Coffee Shop

Screenwriter
A Story-Telling RPG

1+ Designed by
1 - 2 Hours William Long
"To make a great film you need three things –

the script,
the script
and the script."

Alfred Hitchcock
INT. HOME - MORNING

The sun shines through the cracks in your curtains.

You never slept last night. It was the most adventurous night of your life.

Your phone RINGS. It's your agent.

AGENT
(overly cheerful)
Morning, sunshine! How are you doing?

YOU
Ugh...

AGENT
That good, huh? Are we still on track
to receive your screenplay today? If
not, the producers said that they're
finally going to blacklist you.

You check your calendar. Written in blood-red letters beneath today's date
is the single, ominous word: DEADLINE.

You then glance at your laptop. The writing program is open, showing a
single white page. It's blank.

You'd forgotten all about it.

YOU
There's just a few final tweaks I
need to make. You'll have it by the
end of the day.

AGENT
I better...

EXT. COFFEE SHOP - LATER

You look into the coffee shop as though it's your final lifeline.
All you need is a cup of coffee and then you'll be fine... Right?
FADE TO:

1
 INTRO.
Overview
You are an unsuccessful screenwriter who needs to send your latest screenplay to
your agent by the end of the day. Unfortunately you haven’t written it yet and you
didn’t sleep last night so, in a desperate final attempt, you go to your favourite coffee
shop to write, in the hope that caffeine will make you more creative.

You will need

Two six-sided dice

Four sheets of paper (or copies of the Screenplay, Character, Coffee Shop and
Movie List sheets supplied with the game.)

Something to write or draw with (pen, pencil, typewriter...)

About the game

Coffee Shop Screenwriter is a story-telling role-playing game for one or more players.
Each player takes the role of the screenwriter as they’re frantically trying to write an
original screenplay whilst sitting in a coffee shop.

By the end of the game you will have come up with an idea for a screenplay, whilst
also developing the character of your screenwriter, discovering more about the coffee
shop you’re writing from, and you will have made a list of the movies that have
inspired your screenplay.

It’s up to you how much you want to write down. You could jot down notes or you
could even draw aspects of your screenplay, character, and coffee shop if you’d
prefer. The screenplay beats your character is following are also used by professional
Hollywood screenwriters, so if you are feeling really adventurous you could use this
game to actually write a feature-length screenplay.
Game Design by William Long. Copyright 2020
www.longgames.co.uk

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 HOW TO PLAY.
The Sheets
Print off the Screenplay, Character, Coffee Shop and Movie List sheets or take four
sheets of paper and title them.

Screenplay: This is the main sheet you’ll use in the game. This is the sheet that you
will be writing or drawing your responses to the Screenplay Beats on.
Write the current Act number along the line as you go. Depending on
how much you write or draw, you may need more than one sheet.

Character You’ll use this sheet to write or draw anything related to the character
Sheet: of the screenwriter you’re playing.

Coffee Shop: You’ll use this sheet to write or draw anything related to the coffee
shop that you’re writing in.

Movie List: You’ll use this sheet to write down the names of the movies that your
screenwriter draws inspiration from.

Caffeine
Your writing ability is directly affected by the level of caffeine in your system. When
you’re full of caffeine you’re able to come up with original ideas and draw on your life
experience in creative ways but when you’re running low on caffeine you resort to
stealing ideas from other movies you’ve seen or you even just look around the coffee
shop and draw ideas from what you can see around you.

You’ll need two six-sided dice. One of them will show the level of caffeine in your
system and the other will show how much money you have.

Set the Caffeine Die to 1. You haven’t had any coffee yet, and you didn’t sleep last
night, so you’re tired.

Set the Money Die to 6. You’ve come to the coffee shop with six pounds, and luckily
for you they’re selling coffee for a pound per cup.

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Your caffeine level will determine where you can draw your ideas from. (See the
Caffeine Level chart on the Turn Reference sheet on page 15.) You'll choose one of
two options out of a total of four:

Original You’re on top of your game and can literally come up with anything
Idea: you put your mind to. Draw a little lightning bolt next to your original
idea on the Screenplay sheet to remind you of the time that you were
struck by a bolt of true inspiration. You’re a genius!

Life Experi- You use an element of your real life as a source of inspiration. It can be
ence: something from your current life, a past experience (maybe something
that happened last night), or a hope for the future. Add the real life
experience to your Character Sheet. You’re a sensitive poet.

A Movie: You take another movie as inspiration and change it just a little bit so
that your agent won’t recognise it. Add the title of the movie to your
Movie List. If it’s more similar to one of the movies your screenwriter
loves draw a heart next to it. If it’s more similar to one of the movies
your screenwriter hates draw an X next to it. You could also use a
movie that’s already on the list as inspiration, if you do then draw a
heart next to it. This serves as a reminder of your influences at the end
of the game. You’re a hack.

The Coffee You’re tired as can be and can only muster up enough energy to look
Shop: around you. What or who do you see in the coffee shop? Maybe it’s a
couple having a conversation. Maybe it’s art on the wall. Maybe it’s a
dog quietly peeing in the corner. Maybe it’s something you see
happening outside the window. Use what you see as your inspiration
and then write or draw it on the Coffee Shop Sheet. If you’re using
something that’s already there as inspiration then draw a heart next
to it to show that it’s been used more than once. You’re too tired and
need more coffee.

At the beginning of your turn you can spend one pound (reduce the Money Die by
one) to buy a cup of coffee and increase your caffeine level by four (increase your
Caffeine Die by four). The Caffeine Die cannot go higher than six, so choose when to
buy another coffee wisely. You don't want to run out of steam too soon.

The Caffeine Die is reduced by one at the beginning of each turn. If the Caffeine Die is
set to one at the beginning of your turn it remains on one unless you buy a
cup of coffee.

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The Screenplay Beats
The Screenplay Beats are the heart of the game. These are the story beats that your
screenwriter is following to write their screenplay. The beats have questions about
your story that you have to consider and answer to write your screenplay.

On your turn you will look at the next beat, read it out loud, and then resolve it. How
you resolve it depends on your caffeine level. If you draw your inspiration from Life
Experience, Another Movie, or The Coffee Shop you may add something new to one of
the relevant sheets or you may use something that has been used previously. If you
do use something that is already on the sheet, draw a little heart next to it to show
that it’s been used again.

If you wish, you may have a short discussion with the other players, but the final
decision is that of the current player.

The game is split into five Acts. Each Act has a short description and a question for
you to answer as a group. Write your response on the appropriate sheet.

Turn Order
1. Reduce the Caffeine Die by one.

2. Decide if you want to spend one pound to increase your Caffeine Level by four or if
you want to leave the Caffeine Level where it is.

3. Read the next Screenplay Beat.

4. Check your Caffeine Level and resolve the Screenplay Beat. Write or draw your
answer on the Screenplay Sheet. Fill in any relevant information on the Character
Sheet, Movie List, or Coffee Shop Sheet.

5
 SET UP.
Before you start, we need to establish a few things about your screenwriter, the coffee
shop, and the screenplay you’re going to write.

The Screenwriter
As a group, come up with a name for your Screenwriter and write it at the top of the
Character Sheet.

Each player comes up with one movie the screenwriter loves and one movie that they
hate. In a one or two-player game, each player comes up with two. Add them to the
Movie List.

Each player then suggests a reason that the screenwriter didn’t sleep last night. Then
decide as a group which one to use and write it on the Character Sheet.

Coffee Shop
As a group, decide where the coffee shop is. (Is it in a city? On a beach? In an airport?
On another planet?) Write it down on the Coffee Shop sheet.

Each player then comes up with one feature of the coffee shop (such as atmosphere,
decoration, customers etc.). In a one or two-player game, come up with two each.
Write or draw them on the Coffee Shop sheet.

Screenplay
Each player suggests a genre the screenplay should be (comedy, thriller, horror etc).
Decide as a group which one you’ll use, or maybe combine two of them (eg. comedy-
horror, romantic-thriller etc.). Write the genre at the top of the Screenplay Sheet.

You’re ready to play!

6
 SCREENPLAY BEATS.

ACT ONE
The Set-Up
You walk into the Coffee Shop and take a seat. You look over to the barista making coffee.
What is their name? What is your first impression of them? Write your response on the
Coffee Shop Sheet.

1.
Who is the hero of your story? (What is their name, age and occupation?)

2.
Where does the hero live? (What’s their home like? Do they have family or are
they alone?)

3.
What is the hero’s occupation? (Do they work? Are they at school? Are they looking
for a job? Are they happy there?)

4.
What is the hero's world like? (Do they live in an oppressive city ruled by a dictator?
Are they stranded on a desert island? What year is it? Explain the world that the story
takes place in.)

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 5.
How is the hero flawed? (Do they have a weakness? A fear? An addiction? Do they
treat people poorly?)

6.
Something happens that pulls the hero out of their normal day-to-day
life. What is it? (Maybe they meet a love-interest. Maybe a killer strikes. Maybe
someone tells them that their partner is a spy. This is the beginning of the story).

7.
The hero makes a morally wrong decision because of their flaw. What is it and
how does it affect the people around them? (Maybe they're greedy and steal
someone's birthday cake. Maybe they don't stick up for a friend at work because
they're more focused on their career than helping their friends.)

8.
Does the hero have allies or are they a loner? (If they have allies then who are they?
If the hero is a loner then why are they a loner?)

END OF ACT ONE

8
 ACT TWO
Progress
You feel like you're making good progress. You start to think that it doesn't matter that you
didn't get much sleep last night but then you suddenly remember something that happened
last night that you had forgotten. What was it? Write it down on the Character Sheet.

9.
What is the hero’s goal? (This is the main thread of the story. What are they hoping
to achieve by the end of the story? To win something? To stop something? To save
something? To deliver something? To escape?)

10.
Who is the hero’s main opponent and what is their goal? (What are they trying to
do? How are they standing in the way of the hero’s goal?)

11.
The hero receives some new information that affects their goal. What is it? (How
did they find out?)

12.
The hero comes up with a new plan to achieve their goal. What is it?

13.
The hero uncovers a mystery. (What is it? How does it affect their goal and
their plan?)

9
 14.
The hero starts to act on their plan but their opponent gets in their way. (How
does the opponent disrupt their plan and how does the hero retaliate?)

15.
The hero takes a shortcut and tries to achieve their goal sooner but something
goes wrong and they fail. (What did they try to do and why did they fail?)

END OF ACT TWO

10
 ACT THREE
Complications & Higher Stakes
You start to feel a little stuck. The middle is always the hardest part to write. Just as you're
about to have a major breakthrough something unexpected happens in the Coffee Shop.
What is it? Write it down on the Coffee Shop Sheet.

16.
An ally attacks the hero. Why? How does the hero react? (Maybe the hero has
gone off the rails and the ally is trying to set them on the right path again. Or maybe
the ally was secretly an opponent working against the hero).

OR

If the hero is a loner they hurt themselves as a result of their own action or
inaction. (What did they do and how did they hurt themselves?)

17.
It looks like the hero won’t be able to achieve their goal. They give up.
Why? (What happened? If they have an ally, how do they react?)

18.
The opponent get’s one step closer to achieving their goal. (What do they do?
How does this affect the hero?)

19.
The hero receives a new piece of information about their goal. (They realise that
they still might be able to achieve their goal, even if the chances of success are razor-
thin. What information do they receive?)

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 20.
The hero decides not to give up. (They’re going to give their all and put all their
efforts into one final attempt to achieve the goal. What changed their mind? What is
their new plan?)

21.
Something terrible happens. The (The main character must face death in the face
[literally or figuratively]. What happens?)

END OF ACT THREE

12
 ACT FOUR
The Climax
You're really getting into the swing of things. You can't remember the last time a story came
so naturally to you. The barista sees that you're hard at work. They come up to you and offer
you a coffee for absolutely free. What type of coffee do they offer you? Do you accept it? If so,
increase your Caffeine Die by four without reducing your Money Die.

22.
The hero and their opponent meet face to face. (The opponent is the only thing
standing in the way of the hero achieving their goal. How is the opponent preventing
the hero from achieving their goal?)

23.
The hero and their opponent fight. (This is the hero’s last chance to achieve their
goal. What does this fight look like? It could be a physical fight, a chase, a
competition, or even a battle of wits. Who wins?)

24.
The hero achieves their goal. (How did they do this? What does this mean for
them now?)

OR

The hero fails to achieve their goal. (How does it turn out that their failure benefits
the main character and their allies more than if they had achieved it?)

END OF ACT FOUR

13
 ACT FIVE
Aftermath
You're almost there! Just the final few scenes left to write. You're feeling so confident that you
can finish this before the coffee shop closes that you take a minute to check what films are
playing at the nearest cinema, so you can catch a movie when you've finished. What movie
are you going to see? Is it a new one or a re-run? Add it to the Movie List.

25.
The hero has changed because of this story. (They have now overcome their flaw
and make a morally right decision. What is it and how is it a positive result?)

26.
The adventure is finally over and the hero returns to their normal life. (How will
things now be better for the hero? Do they go home? Do they return to work? What
does it look like?)

END OF ACT FIVE

THE TITLE
You've finished your screenplay and you feel great about it. It might just be the best thing
you've ever written. The only thing you have to do now is to give it a title.

As a group, give your screenplay a title. Write it at the top of the Screenplay Sheet.

Congratulations! You’ve finished your screenplay and your agent loves it.

It’s sure to be a box-office success.

END OF THE GAME

14
 TURN REFERENCE.

Turn Order
1. Reduce the Caffeine Die by one.

2. Decide if you want to spend one pound to increase your

Caffeine Level by four or if you want to leave the Caffeine
Level where it is.

3. Read the next Screenplay Beat.

4. Check your Caffeine Level and resolve the Screenplay Beat.

Write or draw your answer on the Screenplay Sheet. Fill in any
relevant information on the Character Sheet, Movie List, or
Coffee Shop Sheet.

Caffeine Level

Caffeine Level
Inspiration
(Number on Die)
6 Original Idea -OR- Life Experience
5 Original Idea -OR- Life Experience
4 A Movie -OR- Life Experience
3 A Movie -OR- The Coffee Shop
2 A Movie -OR- The Coffee Shop
1 A Movie -OR- The Coffee Shop

15
 GAME SHEETS.

Print out the following four sheets: Screenplay, Character,

Coffee Shop, and Movie List.

These are the four sheets you will be using to write or draw on
during the game.

Depending on how much you want to write, you might need

to print out more than one Screenplay sheet.

Alternatively you could even use blank sheets of paper, or even

a writing program, to write out your answers. Just add the
title to the top of each sheet so you can keep track of them.

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 SCREENPLAY.
ACT ONE.

-
CHARACTER.
COFFEE SHOP.
MOVIE LIST.