Unwritten

My motivations?

My mom tends to watch a lot of murder mysteries/investigative series and whenever I get to spend time with her, I inevitably end up doing the same.

The script started off as a writing exercise in my mind where I imagined how I would write an episode for such a series. As I went on a walk, I started observing things and thought about how I’d put them in chronological order and imagine a character narrating what they were doing and why. Then I got to writing!

You can read the full script here if you’d like.

Unwritten
EXT. GATED COMMUNITY – MORNING
 
Blue sky, partly cloudy, the air is misty and the temperature nippy. Swapna (22) walks out of the tall apartment building. The area is upmarket, with the walkways lined with a thick row of trees.
 
She nods once at the security guard sitting at his desk and stuffs her hands into her jackets pockets. In a moment as she walks to the open area, she pulls out her notebook and checks her watch.
SWAPNA (WRITING)
7:20. Started walk late. Got delayed by clothes.
 
MIRA (V.O.)
Suuuuuure, blame the clothes. Just admit you woke up late!
Swapna pauses angrily and huffs at the air and continues her walk, with angry strides. She observes the area around and notices the sheer lack of walkers.
 
SWAPNA (WRITING)
7:24. Missed regular walkers.
 
Swapna continues her walk down the slope to the next few apartment buildings. A shadow passes above her and she looks up, her eyes following a hawk flying rather low.
 
SWAPNA (WRITING)
7:30. Saw low flying hawk. Probably enjoying the updraft. Caught a mouse. Flew into tree.
 
MIRA (V.O.)
Ha! Making things up again are we? Spicing up your journal for whoever reads it?
 
Swapna ignores the scathing voice and walks faster. She looks at the dense tree growth as if looking for answers within.
There is the sound of a bike beyond the boundary wall. Swapna perks up at the sound, her head briefly following its direction before it turns off and the area is filled with silence once more.