Creative
Poetry | Screenwriting
Manuscript | Graphic Design
Poetry
THE BARN
Awash in the relics of neglect
There no longer exists a livelihood
For this splintered structure to embrace.
Ropes decayed
Stables long abandoned
The roof looks to surrender-
Wilting under the weight of noon.
To recall decades of nurturing
Father’s prized and beloved tenants
Spurs a bitter-cold guilt
Quelling all effects
Of a shimmering August heat.
Color can be restored
And beams replaced
Yet sturdiness and appeal
Are absent without passion.
No hands will latch this gate again
Nor will a horse’s neigh escape
These unfettered windows and reliable doors.
No son should attempt to carry a legacy
His conscience can’t afford.
Sitting across from a suited devil,
Ache pitchforks from my heart.
In a prolific history
Confined to fifteen pages of greed,
An impersonal neon marker
Highlights dotted lines.
A pen weighing six tons
Quakes in my stinging hands;
Never have they succumbed
To a tool so artless.
Manuscript (synopsis)
MINOTAUR
ADULT PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER, approximately 80,000 words
Carnival owner, Stanton “Sticks” Wolcott, struggles to keep his Dust Bowl-era business afloat—often sacrificing his profit and meals for the security and well-being of his crew. As he roams the western states, he hopes to escape the memory of a young boy (Clyde Cartwright) who was killed on his carnival’s most popular ride, the Minotaur, while in a dusty Nevada mining town called Deadmon. Burdened by guilt, Sticks regularly partakes in alcohol and gambling.
While on the road, a hopeful sideshow act named Clara the Contortionist appears in his doorway. He hires her and immediately falls in love. She helps him to quit drinking and get his gambling under control while trying to uncover the catalyst of his suffering. After he confides in Clara about the tragedy, he reveals he had to change his name to avoid pursuit by vigilantes for what he swears was an accident. She tells him the only way to overcome the tormenting memory is to return to the town where the child died and to replace the memory of the accident with a new, happier outcome. Sticks is hesitant but agrees to go back to Deadmon—on the condition his identity remains a secret.
As the caravan approaches Deadmon, it dawns on Sticks some of the townspeople might recognize him, or worse: he recognizes some of them. This triggers his memory of fleeing a card game amid gunfire after being caught cheating. He panics and seeks Clara to inform her he isn’t going through with it, but Clara is nowhere to be found. Sticks grapples with her whereabouts and begins to question his own mired history of drunken blackouts.
He finally sees Clara in plain clothing, but his hopes fade quickly when the woman doesn’t answer to the name Clara, claiming to have never met him before. Confused, he returns to the caravan to ask his mute strongman, George, of Clara’s whereabouts. George sadly points to the show’s schedule, where a 15-minute slot is empty. Looking back at the programs he compiled over the years, Sticks finds out she first appeared on the roster after the unfortunate day the boy was killed in Deadmon.
Sticks begins to question whether he made her up and, on the verge of a breakdown, causes such a scene in the town square that passersby gather around. When the mob hushes during his recount of “Clara the Contortionist,” Sticks becomes convinced that Clara is a real person and accuses the townspeople of holding her captive.
The town sheriff introduces himself as Clyde Cartwright, announcing he knows Sticks’ real name and why he’s been hiding his identity. In his explanation of what happened in Deadmon years ago, Cartwright recalls his search for a girl who went missing the day after Sticks’ carnival left town; the discovery of her body at the bottom of a ravine; and his posse’s subsequent pursuit of Sticks. This causes Sticks to conjure a terrifying recollection of peering down on the lifeless body of a woman in a rocky basin, bent into an impossible position.
Sticks is taken into custody but escapes moments before the gallows are drawn.
Years later, under a new pseudonym and visage, Sticks is sober, happy, and engaging again. He has friends and a completely new carnival troupe. One night as he’s closing, a familiar sound swirls in the night. It’s Clara’s voice, urging him to leave at once. Trusting his newfound soberness, he heeds the warning and sprints off, bindle over his shoulder. Following the voice into the black void of rural midnight, Sticks Wolcott runs over the edge of a gorge, tumbling to his death.
Screenwriting/Treatment + Bio
Below is an assignment for the course Screenwriting for Media Arts.
OBJECTIVE: Write an original script for a short narrative film, including an author bio.
GRADE RECEIVED: A
TITLE: MY ROOM
AUTHOR: MICHAEL VERMILYEA
FADE IN:
EXT. HENRY’S CHILDHOOD HOME – NIGHT
WE OPEN on a small beachfront home at twilight. The place is buzzing with the sound of children of various ages playing. We hear dishes clank as a faucet is running.
CUT TO:
INT. HENRY’S CHILDHOOD HOME – KITCHEN/LIVING ROOM - NIGHT
Sweet and innocent Henry, 8, sits on the floor in his pajamas, playing with an Erector set. In the background, his mother washes dishes while his five older siblings run around the house noisily. Some are arguing; the mother is visibly irritated.
HENRY’S MOTHER
Alright, that’s enough! Time to
get ready for bed.
CUT TO:
INT. BATHROOM - NIGHT
Henry brushes his teeth, looking into the mirror. His hair looks damp and neatly combed. He is proud of himself.
OLDEST BROTHER
(peeking around the corner)
You’re brushing already, Henry?
Bedtime isn’t for another hour.
Henry smiles back.
OLDEST BROTHER
(condescendingly)
You still think Dad’s just going
to come back out of the blue?
Henry nods, unshaken.
OLDEST BROTHER
(walking away)
You don’t know Dad, then.
Henry overhears his oldest brother murmuring to his mother in the kitchen. He then hears plates abruptly dropping into the sink.
HENRY’S MOTHER (O.S.)
(annoyed)
How am I supposed to know?
(in a hushed voice)
Listen, you know Henry. He’s
hopeful. Let him have that.
Besides, it’s endearing.
CUT TO:
INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT
Bedroom lights are off as Henry’s Mother is heard on the phone in the living room.
HENRY’S MOTHER (O.S.)
Yes, I mean we received it, but when
is he—
(interrupted)
No, of course, and I understand
that, but I want to talk to him.
(after a pause)
Please just tell him to call home.
His children want to know where
their father is.
(hushed voice)
I want to know where their father
is. We haven’t seen him in—
(interrupted again)
No, I get it, but can you at least
get this message to him?
CUT TO:
INT. BEDROOM - NIGHT
Henry is lying in his bed, looking at the ceiling with an optimistic look on his face. A doo-wop song plays in the background.
CUT TO:
DREAM SEQUENCE - INT. - BEDROOM - DAY
Henry sits up, having just awoken. His father walks in and sits beside Henry’s bed.
FATHER
I’m here to stay, pal. I promise.
Henry’s face lights up.
CUT TO:
INT. - BEDROOM - NIGHT
Henry is still face up in his bed, grinning ear-to-ear with eyes closed. The recognizable doo-wop song reaches its chorus; it is the Beach Boys’ 1963 hit, In My Room.
DISSOLVE TO:
INT. MODERN LUXURY HOME - ENTRANCE – DAY
Henry, now a homeowner, husband, and father to four children of his own, gathers a duffle bag and a coat and heads toward the front door. His wife, Leanne, stops him.
LEANNE
(concerned)
So your brothers and sisters just
put your mom in a home and that’s
it? They won’t even help with the
property?
HENRY
(shrugging)
I’m the only one who still thinks
of the place fondly.
LEANNE
(half-joking)
If I didn’t know any better, I
would think you had a secret life.
Henry’s response, a dismissive chuckle leaves Leanne feeling empty. Henry exits the house. Leanne’s head and shoulders slump as the door closes behind him.
CUT TO:
INT. HENRY’S CHILDHOOD HOME (PRESENT) - BEDROOM – NIGHT
Henry lies on his childhood bed; the room’s décor is stuck in the 1960s. He stares up at the ceiling, just as he did as a small boy, and then closes his eyes.
CUT TO:
EXT. MODERN LUXURY HOME – ENTRANCE
Henry is headed toward his SUV, carrying the same duffle bag.
LEANNE
(desperately)
Please don’t, Henry.
Leanne follows him down a few steps to the car. Henry offers an apologetic smile, stopping to kiss Leanne before entering and closing the car door. Leanne stands, shocked, watching him drive away.
CUT TO:
INT. HENRY’S CHILDHOOD HOME (PRESENT) - BEDROOM – NIGHT
Henry is in deep REM sleep, grinning.
CUT TO:
INT. MODERN LUXURY HOME – BEDROOM - DAY
Leanne sobs as she places a framed picture of her family into a packed suitcase and closes it.
CUT TO:
INT. BREAKFAST NOOK - DAY
Henry’s three oldest children, Dane (16), Eric (13), Olivia (11), eat cereal at a small kitchen table in a nook with a spectacular canyon view. There is no sign of an adult presence. The house is cluttered, dishes are piled in the kitchen sink, and a TV is heard from another room. All four children are lethargic.
The youngest, Ben (8), walks in, holding a cordless phone.
BEN
It’s for you.
(handing phone to Dane)
It’s mom.
DANE
(into phone, exhausted)
I told you someone would answer
the landline.
(smirks at Ben)
He didn’t say how long.
(difficult pause)
I know.
(sighing)
No one’s blaming you, mom.
CUT TO:
INT. CAR – MOVING - DAY
Leanne hangs up her phone as she drives on a highway near a large body of water.
CUT TO:
INT. HENRY’S CHILDHOOD HOME – ATTIC – DAY
Henry stands next to stacks of boxes, staring at a green Western Union receipt. He holds it up to reveal a company name “Harrington Fence Co.”, dated early 1963. His eyes are wide as he grins. His father’s signature is on the bottom.
CUT TO:
EXT. HENRY’S CHILDHOOD HOME – DAY
Leanne approaches the front door of a small, beachfront property. She stops halfway between her car and the front door, briefly clutching her chest and looking at the ground.
LEANNE
(under her breath)
God, why am I doing this?
After inhaling deeply, she resets and resumes walking to the house.
CUT TO:
INT. HALLWAY - DAY
Leanne walks down a wood-paneled hallway, music is heard faintly. As she creaks a bedroom door open, the music becomes louder.
CUT TO:
INT. – BEDROOM - DAY
Leanne enters to find Henry lying on the twin-sized bed from his youth. He barely fits. The Beach Boys’ In My Room plays on his immaculate vintage HiFi. He is motionless, dead from an apparent heart attack. Leanne looks down, doing her best to avoid sobbing. She sits and places his hand in hers. The Western Union receipt falls to the ground. Leanne picks it up and frowns as she inspects it carefully. She closes her eyes and begins to cry as she cradles his head.
CUT TO:
INT. MODERN LUXURY HOME – BREAKFAST NOOK – DAY
Dane, Eric and Olivia are seated at the table. Remnants of breakfast sit on plates, in bowls. Dane is staring at his cellphone.
DANE
(not looking up)
Mom said she’ll call back after
she talks to Dad.
OLIVIA
(sullenly)
Are mom and dad getting a divorce?
DANE
(sighing)
I dunno, Liv. I guess we’ll find out
pretty soon.
OLIVIA
(matter of fact)
We’re all going to live with mom.
DANE
Now you’re just jumping to
conclusions, Liv’er. We’ll see.
(looking around)
Where’s Ben?
CUT TO:
INT. BEDROOM – DAY
Ben is lying on his bed smiling.
DISSOLVE TO:
DREAM SEQ – INT. BEDROOM - DAY
Henry and Leanne walk into the room, taking a seat at the foot of Ben’s bed.
LEANNE
(smiling sweetly)
Look who I found.
BEN
(beaming)
Dad! You’re back!
HENRY
(laughing)
Of course, I am.
Henry places his arm around Ben.
HENRY
Don’t worry, Ben. I’ll be right
here. Forever.
Ben leans into his father for an embrace.
FADE OUT:
THE END
ABOUT MICHAEL VERMILYEA
Michael was born and raised in San Diego: the land of flip-flops and taco shops. A southern California kid of the 80s and 90s, Michael grew up in dimly lit arcades and overly lit shopping malls. He studied literature and writing out of high school. He has a professional background that includes loss/fraud prevention, digital print, training, and direct marketing.
He recently achieved his bachelor’s degree in communications from Southern New Hampshire University, concentrating on professional writing. He married his next-door neighbor and childhood love. He volunteers for his kids’ sports and scouts' organizations.
Memento is his favorite film. He believes Christopher Nolan screws with the audience for fun, and that most people misunderstood Memento’s main character, Leonard.
Michael has a penchant for enhancing workplace culture by seeking win-win solutions and contributing in myriad ways. He secretly wishes he could sing like Astrud Gilberto but is not afraid of looking like a fool on the dancefloor.
Between my penchant for writing one-liners and my desire to use generative AI for entertainment, it seemed logical that I would end up opening a RedBubble store.
I won't say I was the first to ever create a meme, but in the earliest days of MySpace, my friends would share funny captions below famous—if not obscure—celebrities from the last 50 years.
Memes have come a long way. Trite or not, I think a little laughter is good for the soul. Too much laughter, on the other hand, is SUS.
CHECK OUT MY SHOP. YOU'LL SMILE AT LEAST ONCE, I PROMISE.
