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Day 7 Assignments
Reply to post your assignment.
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9 Replies
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Elizabeth Dickinson’s Show Empathy/Distress
What I learned doing this assignment is that creating empathy/distress is one of the easier tasks for my project early on, and I want to continue that going forward.
Big Picture Distress – 13 Reasons Why
A. Undeserved Misfortune
Clay’s crush kills herself
B. External Character Conflicts
Intentional – Clay lies to parents to protect Hannah’s secret
Unintentional – Clay’s lying hurts mother’s feelings
C. Plot Intruding On Life
Other students (part of the 13) undermine Clay, steal bike, plant weed, to shut him up
D. Moral Dilemmas
Clay doesn’t reveal how deep his relationship with Hannah was or tapes existence to Hannah’s parents
E. Forced Decisions They’d Never Make
Outside of lying/concealment, haven’t seen this.
Big Picture Distress – Celt
A. Undeserved
misfortune.Celt is torn away from family, made a slave.
B. External
Character conflicts.Intentional-Taranis forces Celt into a bargain he doesn’t want to save his village
Unintentional-Roman Spurius’ insistence on Celt learning Latin leads to charges of enemy collaboration from his fellow Celts
Unintentional-Celt trying to cut out his own tongue from guilt leads to Spurius abandoning him
Unintentional-Tyran’s misperception of Dakarai’s behavior to Celt leads to Dakarai’s beating by pirates
C. Plot
intruding on life.Roman entrance into village forces Celt to consider leaving it.
D. Moral
dilemmas.Celt is offered chance to escape from Romans by his best friend, but can’t abandon Tyran who lost his twin brother, forcing Celt to remain slave.
E. Forced
decisions they’d never make.In later episode, animal-loving Celt is forced to become a bestiarus (an animal killer/hunter in Colosseum).
In later episode, Celt has to choose between endangering the woman he loves (who’s carrying his baby) by keeping her in Rome, or by helping her to escape.
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Stuart’s Show Empathy/Distress
What I learned doing this assignment is the valuable mechanics and interweaving of episode and big picture empathy/distress elements in my sample show. I also found the most challenges with “Plot intruding on life” and distinguishing between Moral Dilemmas and Forced Decisions. When looking at the big picture examples of Breaking Bad, several could fit multiple categories. I found this in analyzing the American Horror Story episode as well as in the exploration of my show. The category’s big question to ask as well as the creative processes were a huge help, allowing me to break through this block of abiding by a definition. Most important is the creation of distressing situations that help build empathy.
Assignment 1: Observations about American Horror Story
This episode delivered significant big picture and episode Empathy/Distress. The episode establishes what’s at stake if the Harmon’s sell Murder House and move out. Big picture, Violet doesn’t want the family to move as it signals the “death of the family” (divorce of parents), and Tate’s happiness is due to Violet’s arrival in the house. But we also know Murder House is the residence for the ghosts who have died on these grounds – they rely on the physical house/grounds for their ghostly survival. If the house is destroyed, leveled, then so will the Evil and all connected to it. This sets up an ongoing level of distress for Constance, Tate, Moira, spirits of the house – building empathy for them. While also fueling our distress/empathy for the Harmons, stuck in the house and threatened by its evil.
1. Undeserved Misfortune:
Episode: Vivien is pregnant (with the Rubber Man) – but she/we are concerned for the state of the babies (twins!). Joe the Armenian is killed by Constance, Moira, Larry, to stop the sale of the house.
Big Picture: The Harmon family wasn’t aware of the long history of evil/murder connected with the Murder House. Harmons cannot sell the house because of its bloody history. Characters are connected to the Evil of the house – and need to play by its rules – to die on the grounds gives you existence as a ghost. Some face the consequences of their evil deeds (Nate, Moira) – others are victims (the twins, Beau).
2. External Character Conflicts:
Episode: Larry loves Constance, but she’s disgusted by him (and uses him); Constance murdered Moira because of infidelity but uses Moira to get rid of Joe; Joe determined to buy the house–Constance cannot let him have it.
Intentional: Constance wants to stop the sale of house to Joe; Tate helps protect Violet from the ghosts.
Unintentional: The murder of Joe ends the deal the Harmon’s expected to sell the house.
Big Picture:
Intentional: Constance uses her own to protect the house; Ben will not commit to Hayden; Constance and Moira fight each other, but need each other. Vivien is set to divorce Ben, but she fantasizes about him.
Unintentional: Ben’s affair with Hayden has threatened the marriage; Tate’s connection to the house has strengthened Violet’s determination to convince family not to move. Violet is depressed, self-cutting due to parents divorce. Constance’s determination to protect the house makes it difficult for the Harmon’s to move out.
3. Plot Intruding on Life:
Episode: Vivien and Real Estate agent have locked in the sale of the house, but they are derailed by Constance’s need to protect the house.
Big picture: Vivien wants to know the history of the house and share history with potential buyers, but recognizes Nora (in old family photo, and real presence visiting the house).
4. Moral dilemmas.
Episode: How much of the history of Murder House do you reveal to a potential buyer? Do you murder son Beau to make sure his spirit remains in Murder House with his mother, Constance?
Big Picture: Do the Harmons protect the house, stay and possibly perish – joining the ghostly residents, or do they sell it and possibly contribute to its destruction?
5. Forced decisions.
Episode: Tate’s reliance upon Violet for happiness pushes Violet’s confession of self-harm, depression to her parents to keep the house. Joe’s threat to buy the house leads to Constance’s decision to murder him.
Big Picture: Violet’s empathy for Tate pushes her to take actions for the family to remain in the house despite ghosts/evil. Larry’s murder of Hayden forces Ben’s allegiance with Larry. Larry’s love for Constance pushes him to do her bidding (break up with wife, murder Beau, murder Joe).
Assignment 2: My Show’s Empathy/Distress:
Lots in the big picture mix… exploring and discovering.
1. Undeserved misfortune.
- King Goplik’s attack/usurpation of Lavinia.
- Hop-Frog’s physical disabilities, based on torture/experimentation.
- Hop-Frog witnesses the massacre of his mother and his people.
- Trippetta treating Hop-Frog as servant.
- Trippetta witnesses the massacre of her family and her love Prince Brann.
- Lord Asnar’s abduction of Trippetta.
- Hop-Frog and Trippetta are caged, tortured, enslaved.
- The King’s and the minister’s abuse and ridicule of Hop-Frog.
- The King’s and the minister’s treatment (abuse/rape) of Trippetta.
- Hop-Frog witnessing the lustful leers, actions and remarks inflicted upon Trippetta.
- Hop-Frog’s guilt over the death of Prince Brann.
- Princess Syrelle dealing with disappearance/death of her father, King Raynor, and marriage of Goplik with her mother.
2. External Character conflicts.
Intentional:
- Hop-Frog and Trippetta need each other and conflict with each other for survival and revenge.
- Hop-Frog manipulates King Goplik without being discovered.
- Hop-Frog receives punishment from ministers as he tries to manipulate them.
- Hop-Frog must please King Goplik and ministers or be tortured.
- Hop-Frog and Lord Asnar are adversaries for Trippetta’s love.
- Trippetta adversarial/sexual relationship with Lord Asnar.
Unintentional:
- Consequences of Trippetta’s and Hop-Frog’s individual plans against each other.
- Impact on the King’s daughter, Princess Syrelle. And the Prince of Balog.
- The massacre of Lavinia upon the survivors.
- Impact of Goplik’s tyranny and control…. fear and pain upon the citizens of Brattvia and Balog.
- Impact of Goplik’s tyranny and control…. the rising resistance in support of Raynor and Syrelle.
- Impact of Goplik’s tyranny and control…. alliance of Syrelle with Prince of Balog.
3. Plot intruding on life.
- Hop-Frog and Trippetta working at cross-purposes, conflict with their duties in servitude to the king.
- Political agendas of Goplik’s ministers – to appease Goplik but also fulfill their selfish desires.
- King Goplik’s wants/desires for Trippetta, against Lord Asnar’s desires.
- Goplik’s tyranny and control face conflicts/complications by the building power within resistance supporting Raynor/Syrelle…
- …And the escalating tension between Balog and Brattvia.
- …And the political decisions made by King Queeg of Balog, Prince of Balog.
- The unleashing and spread of a plague whose victims are were-beasts.
- Rayor’s fate? Does he live, is he on the march to retake the throne… is he a were-beast?
4. Moral dilemmas.
- Hop-Frog and Trippetta needing to decide how far to go for revenge. (will they torture, maim, seduce, kill?)
- Deciding what they are willing to give up – to accept punishment/pain or to fight it?
- The choice between delivery of vengeance and the pain to their friend/co-conspirator (Trippetta, Hop-Frog, or another ally/co-conspirator?).
5. Forced decisions they’d never make.
- Their situation has thrown Hop-Frog and Trippetta into an upside-down, dark, demented fairy world – challenging each of them as they fight for survival, vengeance, and freedom.
- How far will Hop-Frog and Trippetta go to protect themselves (body, mind and soul) and each other?
- The series pushes the two to the decision they would never make…
- Hop-Frog is forced to sacrifice Trippetta to keep his plan secret (or deliver vengeance).
- Trippetta is forced to sacrifice Hop-Frog to keep her plan secret (or deliver vengeance).
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Subject line: Ben’s Show Empathy/Distress
What I learned doing this assignment is I tried to list empathy/Distress that only involve main
characters and leave out support characters.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
1. Watch the next episode of your Example Show and focus on the Empathy/Distress that shows up in this
episode and throughout the season so far.
– T-Bag killed a CO to silent him.
– Inmates try to take Sara’s life.
– Abruzzi cuts off Michael’s toes when he refused to tell whereabouts of Fibonacci.
– T-Bag wants Michael’s life to avenge his man he believes Michael killed.
– The people who set up Lincoln sent someone in the prison to take Lincoln’s life.
– Veronica and Nick follow a lead to Washington, but someone threatens to take their lives.
– Michael breaks the law.
– Michael goes to prison to break his brother.
ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Make a list of BIG PICTURE difficult situations and decisions your characters could make because of
the main conflict of this series.
Just ask: “Knowing the concept, what are the big picture Empathy/Distress situations that could occur?”
A. Undeserved misfortune.
– Rain’s birth father abandoned her when she was a new born baby.
– Terra cursed Rain while she was unborn to make her ugly.
– Rain’s slowly dying from disguise she’s wearing.
– Whyller’s brother killed him.
– Whyller’s soul is about to dissipate.
B. External Character conflicts.
– Mo puts Reed in charge of stopping Rain from changing the rule.
– Mo tortures Rain to find out who conspired with her to break the rule.
– Reed captures Aloe to force Rain to give herself up.
– Mo pressures Reed to stop Rain at all costs.
– Terra pressures Rain to kill Reed.
– Reed is relentless in his pretend pursuit to make Rain pay for betraying him.
– Aloe disapproves of Rain seeking revenge.
– Toto takes Reed hostage to force Mo to divorce his wife and marry his mother.
– O’ller hates Whyller when she discovered Whyller killed their daughter, Rain.
C. Plot intruding on life.
– Mo finds out Reed is secretly helping Rain change the rule.
– Rain gets exposed, caught, and locked up to be executed.
– Reed hunts down Rain to stop her from changing the rule.
– Mo leads the underworld of magic to crush Rain and her average and ugly people.
– Terra discovers Rain is his brother and captures her.
– Rain discovers Terra plan to harness the magic of their world.
– Rain discovers she’s cursed to never learn magic.
– Rain falls for Aloe and Rain.
– Reed and Aloe fall for Rain.
D. Moral dilemmas.
– Reed goes up against the woman he loves or violates their family value by disobeying his father.
– Rain kills the man she loves (Reed) or Reed kills Rain to prevent her from changing the rule.
– Rain refuses to save Terra’s life or watches Terra kill Aloe and Reed.
– Rain gives herself up to save Aloe or Reed kills Aloe.
– Mo and the underworld of magic refuse to work with Rain to stop Terra or Terra destroys their world.
E. Forced decisions they’d never make.
– Rain decides to learn magic to prove her birth father wrong.
– Rain breaks the rule of teaching magic to pretty ones.
– Rain decides to change the rule when her cover is blown.
– Rain recruits average and ugly people to go up against Affinity Academy.
– Rain goes ahead with the disguise that will lead to her demise.
– Mo reveals the mystery of teaching magic to pretty ones to the underworld of magic to unit them and
crush Rain and her average and ugly people.
– Reed leads Sparrow agents to stop Rain.
– Rain makes a deal with the Lord of Shadow Warriors to defeat Mo and his Great Alliance.
– Rain reveals who Terra really is and the real mystery behind teaching magic to pretty ones.
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Wendy Weising’s Show Empathy/Distress
What I learned doing this assignment is that you can always find more layers of intrigue, even when you don’t think there are any left to find.
Lesson #7, Assignment #1
Wendy Weising
Lost
D=detail-oriented empathy/distress
BP=Big-picture-oriented empathy/distress
A. Undeserved Misfortune
Charlie started Driveshaft but his brother got all the glory and wanted to take over the band. (BP)
Jack’s mother blamed him for his father leaving and wants him to find his father, even though it wasn’t his fault. (BP)
When Locke was in a wheelchair, his dreams of going outback in Australia were crushed by everyone who said that he couldn’t do it or wouldn’t let him do it. (BP)
B. External Character Conflicts
Charlie saves his brother by canceling their band’s tour, but he becomes addicted to the same drugs. He is in a place where he will run out of drugs. He begins to go through withdrawals. (BP)
Sawyer pushes everyone away by acting unkind. (BP)
Sawyer doesn’t tell Kate about Jack being in a cave in. Kate is livid with him when she finds out. (D)
Kate pushes Jack away when she’s really falling in love with him because of the criminal things she has done. She’s trying to protect Jack. (BP)
Jin wants to marry Sun so badly that he agrees to work for her father. However, the longer he works for him, the more it changes Jin in a bad way. This causes Sun to want to leave him. (BP)
Michael wasn’t part of his son’s life much until they crashed. Now he’s trying, but he doesn’t know how to do it. (BP)
C. Plot Intruding on Life
Sahid keeps trying to get the transceiver working. First it breaks. Sahid repairs it and has a plan. He works with two other so that they can triangulate the signal. Everyone is in position and ready when someone sneaks up, bashes him on the head, and knocks him out. (BP)
Jack brings everyone that he can to the caves because he thinks that it will be safer there, but then there is a cave in, and he is in it. (D)
D. Moral Dilemmas
Sun tries to leave her husband while they are in the airport, but she can’t make herself do it. (BP)
Kate ends up surviving an airplane crash, along with her captor. However, he is severely injured. She doesn’t want him to be in pain but also doesn’t want anyone to find out about being a convict. She ends up giving a gun to Sawyer, who puts the man out of his misery. (BP)
Sawyer likes Kate but knows she likes Jack. He is supposed to tell her that Jack is trapped in a cave in, but he doesn’t tell her until later, when it slips out accidentally. (D)
E. Forced Decisions
Kate would never sew a person’s wound up. Jack tells her that he can’t do it alone. So she does it. (D)
Because Locke can now walk, he thrusts himself into the wild unknown and danger. (BP)
Charlie would have been on drugs until he died, but when he ends up on the island with a limited supply of drugs and Locke finds out, he allows Locke to his drug while he goes through withdrawals until he is strong enough to throw it in the fire. (BP)
Because everyone tells Charlie that he can do it, Charlie goes in to save Jack from the cave in. (BP)
Jenn would never do anything, but she finally agrees when she is desperately needed. (D)
Lesson #7, Assignment #2
Jayne March
A. Undeserved Misfortune
Taken by aliens to another planet where they are mining human brains for a chemical they must have to survive.
B. External Character Conflicts
Intentional
Dr. Smith and Jayne are enemies who will use, lie to, and kill each other if given a chance. They hate each other.
Unintentional
When Jayne speaks with hatred about the alien, Dr. Smith, it hurts her friend, Dr. Zyn, who is also an alien.
C. Plot Intruding on Life
When Jayne first wakes up in the hospital, no one will believe her when she says her name and asks for her kids. They tell her that she must be hallucinating.
She discovers that she is not only in a fake hospital but also on a different planet. They tell her that Earth has been destroyed.
When Jayne, Polly, Ava, and Dr. Zyn are finally ready to escape, Dr. Smith mentions to Jayne that Ava is addicted to a drug only produced at the hospital, Polly has been reporting everything they do to Dr. Smith, and Dr. Zyn is her mate.
D. Moral Dilemmas
Jayne is falling in love with Dr. Zyn, but he is an alien from the race that has been mining human brains, and she is already married. She decides to love and trust him.
She tells Polly that Dr. Smith has scheduled her first surgery, which is a lie, to get her to leave with them.
She decides to take Ava, if she is willing to detox with Dr. Zyn.
She decides to take Polly. She needs her brain and knowledge of the planet too much to leave her behind.
E. Forced Decisions
Dr. Smith has wanted to do an experiment on Jayne, but Dr. Zyn has stopped her. The only way that they can escape is if Jayne pretends to agree to the experiment. This will give her friends time to steal a vehicle. She will have to stand up to Dr. Smith and possibly fight her to the death.
She must also trust her friends, who have not been all that trustworthy, with the life of herself and her children.
Polly Doyle
A. Undeserved Misfortune
When Polly is a baby, Dr. Smith kills her family on Earth, takes her to the new planet, and raises her like a pet. When Polly grew out of cute, Dr. Smith sent her to the brain-mining hospital.
B. External Character Conflicts
Intentional:
She outwardly grovels before Dr. Smith while stealing her books.
She spies for Dr. Smith even though she hates her so that she doesn’t have to be part of the brain-mining operation.
Unintentional
She hurts Jayne by reporting on her.
C. Plot Intruding on Life
Polly is forced to be Dr. Smith’s spy in the hospital.
She feels safe in the hospital, but Jayne is asking her to leave with her.
She wants to bring her books, but Jayne says that she can only bring one.
D. Moral Dilemmas
Helping Dr. Smith to be protected.
Lying to Jayne.
E. Forced Decisions
She decides to leave the hospital when she finds out that Dr. Smith has schedule her for a surgical experiment.
Ava Grace
A. Undeserved Misfortune
Ava was taken from her mother on Earth and brought to the hospital.
She was raped by one of the aliens.
B. External Character Conflicts
Intentional
She hates Dr. Smith but must sing and entertain her guests, who like to touch her.
Unintentional
She started taking a drug that Dr. Smith told her would help her relax. Now she is addicted to it. She will do anything for it.
C. Plot Intruding on Life
She wants to find her mother, but if she leaves the hospital, she can no longer get the drug.
D. Moral Dilemmas
She hates being dependent on Dr. Smith and having to “entertain” her guests, but she needs the drug. She decides to leave with Jayne. She pretends to detox while packing as much of the drug as she can to take with them.
E. Forced Decisions
Using her voice and body to get drugs.
Eventual detox when the drug runs out so that she can find her mother
Dr. Zyn
A. Undeserved Misfortune
Dr. Smith chooses him for a mate. She has him assist her in her experiments.
B. External Character Conflicts
Intentional
He argues with Dr. Smith regarding the ethics of what they are doing.
He loves Jayne but they frequently confront each other.
Unintentional
Sometimes he hurts Jayne’s feelings when they argue.
Dr. Smith takes out her anger at Dr. Zyn on the patients
C. Plot Intruding on Life
He falls in love with Jayne but finds out that she is going to escape.
Dr. Smith decides to move him to another facility.
D. Moral Dilemmas
He is in love with a human. He has to lie about this around other aliens.
In order to be with Jayne, he lies and says that her husband is dead.
He must kill some of the aliens so that Jayne can escape.
E. Forced Decisions
He doesn’t like violence, but he must kill his own kind to help Jayne to escape. He decides to leave his opulent life and go on the run with her.
Dr. Smith
A. Undeserved Misfortune
Her father is a commander who believes that she can always do better.
She loves Dr. Zyn, but he doesn’t love her.
Everyone hates her.
She is truly alone.
B. External Character Conflicts
Intentional
She argues with Dr. Zyn but usually wins.
She forces others to do what she wants.
She hates all humans and treats them like animals.
Unintentional
She hurts everyone around her, including the being that she loves (Dr. Zyn).
C. Plot Intruding on Life
She has been moving up the ranks in the scientific world. She is the top human brain specialist in her field. Everyone does what she wants…until Jayne arrives. Dr. Zyn loves Jayne. Jayne stands up to Dr. Smith. Then they escape.
D. Moral Dilemmas
Early on, she decided that even though humans look a lot like her race, she would conduct her experiments on them.
In order to control her environment, she gets Ava addicted to drugs and scares Polly into submission. Once she knows that Dr. Zyn is in love with Jayne, she forces him into a relationship with her, if he wants to save Jayne.
She plans on killing Jayne when she has the opportunity. She plans on using Polly as her own source of brain fluid. She believe that it will add to her intelligence.
E. Forced Decisions
When Jayne attacks her before their escape, she is wounded. She decides she must leave the hospital and track the escapees. She becomes obsessed in her mission.
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ASSIGNMENT 1:
The Righteous Gemstones:
Big Picture Empathy/Distress
Will the Gemstones survive and thrive after Ami’s death?
Will the Gemstones succeed in running the local ministers out of business?
Will the Gemstones find vanquish the blackmailers?
Will Judy ever be valued by Eli?
Will Jesse find out it’s Gideon who betrayed them?
Will Kelvin prove he deserves a leadership role?
Will Eli’s wife find out about his criminal and immoral acts?
Will the Gemstones ever respect BJ?
Can the Gemstones keep praying for God to cover up their crimes?
Will Uncle Bill take over Gemstone Ministry from Eli?
Episode Empathy/Distress
Will the Pastor be able to survive after the Gemstones force him to close his church?
Will Gideon overcome his need for revenge and stay in league with the blackmailer?
Module 1, Lesson 7, ASSIGNMENT 2, Empathy-Distress, The Binge Worthy Drug!
Linda Anderson’s Show Empathy/Distress
What I learned doing this assignment is although I was procrastinating to finish it, after I got into it and let myself create, it was a lot of fun.
High Concept/Main Conflict: A widowed newspaper fact-checker has a mid-life crisis when a New York editor rejects her boring memoir and to write a more exciting book, she steals the life of her young condo neighbor whose father is a major crime boss in witness protection.
Louise’s Empathy/Distress Situations:
A. Undeserved misfortune. Louise is so distraught when the editor rejects her memoir that she plows her bicycle into Derrick’s car.
B. External Character conflicts. Louise hates Derrick’s loud music keeping her awake late at night through their shared condo wall. She hates everything about him.
C. Plot intruding on life. Her daughter, Jan, moving in with her after her latest deadbeat boyfriend dumps her and she loses job. She’ll have to work hard to hide her deception from Jan.
D. Moral dilemmas. After a lifetime as a fact-checker making sure everything is accurate and true, Louise is driven to justify passing her subterfuge of passing Derrick’s experiences off as hers to get a bestselling book.
E. Forced decisions they’d never make. Louise would never have had the nerve to pretend to befriend Derrick and add more zest to her life story by joining him in his new job as a professional clown.
Derrick’s Empathy/Distress Situations:
A. Undeserved misfortune. His father, an infamous crime boss, won’t forgive him for driving the car that accidentally killed his daughter
B. External Character conflicts. He has no regard for his condo neighbor, Louise, and plays loud rock music late at night
C. Plot intruding on life. Louise plows into his car in a fit of anger after her memoir was rejected
D. Moral dilemmas. Does he continue to sneak drinks when he’s stressed?
E. Forced decisions they’d never make. He either has to take Louise and Jan on the run with him when an FBI agent starts chasing him or abandon them.
Jan’s Empathy/Distress Situations:
A. Undeserved misfortune. Louise assumes Jan is irresponsible without any conversation about what happened to cause Jan to need to move in with Louise.
B. External Character conflicts. Jan and her mother have completely different world views about what’s important in life.
C. Plot intruding on life. Jan falls in love with Derrick.
D. Moral dilemmas. Jan discovers Louise is stealing Derrick’s life and blackmails her mother into sharing the publishing advance for the new memoir.
E. Forced decisions they’d never make. Jan goes on the run with Derrick and Louise when the FBI agent starts chasing them because she needs to keep her “meal ticket” safe.
Candice’s Empathy/Distress Situations:
A. Undeserved misfortune. She’s working for a misogynistic publisher who doesn’t think women can be objective editors.
B. External Character conflicts. She’s in competition within her company to have a phenomenally successful book.
C. Plot intruding on life. In an effort to manipulate her into even more work hours, her publisher hints she may get her own imprint someday.
D. Moral dilemmas. She’s falling in love with Derrick while reading his “memoir” and is desperate to meet him.
E. Forced decisions they’d never make. When she starts to suspect Derrick isn’t for real, she sets wheels in motion to cover up the deception.
Mark’s Empathy/Distress Situations:
A. Undeserved misfortune. He put the competitor of a major crime boss into jail and drew unwanted attention to himself.
B. External Character conflicts. A major crime boss treats him like a flunky but keeps him on the payroll for bringing cases against his competitors.
C. Plot intruding on life. Derrick’s memoir best-selling sales trajectory brings out the secrets of the crime boss’s major competitor, which Derrick has stolen and passed off as his while telling “his story” to Louise.
D. Moral dilemmas. He’s always in the dark place of choosing to do the right thing for his FBI job, where he gets no respect, and making money from the crime boss so he can retire.
E. Forced decisions they’d never make. He has to find Derrick’s father and prosecute him, but first he has to find Derrick and stop the book from being published.
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Assignment #1:
Will Rick and Lori reconcile?
Will Rick and Shane confront each other?
Assignment #2:
What I learned from this assignment is that getting sidelined by COVID takes a few weeks to unfog your brain and get back on track. But, I AM loving learning about my characters!
Alex Empathy/Distress Situations:
A. Undeserved misfortune – father and HIS father both died due to a form of dementia and he will too (possibly)
B. External Character conflicts – all the various Houses wanting something from him
C. Plot intruding on life – he has to learn to access and control his power before others can get it from him
D. Moral dilemmas – using the power to make things better for himself or for others at risk to himself
E. Forced decisions they’d never make – enter into this world and have to take a stand and upsetting his carefully uneventful life
Allistar Empathy/Distress Situations:
A. Undeserved misfortune – forced to not tell Alex the true story of who he is and why they are friends
B. External Character conflicts – family history with other houses, including Jade’s
C. Plot intruding on life – uncovering what his family is really up to regarding Alex and his power
D. Moral dilemmas – whether or not to continue his mission or to join Jade and Feenix to protect Alex
E. Forced decisions they’d never make – going against his family to help protect Alex
Jade Empathy/Distress Situations:
A. Undeserved misfortune – Forced to be with Alex by family
B. External Character conflicts – Family history with Allistar’s and Feenix’s Houses, distrust of both
C. Plot intruding on life – having to monitor Alex and report back to family when she’d rather just enjoy her life
D. Moral dilemmas – falling for Alex or remaining true to her House
E. Forced decisions they’d never make – going against her House
Feenix Empathy/Distress Situations:
A. Undeserved misfortune – limited by her family to serve only as a spy
B. External Character conflicts – falling in love with Alex, conflict with other Houses
C. Plot intruding on life – keeping Alex alive and helping him access his power
D. Moral dilemmas – whether or not to tell Alex how she feels
E. Forced decisions they’d never make – going against her family
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(Laurie Brown’s) Show Empathy/Distress
What I learned from doing this assignment was how Jo’s dilemma, and moral decisions are perfect for gaining empathy and for creating situations of distress
A. Undeserved misfortune. – For Jo, Bette and Marge – women shouldn’t have to give up having the family of your choice to serve the country – including, and especially, children. For Jo – shouldn’t lose your job over a rumor. Shouldn’t have to lose your mother to suicide. Shouldn’t have to defend your home and family because of your choices. For Bette – shouldn’t have to lie to protect your lover.
B. External Character conflicts. – Shouldn’t have a friend betray you behind your back. Bette causes stress for Jo by being too honest. Jo causes unintentional stress for Marge by being ambitious (for her it wasn’t about competition) Marge causes intentional stress for Jo, outing her to the DOI. Father causes unintentional stress for Jo by not encouraging in her the one thing they have in common.
C. Plot intruding on life. Army rules, can’t be in the army, can’t have a family when in the army, can’t be with Bette if in the Army. Rules and following rule situations not in her plan. Also being gay was not in her plan until she met Bette, and she would prefer denial.
D. Moral dilemmas. Painful choice is whether to risk career and have a covert relationship with Bette. Say no and lose Bette. Say yes and lose her career.
E. Forced decisions they’d never make. Jo would NEVER want to have to make a decision t to lie. Being questioned by the DOI about Bette would make her do that.
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Avi KApurala’s Show Empathy/Distress
What I learned from doing this lesson: Adding distress and empathy to characters (especially main ones) adds interesting additional layers to a show’s concept. It also helps clarify a characters motivations even more.
Assignment 1
MR. ROBOT
A. Undeserved misfortune – Elliot’s
father dies when he’s a child. He has crippling social anxiety and
loneliness. <div>B. External Character conflicts
– Intentional: Evil Corp caused his father’s death and monopolizes his
life at work. Unintentional: He’s addicted to morphine.C. Plot intruding on life – Elliot
joins forces with Mr. Robot’s team to bring down Evil Corp., but finds his
methods too violent, so he quits. Then he rejoins the team, but is
distracted by Shayla’s problem with Vera and Elliot’s own addiction
issues.D. Moral dilemmas – Must violate
people’s privacy to punish them for their misdeeds, then lie to conceal
what he’s doing. Lies to Angela about his secret mission to destroy Evil
Corp. Must also fight Mr. Robot’s plan to blow up Evil Corp’s data center
which will kill innocent people.E. Forced decisions they’d
never make – to not make Mr. Robot’s plan public.Big Picture Vs. Detail Oriented Distress:
Elliot’s morphine addiction is big-picture distress, but his attempt to protect Shayla from Vera and then having to release vera from prison to save Shayla’s life is detail-oriented distress.
His campaign to destroy Evil Corp is big-picture distress, while his encounters with Twellick are detail oriented-distresses.
Assignment 2
A. Undeserved misfortune – Aman’s
mother dies when he’s a child, he’s bullied at school because of his
looks. </div>B. External Character conflicts
– Intentional: Aman is used by his first crush and then dumped. Unintentional:
struggles with his complex about his looks.C. Plot intruding on life –
Aman wants to tell his crush about his love for her, but is not able to speak
with her privately. When he does, it is in the company of her best friend,
so he doesn’t speak his heart. When he does, she tells him she loves
someone else.D. Moral dilemmas – To get over
his crush after she rejects him, but he feels torn at letting a gold
digger go unpunished.E. Forced decisions they’d
never make – to kill his crush when he confronts her and she mocks him cruelly,
disclosing her true intentions. -
2. Answer the question, “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
There are probably at least another 20+ empathy/distress situations in season 1.0(novel 1) that I’ve forgotten about. The book is filled with them, but I’ve forgotten lots of details since I wrote the book over four years ago. I need to reread my first novel, or at least listen to the audiobook soon so that I remember more.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
1. Watch the next episode of your Example Show and focus on the Empathy/Distress that shows up in this episode and throughout the season so far.
Episode 8 of Lost:
Episode level:
Sawyer makes Kate uncomfortable when he comes back from the ocean naked.
Charlie wants to get the pregnant woman peanut butter. In the end, he brings her an empty jar of imaginary peanut butter. She plays along.
Boone found Sawyer’s stash of stuff. He looked for his sister’s inhalers and Sawyer kicked his ass. Jake and Sayid resort to torture of Sawyer. Only after a kiss from Kate will he tell them he never had it.
Big Picture:
Sawyer is not his real name. He took the name of the man who swindled his family out of all their money, resulting in the murder/suicide of his parents. He wrote a letter for the swindler to give to him when he finds them. He has become a swindler too. Sawyer seems self-destructive.
Sayid was attacked when trying to detect the source of the distress signal.
After resorting to torture and breaking an old promise, Sayid will venture out to explore the island alone.
Overall season Big Picture:
A. Undeserved misfortune.
Locke wasn’t able to walk until he arrived on the island. His friends/co-workers were dismissive and made fun of him. His girlfriend was actually a woman he paid to talk to him.
Charlie was the core of the band Driveshaft, but his brother got all the groupies and fame. He kept being upstaged, even when his brother said he wouldn’t.
Sawyer is not his real name. He took the name of the man who swindled his family out of all their money, resulting in the murder/suicide of his parents. He wrote a letter for the swindler to give to him when he finds them. He has become a swindler too. Sawyer seems self-destructive. The death of his parents is his big wound.
Jin-Soo attacks Mike over a misunderstanding about a watch. They have continuing mutual distrust even after it’s resolved, because Mike interacts with his wife.
B. External Character conflicts.
Kate was actually a fugitive that was being transported by a marshal. She would tell Jack what she did, but he doesn’t take the opportunity. After that she won’t share what she did.
Jack’s parents tell him he doesn’t have what it takes. Him mother blames Jack for his father’s death. He became a doctor like his father and seemed to be seeking his parent’s approval.
Sun-Hwa understands English, but keeps it from her husband.
Stopping the tour helped his brother recover from drugs, but Charlie gets hooked on the same drug.
Mike wasn’t there for his son, but he’s working on it on the island.
C. Plot intruding on life.
Sayid tries to find the source of the distress signal, but keeps on encountering obstacles (from equipment malfunctions to being attacked to prevent him).
The discovery of caves with fresh water splits the survivors into two groups. Jack thinks caves are safer, but a cave-in shows both places bring danger.
D. Moral dilemmas.
Kate had to choose between getting away or saving the old man who turned her in.
During the crash when the marshal was knocked out, Kate got the keys from him. She could have left his oxygen mask off to make sure he didn’t survive so her secret as a fugitive would be safe.
Jack knows the marshal is not going to make it and will be in pain. He won’t end his suffering. It looks like it might be Kate to keep her secret from getting out, but ends up being Sawyer with a gun that ends his suffering.
After resorting to torture and breaking an old promise, Sayid will venture out to explore the island alone. He faced a moral dilemma and failed.
Sun-Hwa was going to leave her husband because of the evil acts he does in support of her father. I think there was talk of faking her death, but I don’t remember for sure. When she sees Jin-Soo at the airport, she changes her mind.
E. Forced decisions they’d never make.
Only with encouragement can Charlie go in to save Jack from the cave-in.
Locke encourages Charlie to give up drugs by making him ask three times before he’ll give them to him. He does ask for the drugs, but instead of taking them, he throws them in the fire.
Before they were married, Jin-Soo works for his wife’s father to gain his approval for the marriage. Given the organized crime aspects, he does violent acts and probably kills people, all to make sure they could be married.
2. Notice the difference between Big Picture Empathy/Distress and detail oriented Empathy/Distress. Big Picture will have an impact across multiple episodes.
Deadline: 24 hours
ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. Make a list of BIG PICTURE difficult situations and decisions your characters could make because of the main conflict of this series.
Just ask: “Knowing the concept, what are the big picture Empathy/Distress situations that could occur?”
A. Undeserved misfortune.
MJ stabs an intruder and her partner plots revenge against her.
Renquist steals the company Adaptive Unlimited from None and MJ.
An assassination attempt leaves None with brain trauma, taking his beautiful mind and leaving him a shell of himself.
B. External Character conflicts.
MJ stabs an intruder and her partner plots revenge against her.
Astrid dumps None multiple times for her own selfish reasons.
Corella tries to embarrass None on the Reality TV show. The biggest stunt is when she invites all the women he was dating to confront him.
Renquist buys the company that makes None’s reality TV show so he can turn the show against him.
Renquist’s allies attempt to kill MJ in the White House attacks.
Helping None against Renquist puts Astrid’s life in danger.
Ada, the entity in None’s brain, takes control of his body and puts him in some embarrassing situations and forces him to experience sex during an important meeting.
None must stop the nuclear weapons that are launched.
None’s plane is almost destroyed by an enhanced EMP.
None must figure out how to thwart Yu Gong Yi Shan’s plan or the world will be destroyed.
The Chinese vampire satellites put the missile defense system in danger of destruction, leaving America vulnerable to hypersonic missiles.
MJ has slept with Fernando and None and doesn’t know who the father is.
C. Plot intruding on life.
A gunman feels cheated by None and kills people in his favorite bar.
A Russian spy kills women None was dating to make sure she gets picked to be his girlfriend.
Creating surveillance tapes puts MJ in danger.
A global economic collapse must be averted.
None’s mother is losing her house to foreclosure and his sister-in-law lost her business because of the economy.
MJ’s secret service agents betray her in the White House attacks.
None’s invasion of Turkey to show world leaders what Armageddon looks like puts them in danger.
A missile defense system doesn’t make the world safer, but leads the Chinese into a nuclear arms race.
The singularity cult disables Bastion AI safety, making AI more dangerous.
A Chinese copy of the missile defense system makes the American Doomsday Plane obsolete. America must follow the Russian strategy of a Dead Hand nuclear failsafe.
An unlucky series of events causes the American Dead Hand to launch America’s land-based nukes.
Someone or something is killing AI. Because of the AI inside None’s head, he’s in danger too.
D. Moral dilemmas.
MJ must decide if she will shoot down a plane with conspirators that tried to kill None, or not. While they tried to kill her best friend, they are Americans and have due process rights.
MJ must decide if she’s willing to make an illegal drone strike on American soil, if it will take out Renquist who was behind the conspiracy to assassinate None and tried to threatened to kill her.
Copies of the surveillance tapes got friends who helped MJ killed. She must decide whether to hand out more tapes to keep herself safe, even though she knows it will put people who take the tapes in danger.
MJ threatens a U.S. senator to shift the vote on bailing out the banks.
E. Forced decisions they’d never make.
MJ must change her name too, or the presidential campaign will fail.
MJ helps None to date other women to help with his depression and to stop Corella from being None’s girlfriend. She tends to sabotage other women, not help them.
MJ must work with Renquist and invade Russia to get back the kill switch, or the American military will be endangered. Renquist is her mortal enemy.
Astrid must have her hair yanked out to leave better DNA evidence when faking her death. Her hair means everything to her.
None said he can only be with someone that could help him bring a baby into the world, a human baby. Ada must help None impregnate MJ and keep him from realizing that Ada is trying to fulfill his accidental bargain with None. He just said help bring a human baby into the world. He didn’t say it had to be Ada’s baby…
Yuri must sacrifice himself and merge with the Bastion code to transform into a living Bastion to keep Yu Gong Yi Shan from escaping Beijing.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by P.G. Sundling.
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