Podcast Script

Word count: 854

MAIN CHARACTER:

• Nora Hazel
• 25 years old
• From Queens, NY
• Graduated college with a degree in computer science
• Well balanced, conscientious but still likes to have fun

SETTING: Story starts at 8:24pm on a Thursday, September 12th, 1988 at a bowling alley bar in Queens, New York.

PLOT:

• Nora is at the bowling alley bar with her friends
• She just finished her second job interview of the week
• She was recently laid-off from her job as a computer programmer at Microsoft
• She is now torn between two jobs
• The first job is a computer programmer job at IBM
• Pros: Pays well; stable; has years of experience
• Cons: Not really what she wants to do
• The second job is as an entry-level computer engineer position at Apple
• Pros: What she was originally interested in doing (went into computer programming because she was offered the job right out of college); more creative freedom
• Cons: Apple is a brand new company without a reputation in the industry; pays less than Job #1;

• Nora leaves the bowling alley bar and starts to walk home 
• On the way home, she calls her mom to talk about the interviews and the decision she has to        make 
• Mom wants her to follow her heart and take the Apple job 
• Dad wants her to take the IBM job because of the stability and good money

• Nora get to her apartment, hangs up the phone to talk to her roommate 
• Her roommates asks her how the interview went and Nora admits that it was great and she accepted the job on the spot. She just doesn’t want to tell her parents yet (for reasons unknown as of now)

SCRIPT

SETTING: At the the bowling alley bar

MUSIC: 80s music thumping loudly in background

SOUND EFFECTS: bowling pins dropping, people talking, arcade games playing in the background, bartender taking drink orders

FRIEND #1: (wrapping up a story) … and then he walked away and I’m just like… what?!

FRIEND #2: Oh my god that’s crazy!

NORA: I can’t believe he did that!

FRIEND #1: Yeah… it’s whatever.

NORA: Oh wow, look at the time….. I’m sorry guys, I promised my mom that I’d call her at 8:30 to tell her about the interview. I’ll see you tomorrow night.

FRIEND #1: Okay, Nora, see ya!

FRIEND #2: Bye hun. See you tomorrow!

SETTING: Nora says goodbye to her friends, and starts making her way out of the bowling alley bar.

SOUND EFFECTS:  All the previous bowling alley sound effects start to fade, we hear her footsteps walking. ….. Door opening and closing. Music and other sound effects are really muffled. Footsteps noise hitting the sidewalk. Muffled music fades out completely. Silence + footsteps. …..

SETTING: Nora is walking home and passes a young couple standing and talking on the sidewalk.

PERSON #1: You’re going to the party tomorrow night, right?

PERSON #2: Yeah, I think so. It depends on….. (starts to fade out as Nora passes)

SOUND EFFECTS: The couple’s conversation starts to fade out, we can hear Nora’s footsteps on the sidewalk + silence.

SETTING: Nora walks up to a payphone to call her mom.

SOUND EFFECTS: Footsteps stop. Clinking of coins into the payphone. Buttons being pressed (10 buttons). Phone ringing 2 to 3 rings. Mom picks up the phone.

NORA: Hey mom, it’s Nora.

MOM: Hi sweetie, how are you? How was the interview?

NORA: It was pretty good ….. [SILENCE]. I’m kind of conflicted though.

MOM: Oh, you’re still not sure which one?

NORA: [APPREHENSIVE SILENCE] … Yeah, like I would love to work for them, but you know how dad feels about it.

MOM: [SIGHS] Well, it’s your life, and you know how I feel about it.

NORA: [FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING] (rushed) Yeah yeah, “go with the heart” and all that crap-

HOMELESS MAN (IN DISTANCE): [INTERRUPTS] Excuse me miss, would you happen to have some spare change? [JINGLES CUP OF CHANGE]

NORA: Sorry, no I used the last of it for this call…

HOMELESS MAN: [GRUNTS AND WALKS AWAY] [FOOTSTEPS FADING]

NORA: ...Sorry!...

MOM: Everything okay over there?

NORA: Yeah… you know, the usual. Anyways, I get where Dad’s coming from. I mean he doesn’t want me broke or out of a job in another year....

MOM: [SILENCE] ...But…

NORA: But… you know how bored I was at my last job, and this is the perfect opportunity to get out of that, you know? I mean I know IBM is offering good money and all, but Apple would give me full creative freedom. And I know Apple isn’t big right now, but just wait Ma, you haven’t seen some of the stuff they’re coming up with. It’s insane, like they could change so many things.

MOM: … And you could be a part of that. It’s your choice, don’t let your father persuade you towards IBM if you don’t want to be there and you’re not going to be happy.

DAD: (in background) Linda, don’t be telling her that.

MOM: (turning away from phone, getting aggravated) Telling her what? To follow her dreams… to be happy?

[PARENTS BICKERING IN THE BACKGROUND]