How to Write a Radio Serial Drama for Social Development- PDF

Chapter Twelve: The Finished Script and Writer’s Check List
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Life in Hopeful Village Page 4 of 10
Episode #36
Draft: Final
Writer: Elaine Perkins Date: July 1992
SCENE 3
49. MISS B: Allow him to cool his temper, Roy. You
know how he blows hot and cold.
50. ROY: Why is he taking his anger with Sawyers
out on me, Birdie
51. MISS B: Littlejohn loves you like his own flesh
and blood, but....
52. LJ: (WAY OFF. CALLING) Birdie...
53. MISS B: (CALLING) Coming... (TO ROY,
QUICKLY) Send a message if anything
happens.
54. ROY: (SIGHS) I only want to improve my
stock. And I believe the extension officer.
But so many people are waiting to laugh
me to scorn. And now Littlejohn is
joining them, and I’m starting to doubt
myself. Worrying that I’m making a
mistake...that my only cow is going to
die.
55. FX. DOOR BANGS AS BIRDIE GOES OUT.
56. ROY: All right. (TO HIMSELF. UPSET.
SIGHING) The Bible says a good friend
is better than a pocketful of money, but I
guess HE never had to deal with
Littlejohn. Barman, serve me a soda.
Then I’ve got to hurry and find that
extension officer.
57. MUSIC. BRIDGE MUSIC UP :05. CROSS
FADE TO FX IN NEXT SCENE.
SCENE 4
58. FX. DOOR OPENING. FOOTSTEPS
ENTERING ON WOODEN FLOOR.
59. MISS B: (COMING IN) I am going to open the
shop, Littlejohn. Don’t want them to
think we’re ashamed or hiding because
you lost the court case.
60. LJ: No! Tell them to go and buy from Mr.
Chin Fah.
61. MISS B: There’s no sense in turning away
business like that all the same.
62. LJ: I can just see Sawyers bawling out to the
crowd that I don’t know A. From B.
63. MISS B: You’ve only yourself to blame for that.
A short scene that re-establishes the two conflicts
that are occurring, with Miss Birdie at the center of
each.
Predominant emotion is fear.
Roy expresses the doubts that would be in the
minds of many of the listeners as they contemplate
the new behaviors the story is recommending.
A touch of humor as Roy admits that probably
even God wouldn’t know how to deal with
Littlejohn.
Scene ends with unanswered question of whether
or not Roy has done the right thing.
Music is used here to bridge the scenes because
the next scene is the major scene of the episode.
After the quietness of the previous scene, the
action picks up immediately. The FX suggest
several things happening at once.
Conflict begins right away as Littlejohn refuses to
open the shop.
This scene delivers the major part of the message:
helping yourself to a better life—in this case
through literacy—in a natural, non-didactic
manner. Miss Birdie takes five approaches with
Littlejohn, stressing the message in different ways:
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