I’ll be away for a week, which means everyone has until Sunday, March 30 to submit “Right of Way’s” next scene(s).

That should give those who haven’t been paying close attention plenty of time to read the existing pages and accompanying Script Notes, and begin to formulate an idea about what works best for this project.

Those already familiar with our script-in-progress might use the time to reflect on its theme, which can be thought of as the subtle point or unifying message of our story. Underneath the beat-by-beat machinations of the plot... behind the characters’ goals and motivations... what is our screenplay really about?

Beats the hell out of me.

Truth is, writers often hack away on a script for several drafts before a clear, underlying theme emerges. This being our first and only draft together, it may not happen at all. Then again, there are a lot of us working on this, so maybe we can pull it off.

Also just around the bend we’re approaching some kind of twist that will mark the traditional Act One break. The next three or four submissions will build to this point, beyond which the story takes a different turn.

So for instance, if Act One leads to -- bad idea -- Mayor Napolitano being wrongfully charged with Larry’s murder, then Act Two could be about his flight from prosecution and his quest to catch the real killer.

Or the first act could be about something that doesn’t rip off “North by Northwest” and 37 other movies. Whatever it is, it should culminate with a scene that sends the story off on a related tangent for a good hour of screen time.

That’s what we need to be thinking about as we write (or in my case, select) the next 10 pages or so.

We’ve got an extra week to get started. See you then.