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BWTV-AI Mod 3 – Lesson 8: Building In Empathy/Distress
Post your assignment here.
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15 Replies
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Jeffrey Alan Chase’s Adding Empathy/Distress!
What I learned doing this assignment is I really enjoyed adding empathy and distress to my characters. It forced me to dig deeper into what is driving them and revealed new possibilities for conflict.
Title: THE BACKPACK
One Hour Serialized Christian Thriller
Teaser:
Crucible / plot intruding on life: Under attack, Noah mocks God, then begs Jesus to save him.
Hurt those they love / Plot intruding on life: Abel’s demon directs him to kill Noah.
Act 1:
Essence: Introduction to the World and the characters.
Crucible / Undeserved misfortune: Noah is homeless and on the run from false charges.
Must Make Decision with Future Consequences / plot intruding on life: Noah chooses to keep the backpack.
Must Make Decision with Future Consequences / plot intruding on life AND brings their wound present: Noah saves a suicidal woman and comforts her with an item pulled from the backpack.
Crucible / Undeserved misfortune: Kane has a seizure and becomes possessed by the demon who possessed his late twin brother.
Emotional Dilemma / Witnessing the pain of others: Noah walks the streets, confused the woman he saved. His PTSD kicks in as he remembers Abel’s terror-filled expression in death.
Act 2:
Essence: Conflict introduction that leads to midpoint.
Must Make Decision with Future Consequences / Plot intruding on life: FLASHBACK of Noah unguarded and walking away from custody during his war crime sentencing.
Crucible / Brings their wound present: James has seen the backpack before, gets emotional.
Forced Decision / Witnessing the pain of others: Noah pulls a bible page from the backpack, offers it to James, who when he sees it, feels even more pain as old memories wash over him.
Hurt those they love / Extreme consequences AND raise the stakes: James reveals his drug dealing was responsible for the death of his beloved wife and young son by a rival gang.
Betrayal / Extreme Consequences: Noah feels the Army betrayed him with false charges, so he had to become homeless and nameless to fight back and somehow prove his innocence.
Forced Decision / External character conflicts: Mary was forced by her father to divorce Noah.
Emotional Dilemma / Undeserved misfortune: Mary is still deeply in love with Noah.
Midpoint:
Emotional Dilemma / Plot intruding on life: Noah tries to throw the backpack away.
Emotional Dilemma / Make it more painful: Backpack ricochets off a train engine, floors him.
Act 3:
Essence: Uncertainty and deepening of character layers.
Forced Decision / Plot intruding on life: Catherine avoids hitting Noah in the middle of the road.
Must Make Decision with Future Consequences / Plot intruding on life: Catherine feels compelled to see if she can treat Noah’s diabetic ketoacidosis.
Forced Decision / Brings their wound present: As Catherine treats Noah with insulin, she recalls not attending her husband’s funeral because she felt guilty that she had been unfaithful to him.
Forced Decision / Brings their wound present: Kane wants to resist looking at Abel’s photo in his wallet but can’t, and “hears” the demon tell him he must kill Noah to be emotionally freed.
Crucible / Plot intruding on life: When Noah gives Catherine the piece of ancient clay lamp, she realizes she needs to ask for God’s forgiveness. Noah says she already has it.
Forced Decision / External character conflicts: Noah feels compelled to help Gino who is having a breakdown in his locked car.
Exposed / Plans that failed AND Major loss AND brings their wound present: Noah and Gino have a heart to heart about their personal issues. Noah reveals that he’s on the run.
Emotional Dilemma / Major loss AND make it more painful: Convinced that he might be recognized in his battered Army jacket, Noah reluctantly accepts Gino’s coat even though it makes him feel like he’s letting down Abel and his memory, and still not knowing Abel was possessed by a demon and just about to kill Noah.
Act 4:
Essence: Major complications and efforts to resolve uncertainty.
Crucible / Extreme Consequences: Noah must find a guaranteed supply of insulin.
Must Make Decision with Future Consequences / Plot intruding on life: Catherine will risk her nurse’s license to supply Noah with insulin.
Emotional Dilemma / Extreme consequences: Gino gets access to the police evidence room, ostensibly to look at drug evidence, steals several burner phones and some insulin for Noah.
Emotional Dilemma / External character conflicts AND time this to be at the worst moment: Mary is ordered by her father to move overseas to manage one of his companies, which he assumes will prevent her from getting together with Noah.
Crucible / Undeserved misfortune AND make it more physically threatening: When Kane battles the demon for control, the demon forces him to walk the perilous edge of a roof on a tall building. Kane begs for his life. The demon allows Kane to live. Kane agrees to kill Noah.
Act 5:
Essence: Characters are now locked into their journey.
Must Make Decision with Future Consequences / Witnessing the pain of others AND put a goal at significant risk: Father Zeke conceals an illegal donation that will keep his shelter open.
Crucible / External character conflicts: Kane shows up to ask Father Zeke to tell him if Noah comes around, gives Zeke a $50 dollar bill and his cell number.
Forced Decision / Extreme consequences: Desperately needing food and rest, Noah shows up just as Kane is leaving the shelter. Zeke points Kane out to Noah and…
Forced Decision / Undeserved misfortune AND make it more painful AND raise the stakes: Noah sees Kane at a distance walking away, thinks he’s seeing the ghost of Abel. Noah’s PTSD kicks in and he faints in Zeke’s arms.
Crucible / Undeserved Misfortune: Noah stays at shelter, not knowing if he’ll get betrayed.
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Sunil Pappu’s Adding Empathy/Distress!
“What I learned doing this assignment is… to create empathy for my characters by putting them in difficult situations that are relatable and time them so that it increases the distress it causes the audiences who are now able to relate to the characters.”
ADDING EMPATHY / DISTRESS:
Priya Rao (AKA Rookie)
• Emotional Dilemma: Torn between saving her father’s legacy and stopping a terror attack, she makes a controversial decision that puts her in the eye of the storm.
• Empathy through Undeserved Misfortune: Show Priya’s dedication to her ill father, emphasizing the hardship and emotional toll of balancing this with her demanding role on the team. This personal challenge could lead to the audience sympathizing with her struggles.
• Distress with Betrayal: Incorporate a scene where Priya experiences betrayal from someone she trusted within her new team. This could be a situation where her mentor or a team member she’s grown close to turns out to have manipulated her for their own gains.
• Empathy through Emotional Dilemma: Highlight Priya’s internal conflict when she’s forced to choose between her loyalty to her team and her love for her father. This is particularly poignant if her actions to save her father might jeopardize the team’s mission.
• Distress with Forced Decision: Confront Priya with a situation where she must make an impossible choice, such as sacrificing her safety or an innocent’s to obtain crucial information to stop the terror threat.
• Empathy through Crucible: Illustrate Priya’s endurance as she’s put through a series of tests, perhaps by the heist team to ensure her loyalty, or by circumstances that force her to use her cryptography skills under life-threatening pressure.
• Distress through Exposed Secrets: Create a scenario where Priya’s secret identity as Rookie and her connection to the Hawala network are exposed, placing her under suspicion and moral scrutiny by her teammates.
• Empathy with Major Loss: Show the team suffering a significant loss, like one of their own being captured or killed, particularly if it’s someone Priya has formed a bond with, accentuating her feeling of loss and vulnerability.
• Distress from Witnessing Pain: Allow Priya to witness the pain of innocent people affected by the Hawala’s financial crimes, which she’s trying to stop, deepening her resolve but also her emotional distress.
• Empathy through Transformational Journey: Document Priya’s growth from a naive rookie to a sophisticated operative, making her more relatable and rooting for her success and survival.
Arjun Nair (AKA Raven)
• Forced Decision: Arjun must choose between capturing a key member of the Hawala network or saving his team during a compromised mission.
Meera Verma (AKA Ghost)
• Exposed: Her past catches up with her when an old accomplice returns, threatening to reveal her secrets to the team.
• Crucible: She must hack into a secure network during a critical moment, with her life and the lives of innocent people hanging in the balance.
Sofia Petrovna (AKA Chameleon)
• Emotional Dilemma: Discovering that her sister is somehow involved with the Hawala, she struggles with her loyalty to the team and her family.
Mandeep Singh (AKA Shadow)
• Hurt those they love: To protect the mission, he might have to betray Sofia, whom he has grown to care for deeply.
Lina Chen (AKA Oracle)
• Extreme Consequences: A mistake in Lina’s financial analysis leads to a mission failure, causing her to doubt her expertise.
• Plot Intruding on Life: Lina’s past involvement with the Hawala makes her a target, endangering her and the team.
Raghav Patel (AKA Hyena)
• Plans that Failed: A coup within the Hawala network challenges his leadership and threatens to dismantle his empire.
Harsh Mehta (AKA The Cobra)
• Undeserved Misfortune: A former victim of Harsh’s actions confronts him, showing him the real human cost of his past.
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Barbe’s Adding Empathy/Distress!
What I learned doing this assignment is there is always room for improvement. Just answer the question: What’s the worst that can happen? Then add that.
Act 2Make it more physically threatening! Elyria is nearly killed protecting Noren’s mining facility.
Act 3
Betrayal: Dr. Darrow is secretly working for Vosskara Slyth and was tasked with killing Nika by causing the cave-in with a sonic device.
Emotional Dilemma: Dr. Darrow has been compromised. Slyth gives her an ultimatum: kill Nika or else your family will be killed.
Exposed: At first defiant, Dr. Darrow admits to working for Slyth. She is upset. She didn’t have the nerve to go through with killing Nika. She begs forgiveness.
Raise the stakes. If the rescue team makes a mistake the temple will collapse with Nika inside.
Act 4
Make it more painful. Dr. Darrow learns that her father has been injured because of her failure to follow through on her assignment. She needs to leave immediately.
Act 5
Hurt those they love: Nika is forced to confess. Theft of the artifact, at least temporarily, ruins Nika’s reputation and relationship with Dr. Asher.
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Margaret’s Adding Empathy/Distress!
What I learned: I need to up the Empathy/Distress for other characters.
Act 1:
Plans that failed (Jack): Jack proposes to his girlfriend, only to face rejection due to his lack of ambition and his father’s tainted legacy/deception.
External Character Conflict (Jack): After the TV session, Jack tells his father of his vision, and says he can’t be a fraud, he can no longer continue. His father tells him he has no choice. He either continues or he will call the authorities himself and say he just found out about his son’s deceit. After all, Jack was the one who always asked for the money and it was put in an account with only his name first before being distributed.
Plot intruding on life (Jack): In his apartment, Jack is emotionally shattered and contemplates suicide as his father’s deceit and lack of love for him haunts him. He considers the Masada event may not have been such a bad choice and downs a bottle of pills. As he lays down, the streetlight shining through the window forms a circle of light on his chest, that moves over his heart.
Act 2:
External Character Conflict (Jack): Jack calls his girlfriend, begs her to reconsider, that he was innocent in the whole scheme. She asks him if he will still work with his father. When he delays answering, she says he could stand up and be a leader, help his dad out of this but knows he doesn’t have it in him, she is deleting him from her life. She states she won’t be tied to anyone who can’t think for themselves, make their own decisions. Jack hangs up, further depressed.
Undeserved misfortune (Jack): Amidst the chaos of a sudden earthquake, Jack stumbles into a mysterious portal opened by an orb of light, hurtling him into an unfamiliar parallel world.
Witnessing the pain of others (Jack): Jack flees, scared of the snakes. The snakes continue to chase him. A snake bites him on his heel.
Act 3:
Brings their wound present (Jack): Alo pressures Jack into becoming a prophet figure for the people but Jack refuses to get involved.
Plans that failed (Jack): Jack searches for the portal, and unable to find a way back to Earth, he realizes he is stuck on this planet and reluctantly turns back Alo when he has the vision again of Roman’s attacking.
Major loss (Arkuji): Arkuji was rejected by a Donek woman he was in love with, Imara was instrumental in destroying that relationship.
Act 4:
External Character Conflicts (Imara): Not having facts about a specific day, Imara refuses to submit, argues with Alo and storms off, unaware her life is in danger.
Witnessing the pain of others (Imara): Taron attacks the Donek, even as he sees the distress it causes Imara when she sees his actions.
Plot intruding on life (Imara): Imara’s indecision paralyzes her from going back home or leaving for the Donek tribe.
Plot intruding on life (Jack): Jack risks his life to rescue Imara.
ACT 5:
Brings their wounds present: When Jack kisses Imara, she backs off and Jack faces rejection again. He assumes it is because of Taron and she reveals he is her brother, but she does not reveal she is married to Armann.
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Denice Adds Empathy/Distress
What I learned doing this assignment is these techniques can help with the intricacies of the story and character interac<on. AI was okay at summarizing, but not at giving me anything new.Teaser:
Maya enters her private limo next to the driver from her expensive house. She pays her driver extra money to keep the des<na<on secret from her father. Early morning weather is foggy and dreamlike. Whispers, laughs, and screams unseHle Maya, but only she hears them.The limo takes her to a seedy part of town and she goes inside a building.
She’s taking a dance-figh<ng class (Capoiera). She spars with her worst rival, a guy, she’s determined to beat this <me.
(Worst possible moment) At the same <me, a surreal world superimposes itself that only she can see. She’s figh<ng next to another teen with humans, and animals against monsters. (Witnessing pain of others, external character conflicts, plot intruding on life) Some die and vanish which causes her pain, confusion, and stress.She loses the fight in class.
(Physically threatening) She screams when a monster claws her wrist. A brilliant flash of white light obscures everything.Act 1:
(Her secret is exposed) Dad finds her outside the fight studio. Their love and commitment is evident, but he’s smothering her with protec<on which makes her rebellious. He tells her she needs to quit the lessons because she could get hurt.(Decision with Future Consequences) She doesn’t tell him about the vision or her wrist which is throbbing faint light and healing fast.
(Plot intruding on life) Sophia, grandmother, comes to stay because of a prophe<c dream of danger. She’s prac<cally a stranger to Maya. Sophia reminds her of when she took care of her when she was younger. Sophia gave Maya her favorite toy.
(Brings wound present) Sophia acts motherly, which infuriates Maya, who has never had a mother and pretends she hasn’t ever needed one.(Hurts Dad) Maya blames her father. Rushes upstairs to get ready for school.
(Decision with future consequences) Dad gives Sophia a leHer to give to Maya in case something happens to him.
(Emo<onal dilemma) They argue about his trying one more <me to help his wife, Lysandra, remember her iden<ty.(Brings Wound Present) Sophia is upset because his dad, her husband, was killed in the same business/area.
Maya steals a lot of money from Dad’s desk, which is now locked. She’s shocked when her fingers light up to open the lock.
(Betrayal) Dad breaks promise to take Maya with him on his business trip.
(Major loss) Maya says he’ll regret it. She storms off to school, slamming the door which lights up. Dad sees the lighted door, but Sophia doesn’t.
(Decision with Future Consequences) He has to go to stabilize the world and protect her from anyone finding out he has a daughter.Act 2:
Maya pays the limo driver to wait for her when he drops her off at school. She is well-known, but stand-offish in school.
(External character conflicts) She beelines for a boy who wants to be her boyfriend. She pays him to help her get his motor bike inside the school.(External character conflicts) Blake and Sophia argue about the dangers of his job, unpredictable weather, wild animals, emo<ons hint at connec<on to dream world.
(Plot intruding on life) Maya rides the bike through the school, up/down stairs, causing havoc. It is also chaos for her as voices, images, and sounds of the dream realm mirror her ride and make it difficult and dangerous.
(Create more loss) She gets thrown out of school, but didn’t intend for it to be forever. Gets in limo to go home.
Blake cra\s an amulet of fire with his hands, puts it on a chain.
(Major loss, present wound) Grandma has a conversa<on with the shadowy figure of her dead husband about the danger to the family and how she can’t protect them.
(Plot intruding on life) Maya returns home, runs to her father’s office to go with him. (Extreme consequences) He’s surrounded by a ring of fire that leads into a surreal world. Dad throws her the amulet.
(Plans that failed, major loss) A monster grabs him and they disappear into that world. Maya, horrified, hides the amulet. Sophia arrives.(External character conflicts) Sophia gives Maya her dad’s papers that give her authority over Maya and his estate.
(Undeserved misfortune) Grandma gives Maya 15 minutes to pack.
(Raise the stakes) Sophia doesn’t know when or if Dad is coming back.(Create more loss) Maya demands answers. Sophia tells her the only way she can find him is in her dreams.
(Undeserved misfortune) Dad is ridden by the monster through the dream world. (External character conflicts) The monster takes him to a beau<ful woman who is crea<ng nightmares, Lysandra.
(External character conflicts) Maya rebels at leaving her home, but packs, including her stuffed animal. Grandma ruffles through her duffel bag, smashes her cell phone, takes the amulet. Demands obedience.
(Extreme consequences) Sophia tells Maya her life is in danger if they don’t hide.(Create more stress. Worst moment) Sophia blows up the house.
(Brings wound present) Maya has no mother and her father is gone.
(Create more loss) Maya’s old life is gone. Maybe short flashbacks to growing up.Act 3
Sophia drives for hours.
(Plans that fail) At a gas stop, Maya runs away.
(Plot intruding on life) Visions and sounds slow her down. She tries to hitch a ride. It’s Sophia. They finally arrive at Sophia’s home.(External character conflicts) Blake is The Dreamweaver, in charge of balancing the dream world with reality. He won’t answer Lysandra’s ques<ons.
(Brings his wound present) He can’t risk telling her she’s his wife and Maya’s mother with her memory loss.
(Make it more painful) Lysandra imprisons him, but it takes her three tries to make a prison of water that will hold his fire element.
(Extreme consequences) Sophia locks Maya in her new bedroom to protect her. Tells her to stay out of the basement because it’s unsafe.
(Plans that failed, emo<onal dilemma) She’s torn between telling Maya the truth or protec<ng her from it and talks to her husband. (Brings wound present)(Plot intruding on life, witnessing the pain of others) Maya sleeps fibully and has a nightmare of her father and his prison. (Make it more painful) She sees him being tortured.
Act 4
Maya awakes in a strange bed, remembers her nightmare. Paces like a caged animal. Vows to herself that she will find and save her father.
(Witnesses pain of others) She sneaks downstairs to hear Sophia crying.
(Plot intruding on life) She buries her emo<ons when gree<ng Sophia which causes small incidents of flashing lights, dream-like distor<ons in her reality that Sophia doesn’t see.(Extreme consequences) Sophia lays down the rules to Maya – public school, new name, low profile. Maya pretends to agree. Sophia takes her to school.
(Undeserved misfortune) Maya is the new girl and therefore no<ced by the jocks and the ruling girl clique. She walks away to taun<ng.
(External character conflicts) How can Blake protect his daughter, the dream realm, Lysandra, and reality while being imprisoned? He offers a bribe to the guard.
(Brings wound present) Lysandra tries charm and manipula<on on Blake. He kisses her because he can’t resist, but breaks it off even though he loves her.
(External character conflicts) Blake refuses to tell Lysandra where his powers come from. (Extreme consequences) Lysandra’s temper gets the best of her and she retaliates.(Undeserved misfortune) Maya is accosted by the clique of girls. She tries to ignore them, but when they talk about her father, she finally talks back, making enemies.
(Undeserved misfortune) A guy bully accosts her. He’s big and strong.(More physically threatening, forced decision) The emo<onal buildup from everything that has happened to her causes her to aHack the bully. It triggers the sight of the teen she fought with in the dream world in the teaser.
Act 5
(External character conflicts) Bully grabs her wrist to pull her in for a kiss. It shocks him and he gets angry. Maya fights with the bully to the cheers of the spectators.(Plot intruding on life) Slow-mo<on highlights her birthmark glowing, her eyes flashing light, <ny electric shocks that only she sees, but the bully feels. Dream world visions begin to bleed into reality, disorien<ng her.
(External character conflict) The bully is about to punch Maya out when school authori<es stop the fight.
(Extreme consequences) They both get suspended from school.(Raise the stakes) Bully follows Maya home.
Sophia isn’t home when Maya gets there. Maya beelines for the basement and discovers evidence about the dream world, her grandfather, and her father.
(Brings their wound present) Lysandra creates a nightmare that shows Blake’s greatest wound, witnessing his father’s death. She enjoys his suffering.
(Witnessing pain of others) Maya tunes into her father’s nightmare.
(Make it more painful) Maya and her father connect and communicate.
(Create more loss) When Blake sees Maya, he cuts off communica<on and disappears so Lysandra doesn’t see her.(External character conflicts) Sophia returns home and finds Maya in the basement. Sophia is mad to find out Maya is suspended from school. Maya demands to know about her father. Sophia relents and tells her that they have to wait un<l he returns. Maya insists on finding him. (Major loss) Sophia tells her about the Dreamweaving line, and that it is inherited from father to son. Maya can only communicate with him in her dreams which is much safer.
Maya refuses Sophia’s answer. Frantically searches through papers for another way. Sophia grabs her.
(Exposed) Maya wrist lights up, revealing a birthmark of the swan constella<on. It opens a glowing portal into the dream world.(Need at significant risk) Maya rushes toward it.
(Plans that failed) Shocked, Sophia tries to stop her. Maya throws boxes in her way.
(Make it more physically threatening) Maya s<cks her arm through the portal. She’s grabbed, disappearing into an electrical storm. -
Bob Builds Empathy and Distress
1. Existing empathy and distress:
Undeserved misfortune: Leisa’s court martial; Nathan’s disappearance.
External character conflicts: Sky Queen and Sergio disagree about forming the team; Sergio’s fiancée interferes.
Plot intruding on life: Difficulty conducting rogue missions because of Marine duties.
Plans that failed: Plan to conduct a mission fails because of Carl’s change of her orders.
Witnessing the pain of others: Team encounters kidnap victims.
Extreme consequences: Risk of death or capture without backup when conducting rogue missions.
Major loss: Frequent setbacks/compromises to completing mission
Brings their wound present: Leisa’s grief for losing Nathan fuels her actions.
2. Add to scenes’ empathy/distress:
5-act structure =
Teaser: Classified Document Leak
Scene: Leisa faces accusations in a tribunal; security malfunctions and whispers hint at a conspiracy.
Intrigue 1: Advanced security measures malfunction.
Intrigue 2: Tribunal members whisper about classified documents.
Intrigue 3: Leisa receives a premonitionary note.
Twist: Classified documents leak, hinting at Nathan’s disappearance region.
Improve: Add visual cues of unease and strange technology behavior.
Act 1: Formation of the Rogue Team and Hidden Allies
Scene: Leisa learns of Nathan’s kidnapping; Carl shows complex support.
Intrigue 1: Nathan’s journal introduces a mysterious threat.
Intrigue 2: A suspicious agent warns about a unique symbol.
Intrigue 3: Sky Queen senses something off, suggesting a team formation.
Event: Sky Queen proposes a rogue team; Sergio fears fallout from their affair.
Twist: An anonymous message provides a cryptic clue.
Improve: Link journal symbol and message to Nathan’s disappearance visually.
Integration: Team witnesses a disaster’s aftermath, emphasizing mission stakes (Witnessing the Pain of Others).
Act 2: The Mission’s Early Challenges
Scene: Team grapples with internal conflicts and logistical hurdles.
Intrigue 1: Ammo swapped during target practice.
Intrigue 2: Mysterious drone surveillance detected.
Intrigue 3: Tracking devices found in gear.
Event: Setbacks test the team’s resolve, including unusual technology.
Twist: Monitored by an unknown entity.
Improve: Team traces drone origin, adding mystery and tension.
Integration: A failed operation using alien tech leads to frantic mitigation efforts (Plans that Failed).
Act 3: Carl’s Duality and Unforeseen Consequences
Event: Covert operations reveal team dynamics and Carl’s cryptic support.
Intrigue 1: Carl suspects they’re being followed.
Intrigue 2: Carl offers deceptive support, canceling Leisa’s leave.
Intrigue 3: Carl receives a message hinting at higher power involvement.
Twist: Carl’s misinformation leads to a compromised operation.
Improve: Highlight Carl’s duplicity and complex military involvement.
Integration: A team member betrays, leaking information (Betrayal).
Act 4: Daring Raid and Unforeseen Revelations
Scene: Raid on a facility believed to hold Nathan uncovers a broader conspiracy.
Intrigue 1: Victims show strange behavior and can’t describe experiences.
Intrigue 2: Victims don’t recognize Nathan.
Intrigue 3: A booby trap injures Connie, suggesting alien tech.
Event: Clues hint at a dangerous conspiracy; team’s bond solidifies.
Twist: New threats emerge; raid’s mystery deepens.
Improve: Incorporate alien elements in the raid’s location.
Integration: Team suffers a major loss, underscoring mission’s danger (Major Loss).
Act 5: New Alliances and Future Battles
Scene: Team regroups, planning next steps with new alliances in mind.
Intrigue 1: Connie’s wounds heal rapidly, hinting at alien tech.
Intrigue 2: A distant earthquake-like rumble causes fear.
Event: Discovery of significant clues and Connie’s healing.
Cliffhanger: Mysterious message foreshadows future challenges.
Integration: Journalist threatens to expose operations, challenging their secrecy (Exposed).
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Renee’s Adding Empathy/Distress
What I learned doing this assignment is how to think about my characters and how even though none of them are necessarily likeable because they all cross moral and ethical boundaries, there are plenty of ways to make them more empathetic to the audience.
Teaser:
Undeserved Misfortune: Veronica is kidnapped by the cult.
Act 1:
Undeserved Misfortune/Major Loss: Veronica’s mother is murdered by the cult.
Plot Intruding on Life: The symbols Veronica discovers that link her personal loss to her professional investigation cause distress.
Act 2:
Plans that failed/Major Loss: Dr. Isabella Stone’s academic ridicule and her ambitious plans that aren’t always successful.
Forced Decision: Veronica must revisit her mother’s murder which brings her into the world of the cult.
Act 3:
Extreme Consequences: Veronica’s investigation leads to the revelation of ancient horrors with unknown impacts on her and the rest of the world.
Hurt Those They Love: Veronica’s relentless pursuit inadvertently puts Emily and others close to her in danger.
Act 4:
Witnessing the Pain of Others: Father Malachi’s troubled past and his desire for redemption as he tries to help the lost followers who have been abused by the cult for years.
Betrayal: Father Malachi’s deeper connection to the cult.
Act 5:
Exposed: Father Malachi being more familiar with the cult than he has let on
External Character Conflicts: Samuel’s role as the cult leader who poses as a lost follower gaining Veronica’s trust.
Brings Their Wound Present: Veronica discovers that her mother was an integral part of the cult before her murder.
Crucible: Samuel’s appearance at Father Malachi’s bloodied and broken.
Emotional Dilemma: Both Veronica and Dr. Stone must choose between their ambitions and ethical boundaries of the investigation.
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Jerry Robbins Adding Empathy / Distress
What I learned doing this assignment is to create empathy, I need to put my characters in difficult, unfair, or undeserved distress, which may not make them likable but will give the audience a reason to feel empathy for them.
Teaser:
Empathy/Distress Opportunities:
Undeserved Misfortune: Open with a scene showing a peaceful interaction, only to have it disrupted by an attack, leading to undeserved misfortune for an innocent person.
External Character Conflicts: Introduce characters facing external conflicts due to the rising tensions, setting the stage for the broader conflict.
Act 1:
Empathy/Distress Opportunities:
Plot Intruding on Life: Show how the rebellion’s actions directly impact the daily lives of both humans and robobs, disrupting their routines and creating distress.
Witnessing the Pain of Others: Feature scenes where characters witness the pain and suffering caused by the rebellion, evoking empathy from the audience (family of the person killed).
Act 2:
Empathy/Distress Opportunities:
Major Loss: Unveil a major loss suffered by a central character, deepening the emotional connection with the audience.
Brings Their Wound Present: Explore how the events of the rebellion bring past wounds to the forefront, affecting characters on a personal level.
Act 3:
Empathy/Distress Opportunities:
Crucible: Place characters in a crucible situation, forcing them to confront the harsh realities of the rebellion and making difficult choices that evoke empathy.
Betrayal: Introduce an element of betrayal that adds emotional complexity to the characters’ relationships.
Act 4:
Empathy/Distress Opportunities:
Forced Decision: Characters face forced decisions that put them in morally challenging situations, causing distress and resonating with the audience.
Hurt Those They Love: Explore instances where characters, in trying to protect their loved ones, inadvertently cause them harm, creating emotional dilemmas.
Act 5:
Empathy/Distress Opportunities:
Emotional Dilemma: Conclude with characters grappling with emotional dilemmas, torn between personal convictions and the larger conflict.
Exposed: The true nature of certain characters is exposed, adding complexity to their motivations and generating empathy from the audience.
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BWTV Module 3—Lesson 8. Empathy/Distress
Lenore Bechtel’s Stacked Intrigues
What I learned from this assignment is the need for putting characters in distress with which viewers will empathize.
Pilot Episode for HYPNOTIZED BY HOPE: Invisible Angst
Teaser: Montage of Joshua on stage at the intimate Reincarnation, Tulsa Tower’s nightclub. In the audiece, Lilly’s stern face and Quinten’s evil, smiling one contrast with the highly appreciate audience, especially when Joshua puts beautiful, sexy Sally Singleton under his arm and walks gloatingly around while her feet and hair both barely clear the stage floor. Intrigue: why aren’t Lilly and Quinten enthralled by the show like everyone else?
Turning point: Show finished, sneaky Quinten smirks and takes notes as Lilly tells Joshua these shows diminish his essence and the reputation she’s been trying to help him build. Skeptical empathy with Lilly’s clear anquish at the performance. Sorry she feels betrayed, but is she right or wrong? Intrigue: Why is Quinten taking notes? Joshua protests that shows are fun and bring in lots of clients. Layer and coverup: Joshua appears to be a superficial person more interested having fun than helping clients. At the very end of the pilot, we’ll find out how truly devoted he is to helping those in need.
Hook: Then Joshua shoots his bullet: He’s hired Sally to help Lilly in the office. Lilly’s aghast face says, “Not again!” Empathy with Lilly who now has another employee she didn’t choose, but will have to keep busy. Hidden agenda: Sally is not the inept ditzy blonde she’s pretending to be. We won’t find out until the last episode of the season who she really is.
Act I: Invisible Angst
Essence: Lilly knows Quinten Quebeck is coming to uncover a scandal and fears his story will hurt her chances of finding a publisher for the book she’s ghosting for Joshua. She’s skeptical about the treatment Joshua prescribes for Timothy, Dr. Dan’s schizophrenic who thinks he’s invisible. Wound: Timothy has many, the biggest being he scared to be around other people. Another being a distrust of banks because of an account he forgot about once being dropped from $500 to zero because of maintenance fees. Empathy for Timothy who has obviously been treated poorly.
Actions: Dr. Dan briefs Joshua about Timothy. Intrigue: He doesn’t refer patients before their insurance runs out, so why has he? Tyrell gets free appointment and won’t tell Vicki or Lilly why. Intrigue: What secret do he and Joshua share? Sally ruins Joshua’s masters, and Joshua says she’s done him a favor. Intiruge: Is Joshua in a relationship with Sally? Lilly protests when Joshua asks her to set up a fake bank robber. Empathy for Lilly who always seems to give in to Joshua’s whims. Anyone who’s done the same to keep a job will empathuze. Intrigue: Will she do something she thinks is wrong, and if she does, why did she? Secret identity: Tyrell is Joshua’s former cell mate. His relationship to Joshua will not be revealed until later seasons, but he’ll be revealed as a safecracker in the last scene of the pilot.
Turning point: Lilly forces herself to set up a fake bank robbery for Timothy’s treatment.
Joshua hypnotizes Timothy to believe that both he and Dr. Dan can also be invisible so Timothy can get caught robbing the downstairs bank.
Cliffhanger: Timothy runs away, saying Joshua is crazy.
Act 2: Crime and Visibility
Essence: Lilly’s transgender ex’s visit doesn’t distract her from protecting Joshua and the office’s reputation. Wound: Lilly was devastated both by the marriage and divorce, the details of which she keeps very secret. Intrigue: Why did she marry him and why did he divorce her? Empathy for Lilly who has difficult thing to cope with on and off the job.
Actions: Joshua decides Sally will teach exercise. Intrigue: Did Sally and Joshua have a date last night? Kathy, Lilly’s transgender ex husband, talks with Lilly behind closed doors. Timothy comes back, and the farciical bank robbery scheme succeeds while Lilly keeps Quinten at bay by showing him one of Joshua’s past TV shows. Bernadine engulfs Timothy, and does what Joshua suggests—takes Timothy to lunch. Intrigue: Will Bernadine seduce Timothy? Fake-fat Maudie is exposed. Empathy for her for needing to see Joshua so badly she padded her body to look fat. Ongoing conspiracy: Bernadine wants Joshua to hypnotize her for past life regressions, but he refuses. She thinks her soul group will move on without her if she doesn’t find and pay off her karmic debt from previous incarnations in this present life. Empathy for Bernadine’s need to have guidance from past lives to know how to live this life right.
Turning point: As the three invisibles escape from the bank to the office, Dr. Dan bumps into Maudie, exposing Maudie’s fat disguise. Hidden relationship history: At a C of C show, Joshua hypnotized Maudie to want to help him on stage, and she liked the suggetion too much to give it up.
Cliffhanger: Quinten sees Maudie’s fat disguise fall out when Dr. Dan bumps into her. Vicki reveals that Maudie was the subject on the just-filmed TV show, and Quinten smirks as Lilly explains they plan to re-shoot the show. More empathy for Lilly whom Quinten seems to be outsmarting.
Act 3: TV Tomfoolery
Essence: Lilly spars with Quinten, and Joshua hires Shay to duplicate CDs and will keep his true identity secret. Deception: Shay is the son Lilly gave up for adoption, but no one except Joshua will know his identity until late in season one. Empathy for Shay for needing to know his heritage. Intrigue: Is his father the ex who is now Kathy? Intrigue: Why does Shay suddenly want to get to know his birth mother?
Actions: Quinten snoops around. Joshua fixes Maudie and lures Timothy into taking her out. Empathy for Timothy whose scared stiff to be going out with a woman. Lilly hates having another new hire, but likes Shay instantly. Unable to talk Joshua out off his treatment for Tyrell, Lilly finds safe that can’t be opened. More empathy for Lilly as she sets up a treatment which she disapproves of. Reveal: Joshua tells Lilly that Tyrell came for hypnosis to get his safecracking skills back, so he wants to confirm in reality that the skills are lost. Dr. Dan chides Joshua for Timothy’s dates with both Bernadine and Maudie. Vicki flirts with Shay, and he’s flattered. Skeptical empathy for Vicki who seems to need a date so badly she flirts with any single man. Wound: Vicki’s steady high school boyfriend dumped her when he left for college. This will be revealed in later episodes.
Turning point: Sally offers to show Quinten Maudie’s show, amusing Joshua, infuriating Lilly.
Cliffhanger: After seeing the show Quinten announces he’s well on his way to putting Joshua out of business. While Vicki, Sally, and Shay wail about how much they need their jobs, and Lilly looks near collapse, Joshua laughs at the preposterous idea.
Act 4: Exercise Aggravation
Essence: Quinten outsmarts Lilly and discovers items she’d rather keep hidden.
Actions: Lilly puts safe in Dr. Dan’s office. Sally’s exercise class is such a hit that Joshua decides it’ll be part of his TV show. Intrigue: Could Joshua possibly be having a relationship with a low IQer? Timothy has crisis that demands another bank prank, which Lilly arranges, and Dr. Dan participates in. Empathy for Dr. Dan who hates partiipating in Joshua’s cures, but likes helping his patient more. Tyrell and Joshua fail to open safe. Quinten eavesdrops as Lilly and Kathy have lunch at the cafeteria.
Turning point: As the three invisible buddies return from getting caught again as they returned money, Berrnadine is having a breakthrough and recognizes Timothy from a previous life—all with Quinten listening. Empathy for Bernadine who Timothy rescued from a painful life in her breakthrough to a past life and will maybe help her in the incarnation.
Cliffhanger: Quinten confronts Lilly about her relationship with Kathy and rejoicingly tells he’s close to having his story. Reveal: Lilly lets Quinten know that Kathy was a man when the two were married. Joshua, Shay, and Vicki hear her confession—Shay with horror and Joshua with delight—maybe pretended, maybe real.
Act 5: Public confession
Essence: Quinten takes another giant step toward finding the scandal he needs.
Actions: Dr. Dan scolds Joshua for Timothy’s treatment—two dates too much too soon. Intrigue: Will the CDs do what they’re supposed to do—Overcome Shyness and Enjoy Sexual Pleasure? Bernadine’s new show is attended by Vicki and Shay with Dr. Dan and Joshua at the front table. Quinten and Sally sit behind them. Lilly and Kathy sit separately at a dark, corner booth. Upstairs in Dr. Dan’s office, Police arrest Tyrell trying to crack safe.
Turning point: Near the end of Bernadine’s show, police drag in Tyrell, who blames Joshua for his crime.
Cliffhanger: Bernadine’s breakthrough gets Tyrell’s confession on stage, where Joshua joins him and admits Tyrell is telling the truth. Empathy for Joshua who apparently orchestrated an illegal scheme. Lilly weeps and collapses into Kathy’s arms as Quinten gleefully films it all.
The teaser for Episode 2 will have Tyrell playing piano on stage, with Bernadine singing and playing her frame drum. Joshua had not only set Tyrell up for a second safecracking failure, he’d set him the police to catch him, make him confess Joshua’s involvement, and bring him to the Karmic Club where he could have his musical talent appreciated.
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I’ve learned that the more angles I look at my project, the more ideas I get. I started out with a screenplay but I only used it as kind of clay as a starting point for my pilot and I think it’s evolved.
1: Crucible
Ryan, facing the relentless pursuit of Hermes, is put in a fight or flight scenario. If he runs, his friends at Hermes will figure out they warned him and be punished, even killed. If he stays, he puts himself at risk and possibly even other students, even Indigo.
2: Betrayal
Right now, an innocent bystander takes a picture of Ryan and sends it to the Internet where Hermes’ supercomputers capture the image and find him. What if, one of the kids who promised to keep mum, actually turns him in in exchange for some reward? Perhaps a bully is disgusted by his new ability to understand and feel the pain of others. This self-loathing could morph into anger directed at Ryan as the source of their unwanted change.
3: Forced Decision
Show more of the captive kids’ suffering under Hermes’ control? Hermes forces them to find Ryan. They’re tortured. This could motivate Ryan’s actions and increase the audience’s empathy.
4: Hurt Those They Love
Hermes threatens to harm those closest to Ryan unless he complies with their demands. This external threat forces him to navigate a fine line between protecting his loved ones and resisting Hermes.
Major loss: Ryan’s brother is killed trying to save Ryan.
Plans that failed: Ryan’s plans to stay under the radar keep failing. This could raise the tension and show his struggle against powerful forces.
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Gayla Betts Adding Empathy/Distress!
What I learned doing this assignment is GO BIG and up the ante!
Teaser:
Essence: As Jess Harper celebrates her birthday, an attempt is made on her father’s life, but not before he reveals her magical abilities that are starting to emerge, and references her mother’s mysterious past – connected to the Starlight Café.
Turning Point: Jess discovers the existence of a mystical portal within the cafe, touches it, and as she does so, there is a flash and a glimpse into a celestial world.1st Act:
Essence:
As Jess’ powers begin to emerge, the attack on her father amplifies them – she had already started to see magical threads around certain people, and now suspects she can stop time, and may possess the ability to heal. With her father incapacitated, she must look elsewhere for answers and find the Starlight Café.[plot intruding on life, betrayal from her parents, undeserved misfortune]
Turning Point: Jess discovers the existence of the Sidereal World and her unexpected lineage, thrusting her into a realm of intrigue and danger.
2nd Act:
Essence: Jess suspects her father has political enemies who have been masquerading as friends. Caroline establishes herself as one of those enemies. Jess’ secret service agent reports to someone who is keeping tabs on Jess.
[betrayal, exposed, plans that failed, witnessing the pain of others]
Turning Point/Midpoint: Jess learns her mother is from the Sidereal world and may still be alive. She learns her powers are unreliable when she tries use them to save a friend.
3rd Act:
Essence: With her father still in a coma, Jess has no choice but to trust Lilah and Gabriel to learn about the Sidereals, her mother, and her powers.
[extreme consequences, emotional dilemma, make it more physically threatening]
Turning Point: Jess learns her grandfather, Ophiuchus, wants her powers – or her death.
4th Act:
Essence: Lilah is torn between her duty as the guardian of the portal and her sympathy for humans. Gabriel sets his agenda into motion, offering to mentor Jess as she navigates her new powers.
[external character conflicts, future consequences]
Turning Point: Jess learns the penalty for Lilah’s secret marriage to a human, and makes a deal with Gabriel.
5th Act:
Essence: Jess confirms her fears about Caroline, and makes a deal with her. She gains Lilah’s trust.[forced decision, betrayal, hurt those they love, raise the stakes, make decision with future & extreme consequences, emotional dilemma]
Lock in/Cliffhanger: Jess betrays everyone, and steps into the portal before she can be stopped.
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Joan Macbeth’s Adding Empathy/Distress!
What I learned doing this assignment is…Previously, I’d gone off ChatGPT for awhile, due to really generic, cliché answers and a few messages about potential non-compliance – working on a crime drama can be a little tricky with them. However, I thought I’d give them another shot with Lesson 8’s prompt and I received quite a few good suggestions.
My situation is this – in a previous Bingeworthy class, I wrote a pilot that got good responses, however one producer in particular said that the writing was good and it was a solid episode, but not quite exciting enough to be the pilot. I didn’t see any funding or contract coming from this producer, so I moved on to another project, and another. But suddenly, during Module 2, it came upon me that I could take some events from that show’s later episodes in the pitch bible, which were more exciting and also use the final episode’s cliffhanger for the pilot cliffhanger instead. I guess that was a breakthrough, but it didn’t really feel like it at the time, because I was into some other story entirely. But, oh well. I’m excited to be working on “Parlor Games” again.
Here are a few Empathy/Distress big picture items I can work into the pilot:
A. <b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Crucible: Trapped in a situation of severe test where great change takes place.
B. Betrayal: The violation of a trust, relationship, or contract that results in physical or psychological damage.
F. Exposed: Something hidden about the character is uncovered, either good or bad. How does the character respond?
G. Must Make Decision with Future Consequences. (Cliffhanger ending.)
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Phyllis Adds Empathy/Distress!
I learned from this assignment that I had the makings of a lot of empathy/distress in my outline but I needed to make them more powerful. AI gave some good suggestions.
Act 1
Goal at Significant Risk: Older Peter needs Older Diana’s patent to complete his life’s work. Older Mark’s Senate run is rejected by his Party because he’s too old.
Undeserved Misfortune: Older Diana was forced to retire from her life’s work 10 years ago. Older Peter is dying of cancer. Older Suzanne is humiliated when her son removes her from her work duties.
Forced to Make a Decision: Older Peter manipulates test results because he’s dying of cancer and the Board is standing in the way of performing his procedure.
Plan Failed: The Board pulls the plug on the experiment and Older Peter’s life is at stake.
Must Make Decisions with Future Consequences: Older Peter defies the Board, holds a press conference that forces their hand: the experiment is back on.
Act 2
Emotional Dilemma: Older Mark is caught between hurting his wife and starting a new life. Older Mark is caught between hurting his beloved daughter and pursuing his goal.
Hurt Those They Love: Older Suzanne’s conflict with her son reveals she hurt him deeply growing up. Older Peter hurt his estranged daughter by abandoning her when she was young.
Crucible: the four test subjects undergo the consciousness transfer procedure… and its successful.
Act 3
Witness the pain of others: All four affected by a protest against rich, elderly people buying their youth.
Emotional Dilemma: Peter is caught between achieving his goal and losing any chance to reconcile with his daughter. Mark is caught between breaking with Peter over government oversight of the procedure technology or having Peter retaliate by undermining his candidacy (goal). Suzanne is caught between saving the company she built or hurting her son.
Undeserved misfortune: Mark is now attracted to men, which he didn’t choose (it’s his host body), and it could affect his political goals. Suzanne is stalking and manipulating her targeted lover, but it’s not her behavior (it’s her host body). Suzanne had a terrible marriage with her overshadowed, drug addicted husband.
External Character Conflict: the fight between Mark and Peter over government oversight of the procedure technology.
Plan Failed: Diana suspects the procedure isn’t successful–it has side-effects.
Act 4
Goal at Significant Risk: Suzanne is starting over with a new lover who may be a drug addict like her late husband.
Witnessing the Pain of Others: Diana witnesses the pain of regret in her host’s husband. Mark witnesses the pain of loss in his host’s husband. Suzanne witnesses the pain of guilt in her host’s parents.
Crucible: The wife of Peter’s host believes Peter is still her abusive husband, and tries to kill him, and Peter saves himself with skills that aren’t his (they’re his host’s).
Brings the Wound Present: Diana competes with head scientist instead of befriending her because, growing up, her mother was jealous of her opportunities and competitive with her.
Emotional Dilemma. Diana is caught between doing what she thinks is right for the project and following Peter’s lead and keep silent about the side-effects. Peter is caught between following Diana and announcing the side effects and his company going bankrupt, proving his father’s belief that he’s inadequate.
Plot Intruding on Life: Peter can’t raise more funds from Suzanne’s company since she’s not in charge anymore.
Need at Significant Risk: To keep her quiet about the side-effects, Peter threatens Diana with revealing a secret that will ruin her scientific reputation.
More Physically Threatening: Peter also threatens Diana physically, but doesn’t follow through with hitting her.
Goal at Significant Risk: Peter will lose his company if he lets Diana inform the public about the side-effects.
Act 5
Must Make Decision with Future Consequences: Mark’s campaign manager has feelings for him and Mark succumbs to his advances. Mark is risking his goal by sleeping with a staffer. Suzanne risks her goal of starting over in her personal life if she’s wrong about her lover.
Emotional Dilemma: Mark threatens to publicize the side-effects if Diana doesn’t brief him on the project. Diana is caught between educating Mark when she’s unsure of his motives and Peter revealing her secret if word of the side-effects gets out.
Betrayal: When Peter and Diana find the vetting company was a front and has disappeared, they and Mark and Suzanne have been betrayed.
Forced Decision: Mark is the mole working for the Pentagon because he believes it’s the only to keep the transfer technology from commercialization or bad actors.
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BWTV-AI Mod 3 – Lesson 8: Building In Empathy/Distress
Sylvia’s Adding Empathy/Distress!
What I learned doing this assignment is got some great ideas. Definitely need to write them into my structure as I get a chance.
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Natalie added Empathy/Distress
WIL: I will add more empathy/ distress once I lay out the scenes and conflicts. I did the same for other characters which I will combine once I outline the scenes
For Sola:
Undeserved misfortune: Sola experiences undeserved misfortune when she is blamed for the chaos caused by the awakening of the ancient curse, despite her intentions being pure and her actions driven by curiosity rather than malice. This unfair attribution of blame adds depth to her character and elicits empathy from the audience.
External character conflicts: Sola faces external character conflicts when she becomes entangled in the power struggles and machinations of the Gods, thrusting her into a world of danger and uncertainty where she must navigate alliances and betrayals while grappling with her own burgeoning powers.
Plans that failed: Sola’s plans to uncover the secrets of her past and her missing mother through experimentation with forbidden magic ultimately fail when her actions inadvertently trigger the ancient curse, setting off a chain of events that she struggles to control.
Witnessing the pain of others: Throughout the pilot, Sola witnesses the pain and suffering of those around her, including the Gods whose realm is thrown into chaos by her actions, as well as her companions who are swept up in the turmoil of her journey.
Extreme consequences: Sola faces extreme consequences for her actions when she inadvertently banishes the Gods’ artifacts, setting off a cataclysmic chain of events that threatens to unravel the fabric of reality and forces her to confront the full extent of her power and its potential consequences.
Major loss: Sola experiences a major loss when she realizes the extent of the damage caused by her actions, including the loss of trust and stability in the divine realms, as well as the potential loss of her companions and loved ones.
Brings their wound present: Sola’s journey brings her own personal wounds and insecurities to the surface as she grapples with her identity, her past, and her place in the world, adding depth and complexity to her character.
Crucible: Sola is thrust into a crucible of danger and uncertainty, where she must confront her fears, navigate treacherous alliances, and make difficult decisions that will shape the fate of both mortal and divine realms.
Betrayal: Sola experiences betrayal when she discovers that those she trusted and relied on have their own agendas and ulterior motives, forcing her to question her alliances and motivations.
Forced decision: Sola is faced with a forced decision when she must choose between embracing her destiny and risking everything or retreating into obscurity and safety, each option carrying its own set of consequences and sacrifices.
Hurt those they love: Sola inadvertently hurts those she loves when her actions trigger the ancient curse and set off a chain of events that threatens the safety and stability of both mortal and divine realms, placing her companions and loved ones in harm’s way.
Emotional dilemma: Sola grapples with an emotional dilemma as she navigates the complex web of alliances, betrayals, and power struggles that define her journey, torn between her desire to do what is right and her fear of the consequences of her actions.
Exposed: Throughout the pilot, Sola’s true nature and potential are exposed as she confronts the challenges and obstacles that stand in her way, revealing her strength, resilience, and capacity for both greatness and fallibility.
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