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Lesson 4
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David Wickenden Character Story Lines
What I learned?
It’s a good thing that the BW and Bible are living documents, because I have had to rethink this entire pilot so it fits both the plot and the characters story of the formula.
Laura
· Beginning: Laura is a PTSD psychiatrist who trains with military and first responders to better understand their world.
· Turning Point: She has learned their skills.
· Midpoint: One of her police patients commits suicide over PTSD.
· Turning Point 2: At the officer’s funeral, the widow blames her for not helping her husband.
· Major Conflict: They released a notorious child abuser whose sentencing was questionable from jail.
· Ending: Laura kills him and starts her crusade.
· Dilemma is optional: Janice announces she has been tasked with tracking down and stopping the vigilante.
Janice
· Beginning: Janice is undercover and is picked up by a pedophile.
· Turning Point: Janice arrests the perv.
· Midpoint: Video shows up showing Ryan, a kidnapped kid.
· Turning Point 2: She has 90 days to find Ryan.
· Major Conflict. Her boss wants her on the the Task Force to track down the vigilante.
· Ending: She is given on week to close her case and save Ryan.
· Dilemma is optional: She tells Laura about her new position.
Teaser:
· Essence: A young teen, Susan, is molested and left for dead. During the trial, the man is acquitted.
· Turning Point: The young victim commits suicide and is found by her sister, Laura.
Act 1: Years Later
Essence: (Laura Opening) We see Laura taking part in a Military training evolution at which she excels. She then speaks to the soldiers about PTSD and how suicides can be averted through early intervention.
(L TP) She has learned their skills.
(Janice Opening) Posing as a teen, Janice, an RCMP officer, is picked up by a pedophile. After a high-speed chase during which Janice and the pedophile fight in the back of a van, (J TP) arrests the perv.
Act 2:
· Essence: We find that Laura and Janice are best friends.
(Janice Opening) Janice comes home and searches her own apartment with gun.
On the Dark Web, she finds a video of Ryan, the last in her case to be abducted. (J TP ) Se has 90 days to find him before he’s killed.
Janice and Laura talk over glass of wine. (M TP J) Laura gets a notice that a police officer she’s been treating has committed suicide. Both women know the officer.
Act 3:
Essence: Both women attend the officer’s funeral. Janice as cop. Laura as her position as his councilor.
(L TP) Widow goes ballistic at Laura for not helping her husband, which led to him killing himself.
Act 4:
Essence: A notorious child abuser is released from prison and is assassinated at the airport.
(L TP) The shooter is Laura. She becomes a vigilante.
(J M TP) Her boss wants her on the Task Force to track down the vigilante, but she needs to find Ryan.
(J TP2) She is given one week to close her case and save Ryan.
Act 5:
Essence: Janice meets with Laura for drinks.
Lock In. Janice tells Laura that the force has tasked her with finding and stopping the vigilante.
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David Thompson’s Character Storylines
What I learned doing this assignment is the most engaging characters are those with depth, their own lives outside of what we see onscreen. Main characters in the pilot used for this.
Dan Lanahan
- Beginning: A lonely guy, living day to day. Boring, perhaps, turning to alcohol when not on duty.
- Turning Point: Sees someone he wasn’t supposed to notice.
- Midpoint: Brutal murder of his niece
- Turning Point 2: Confronted by a goddess in his own home (? Not sure about this yet)
- Major Conflict: Finding a serial killer – adjusting to the sudden loss of family.
- Ending: Anger at not being allowed on his niece’s case and confronting Megaera
- Dilemma: Gods and goddesses don’t exist… but they do.
Megaera
- Beginning: Bad assed goddess.
- Turning Point: Discovers a mortal can see her, and is furious about this development.
- Midpoint: So very focused on the mortal, she loses track of her other “job” and accompanies Alecto on a job.
- Turning Point 2: Meeting Dan face to face, perhaps love at first sight.
- Major Conflict: Immortals are discouraged from mingling with mortals.
- Ending: Determined to find this mortal man, and deal with him.
Brianna
- Beginning: Typical college girl.
- Turning Point: At a party, is drugged by a stranger.
- Midpoint: Wakes up tied to a chair.
- Turning Point 2: Pleads for her life, we get hints this is no normal killer.
- Major Conflict: Knowing she’s dead, she now must find a way to “move on”.
- Ending: (Pilot) Appears to Thanatos, needing help.
- Dilemma: Dead and can’t move on, stuck on earth (surface) until killer is dead.
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Moses Quainoo
MOD 3 – LESSON 4: CHARACTER STORY
LINES“What I learned doing this assignment is…?”
ASSIGNMENT
1. Start with a main character and your source material: Binge Worthy Framework and TV Pitch Bible.
2. Create a beginning, middle, and end of the character’s story for the Pilot.
BRADER HU’S STORYLINE
CHARACTER ARC:
A dutiful son who goes to work at the Center to support his extended family and faces the job vanishing.
Act 1
Essence:
A flour loader who handles his extended family.
BEGINNING:
Weekday. Hu scrutinizes the inoperative International Trade Fair Center (now a National Food Depot) for work.
MIDDLE:
He makes his way into his house to find a warning sticker.
DILEMMA:
As he undertakes the day’s workouts, his aunty requests his contribution to the property tax. He promises to pay up when he returns from the Center.
TURNING POINT 1:
His mother strides into the yard to say his grandmother’s malaria is worsening.
He heads to the Center’s Cooperative Flour Distribution Association office to look for a job as a flour loader. They ask for no paper qualifications but what you can do. Hu sprint two hundred yards and leaps onto the long flat-topped vehicle. He connects with another job seeker for the sixth position.
DILEMMA:
Go back home empty-handed and face his sick grandmother or clash with the person standing before him for the chance.
MIDPOINT:
He contends it out with the opponent who strikes first.
At the Flour Mills, a day shift supervisor tells Hu the Mill is running short of wheat. He says the current government needs to secure funding to continue importing wheat.
The next day, the manager says he is rationing the number of trips each vehicle can make to the loading bay.
TURNING POINT 2:
Hu’s team makes diminishing trips to the loading bay and makes less money.
MAJOR CONFLICT:
Hu and Ishey compete in two hundred yards sprints to secure the job/ places on along vehicle. Hu connects with another prospector for the sixth place and they fight it out to determine the winner. Hu labor with all thy might on an unfilled stomach. Generate money home to provide for granny, two aunties, four girls cousins, and mother. Realize the current government needs to secure funds to pay for wheat importation.
DILEMMA:
No job, lost the trust of family, sleeps in the Den. Hu must determine when and how the next wages will come from. Hu is desperate to find a job to provide for the family.
ENDING:
The job dries away and Hu has no job to go to at the Center.
3. Add the rest of the structure to the characters for the Pilot.
ISHEY GARFUNK’s STORYLINE
BEGINNING:
A school leaver who wants to pursue a career, and start an adult and family life.
MIDDLE:
He cannot find a job after one week. He meets Hu in the Cinema coming attraction lobby and inquiries about a job.
Hu replies that he should meet him in the immense car park in front of the Center at sunrise.
TURNING POINT:
Ishey does not ask what type of work he will be doing.
Hu says Ishey should find his own PPE, preferably trousers that won’t give way behind when the legs are stretched and non-stick tops.
DILEMMA:
No one told him about the supervisor blowing a whistle.
He sprints two hundred yards. And assumes Hu is behind running to the same vehicle as him.
MIDPOINT:
Secures the fourth position on the same vehicle as Hu. Surprised and excited about Hu’s fighting skills.
TURNING POINT:
MAJOR CONFLICT:
Turns out Ishey flops his GCE Examination out of high fertility disorder.
The scouts are on the first floor of the Administration block watching the events below.
Ishey impress their driver to await the results of the fight. Time is ticking. Ishey extend a helping hand to Hu to board the vehicle.
On the trip, Ishey is determined to follow through with what lies ahead.
END:
The job dries away and he has no job to go to at the Center.
LOVEDAY SEBASTIAN STORYLINE
BEGINNING:
She is a Master Spy, Kung Fu superstar, and the Second-In-Command of The Do-Wells Organization on a mission to capture three militants in the populace.
MIDDLE:
She fails her mission because one militant is killed. For her punishment, (retired Lt. Col.) Frank, her father orders her on a covert mission to scout for talent at the Center and recruit.
Three Agents of the organization were killed in Algeria and Yemen. They are not easy to replace.
TURNING POINT:
Before sunrise, Loveday and helper, AC ride eight miles through the forest and hitch behind the Center, and enter through the back gates.
MAJOR CONFLICT:
She suggests they stroll to the Foreign Exchange shop on the first floor of the Administrative block. She is thirsty.
TURNING POINT 2:
They hear the shrill of the whistle and turn to look. A heated sprint towards the long vehicles parked further away and cheats among them.
The scouts press the crest on the helmet they are wearing and the CAMERAS capture the event.
MIDPOINT:
They witness Hu and another job seeker fight and become excited about the rare fighting skills.
DILEMMA:
Loveday assumes they are in for luck. AC tells Loveday to finish setting up the Kingfisher drone. They discover the vehicles allow a maximum of six men on board.
Loveday chooses to track Hu and launches the drone.
Riding back later, she reports that she has found the man of her dreams. She will issue her own orders.
Late that night, Hu’s truck returns to the Center to drop off Hu and the rest. Loveday, waiting on a car bonnet not far from them, reaches up to recover her drone.
Frank is home to review Loveday’s report. She tells him of the email she sent to the Convener of Contests asking for a place for Hu in the Kung Fu tournament. Her goal is to feature her new discovery, Hu, in the Contest. She believes he can win and then pair up with her to do one job no one is taking:
An oil minister in Brunei steals $8.9bn of oil money and seeks asylum in Cuba. Apart from police protection, teams of Kung Fu experts guard him. The Sultan of Brunei wants him captured and brought alive to face his people. This job is important to Loveday because it will raise the tally of her mission successes and make a cool $1bn income for the organization.
Loveday believes that will promote her to The Presidency when AC steps down. Frank wants Hu’s ability to fight seriously tested, and if he wins the Kung Fu tournament, Hu must train as a Master spy before Frank considers pairing him up with his daughter.
Her problem is that Contestants must be serving members to gain registration.
END:
Loveday asks Frank if he will ask for special eligibility for Hu.
AC
BEGIN:
AC gets orders to help Loveday
MIDDLE: AC announces The Do-Wells Annual Contest is coming up in December. The BOXER tournament will take up the final three days. Members must enter and win this event before induction into The Do-Wells as Master Spies. The prize is six million dollars.
END:
AC approves one technical innovation to this year’s Arena: The Essel Poles cauldron. This is a 144-pole formation hanging above a bar lattice mounted over a bottomless pit of burning fire.
4. Return to another main character and repeat the process.
5. Create the first version of your outline by adding the character storylines to the structure from Lesson 3. (OZARK Example Below)
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?”
THE DO WELLS – FIRST DRAFT
OUTLINE
Act 1:
THE DO WELLS – FIRST DRAFT
OUTLINE
Act 1:
BRADER HU, a flour loader who handles his extended family, finds a final warning sticker asking the Hus to pay property tax or face an auction. His Aunt asks for his and his grandmother’s share of the property tax. He promises to pay up when he returns from the Center. His mother barges into the yard to say grandmother’s
malaria is worsening. The need for money
is even greater.(ISHEY-OPENING): A school leaver who wants to pursue a career and start an adult and family life. He asks Hu for a job.
(ISHEY TURNING POINT):
Act 2:
Two female riders hitch their horses behind the Center and enter through the back gates.
They are The Do-Wells scouts covertly recruiting talents. They walk into a large gathering of men on the street ahead. An A-signboard on Kerbing advertises Loaders for Hire.
Hu meets Ishey in the big car park at the front and enters the Center.
Hu and Ishey arrive at the Coop offices, where the Manager hires men to offload flour. With a referee’s whistle around his neck, the manager wants a workforce and not paper qualifications. He has few jobs for the many on ten long vehicles sleeping two hundred yards distant. To qualify, job seekers must race to secure six positions on each vehicle.
His supervisor carries a similar whistle. It has yet to be determined when he will blow the whistle for the race to start. The shrill comes from the supervisor’s whistle.
Hu joins the race and leaps onto the vehicle.
(ISHEY – TURNING POINT 1):
He connects with another aspirant for the sixth position.
Relinquish the position? Return home empty-handed and face his sick grandmother or clash with the person standing before him for the chance.
He contends with the opponent who strikes first.
MIDPOINT: Two talent scouts capture the fight on their cameras built in the crest of each riding hat.
Hu begins his journey to become a successful Master spy in Africa.
Act 3:
Hu is pressured to win the fight and get on board the departing vehicle. The scouts are under pressure to track Hu. With the uncertainty and fears, let us see the deeper layers of the characters, weaknesses, and strengths of Hu, Loveday, and AC.
IMPOSSIBLE GOAL: Introduce/ Present the Impossible Goal
(LOVEDAY – TURNING POINT)
(ISHEY – DELIMMA)
(HU – MIDPOINT)
(ISHEY – MIDPOINT)
(LOVEDAY – TURNING POINT 2 / HU – TURNING POINT 2)
(ISHEY – TURNING POINT 2)
(LOVEDAY – DELIMMA)
(HU – DELIMMA)
(ISHEY – MAJOR CONFLICT)
TURNING POINT:
Act 4:
Essence:
Major complications for Hu. The rationing of daily trips to the loading bay. Mills run short of wheat. An effort to resolve the wheat shortage worsens the situation. Hu’s plans fail as he takes less money. AC. Loveday is making a significant change outside The Do-Wells regulation. Her life has gone in an unexpected direction. She is making mistakes. New plans lead to worse results.
(HU – MAJOR CONFLICT)
(ISHEY – MAJOR CONFLICT)
(LOVEDAY – ENDING)
TURNING POINT 1: A Production supervisor tells Hu the Mill is running short of wheat.
TURNING POINT 2:
Hu’s team makes diminishing trips to the loading bay and takes home less money.
MYSTERY 2: Introduce MYSTERY 2 – How will Hu and Ishey reach the goal with Hu’s unaddressed hernia? Where will they get funding?
END:
The Flour Mill runs out of wheat and stops production.
Act 5:
Essence:
Realize the current Government needs to secure funds to pay for wheat importation.
DILEMMA:
Hu must determine when and how the next wages will come from.
(HU/ISHEY – ENDING):
The jobs dry away, and the Coop Flour Distribution Association closes offices.
LOCK IN:
The Flour Mill runs out of wheat and stops production. The Government needs Foreign Exchange to import wheat in the next six months. The Coop Flour Distribution Association closes offices. Hu and Ishey need a job to go to at the Center. Hu must cater to the family and look for work that hardly exists. Loveday will approach him cold.
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This reply was modified 2 years ago by Moses Quainoo.
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This reply was modified 2 years ago by Moses Quainoo.
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This reply was modified 2 years ago by Moses Quainoo.
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This reply was modified 2 years ago by
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Syd’s Character Story Lines M3_L4
6. What I learned doing this assignment is how to create and insert a character’s story arc into plot structure. I’m realizing that the two characters I picked to start with are actually in separate cities.
2. Create a beginning, middle, and end of the character’s story for the pilot.
5. Outline, Draft 1 (with Charita and Rajendra)
Teaser:
Essence: Money changes hands between cloaked figures. VO has Bhadrabahu explaining commerce to Charita. Charita secretly meets with Bhadrabahu who helps her set up her business (textile trade? Dancing? Writes stories / poetry for money?). She counts money.
(C Beginning): Charita tries to leverage the queen’s favor to start a business.
(R Beginning): Rajendra lives in luxury and exile in King Shridhar’s kingdom.
(R Dilemma): If Raj lives out life in foreign courts, Raj’s reputation will be would-be usurper, assassin and rapist, or he’ll have to find a way to restore his reputation in Golden City court by reconciling with King Abzar.
Turning Point: In an effort to win points, Bhad informs Queen Vanhi of her activity, the queen summons Charita. Meanwhile, a cloaked figure whispers in Bhad’s ear and he rushes away.
Act 1:
Essence: While watching the infant crown prince, Charita pitches various business ideas to the queen. The queen rejects them. They walk through the palace fort — the queen pitches various potential suitors to Charita. Charita rejects them before she steals away and secretly meets Jagger, a soldier. General Veer tells Anala, the king’s cousin, that he plans to share a secret with the king, which pisses her off. Meanwhile, the king receives a request from his exiled cousin (and former heir), Rajendra, who has been received as a guest in another kingdom.
(C Dilemma): The queen wants to arrange an advantageous marriage. To keep the queen’s cooperation, Charita hides her secret engagement to the soldier Jagger, whom the queen does not favor.
(R TP 1): Rajendra lavishes expensive gifts on King Shridhar to curry political favor. The king accepts the gifts, offering Raj asylum, but withholds political influence, specifically his soldiers.
(R Midpoint): Rajendra carefully and skillfully breaks into the private quarters of Shridhar’s queen and steals jewelry. This is his addiction, like an eating disorder.
Turning Point: The necklace
(C TP 1): Charita finds a beautiful necklace in her room and rushes to thank Jagger. He is suddenly ordered to the king’s treasury. Intruders have slain Guards, and stolen precious jewelry.
(C Midpoint): The queen summons Charita and demands to know who gave her the necklace. (Bhad ratted her out.)
Act 2:
Essence: She discovers from Bhad that the necklace is too pricey for a soldier. She confronts Jagger — did he and his crafty friend Sugith do something illegal to get such a necklace? In a reversal, Jagger becomes jealous believing the necklace is from another man. In the neighboring kingdom, Rajendra skillfully steals jewels from that kingdom’s treasury.
Turning Point/Midpoint: Part of the Royal Guard, Jagger is summoned to a distressed commotion — guards have been slain — in the king’s private quarters!
Act 3:
Essence: General Veer doubles the guard on the royals. But, Charita, a commoner by birth, is free to move about. King Abzar confronts General Veer — how could this happen inside the palace? Veer decides to keep his secret for the time being. Queen Vanhi demands answers from Bhad, which seems odd to Anala, as Bhad is nothing more than a playboy from Lucknow court (why is the queen even friends with him?).
(R TP 2): Raj starts getting empathy in this foreign court for his circumstance — banished because of courtesan’s false accusation — until a visiting Golden City noble tells the Mughal Amir in front of King Shridhar that Rajendra’s father was executed for attempting to assassinate the king and that Raj was probably involved.
Turning Point: Charita discovers that valuable crown jewels are missing and decides not to reveal the necklace now in her possession.
Act 4:
Essence: As a female commoner (practically invisible), Charita is unencumbered by Veer’s lockdown. She questions servants and Bhad to find out the origin of the necklace and who could have left it in her room. Clues point to a seedy street in the kingdom. Anala insists that Veer have her followed.
(R Major Conflict): How does Raj, King Abzar’s former heir, regain position in Golden City court, when the king now has a son. Raj has a bad reputation and no allies.
(R Ending): One piece of Shrindhar’s missing jewelry is found on the Golden City noble (Rajendra’s enemy). The noble’s arrested. The Mughal Amir notices Rajendra’s smile.
Turning Point: From Bhad (or a black-market dealer), Charita discovers that the necklace may be a piece stolen in another kingdom. Veer’s guards seize her.
(C Major Conflict): Anala, the king’s cousin, accuses Charita of being complicit in the robbery.
(C TP 2): Charita’s necklace turns out not to be one of the stolen items from the king’s treasury — it does, however, resemble one stolen from a neighboring kingdom.
(C Ending): How did the necklace get in Charita’s room? She begins to investigate.
Act 5:
Essence: Veer questions Charita. Bhad informs the queen who summons both Veer and Charita. On there way, they hear the queen scream. They run to her in the nursery — guards and caretakers are dead.
Lock In: The infant crown prince is kidnapped!
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AG Character’s Story Lines
What I learned: (I have switched from my original story to an altogether different story.) Plotting the characters’ story lines makes the overall outline emerge more clearly.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>ACT 1
Essence: (OPENING) Police Sergeant Roger Gibson, a violent controller, comes home and assaults his family.
R Beginning: Police Sgt Roger Gibson comes home at night and assaults his family. His wife accidently nicks him with a knife.
A Beginning: Amandla Watkins sings worship song at home with her husband. She is Black, he is white, and they are co-pastors at City Chapel. When the women’s shelter board asked her to become their executive director, the couple considered it a “divine assignment,” and she accepted.
R Turning Point: Roger’s wife leaves home that night with children and dog, Ruffy. They escape to the shelter, “Sandy’s Place,” where Amandla is starting as director.
ACT 2
Essence: Amandla encounters opposition.
J Beginning: Jordan Watkins, Amandla’s brother, volunteers with children at the shelter and gives them a drumming therapy lesson. Child advocate, Ruth Isaaks, brings 9-year-old Rickie Gibson to the group. Ruth tells Jordan she is happy his sister, Amandla, agreed to serve as executive director.
A Turning Point: Amandla attends the Council Against Domestic Violence (CADV) meeting and discovers that other shelter directors are not eager to have a new shelter open and compete for turf and funds. She never imagined they would oppose the effort.
R Midpoint: Roger tells the court advocate, Santiaga, that his wife assaulted him. He needs a restraining order against her and plans to win custody of the children.
J Turning Point: Rickie tells Jordan he is worried about his dog, Ruffy, since they could not keep her at the shelter. Jordan promises to find out how Ruffy is doing.
ACT 3
Essence: Amanda encounters further opposition.
A Midpoint: Amandla interviews Tiffany, who says she had applied to be executive director. She feels angry that Amandla got the job. Tiffany believes she was not considered because she was a victim of domestic violence. She knows more about this than Amandla does. Should Amandla consider hiring her as assistant director? How well could they work together?
ACT 4
Essence: Jordan takes Ruffy to park, where Roger recognizes the dog and chases Jordan.
J Midpoint: Jordan drives to volunteer’s home where Ruffy is being cared for and offers to take the dog to the park.
J Midpoint: Jordan drives to volunteer’s home where Ruffy is being cared for and offers to take the dog to the park.
R Major Conflict: Sergeant Gibson recognizes Ruffy at the park, chases Jordan, runs to his cruiser, and calls for backup, screaming: “Black guy stole my dog!”
J Major Conflict: Gibson’s cruiser pursues Jordan, and two more cruisers join in with flashing lights and sirens. Jordan pulls his car over and holds his hands open in plain sight at the window. Gibson screams: “Where’d you get the dog, Barack? Open the door!” Jordan keeps his hands visible as he opens the door.
J Ending: Ruffy jumps out and runs away. Gibson pulls Jordan out and pushes him spread-eagle against the car to frisk.
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Wayne’s Character Story Lines
What I learned doing this assignment is how to use individual story structures to create a mature integrated story structure.
Create a beginning, middle, and end of the character’s story for the pilot.
Mike: Astronaut, plans a family, gets stranded, no hope for return, crash lands, is injured and unconscious, awakens to see an alien face closely looking at him.
Desae: Humanoid single mom, subsistence farmer, working hard, cares for 3-year-old son, Nome. She returns to farming, frustrated with her situation, looks up to God (Logard) asking for help, and sees Mike’s ship on decent. Finds Mike unconscious, brings him home to care for him.
Amixmu: A stern powerful Security Force Leader, finds the empty alien spaceship, in search of the Alien, follows the dusted over tracks toward Desae’s farm.Add the structure to each character for the Pilot.
Mike:
• Beginning: Astronaut dreaming of his return to Earth.
• Turning Point: His spaceship is struck by a meteor.
• Midpoint: He’s losing fuel and cannot return to Earth.
• Turning Point 2: Becomes stranded on planet Romal.
• Major Conflict: Is injured and knocked unconscious upon crash landing.
• Ending: Awakens looking into the face of Desae.Desae:
• Beginning: Hard working farmer & single mother of 3-year-old, Nome.
• Back Story: She’s part of a secret group that is raided by a security force, leaving her love dead.
• Turning Point: Goes back to the field, looks to God for help.
• Midpoint: Sees Mike’s ship descending overhead.
• Turning Point 2: Goes to Mike’s rescue.
• Major Conflict: Turn the alien over to authorities or save him and endanger herself harboring him from hostile authorities, (a gift from God?).
• Ending: She cleans his wound, as he stirs, she looks into his face.
• (Dilemma is optional.) She endangers herself and son by helping & harboring the alien.Amixmu:
• Beginning: Security Force Leader in search of the UFO that crash landed on his planet.
• Turning Point: Finds the craft damaged, but the single seat empty.
• Midpoint: Discovers tractor tracks despite the wind dusting them over.
• Turning Point 2: He begins to follow the tracks toward Desae’s farm.
• Major Conflict: He fears an alien invader, is ready to kill it, looses the track in a windy passage.
• Ending: Topping a hill on foot, he sees Desae’s farm and tractor outside the door.Create the first draft of your outline by adding the character story lines to the structure from Lesson 3.
Teaser: The blastoff of Mike’s 13-year mission to Earth’s nearest inhabitable planet 6.2-lightyears away. While Mike is in suspended animation halfway there, on that strange planet, a Security Force team led by Amixmu, raids a secret gathering, leaving a woman, Desae, crying over a lifeless humanoid man who’s head lays in her lap.
Act 1: Essence: Mike returns to Earth, gets married, and has children before being awakened from his dream by the ships AI onboard computer approaching the planet they are to explore. Meanwhile, Desae, the (from the teaser), is farming alone, goes home to check on her 3-year-old son.
Turning point: As she returns to her farming work, she’s tired, frustrated she look up to Logard (God), asks for help.Act 2: Essence: The fuel transfer valve of Mike’s ship is struck by a meteor causing the loss of fuel forcing a crash landing and no possible return to Earth.
Turning Point: When Desae looks up praying to Logard, she sees Mike’s ship descending overhead and heads to the crash site on her farm tractor.Midpoint: Turning Point: Desae carries Mike’s unconscious body to her tractor and brings him home.
Act 3: Essence: Amixmu, a stern Security Force leader arrives at the crash site, leads his men to load the empty craft onto a transport vehicle.
Turning Point: He personally begins to follow the dusted over tracts toward Desae’s farm.Act 4: Essence: Desae dresses a puncture wound in Mike’s side, rinsing it with a sponge very similar to her humanoid head covering. Nome stands by, overwhelmed in curiosity as she works carefully and diligently.
Turning Point: Desae tells her son, Nome, that she believes Logard (God) has sent this alien to her because he needs her, and that she needs him.Act 5: LOCK IN is when Mike opens his eyes to see Desae’s large pale magenta face looking back.
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Module 3: Lesson 4: Character Story Lines – ASSIGNMENT
Mike – Character Story Lines
What I learned by doing this is the importance of structure and having a simple framework from which the rest fits into. Again, do not get lost in the forest for the trees. Staying at the conceptual level requires a lot of effort for me.
Teaser
Essence: (Caleb opening) at the park with his mother; he’s playing a guitar. He meets a girl, Victoria who invites them to sit and eat with her. They do.
(Victoria Opening) Victoria has food set out, a picnic blanket, pretends it was set up for friends who couldn’t make it. Caleb’s mother winks at her, they are in this together.
Turning Point: Caleb plays guitar for her. She is blown away. Tells him school starts in two weeks. He lets her know he is going to the same school.
Act 1:
Essence: (Caleb opening) Victoria runs into Caleb at school, they talk; her aura attracts him. He tells her about the car wreck; it’s why he doesn’t drive. They plan to eat lunch at café.
(Victoria Opening) Finds Caleb at his locker, flirts, talks, finds out why he’s skittish. Asks him to lunch. He accepts.
Turning Point: At café eating, two cops enter. Caleb tries to leave. Victoria stops him. He shows her bruises he got from them. She won’t let him hide. Walks with Caleb right by them.
Act 2
Essence: Caleb is kidnapped by a distant relative. They argue about life, their values, etc. They get in a head-on collision. Caleb is thrown free of the wreckage. The kidnappers vanish
(Caleb Opening) Caleb has been kidnapped by a G-g-g-g-Grandfather so he can have some of Caleb’s life force. Caleb argues with him about values, asking -vs- stealing, etc.
(Caleb Turning Point 1) Caleb hears Charles’ (old black man at the side of the road as the van passes by) playing the harmonica, he joins him. Same tune.
(Victoria Turning Point 1) Victoria is summoned from the photograph in Charles’ hand. She leaves the photo as a specter, enters the van, saves Caleb from the violent collision.
(Caleb Midpoint) Caleb is lying in the dirt by the wreckage.
Turning Point/Midpoint We don’t know how badly Caleb’s injured; don’t know if he will live. What we do know is Caleb is supposed to save two realms according to Charles.
Act 3:
Essence: Caleb comes out of coma needs to save his brother, Rick. He tries to leave, runs into FBI agent assigned to him. He reads her mind, knows her, not sure how he does. She leaves when Natalie shows.
(Caleb Turning Pt 1) Caleb tries to leave, runs into Olivia, FBI agent assigned to him. They talk about the accident and the criminal driving the van. How does Caleb know him?
(Caleb Dilemma) Tell Olivia what he knows, what he does. He decides not to as Natalie, his mom walks in.
(Caleb Midpoint) He decides to leave the hospital, tells Natalie he is going with the Riders.
(Natalie Turning Pt 1) She tells Caleb, “Go ahead, run off w/ them. While your out tilting at windmills, try saving your brother.”
Turning Point: Caleb tells his mom, “I’m leaving, Riders are coming.”
Act 4:
Essence: Natalie is with her paintings while Caleb texts Rick that he’s in danger. Rick blows him off. Caleb leaves hospital with his Riders. At the car wreck, Caleb re-enacts the CRASH, no sign of where Andrew & Mashika went. Riders leave as Olivia heads their way. Caleb banters with Olivia, shows he can read minds, then teleports off, leaves her in shock –n- awe.
(Caleb’s Major Conflict) Caleb wants to enlist Olivia’s help, he lets her in on his world, then teleports off.
Turning Point: Caleb teleports off, tells Olivia she is not ready.
Act 5:
Essence: The Riders are tracked to the Saloon, they leave and escape capture.
(Caleb’s Major Conflict) Lyderia kidnaps him, takes him to the family mausoleum, shows him that Rachael is not dead; that she will need him when she’s ready to return from stasis.
Turning Point: Caleb’s love life has been upended.
Act 6:
Essence: Caleb finds Olivia asleep in a motel, leaves her a note, gives her a 2<sup>nd</sup> chance.
(Caleb Ending) Caleb leaves Olivia a bottle of perfume and a note on her nightstand.
(Victoria Ending) She uses Olivia’s laptop to scan the motel room for Caleb, leaves.
(Charles Ending) Charles meets with Natalie, tells her Rick is on board.
Lock In/Turning Point: Caleb cannot un-show Olivia what he’s revealed. Charles lets Natalie know Rick is safe, he took him to Shangra La. The coalition is set.
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