Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:16 — 6.7MB)
In his office, mysterious notes are being typed on Ernest Chapel’s typewriter. Is it a gag? Is it haunted? Ernest is a scriptwriter caught in the grips of a severe writer’s block with a looming deadline to meet—and he desperately needs to develop a compelling character.
Could he really possess a typewriter that writes scripts for him? All he has to do is write it down, and it happens: a dark and stormy night, a ship at sea, or pirates with swords. Though it takes some time for him to believe in this strange new tool, it pulls through every time. Soon, another deadline hits, requiring another script.
Putting his trust in the mysterious typewriter, Ernest allows himself to become utterly engrossed in his latest gangster story—until the plot endangers his wife, Ruth. It isn’t until her screams break him out of his deep trance that he leaps into action, using the power of the written word to write in a character who barges in to save the day.
A critic’s note: A pirate? Come on, why not a cop or a hard-boiled detective? While the premise is fantastic, the story could benefit from more plausible characters and scenes—though it remains an intriguing listen nonetheless.
