Pen Jen's Inkwell

Wednesday, April 28, 2021

SANTA CLAUS SCHOOL synopsis

LOGLINE

Twelve students enter a Saint Nick merry-making boot camp and learn to be the good in the world.

PITCH

Santa Claus School in Santa Claus, Indiana, prides itself on graduating the best Santa Clauses in the nation. More than money-making ventures, Clement Winter, the school’s teacher, wants his students to have real Christmas spirit. Despite their less-than-merry attitudes, causing him to want to quit his job several times, he teaches them all the crucial skills for becoming the “real Santa Claus.” By the time his class graduates its 10-week Santa Boot Camp, his 12 students are ready for a very Merry Christmas indeed.

SYNOPSIS

Every September, Santa Claus School in Santa Claus, Indiana, welcomes twelve students who want to improve their holiday-making skills as men in the merry-red coats and hats with white beards. However, Clement Winter, the school’s teacher, can never be too sure what to expect on the first day of school. He is getting burned out on teaching grown men to Santa. There is usually one student who is unruly and gets under his skin. The ten-week class covers all the basics and then some on how to uphold the tradition of Santa Claus. More than any other school in the country, Santa Claus School prides itself in graduating the best Santa Clauses. The school has been having financial troubles, so Clement hopes the students’ successes help it stay afloat. Looking at the new class, he feels saddened at their lack of enthusiasm. It takes a certain amount of gusto and character to pull off being a genuine Santa Claus.

As Clement proceeds, he looks up to hear snoring, burping, and cursing from the students, and he takes radical action. He decides to run class like a Boot Camp. He is disgusted that many of the students have not shaved their brown stubble. One student is hiding a Vodka bottle in his bag and play constant pranks on Clement, like putting a whoopie cushion on his chair. One of the students even picks his nose. Another one won’t turn off his cell phone and keeps taking calls from his various girlfriends. A handful of them try to budget how much money they can make during the holiday season. On the contrary, a few of them read their Bibles openly and pray during class, which is one extreme to the other.

By the end of Week One, Santa Claus School starts to look a little more like Christmastime. However, the practical jokes and disrespect of Clement continue, and he wants to quit, especially he sits on a rotten egg. Week Ten covers the true meaning of Christmas when Clement gets bombed by water balloons and kicks one of the students out of the class.

The students need to pass their final exam the next morning. Before the test, he gives an inspirational lecture on Santa Claus. The expelled student comes back and apologizes with tears. Clement says if he passes the test he can graduate. Clement is shocked when the twelve Santa students pass the final exam. He graduates them with hopes that they are the best of Santa Clauses ever. From the elementary schools to the malls, the students are now ready. Clement realizes that his job matters, and he does not quit. The world needs Santa Claus School more than he ever imagined.

THE MOST SILENT NIGHT synopsis

LOGLINE

When mice and a flood destroy a church organ, a priest writes a new hymn for his Christmas Eve service.

PITCH

On a very silent Christmas Eve in Oberndorf, Austria, Father Joseph Mohr discovers mice chewed through the bellows in his organ. Flooded water also makes the organ parts icy. Since the organ is broken, the Catholic priest asks his friend, schoolteacher, organist, and choirmaster, Franz Gruber, to help him finish a new song on guitar. It is inspired by a sickly child that he visited the day before. That evening at Christmas Eve Mass, the congregants love the new Christmas hymn and leave singing a peaceful song named “Silent Night.” The hymn spreads to people all around the world.

SYNOPSIS

On a quiet Christmas Eve morning in St. Nicholas Church in Oberndorf, Austria, it is a disappointing day for Father Joseph. The day before, he had visited a sick child in the Austrian countryside, who reminded him of the Christ child. He prayed for healing and asked God to bless the family and their child amid the snowy winter hillside. A day later, now when he tries to play his church organ, he discovers that mice have chewed through the bellows that are used to supply the instrument with wind. The music is stilled. Water from the nearby Salzach River has also flooded behind the organ, damaged instrument parts, and made them icy. Father Joseph worries about his midnight Christmas Eve Mass as he cleans up the water and mice droppings in the sanctuary. Since the organ is broken, he will have to perform his yearly new carol for the service on guitar. Then, maybe he could raise money through the Christmas Eve offering to replace the organ for the church.

As he makes his way into his office, he thinks about the sickly baby he had met just yesterday. He dips his pen in the ink jar on his desk and scribbles a batch of lyrics onto a crumpled piece of paper. He entitles it “Silent Night.” Considering that the new song needs music, Father Joseph runs off to his friend, schoolteacher, organist, and choirmaster, Franz Gruber. After Father Joseph surprises Franz at his home, Franz agrees to finish the carol for the Christmas mass. He hums a melody while strumming the guitar. As Father Joseph paces back and forth in Franz’s home, Franz finally finishes the music to the lyric. Father Joseph thinks the melody is gorgeous, with a tear in his eye.

At the midnight Mass, worried that the congregation will reject the new song, Father Joseph prays a silent prayer. While some congregants are distraught about the broken organ, a family of glovemakers named the Strassers whisper to each other about how thoughtful it is of Father Joseph and Franz to write such a lovely new song for Christmas. After giving extra Christmas Eve offerings to replace the broken organ, congregants go home while singing the new carol to themselves. As time passes, “Silent Night” spreads all over the world. As history has it, the song is to be sung on Christmas Eve at the stroke of midnight by candlelight, and not a minute too soon. It offers a peaceful blessing in tumultuous times. Everyone needs a silent night, but most of all at Christmas.

Friday, April 2, 2021

"Wind Chimes," A CHILDREN'S SONG

CHORUS:

Wind chimes sing me a song,

And I’ll sing it back to you.

Wind chimes sing me a song,

And I’ll sing it back to you.

VERSE:

The rain falling on the leaves

Of a tree branch has a melody.

(The rain falling on the leaves

Of a tree branch has a melody.)

The frog on a lily in a pond

Skips the pads with a revelry.

(The frog on a lily in a pond

Skips the pads with a revelry.)

PRE-CHORUS

Nature has its own chorus.

(Nature has its own chorus.)

It’s all right before us.

(It’s all right before us.)

CHORUS:

Wind chimes sing me a song,

And I’ll sing it back to you.

Wind chimes sing me a song,

And I’ll sing it back to you.

VERSE:

The birds chirping their words

At a window make a symphony.

(The birds chirping their words

At a window make a symphony.)

The gust blowing of the breeze

At your door causes cacophony.

(The gust blowing of the breeze

At your door causes cacophony.)

PRE-CHORUS:

The world has music for those who listen.

(The world has music for those who listen.)

It makes your ears tingle and glisten.

(It makes your ears tingle and glisten.)

CHORUS:

Wind chimes sing me a song,

And I’ll sing it back to you.

Wind chimes sing me a song,

And I’ll sing it back to you.

BRIDGE:

Dogs like to bark, and cats like to sigh.

Whales call to waves, and hawks like to cry.

(Dogs like to bark, and cats like to sigh.

Whales call to waves, and hawks like to cry.)

As the strings of a violin tuned precise,

The music of the air takes you high.

(As the strings of a violin tuned precise,

The music of the air takes you high.)

PRE-CHORUS:

Nature has its own chorus.

(Nature has its own chorus.)

It’s all right before us.

(It’s all right before us.)

CHORUS:

Wind chimes sing me a song,

And I’ll sing it back to you.

(Wind chimes sing me a song,

And I’ll sing it back to you.)

Wind chimes sing me a song,

And I’ll sing it back to you.

(Wind chimes sing me a song,

And I’ll sing it back to you.)

Monday, March 15, 2021

"The Ghost of Christmas," A MERRY CHRISTMAS CAROL

VERSE:

The Ghost of Christmas is past

With shadows of the ways things have been.

Let the light shine in

Like a candle from heaven

‘Till time grows short,

And time is no more.

Fa la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la.

The Ghost of Christmas is past.

VERSE:

The Ghost of Christmas is present.

Oh, God bless us each and every one

With a glimpse of love

Like a vision of mercy.

So carry the torch,

And chant an encore.

Fa la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la.

The Ghost of Christmas is present.

BRIDGE:

The holly and the ivy

Hang from the rafters

As you hear the laughter

On Christmas morn.

There is no want anymore.

No child is poor,

Only children of the king.

Sing hosannas sing, oh.

VERSE:

The Ghost of Christmas is yet to come.

Lead on ‘cause the night is waning fast.

Let the pure joy last.

Like the faith of young children,

Now merry as a boy,

And free to rejoice.

Fa la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la la.

The Ghost of Christmas is yet to come.

TAG:

May the Spirit haunt you all year long.

The Holiday Stork: The Story of Christmas Babies

Did you meet the Holiday Stork?

At Christmas, he goes door to door.

Delivering babies as parents sleep.

He knows just how to dive deep.

Swooping through towns across the sky.

Who ever knew that babies could fly?

Picking babes up with their long bills.

Ribbons and bows and all the thrills.

Just on time for Christmas Day,

The stork hears all the people pray.

He remembers the time he delivered Christ.

He knows of all that was sacrificed.

Dropping off children in mangers of straw,

Newborns babies put angels in awe.

If you find a child on your step at night,

See the stork fly into the radiant light.

He brought you a child, like Jesus with love.

The stork is like a Christmas dove.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

"Sunflowers," A LOVE SONG

VERSE:

Sometimes you love me

Then you love me not

Sometimes you’re lukewarm

Then you’re really hot

What would it take to make a change?

CHORUS:

If I gave you sunflowers,

Would it give you enough power

To love me like I really need?

If I gave you sunflowers,

Would it cause a sweet shower

Of petals to fall like I've always believed?

What timeless precious seeds,

If I gave you sunflowers . . .

VERES:

I only want good fortune

And loyalty from your heart

I only want adoration

And romance a la carte

Every now and then you can send me roses

CHORUS:

If I gave you sunflowers,

Would it give you enough power

To love me like I really need?

If I gave you sunflowers,

Would it cause a sweet shower

Of petals to fall like I've always believed?

What timeless precious seeds,

If I gave you sunflowers . . .

BRIDGE:

On the darkest days

Sunflowers always face the sun

Then you can’t see the shadows

And would never run away from love

CHORUS:

If I gave you sunflowers,

Would it give you enough power

To love me like I really need?

If I gave you sunflowers,

Would it cause a sweet shower

Of petals to fall like I've always believed?

What timeless precious seeds,

If I gave you sunflowers . . .

https://soundcloud.com/jen-waters/sunflowers

Featured on FATE singer-songwriter release

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows. It’s what the sunflowers do.”

– Helen Keller

Wednesday, January 6, 2021

Blossom Drop: The Story of a Flower Finding Its Petals

I think I lost a petal!

It dropped right off my arm.

Oh, there it is! I found it.

Hope it didn’t have harm.

Now I lost another one.

It blew away in the wind.

Soon I’ll be naked and cold.

My petals seem to have thinned.

I wish I could keep my petals.

Now someone pulled a leaf.

When it rains, I get wet.

Ouch! My side is in grief.

If you find my missing petals,

Please bring them back to me.

We’ll paste them on with honey,

And I’ll be beautiful as can be.