apart from filling the requirement they do have many things in common - they all happen to be one scene scripts. They all have four characters in the automobile at the same time (almost - Next Stop is a bit different to the others in this respect, one of the characters boarded the automobile on p2 or something)
I'd also comment on stories but I better not do it now perhaps. Maybe when the comp is over. But I do find them somewhat similar as well.

All solid entries this round. I've read all four and the writers are to be commended for what they put up in a short time. One in particular stood out for me.

It seems that there is a lack of readership and participation this round. Someone should throw up a flare to the 'regulars' in case they've missed the quick turnaround and posting.

We'll I'm of the consensus that I'd rather post comments afterwards and just vote when the time comes. I really don't want to give any clue as to my vote or unwittingly create bias. This is a different beast to the OWC. Jmh.

I wonder how many are feeling the same ...

How long in this round till the vote?
Is commenting compulsory to be eligible to vote?

I’ve read them all as well, but like others, I’ve been holding off on commenting until voting has ended because I didn’t want to unduly have any influence over other voters (not that anyone cares what I think in any event).  However, I had the same question as Libby — do we only get to vote if we’ve commented?

It gets kinda boring when there's only one contender.

I'll await guidance from above about whether to comment before or after the voting.

I think I know why this is coming up now, but nevermind.

Quoted from DustinBowcot It gets kinda boring when there's only one contender.

Except there isn’t right?  We know there’s two one on one contests going on, not just the best out of four.  So even if you think there’s one script head and shoulders above the rest, We don’t know which of the other three it’s paired against, and thus the other three are still very much in the race, and should provide an interesting vote in my typical pollyannish opinion.

Well, whoever wins the out of the other two can see how high the bar is. They've got some reaching to do in the next round.

So, are we posting on the scripts or holding off?

I think I'm just gonna comment. Others have done it so I'm assuming that's okay.

Quoted from MarkItZero So, are we posting on the scripts or holding off? I think I'm just gonna comment. Others have done it so I'm assuming that's okay.

I think it was the four contestants who mutually agreed to hold off. Others might want to avoid causing arguments or swaying opinions or something, but the primary holding-off driver is to avoid outing authors.

Quoted from FrankM I think it was the four contestants who mutually agreed to hold off. Others might want to avoid causing arguments or swaying opinions or something, but the primary holding-off driver is to avoid outing authors.

I don't see any reason to hold off on your comments for the sake of "doing no harm." Most of the scripts got smeared by the first few reviews anyways. Damage is already done in that sense.

I know it's fun to make reviews, but it's a problem that I mentioned from the first round of the tourney. Some good scripts fell through the cracks because the first few comments weren't good and then everybody followed suit.

But I guess it's all in the name of fun and practice.

No need or requirement to hold off comments. I held off so as to not defacto out myself.  If I comment on 3, then mine is obvious unless I made up some post for my script

Quoted from RJP I don't see any reason to hold off on your comments for the sake of "doing no harm." Most of the scripts got smeared by the first few reviews anyways. Damage is already done in that sense. I know it's fun to make reviews, but it's a problem that I mentioned from the first round of the tourney. Some good scripts fell through the cracks because the first few comments weren't good and then everybody followed suit. But I guess it's all in the name of fun and practice.

I agree, and I wish there were a way to fix it, but there probably isn't.
People insist they aren't influenced by previous comments, but it's clear that some are. All you have to do is look at the many repeated phrases and "I agree with everyone else" comments; even some misreading or inattentive reading of a script gets picked up and repeated. Commenting in competition gets to be a chore pretty quickly, so it's understandable if some of it's off the mark.

It's probably best for us not to be too invested in the outcome. As you said,  it's all in the name of fun and practice.

The only reason I haven’t been commenting is because I know with absolute certainty which script belongs to each writer.

I thought it was best the writers didn’t comment initially, but there’s nothing to say anyone can’t comment at any point.

Quoted from Stumpzian I agree, and I wish there were a way to fix it, but there probably isn't. People insist they aren't influenced by previous comments, but it's clear that some are. All you have to do is look at the many repeated phrases and "I agree with everyone else" comments; even some misreading or inattentive reading of a script gets picked up and repeated. Commenting in competition gets to be a chore pretty quickly, so it's understandable if some of it's off the mark. It's probably best for us not to be too invested in the outcome. As you said,  it's all in the name of fun and practice.

Nothing to fix. People may comment

Quoted from Stumpzian I agree, and I wish there were a way to fix it, but there probably isn't. People insist they aren't influenced by previous comments, but it's clear that some are. All you have to do is look at the many repeated phrases and "I agree with everyone else" comments; even some misreading or inattentive reading of a script gets picked up and repeated. Commenting in competition gets to be a chore pretty quickly, so it's understandable if some of it's off the mark. It's probably best for us not to be too invested in the outcome. As you said,  it's all in the name of fun and practice.

This notion has come up many times over the years.  I try my best not to read the comments until after I've commented.  I believe people can be swayed and have been swayed in the past.

Quoted from eldave1 Nothing to fix. People may comment

That wasn't my point.