Hello, Hollywood! (24 page)
Authors: Janice Thompson
Me? I’d already caught the one I’d been hoping for. And he could try for the rest of his life . . . but I wasn’t letting this one get away.
“HONEYMOON IN GREECE”
WRITTEN BY
Athena Pappas Cosse
EDITED BY
Stephen Cosse
REWRITTEN BY
Athena Pappas Cosse
REEDITED BY
Stephen Cosse
A PLAZA in Athens at midday. Wide shot of two STATUES in the middle of the square. Close-up of a Greek statue of ADONIS (STEPHEN). Handsome male face. Camera pulls back to reveal broad shoulders and ripped abs, covered partially by an off-the-shoulder toga. GREEK MUSIC BEGINS.
A tight shot to Adonis’s left reveals a statue of ATHENA, virgin patron saint of Athens. She’s smiling—until the camera zooms in on the cellulite on the backs of her thighs. Her smile turns to a frown and she shifts her position to hide her backside. MUSIC INTENSIFIES.
A TOURIST with a camera notices the change in ATHENA’S expression and position. He calls his wife over to witness it. ATHENA freezes as if she’s never moved. The man takes a picture. ATHENA sneezes.
Camera zooms in on a statue of a small Greek DOG to the woman’s right. Statue of DOG comes to life and leaps from the podium, startling tourists. ATHENA’S statue slowly begins to morph as well, and she steps off the podium, a smile on her face.
The TOURIST goes crazy with his camera, snapping pictures right and left. By now a crowd is approaching. Voices overlap.
WIDE SHOT on PLAZA, which is filled with vendors. DOG approaches a sandwich vendor, unties his apron with his teeth, and carries it to ATHENA. She ties it around STEPHEN’S neck, turning it into a superhero cape. He slowly comes to life, reaching over to grab a couple of sandwiches. He hands one to ATHENA. She takes it with a smile.
Just as the crowd goes crazy, STEPHEN adjusts his cape and takes hold of ATHENA’S right hand with his left. He sets his sights on the sky. A resounding “Up, up, and away!” rings out from STEPHEN as his feet leave the ground. The crowd begins to cheer.
Tight shot on STEPHEN as he lifts off. The shot moves to ATHENA as she takes to flight as well. She can’t stop smiling. At the last minute, she releases her hold on her sandwich and it tumbles to the ground. She extends her free hand to the DOG. DOG looks back and forth between sandwich on the ground and ATHENA’S extended hand. As the music swells, the DOG snags the sandwich in his teeth, then leaps into the air. Athena catches him.
Tight shot on the trio as they fly off into sunny skies.
FADE TO CIRCLE. DOG PEEKS THROUGH CIRCLE, EATING SANDWICH. FADE TO BLACK.
As a writer, I connect with Athena on so many levels. I’m always wondering what stage of the plotline I’m at! I’d like to thank so many people who poured into me as a writer, including my good friend Patti Lee, who took me to my first writers’ conference. Patti, you saw something in me long before I recognized it myself. Bless you for stirring up that gift in me.
Many thanks to sweet Janetta, who read every word of this manuscript, sticking with me till the very end. There’s nothing like the eleventh-hour rush. Right, Janetta?
To my proofing buddies, Heather and Wendy. God bless you! Thanks for skimming over the manuscript to check for errors. I’m so grateful.
To my editor, Jennifer Leep. I still remember the day you called me to talk about this book. I thought I was in trouble! Turned out you just wanted me to add a dog to the story. Go figure! As a dog lover, I pounced on that idea! What fun coming up with the character of Zeus.
Many thanks to my copy editor, Jessica Miles. Girl, I sing your praises from shore to shore. You are truly the best copy editor I’ve ever worked with, providing the perfect balance of polish and encouragement. Thanks for your kindness and your expertise.
To my marketing gurus, Michele, Donna, and the others who spend so much time marketing and promoting my books. Bless you! Oh, what fun to work alongside you.
To Chip MacGregor, my faithful agent. We are quite the team, aren’t we? You will never know how grateful I am for your presence in my life. If not for you, these stories wouldn’t exist.
And finally, to my dad. I know you’re smiling down from heaven on this particular project. I remember that summer of ’78 when you moved our family to L.A. so you could get into the movie biz. I cried my eyes out when you asked me to write that first script for you. Didn’t have a clue what I was doing, and the idea of writing it terrified me. I think about that afternoon now and just smile. I might not have known what I was doing, but God sure did. He was opening up a Pandora’s box (don’tcha love the Greek reference?) and planting seeds for the writing life that was to come. Thank you so much for seeing that gift in me, Dad, and for stirring it up. I miss you, but I know we’ll pound out stories together in heaven one day. They’ll be out of this world—literally!
Janice Thompson
is a Christian freelance author and a native Texan. She has four grown daughters, four beautiful granddaughters, and two grandsons. She resides in the greater Houston area, where the heat and humidity tend to reign.
Janice started penning books at a young age and was blessed to have a screenplay produced in the early eighties, after living in the Los Angeles area for a time. From there she went on to write several large-scale musical comedies for a Houston school of the arts. Currently, she has published over sixty novels and nonfiction books for the Christian market, most of them lighthearted.
Working with quirky characters and story ideas suits this fun-loving author. She particularly enjoys contemporary, first-person romantic comedies. Janice loves sharing her faith with readers and hopes they will catch a glimpse of the real happily ever after in the pages of her books.
Books by Janice Thompson
Weddings by Bella
Fools Rush In
Swinging on a Star
It Had to Be You
Backstage Pass
Stars Collide
Hello, Hollywood!
