Friday, April 17, 2026
Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Final Beats 1-20
1. Night. Tom and Wanda in bed, Hawaii and Foglost.
2. Sunrise. The truck and Wyoming plates, Tom leaving, lunch in Cimarron. Re Daisy.
3. Gil with Dale, Bandera VFW, Wanda staying back, Tom Angel Fire Huey selfie.
4. Sunset. Wanda with Daisy gets Tom's call - meet ringtone - from ABQ motel room. Tom leave Ruth VM, start bath.
5. Sunrise. Tom to truck, drive out of ABQ motel lot.
6. John driving Benzwagon with Jan, Barbara and Chloe re Jackie and Horse Day.
7. Hunter home office, Organ Mountains, Chloe photos and screensaver. Watch alarm, he leaves.
8. Tom driving in Hunter's 'hood, aviator glasses, makes turn toward Organ Mountains per GPS instruction.
9. Hunter, kitchen/dining, view to back yard, water, bag, recycle bag, leaves.
10. Tom arrives at Hunter's, open garage to Rover and Gold Wing. Phone camera, Hunter into garage from house, bag in hand, Tom snaps picture, drives away, hides behind neighbor's house. Hunter into house through garage.
11. Tom U-turn.
12. Hunter foyer, doorbell, Tom on porch, Howdy, Tom enters.
13. John, Jan and Barbara, roadside stand, Hunter's call. John re middle name. A man on a horse.
14. Wanda with Daisy at tracks gets Tom's call from Hunter's guest room. Tom calls Ruth (with Gil - Hijole) at roadside peach stand, leaves room, framed in window over desk when he arrives in back yard, lights cigarette.
15. Hunter and Chloe, El Paso airport parking lot. Chloe re Doc.
16. Barbara tells Brian about Tom and Olivia.
17. Sunset. John and Jan at home. And we were worried about Brian. Call Kate?
18. Hunter and Chloe arrive Hunter's, Tom's truck in driveway. Into house, Tom and intros. Chloe excuses self to begin casserole. Hunter's inquisition. Chloe takes picture of Hunter and Tom.
19. Kate, with Cedric (reading Foglost), gets call from John re Tom Walker.
20. Night. Tom, Hunter, Chloe re T/W 25h, Hawaii, surfing, Pismo, Cali, Tom USMC. Tom excuses self, Hunter, per Chloe, calls Jackie.
beats: one more edit needed
The more I come to understand Story, the clearer it becomes beats - scenes in order - requires at least one more edit.
Akin to solving Rubik's Cube.
Back to square one today, progress as able, set beats in wet cement to end this blog.
motor vehicles
Tom's old GMC Sierra pickup.
Wanda's Subaru wagon. At the train tracks when Tom calls from Hunter's.
John's/Benz wagon. Taking Chloe to airport.
Hunter's Range Rover and Honda Gold Wing in garage.
Brian's old 911, Barbara driving.
Barbara's Tesla, arriving home, Chloe selfie on phone.
Gil's Chevy Silverado and Corvette and...
Rickie's old Husqvarna dirt bike in garage.
Maria's KIA SUV, Gil's garage.
Sess's Dodge Super-Duty and...
Claire's Jeep CK-7 in carport.
Jackie's Alfa Romeo Spider, arrive and leave Hunter's.
Ruth's Volvo wagon, at peach stand.
Jan's Jag, in driveway.
Ford F-150 and old Cadillac in driveways in Claie's parents scene.
Medical Examiner van taking Tom's body.
Two Triumph motorcycles in Gil's (with Tom in) Bangkok photos.
Gil's (dad's) ancient Ford Ranchero at Fort Park.
Kate and Cedric's Toyota Land Cruiser, arrive home, and BMW E30 M3 in garage.
Monday, April 13, 2026
Sunday, April 12, 2026
occupations
Tom, retired cattle ranch foreman.
Wanda, retired USPS.
Gil, retired general contractor.
John, retired securities attorney.
Jan, retired corporate litigator.
Barbara, photographer and teaches a course at Cal Poly.
Hunter, novelist.
Brian, residential architect.
Ruth, retired high school teacher and administrator. Now paints.
Daisy, retired librarian.
Kate, retired pediatrician.
Cedric, retired pilot.
Doc, psychotherapist
Chloe, high school student.
Maria, restaurant manager.
Friday, April 10, 2026
beats 51-60
51. Next day, Hunter - guest room/book? - leaves in Tom's truck.
52. Chloe, Barbara, Jan and John, boat on Lake Nacimiento, about Ruth.
53. Sess and Claire (on phone with parents), call from Jackie re Tom.
54. Ruth and Wanda, Hunter arrive.
55. Night. Hunter, Wanda and Ruth, wine, photo albums and re Gil, Maria, Boys.
56. Chloe with Barbara gets Hunter's call from Ruth's guest room.
57. Next day. Gil on deck, sound of engine before truck. Maria and Boys observe from inside.
58. Kate and Cedric.
59. Fort Park.
60. Wanda, Ruth, Maria in kitchen.
Thursday, April 9, 2026
silly interlude re the Challenge God gives me in writing Honda Knot
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
revised beats 41-50
41. Hunter's dream. Kitchen for coffee, Tom reveal.
42. Hunter tell Chloe.
43. Wanda with Daisy gets Hunter's call.
44. Ruth gets Wanda's call.
45. Gil with boys gets Ruth's call.
46. Barbara with Brian, John and Jan gets Hunter's call.
47. Hunter and Chloe watch Medical Examiner van drive away.
48. Hunter with Doc, re itinerary.
49. Sunset. Hunter arrive Jackie's.
50. Night. Daisy home alone, call from Wanda with Ruth and Daisy.
silly interlude re how i've best written this screenplay
prolly gonna get beats set (more or less) here, take a break, begin a Final Draft blog next week.
revised beats 31-40
31. Riders through pines.
32. Wanda with Daisy, facetime Ruth.
33. Mountain Meadow.
34. Kate with Cedric, facetime John with Jan.
35. Pinus Ponderosa. Belt buckle story. Rodeo buckles at home. Jackie, Sess, Claire picnic.
36. Barbara with Brian, finishing Foglost. Read Honda Knot.
37. Horse barn, Honda knot.
38. White Sands sunset.
39. Jackie leaves, Tom's Tahoe story.
40. Tom facetime Wanda with Daisy and Ruth. Chloe, who set it up, hello. Guest book.
scene 31
EXT. PONDEROSA PINE FOREST - DAY
WHISPER OF CREEK trickling through, lit by shafts of high-noon sun. WOODPECKER PECKING silenced by CUH-LIP CUH-LOP OF APPROACHING HORSES.
Sess leads the riders into and through frame, followed in single file by Claire, Jackie, Hunter, Chloe and Tom, caboose with phone camera aimed at the train ahead of him. Chloe turns to him, waves, Tom waves back, ends recording, pockets camera, rides out of frame.
CUH-LIP CUH-LOP FADES AWAY, replaced by WOODPECKER PECKING.
Tuesday, April 7, 2026
scene 30
INT. LIVING ROOM - DAY
Recliner with lampstand on each side of couch aimed at TV. Field and Stream magazines on coffee table. Cowboy hat, Camouflage ballcap and University of Oklahoma football helmet on rack near door. FAINT TIK-TOK OF GRANDFATHER CLOCK near opening to hallway, hands at 11:22.
Big window above couch to water tower above neighbors' simple homes across the leafy street. The lettering on the tank tells us we're in Ardmore. The Oklahoma plates on the Toyota Tundra in one driveway and Honda Odyssey tell us where Ardmore is.
A MAN, 60-something - socks, overalls and tee, glasses - in recliner, turns a page of Foglost. Phone and page-marked bible on lampstand. He sets book in lap, picks up when PHONE BUZZES. He stares at screen.
MAN: Well I'll be damned.
A WOMAN, 60-something - tennis shoes, jeans, Leon Russell tee - arrives in doorway.
WOMAN: Pardon me?
MAN: Come here.
She approaches, she hands him phone. She stares at photo of Claire and Hunter, saddled on horses side by side in the barn.
WOMAN: Well shit howdy. The book.
He hands her Foglost, she opens to the author flap where Hunter looks at the camera from where he stands in the desert, distant mountains in the background above the blurb:
H.C. Hardyn is the author of two other novels, Isleton and Abrasions, and Trabuco: Short Stories.
WOMAN (CONT.): That's him. Right?
MAN: Or his doppelganger.
WOMAN: Either way, I guess he's Jackie's new boyfriend.
She hands him phone and book. He compares the pictures.
MAN: I guess we'll hear more later.
He sets phone on table, opens Foglost.
WOMAN: Quite the page turner. .
MAN: I'll finish tonight. (BEAT.) Wait.
WOMAN: Bingo tonight.
MAN: That's right. Then on the train. Lunch?
WOMAN: (BEAT) Tuna melt and tomato soup?
He smiles.
MAN: Sounds good, sweetheart. Thank you. But I mean tomorrow in Fort Worth.
WOMAN: Oh. Thanks for reminding me. Betty suggested Laredo.
MAN: I like that suggestion.
WOMAN: I have another one but it would mean putting your book down. Or you could just read my mind.
They stare at each other., she winks, he puts book on lampstand, glasses in case, follows her to hall. She extends hand, he takes it, follows woman into hall out of view.
Monday, April 6, 2026
silly interlude re when i learn Honda Knt has sold
silly interlude re restructure,. re-revisited
revised beats 21-30
21. Next day. About the truck, Heere's Jackie, intros, re cousin's partner another surprise guest. The more the merrier. Re pictures and Chloe's selfie-stick. Intro Rover and away.
22. Wanda with Daisy gets group picture from San Augustin Pass, recognized by Daisy, having stopped there with Clem.
23. Ruth at home saves picture as screensaver.
24. John and Jan stare at picture, re John's Roy Rogers Christmas boots.
25. Kate shows picture to Cedric, who thinks he's met Tom before.
26. Barbara places picture, framed, on Chloe's desk.
27. Int. Rover, last time on a horse. San Diego, USMC.
28. Maria knock knock Izzy. Gil re Tom's Las Cruces layover.
29. Sess and Claire.Rover arrive, intros and rodeo. Re tie-down ropin' and calves being branded.
Into barn. Woodpecker.
30. Claire's dad at home (edit) reading Foglost, gets Claire's selfie with Hunter.. "Holy shit" draws Claire's mom in. "Well shit howdy."
revised beats 11-20
11. Barbara with John and Jan gets Hunter's call re Tom Walker. John re a middle name. Check. A picture.
12. Wanda with Daisy gets Tom's call from Hunter's guest room. Wanda hands key to Daisy.
13. Tom calls Ruth at Fredericksburg peach stand.
14. Gil with Boys gets Tom selfie. Hijole.
15. Chloe and Hunter El Paso airport. Chloe re Doc. Buckle up.
16. Barbara with Brian tells him about Tom and Olivia. Brian re Tom showing up in conjunction with release of Foglost.
17. Hunter, Chloe arrive, truck in driveway, intros, Chloe to kitchen, Hunter's questions. Chloe takes picture.
18. Kate with Cedric (reading Foglost) gets John's call. Retired cattle ranch foreman in Laramie.
19. Jan and John at home, sunset, looking at street view of Tom's/Wanda's house. Patches of snow.
20. Patio night, Tom re anniversary, Hawaii, surfing lesson, having met Wanda at AA meeting in Boise., excuses self, Hunter calls Jackie.
revised beats 1-10
1. Tom and Wanda, night, Hawaii and Foglost.
2. Next day, sunrise. Tom leaves in truck. Re Daisy and Maria/Boys.
3. Gil, Maria, Great Room, The Boys, Knock Knock Ida re Tom. Tomorrow. Just Tom. Re Foglost.
4. Tom arrive ABQ motel. Monsoon clouds. Call Ruth/Sis, start bath.
5. Next day, sunrise. Wanda gets call from Tom - meet ringtone - in truck, ABQ motel lot. He drives away.
6. John, Jan, Barbara and Chloe, roadside cafe. Re Jackie, Horse Day, motorcycle ride/helmet.
7. Hunter, home office, Chloe photos. Time to go.
8. Tom in truck, nearing Hunter's house, aviator sunglasses. Recycle/trash bins at each curb. Stops, idles, raises phone to take picture. Garage door opens automatically to reveal Rover, motorcycle and Hunter with filled bag in hand. He looks up at Tom, Tom takes picture, drives away. Hunter watches truck disappear behind neighbors' house.
9. Tom's U-turn.
10. Hunter foyer, doorbell. Howdy Tom Walker. Into house.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
silly interlude re restructure timeout
a break for some rubik's cubing, related to hex. 57 and how subtle penetration reshapes previous notions.
