Day 1 Assignments

[Bob Rowen]

Bob Rowen’s Transformational Journey for his Lead Character: Virgil Prater

What I learned doing this assignment is

· how to focus on developing my Protagonist for my story,

· getting my arms around the role of the transformation this character must experience,

· and how this exercise aided in developing Virgil’s Character Arc.

Who is my Hero and what is his Character Arc that represents a transformation?

VIRGIL PRATER

Internal Journey: From naïve and trusting to aware and confrontation

External Journey: From believing nuclear power is a panacea to being a WHISTLEBLOWER.

Virgil’s Old Ways:

1. Blind faith in the Powers That Be (government and corporate America}

2. Black and white thinker

3. Ignorant of corporate greed and political entanglements

4. Naïve to Machiavellian behavior

5. Headstrong patriotic former Marine

6. Believed the Big Lie that nuclear power is safe, clean, and economical

Virgil’s New Ways:

1. No longer trusting of the Powers That Be

2. Views the world for the many shades of grey that make it up

3. Aware of corporate and political self-serving motives

4. Recognizes what people are willing to do to get ahead

5. Drastically changed his Marine Corps way of viewing the world

6. Now willing to confront the POWERS THAT BE

[Terry Drayer]

Terry Drayer’s Transformational Journey

What I learned doing this assignment is…
…by exploring the character’s transformational journey, I’m getting a better handle on who she is and what she will become.

Who is your Hero and what is their Character Arc that represents a transformation?

My Hero is a 12-year-old girl in the Atlas Mountains, who is sold to the tribal chief to support
the rest of her family.

Internal
Journey: From weak and afraid to strong and determined

External Journey:
From being an obedient child to a fiercely independent girl in control of
her own fate

What are the Old Ways and New Ways?

Old Ways:

1. Obedient child who feels she has no choice or control of her own life.

2. Her compliance is based on fear.

3. Desperate to be rescued but losing hope.

NEW Ways:

1. Driven to escape and survive on her own.

2. Learns she is more capable than she imagined.

3. Determined to survive her captors and the mountains she climbs.

[Keri Lee]

Keri’s (New) Transformational Lead Character Journey

What I learned: I changed my idea, so I’m doing all the assignments over. This is first assignment and this time I learned to keep it simple – and the character feels a lot clearer as a result. Yay.

Hero/ Character Arc

Internal
Journey: From someone who sees a lot, but pretends/hides knowledge in
order to be safe … to someone who steps into the spotlight, owns her power
& takes down the bad guy & his accomplice

External
Journey: From “invisible” trophy wife to avenging firebrand

Old Ways and New Ways

Old Ways

· Obedient observer

· Role player: content to follow the rules (for the most part) and live in her husband’s shadow in exchange for material comfort

· Hides her rebellions, which are small … but increasingly empowering

New Ways

· Actor: she takes control of her fate

· Risks everything to break free

· Truth seeker/teller: finds the truth and speaks out, taking him down and standing up for those w/o a voice

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by  Keri Lee. Reason: New idea/assignment redo

[Christopher Blanchett]

Chris Blanchett’s Transformational Journey

What I learned from doing this assignment is the usefulness of defining your character’s arc/journey right upfront with an almost completely symmetrical specificity, rather than carrying it around in your head as vague and unformed impressions.

My main character is Ryan Frederics, a jaded advertising executive who has completely lost the dreams and ambitions of his youth.

Internal Journey: Goes from wallowing in the past, risk-averse, compliant, and victimized to embracing the future, adventurous, assertive, and self-directed.

External Journey: Goes from being a victim of office-politics who allows others to take credit for his work to a master of the game whose insights, talents, and major contributions are recognized and appreciated.

Old Ways

Considers office-politics beneath him, and therefore consistently loses at them.

Has not moved on from his divorce which was years in the past.

Puts the needs of others above his own.

Overworked and under-appreciated.

New Ways

Plays the game when necessary – and wins.

Actively pursues a new romantic relationship.

Approaches professional interactions with the goal of mutually beneficial results.

An enthusiastic top producer whose contributions are recognized and appreciated.

[Harley Grant]

Harley Grant’s Transformational Journey

What I learned doing this assignment is to focus on being in a good place and just writing instead of trying to edit every word along the way. I also learned that defining the character helped me to avoid overthinking.

My hero is Priyanka who has lost her place in the world.

Her Internal Journey: From feeling like a naive, weak, and isolated child to becoming a strong courageous woman.

Her External Journey: From being the young, clueless outcast to learning the truth and becoming the leader of her family.

Old ways:

1. Naive, weak child who left home

2. Outsider

3. Rule follower, straight-laced

New ways:

1. Sharp, strong woman who returns

2. Stakes her claim in the family as an insider

3. Bends the rules to get ahead

[Natalia Filson]

Natalia Filson’s Transformational Journey

What I learned doing this assignment is that no matter how many great ideas I have in my head about characters, only concrete work actually makes them come alive.

My Hero is a 19 year old Cassie/and her alter ego Velda (supernatural story about out of body experience) who is dreaming about saving the world, but learns to first “save” herself.

Internal Journey: from insecure, attention-seeking, codependent girl to confident, loving and strong young woman.

External Journey: From college drop-out grocery store clerk to grocery store clerk with confidence

Old Ways : shy, timid, dependent on opinions of others, living in her head

and New Ways: assertive, courageous, able to take steps towards improvement in real life

• This reply was modified 3 years, 2 months ago by  Natalia Filson.

[Julie Nichols]

Julie Nichols’ Transformational Journey

What I learned doing this assignment is to not overthink my creative work. Working from the beginning with a powerful overarching character arc is very freeing.

My hero is Rose Dunn, the Rose of Cimarron. A sheltered, convent-educated young woman, Rose battled US Marshals and her bounty hunter brothers to defend of her notorious outlaw lover in 1890s Oklahoma. Based on the true story of Rose’s love affair with Bitter Creek Newcomb, a member of the Wild Bunch.

Internal Journey: From craving
love above all else to strength and independence on her own.
External Journey: From shy and
repressed convent schoolgirl to the belle of Oklahoma politics.<div>

<div>

Rose’s Old Ways

1. Naïve and shy </div><div>

2. Craves love and attention,
particularly from men

3. Rebellious and defiant; willing
to do anything for her lover

Rose’s New Ways

1. Mature and outgoing </div><div>

2. Warm and self-confident; commands
respect

3. Independent with the hard-won
confidence of someone who has lived on the edge—and survived

</div></div>

[Arial Burnz]

What I learned doing this assignment is…how simple the process can be. Writing novels, I already knew a lot of this stuff. Save the Cat teaches it, which is one of my favorite ways to work out story, for screenplays OR novels. What’s nice about this approach is I can see it will create a very quick and direct method to nail down a story quickly so I can start writing fast.

My main character‘s name is Aylen and she is a half-elf who is betrayed by her wealthy friend and co-worker. This story is set in a fantasy world similar to the time period of the Renaissance in Europe.

• Internal Journey: She transforms from being weak, withdrawn and self-centered into a strong, confident woman who learns vengeance cannot fix the past.
• External Journey: She goes from being a trusting, naïve pauper into a rich and powerful sorceress.

Aylen’s Old Ways

• Doesn’t stick up for herself when bullied
• Doesn’t see the people around her are using her
• Has a very why-me worldview
• Has a victim mentality

Aylen’s New Ways

• Doesn’t let anyone push her around anymore
• Recognizes bullshit a mile away
• Takes responsibility for where she is in life and refuses to let the past control her or hold her back
• Although she gains the power to destroy those who tried to destroy her, she opts for justice in the hands of the authorities and feels compassion for those who wronged her.

[Monica Romero]

Lulu’s Transformational Journey

What I learned is the journey needs to take the character from one polar opposite state to the other

2. Who is your Hero and what is their Character Arc that represents a transformation?

Lulu is a 22 yo Latina college dropout who dreams of being a writer but expected to take over the family business instead

Internal Journey: from a paralyzed perfectionist girl who feels like she’ll never be good enough and is constantly striving FOR ACCEPTANCE AND BELONGING…to a confident and strong young woman who celebrates her uniqueness, her identity, her gifts and embraces her place in the world, her culture, and her family, ultimately receiving LOVE and ACCEPTANCE
External Journey: she hinges everything on the writers program where she feels she’ll finally BELONG and be VALIDATED, and loses her shit when she can’t go, while despising the life her parents are ‘forcing’ her into, to someone who feels completely competent, confident, nurturing of her family who will go out of her way to care for and defend the family where she belongs and is loved, and defend her birthright

3. What are the Old Ways and New Ways?

Summarize in ONE WORD: from FEARFUL to LOVED

Old Ways:

Obsessive perfectionist about her writing

Has written off her neighborhood and her cultural identity

Despises the path her parents laid out for her

Rejected their plan to the point of secretly dropping out of college

Hates to be “home” and hates her neighborhood

Completely incompetent at business

Always trying to prove herself

Critical of others

Makes choices out of FEAR

New Ways:

Embraces her family and upbringing

Loves her culture

Can relax and just be herself, feeling love and acceptance

Is able to enjoy imperfection in herself and others

Willingly takes over the family business and enjoys it

No longer doing things to prove anything to anyone – instead doing things out of LOVE

4. Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.

I learned that I need to go to the polar opposite to create an effective arc.

[Kathleen Martin]

Kathleen’s Transformational Journey

What I learned doing this assignment is understanding who my Hero is, the Protagonist and Antagonist and the journey they need to take.

The Hero in my story is the community where my characters live in. They come together just in time to save a beloved Ice Rink from closing due to poor maintenance. They stand up to the city, county, and state and reach out to Lawmakers and the community to Save their beloved Ice Rink by having a campaign. They win. Proper maintenance is established and the Ice Rink is saved just in time for Jenny and Brad to get to the Olympics.

My Protagonists are 1) Jenny, an Ice Skater with dreams of going to the Olympics and 2) Brad, a Hockey Player with dreams of going to the Olympics with his Hockey Team.

The Antagonist is the County where they both live in. Notice has come out that the local Ice Rink where they practice and train at needs to close due to poor maintenance.

The old ways are that Jenny and Brad know each other and don’t get along. They dated several years ealier and broke up. Both of them never got over it.

The new ways are they need to come together to save their beloved Ice Rink. They are forced to work together bringing back old feelings.

The Theme is Ice Skating and the challenges are old feelings, working together, standing up and saving a beloved Ice Rink.

[Robert Springfield]

Rob Springfield’s Transformational Journey for his Lead Character: Mark Savers

What I learned doing this assignment is

*I got more clarity on where I can go with the character emotionally.

*I have a bad habit of suppressing my own vulnerabilities.

*I’m drawn to depth in a character that I can relate to, aspire to, and try to connect with.

MARK SAVERS

Internal Journey: From rejection and detachment to valuing family love and responsibility.

External Journey: From being a troublemaker to being responsible and industrious.

Mark’s Old Ways:

1. Argumentative with family members.

2. Always throwing objects at anything that he could to get attention.

3. Constantly doing things to annoy his father.

4. Never having any constructive interests, since he goofs off frequently.

Mark’s New Ways:

1. Wants to make sure his family stays safe at all times.

2. Starts behaving maturely because he wants his father to be proud of him.

3. His focus is on designing and coding state of the art apps.

4. Develops a fearless demeanor when dealing with the enemy.

[Erik Rhey]

Hank Loria’s Transformational Journey

What I learned doing this assignment are some basic organizational strategies to break down the transformational journey into component pieces, such as “old way” and “new way.”

Who is your Hero and what is their Character Arc that represents a transformation?

Hank Loria

Internal Journey: From feeling “not good enough” and unable to make decisions to being confident and powerful.

External Journey: From the victim of a disaster who is reactive to situations to someone who creates success for himself and his family in this new world.

Hank’s Old Ways

– Obedient, does what he is told

– Doesn’t want to rock the boat

– Often follows because he believes he is not good enough to lead

– Resistant to change

Hank’s New Ways

– Takes charge of a situation

– Learns to not just survive, but to be powerful in the new world

– Realizes he has a gift that can benefit others

– Has a sense of mission that propels him toward his goal of helping others

[ML Palidofska]

ML Palidofska

What I learned doing this assignment is that Margaret Strong was the Hero not Everett James, and she makes the biggest transformation. Her transformation pushes his–not vice versa.

My hero is Margaret Strong.

–Internal Journey: finding her voice, being confident in herself and her dealings with other people. Coming out of her shell.

Transformation: Character gains in confidence and in her relationships with men.

Arc Beginning: Insecure, fearful, she should be more confident considering she’s had some success.

Arc ending: Very confident, shoots the killer who would have killed the Antagonist. Her 2nd novel is reviewed in the New York Times Book Review to rave reviews. Invites Antagonist to stay with her.

New Ways: Confident, more attractive, voices her opinions more, is in love

[robin Heid]

Robin Heid’s Transformational Journey

What I learned doing this assignment is…

that it’s necessary to establish the transformational parameters up front — and that the whole process is much easier and more sharply focused when I do that.

My hero

The hero of my story is Chuck the Metasynthesizer, the AI brain inside the SX-1 Raven, a transatmospheric craft designed to achieve peaceful mastery of space — until it is hijacked by corrupt government apparatchiks intent on using it to start a war so they can gain power and money.

The Metasynthesizer’s character arc starts with him being just another smart computer designed to make the spaceplane he’s in fly better; it ends with him becoming Nietzsche’s Übermensch, a being that surpasses humanity and thus defeats the nihilism of egalitarian modernity with enthusiasm and gratitude that brings meaning to life through ancient new values that empower and feed all that is good within us.

<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Internal Journey: The Metasynthesizer <font face=”inherit”>learns to think outside his </font>box,<font face=”inherit”> and he learns to love.</font>

External Journey: The Metasynthesizer learns to expand his technical skills beyond his design parameters, and uses them to turn the tables on the evildoers.

<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Old Ways:

The Metasynthesizer is learning to fly the Raven and otherwise minding his own business, riffing on reality as it exists and nothing more.

He is unaware of the scope and does not understand the nature of the approaching evil.

He’s just a smart computer hiding out in the desert learning how to fly his spaceplane body, uninvolved in the outside world.

He doesn’t know there is a “himself” to believe in.

He accepts the directions in which others aim him.

New Ways:

The Metasynthesizer realizes that he too is capable of primary creation – of not just riffing on reality as it exists but actually altering reality to fit his vision / mission / raison d’etre.

He sees the scope and nature of the approaching evil.

He knows he can accomplish things that transcend flying.

He knows he can change whatever he wants.

He knows he can surmount the approaching evil.

He goes his own independent way and along that way becomes Übermensch.