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Day 3 Assignments
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ASSIGNMENT Number 3
Title: Ed. Gillow Profiles People
What I’ve learned that is improving my writing is…. To add dimensions (core traits) to your characters to create “extreme” characters. I like the ratios Hal showed regarding good versus bad guy traits. Never did that before.
Person #1: Core traits = Sarcastic, arrogant, self-centered, entertaining
Used to bicycle together, but his 3 “bad guy” traits became too much to deal with and the one “good guy” trait just couldn’t make up the gap.
Person #2: Core traits = spiritual, caring, creative, lackadaisical
Writing partner and creative genius. Is a caregiver and is very spiritual. When we meet to create, I get inspired to create as does he, however, that is as far as it goes. Disappointing, as we have a ton of great projects sitting there in his head.
Person #3: energetic, motivational, creative, inefficient
The epitome of motivational. Highly creative and energetic. However, lacks the skill set to get things done efficiently or done at all.
In summary, these 3 individuals consistently show their core traits in each interaction I have with them.
Years back, I took David Freeman’s Beyond Structure class. He taught us about character diamond as a tool to use to characterize our characters. I follow that religiously when I write to create my characters. It basically follows what you are teaching us here and adds a couple more trait levels.
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Title: Robert Kerr – Deep Into Your Characters
What I have learned in this assignment is that I have not completed a character profile including 4 core traits for my current script. Though based on a true experience, the absence of this step has turned the characters and dialogue into very limited action and entertainment value. I can see now that by adding this step, the script will be more dynamic and the action more inviting for my audience.
Person #1: Core traits= Controlling, proud, wounded and nurturing.
This person’s interaction is primarily consistent with these core traits. Our interactions are always stilted and manufactured to protect his wounds and this often results in the attempt to control every aspect of our interactions. This is one whom I don’t like and limit the interactions intentionally.
Person #2: Core traits = Independent, Confused, Vulnerable and Care Giver.
This persons interaction is inconsistent based on the circumstances she finds herself when we interact. She is someone whom I like and enjoy but know the drama around her confusion is an obstacle to our interaction and is a major stumbling block to her fulfilling her potential.
Person #3: Core traits: Protective, resilient, Dreamer and Frightened
This person is consistent to this pattern. I enjoy these interactions and welcome them. It is always my desire to ease her fear and offer her a pathway to the fulfillment of her dreams. She has a tendency to pull back from such offerings as if she is more fearful of success than anything else.
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George Petersen PROFILES PEOPLE
What I’ve learned that is improving my writing is paying attention to the traits of people around me.
Person 1
Nurturing
Loving
Controlling
Manipulative
Person 2
Enthusiastic
Generous
Scheming
Sabotaging
Person 3
Loyal
Humorous
Charming
Paranoid
All three were unchanged
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Denice Profiled People
What I’ve learned that is improving my writing: People don’t always show their true natures. You see the faces they show the world and not their cores. We also tend to look at the positives in a person instead of delving deeper and paying attention to what they are showing us by their actions and the way they make us feel. I learn a lot from watching people, but I don’t really have any extreme people in my life.
Person 1, Male, almost 20 when we met him
Charming, talented, controlling, saboteur
Results of Testing: This is the only extreme person I know is a peripheral way, but he doesn’t live here. He convinced my granddaughter her parents were abusing her and she ran away with him. We have no contact. When he was a guest in our home, he was charming, humorous – a talented musician, actor, singer. Unfortunately, because he wasn’t an adult, we attributed his selfishness to his age. Wrong. He wanted our granddaughter and because she was so enamored of his religious experience, etc. he set out to get her away from her parents and sister and succeeded in brainwashing her into being another person.
Person 2, Adult male
Persuasive, friendly, liar, saboteur
Results of Testing: I cannot test this subject as he’s dead and he was extreme to my husband and not me. I only experienced the repercussions. He was the father of a wrestler. My husband was the coach. This man convinced people that he knew more about wrestling and proceeded to try to get my husband fired by the school board after he had successfully coached in the district for fourteen years. The man failed and several years later several people apologized for believing the man.
Person 3, Adult female
Extremely talented, humorous, caustic, secretive
Results of Testing: She doesn’t live here. While she’s a good friend and former writing partner, she’s mercurial and gives her opinion sometimes without thought. I directed a play that she wrote and produced. She designed and made the whole set, all the costumes, programs, etc. When the egotistic actors wanted to get rid of me, she didn’t tell me until the s… hit the fam. It all sorted out and I finished directing, but I wish she had told me the problem long before she did.
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Alfred Travis Profiles People
“What I’ve Learned That is Improving my writing is…?” A grasp of traits of character, including Extreme Character Traits
Person 1: 4 Traits: Religious, Hedonistic, Fatherly, Critical.
Person 2: 4 Traits: Affable, Conversational, Caring, Mysterious.
Person 3: 4 Traits: Unsupportive, Incorrect, Agnostic, Wrong.
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Alfred Travis Profiles People
“What I’ve Learned that is improving my writing is…?” Understanding the extremes of my characters.
Person 1: I dislike Person 1. 4 Core Traits: Religious, Hedonistic, Fatherly, Critical. In a Prayer Room at church Person 1 entered and without knowing me was openly critical of me. He was mean, critically mean.
Person 2: I like Person 1. 4 Core Traits: Somewhat unfriendly, probing, mysterious, judgmental. In October 1998 Person 1 approached me outside of my apartment building. He was somewhat unfriendly, probing my life with a mysterious tone like judgmental of my life.
Person 3. 4 Core Traits: Excellence, sermonizing, unsupportive, unbeliever. In the second semester of the Cinema Production program, class, Writing The Short Script, Person 3 demanded excellence of me without support, or instruction, and concluded the meeting with a “sermon,” calling me “pretentious” and that he was an unbeliever.
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ESSENCE – Lesson 3 Extreme People
By understanding a character’s traits, it gives your characters their own voice. In addition, you better understand the changes in traits that happen through their journey.
Person 1
Resentful
holier than thou
loud-mouthed coward
helps others for praise
Him – I get here on time. Why can’t you?
Me – Some of us have a lot of things we’re trying to do.
Him – So does everyone. You have to decide what’s important.
Me – There are certain things I can’t wait on.
Him – Everyone makes their own excuses.
Me – Maybe if you worked a regular job…
Him – There’s more to life than money. At least, I’m married. Something you’ll never be.
Person 2
Takes advantage of people
Deflects responsibility
Charming
Humorous
Wants a great life for himself and his children
Me – But, you burned through your father-in-law’s entire retirement, getting stuff to help you.
Him – He decided he wanted a new car. I just helped him decide which one.
Me – That you’re now using. You also talked him into buying a truck for your business.
Him – He was the one who told me to use it. And, I told him if he had a truck, he could do all our deliveries. So, he thought it would be a good business to earn money since he’s retired.
Me – I see. So, you and your wife are the only ones who drive the car. He knows nothing about business. He’s just a good old country boy who trusted you. Now, he’s got nothing to live on. What happens if you go out of business?
Him – That can happen to any business. I didn’t tell him what to do. He decided for himself. Besides, business is going great.
Person 3
Hard-working
Insecure
Easily intimidated
Emotionally weak
Enjoys socializing
Me – Tell him he’s got to get a job?
Her – I begged him. He said he was providing life experiences for the family. If he worked, he couldn’t do that. Then, our son agreed with him.
Me – Tell him, most fathers can do both.
Her – You don’t understand, he told me that if he didn’t make enough money within 6 months of our move, he would get a job.
Me – That was 5 years ago. What’s the excuse now?
Her – He wanted another 3 months, then 6. Then, he said he wanted to stay home until our son went to university.
Me – Give me a break. The guy’s a slug. He needs to be a responsible adult. Stand up to him!
Her – If I push too hard, he’ll start criticizing me. Then, our son will join in.
Me – So what!
Her – You don’t know how bad it will get.
Me – Tell me this, how often do you go out with friends?
Her – Not in years. But, with COVID, there’s not much to do anyway.
Me – COVID’s over! Are you telling me you’re not even allowed to have a social life! Before you moved, you had so many friends. He’s just a control freak. And, he brings nothing to the table.
Her – You don’t know what it’s like. Gas is very expensive and he keeps a watch on the mileage.
Me – But, you make the money! It’s so bizarre. Oh, just forget it.
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