All Nonfiction
- Bullying
- Books
- Academic
- Author Interviews
- Celebrity interviews
- College Articles
- College Essays
- Educator of the Year
- Heroes
- Interviews
- Memoir
- Personal Experience
- Sports
- Travel & Culture
All Opinions
- Bullying
- Current Events / Politics
- Discrimination
- Drugs / Alcohol / Smoking
- Entertainment / Celebrities
- Environment
- Love / Relationships
- Movies / Music / TV
- Pop Culture / Trends
- School / College
- Social Issues / Civics
- Spirituality / Religion
- Sports / Hobbies
All Hot Topics
- Bullying
- Community Service
- Environment
- Health
- Letters to the Editor
- Pride & Prejudice
- What Matters
- Back
Summer Guide
- Program Links
- Program Reviews
- Back
College Guide
- College Links
- College Reviews
- College Essays
- College Articles
- Back
Sweet Dreams - A Story of Inspiration
CHARACTERS
AMÉLIE POND - dramatic, kind, nerdy, fangirl
AMY SCAMANDER - 13-year-old, Hogwarts year 3, character of AMÉLIE; shy, nice, awkward
LACEY YOO - 12-year-old, 7th grade, character of AMÉLIE; sarcastic, easy-going, funny
PAYTON ELMINE - 13-year-old, 8th grade, friend of SKYE, character of AMÉLIE; outgoing, kind, friendly
SKYE KINTON - 14-year-old, homeschooled, friend of PAYTON, character of AMÉLIE; kind, shy, humorous
TIME
7th January 2017
PLACE
POND household, AMÉLIE’S bedroom
SCENE 1
(Curtain opens to AMÉLIE sitting on a chair in her bedroom, hopelessly staring at her laptop)
AMÉLIE
(sighs)
Ideas. So easy to express in one’s mind, yet so tough on paper.
(buries her head in her hands, exasperated)
Why can’t it be easier to just write something down? Too many plots, too many characters! How am I supposed to figure anything out? J.K. Rowling. How did she do it? How did they all do it? All those great authors, the ones I admire. How do they cope? I just don’t have the patience, or the time, for that matter! Sitting here monologuing to myself is too time consuming. Like eating a clock! (chuckles to herself, but quickly pulls herself together) (clears her throat) Anyway. It won’t help me get rid of my writer’s block. (types into the computer) ‘how… to… get rid… of… writer’s… block.’ Enter. (looks frustrated and groans) You weren’t much help anyway, Google. At least Word still works. (sigh) What’s the use, if I can’t come up with anything?
(types a few things onto her computer, but then shakes her head and closes it)
Well, it’s already pretty late. (yawn) I guess it’s not the first time I’ve tried to write past midnight.
(rests her head on her hands and her elbows on the shut computer, and slowly drifts off to
sleep)
(Fade to black)
SCENE 2
(The lights turn back on and we see AMÉLIE wake up and look around, confused. Around her stand LACEY, AMY, PAYTON and SKYE. They all look angry. AMÉLIE looks up at them, nervous)
AMÉLIE
(cautiously takes the computer off of her lap and puts it on the ground, not looking away from the visitors) Wh-who are you guys? What are you doing here? (seems uncomfortable and stands up; it’s awkward to stay seated)
LACEY
I think you know very well, AMÉLIE. (realises that she sounds rude and looks a bit regretful, but quickly attempts to hide it)
AMÉLIE
How do you know my-- wait. (a look of realisation dawns upon her face but it quickly changes to extreme confusion) I-- you’re-- but-- you’re not-- real! You don’t exist! I haven’t written your stories yet!
SKYE
Who said we don’t exist?
PAYTON
Yeah! That was a bit rude, Am!
AMÉLIE
S-sorry, but how? How are you all here?
AMY
I think we should all be asking you that. You’re the one who created us.
LACEY
You tell ‘er, Amy!
SKYE
You are her favourite, you know.
AMÉLIE
(still starstruck) B-but I don’t pick favourites!
PAYTON
She’s the one you think about most often.
LACEY
She shows up in practically all of your story ideas!
AMY
(really embarrassed) N-not all…
SKYE
Yeah, Lacey, that was a biiiit of an exaggeration. What about all of our stories?
LACEY
N Well, they’re slowly being forgotten, y’know. Just like that one about Rainbow Cat. He was a nice guy.
AMÉLIE
I was eight when I came up with him!
PAYTON
That’s no excuse! He’s a story just like any one of us!
AMY
Guys, let’s get back on track, okay?
SKYE
Right. Listen, Amélie, we don’t have much time.
LACEY
We just need to ask one thing of you.
PAYTON
Write our stories down. If you don’t, we’ll be forgotten. Gone forever.
AMY
Please. (a pleading look is in her eyes. She looks desperate)
(EVERYONE looks up at AMÉLIE [which is ironic, because the only one shorter than AMÉLIE is SKYE], the center of their small circle. They seem to respect her. AMÉLIE fidgets uncomfortably. She wants to help, but doesn’t know how)
AMÉLIE
So… er… what do I do?
LACEY
...Did you not just listen to a thing we said? Write our stories down!
AMÉLIE
I-- I would, but…
PAYTON
But what?
AMÉLIE
...I have writer's block. (looks down, ashamed)
LACEY
You can’t be serious!
SKYE
Seems like our path to fame and fortune is pretty BLOCKED off, huh. (she seems pleased with herself at the bad joke)
PAYTON
Skye, now’s not the time!
SKYE
Sorry for TICKING you off, Payton!
PAYTON
(groans, looks extremely frustrated and waves her arms around with an angry expression)
AMÉLIE
(looks discouraged but surprised; her characters are acting exactly like she thought they would in real life)
But how are you guys here?
LACEY
(waves her off) Unimportant.
SKYE
Come on, Lacey, you, of all people, should tell her.
PAYTON
Yeah! This is just like your sto-
LACEY
(cuts her off) -Spoilers! I’m not allowed to know the ending yet!
AMÉLIE
I’m sorry I can’t help you… but… maybe… I can promise to think about you guys every day and not forget you? (a small and slightly doubtful smile at her feeble attempt)
AMY
(shakes her head) No… I wish it worked that way, but the only thing you can do to help is to write our stories down before sunset.
AMÉLIE
But I don’t have any good ideas--!
LACEY
If you don’t have any inspiration--(wide, mischievous grin)--then we’ll just have to inspire you ourselves!
PAYTON
Great idea, Lace!
LACEY
Thank you, thank you. (mock bow) I try.
SKYE
But how’re we going to do that?
AMY
It’s a really good idea and all, but writer’s block is extremely hard to get rid of…
AMÉLIE
I appreciate your attempts, but I think I just need to wait it out.
LACEY
You don’t understand. We don’t have time to wait it out.
SKYE
When we’re forgotten, even you won’t remember us.
AMY
(hands AMÉLIE her laptop) You’re gonna need this.
AMÉLIE
Thanks, Amy. (she pauses, then the realization sinks in) ...you guys are real. You guys are ACTUALLY REAL!! Oh my gosh, I’m actually talking to you! This is sooooo exciting!
LACEY
There she goes… (sighs and watches AMÉLIE as she continues to fangirl)
(suddenly, she gets an idea) (whispers) Wait, guys…
SKYE and PAYTON
(whispering) What?
AMY
(looks at LACEY curiously)
LACEY
I know exactly how to get rid of her writer’s block.
AMÉLIE
(puts her computer down beside her) Alright, deep breaths… (tries to calm herself down, motioning with her arms in a yoga-type style) breathe in, breathe out. (takes a moment and finally relaxes) So… I have so many things I want to tell you guys! So much I want to do!
LACEY
Yeah, let’s just relax and be normal teens for a while. (winks at SKYE, PAYTON, and AMY)
AMY
(gulps nervously, [she doesn’t know what LACEY is planning], but gives LACEY a feeble smile)
(fade to black)
SCENE 3
(EVERYONE is sitting in a circle, playing a boardgame)
LACEY
(moving her game piece forward)-And he was just like ‘you better not fall asleep’! But, I mean, it was geography class. How can anyone stay awake through all that?
(EVERYONE laughs)
LACEY
Your turn, Amy!
AMY
(rolls two dice) I got snake eyes! Cool!
PAYTON
Lucky! Now you move forward ten spaces.
AMY
Yay! (moves her game piece) I never knew that non-magical games could be this fun!
LACEY
Just ‘cause you’re a witch doesn’t mean that your board games are better than our’s!
SKYE
We don’t have games at all where I’m from.
PAYTON
I know your tribe is weird and all that, but no board games is an outrage!
AMÉLIE
You can’t just skip family game night!
AMY
I agree! Although we usually play exploding snap.
SKYE
Well, we’re having game night right now, aren’t we?
AMÉLIE
True, true.
PAYTON
(gasps)
(EVERYONE looks at her)
AMY
What’s wrong?
PAYTON
L-look! (points at a clock)
SKYE
It-it’s almost six in the morning! We don’t have much time!
AMÉLIE
Don’t you have until sunset?
LACEY
Until sunset for you to write us, but we have to go when the sun rises!
AMÉLIE
B-but why? Can’t you stay?
AMY
You were right when you first saw us… We only exist in your imagination.
AMÉLIE
But how are you here? ...I’m not hallucinating, am I? I think I got enough sleep this week…
PAYTON
Not hallucinating, but dreaming.
AMÉLIE
Oh, good, I thought I was going mad for a moment there. (pauses) So, do I still have to write your stories?
LACEY
Of course you do! Just because we only exist in your imagination doesn’t mean that we’re not real!
AMY
That’s the reason we came. So you could save us.
AMÉLIE
I will write your stories. (sincerely) I promise.
LACEY
See? What did I tell you? All she needed was some time to relax and get to know us better.
PAYTON
Well, I guess this is goodbye. (shrugs and holds her arms out for a hug, which EVERYONE returns)
AMY
Group hug!
(they stay like that for a moment and then let go)
LACEY
Buh-bye, until next time. (walks off-stage)
PAYTON
Bye!
SKYE
See ya! (walks off with PAYTON)
AMY
(she’s the last one left with AMÉLIE)
(looks at AMÉLIE awkwardly)
B-bye, I guess.
AMÉLIE
(looks at her)
Bye, Amy. I’ll miss you.
AMY
Me too, Am, me too.
(they hug for a bit, then AMY breaks away awkwardly)
AMY
(starts to leave, and stops)
(looks back)
(takes a deep breath, and briskly walks off-scene)
AMÉLIE
(waves until AMY is off-stage, and then slowly brings her hand down, staring off into the distance)
(fade to black)
SCENE 4
(AMÉLIE wakes up in her chair, in the same position as she fell asleep in)
(She rubs her eyes, and finds a note on the computer)
(As AMÉLIE reads in her head, we hear her characters’ voices from off-stage reading out loud with her)
LACEY
Dear Amélie.
PAYTON
We had a great time with you today, and we’re really happy to finally meet you!
SKYE
I’m glad that we helped get rid of your writer’s block, and that you can finally write our stories.
AMY
Don’t worry, this won’t be the last time we get together. We’ll be with you in written form, after all!
LACEY
Don’t forget to publish us! It would be cool to be famous, wouldn’t it?
PAYTON
Anyway, we’re glad that we could help each other in just the ways we needed.
SKYE
Now, what’re ya waiting for? Go start writing!
AMY
And if you ever need some inspiration, you know where to find us.
(fade to black)
SCENE 5
ONE YEAR LATER
AMÉLIE
Wow, I can’t believe it, I got nominated for the awards again! People actually like my writing! I knew it, I knew that dream meant something! It was a sign, I know it! (looks at a clock nearby) I’ve been writing for quite a while now, and there’s school tomorrow. I think I should rest a little. (closes her eyes, falling asleep)
(LACEY, PAYTON, SKYE and AMY walk in, smiling. They are proud of AMÉLIE)
LACEY
Amélie definitely did a great job.
PAYTON
I love how our story turned out, huh, Skye?
SKYE
Yep! Now, we should let her rest. She deserves it.
AMY
Sweet dreams, Amélie. Sweet dreams.
(fade to black)
THE END
Similar Articles
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
This article has 0 comments.
This play is a slightly more interesting version of how my writing ideas come to me. I hope you enjoy it!