Lonnie R. West

EXT. FOOTHILLS OF THE SMOKY MOUNTAINS - MORNING

(Opening scene is accompanied by a music track: "Everything" by Lifehouse.)

A serene lake is nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains. In the pre-dawn light the color is muted: a cool light blue, almost monochromatic.

Tendrils of mist move slowly off water smooth as glass, and disappear like lost ghosts onto semi-barren trees on the shore.

It is Fall.

Although the trees are not completely bare, the stillness of the air, the chilly light, and overcast sky suggest the winter snows will be here soon.

Those are the opening lines to the script for "Seasons Of Wither", a 33 page script that encompasses the entire first Act of the film.

No, this is not a real movie, it's just a script that was the final project for a scriptwriting class I was taking at UT. Although I am not going to even entertain the thought of trying to write movie scripts, the class did help me break through the one wall I have always had as a writer: dialog.

Learning how to develop characters and show backstory via action opened the door to understanding how to write dialog, so in that regard, that one class was worth it's weight in gold.

Curious how the rest of the script read? Download it here:

Seasons of Wither by Lonnie R. West