Format Sample                                       

• 12pt type, Black, Times New Roman

• Character names in all caps, centered before each line

• Dialogue starts at left margin, 1" from left edge of page

• Stage directions are indented, in parentheses

• Pay strict attention to spacing

• Pagination should be in the upper right hand corner and should start
  on page 2; the first page does not have a page number

THE DAY JENNIFER LOU ELLEN MISSISSIPPI KERBUNKLE

CHANGED HER LIFE

by Bernadette Bizer

CHARACTERS

JEN, 10-year-old, in fourth grade
 

LORRAINE, Jen's best friend.  Wears big round glasses with purple frames

and thick lenses.

MRS. KERBUNKLE, Jen's mother.  Pushy, like a drill sergeant.

TIME

Present, early fall

PLACE

Inside a Mini-Van

(MRS. KERBUNKLE sits in driver's seat listening to a tape with earphones on.  JEN, wearing a pink bow in her hair that looks out of place on her and carrying a backpack, gets into the car and sits in the backseat.)

JEN

        (panting)

Sorry I'm late, Mom.

MRS. KERBUNKLE

        (looks at her stop watch)

Jennifer Lou Ellen Mississippi Kerbunkle!  You should have been here five and 1/2 seconds ago.

JEN

Sorry Mom.

MRS. KERBUNKLE

Sorry, my foot.  But time is a-wasting!  Let's get started with our checklist, shall we?

JEN

Sure Mom.

        (JEN unzips backpack and looks into it)

MRS. KERBUNKLE

        (pulls clipboard and pencil from under the seat)

OK!  Pencil case, box of sharpened multi-colored pencils?

JEN

Check, check!

(This excerpt © 2003 Bernadette Bizer, used with permission)