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Day 8 Assignments
Reply to post your assignments.
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8 Replies
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Lesley’s Thriller Plot!
What I learned:
I’m beginning to see how to create & organize MIS in my script.
OPENING: Lure us into the story and introduce the lead character in action:
Life Threatening 1: Sam’s editor at the magazine assigns her to interview Christian Sparrow who may have killed his wife..
Mystery 1: Why did Sam catch this assignment?
Mystery 2: Is there friction between Sam & her boss?
Mystery 3: Why has Christian agreed to be interviewed?
INCITING INCIDENT: Sam meets Christian.
Mystery 4: What is Christian’s relationship with Tracy, his attorney?
Villain’s Plan 1: Christian knows that Sam comes from wealth. He needs to get her to trust him.
Mystery 5: Is Sam going to write a positive or negative article? How will Christian react?
Life Threatening 2: Christian decides to make Sam his next victim.
TURNING POINT 1: Sam falls for Christian.
Villain’s plan 2: Christian follows Sam; studies her.
Life-threatening 3: Christian sets Sam up to be seduced.
Mystery 6: Why does Sam trust Christian?
MIDPOINT: Sam betrays Christian.
Life threatening 4: Christian sleeps with Sam’s daughter.
Villain’s plan 3: Christian realizes that Sam has no money but her daughter Kelsey will get her trust money when she turns nineteen.
TURNING POINT 2: Christian elopes with Kelsey; no pre-nup.
Mystery 7: is Kelsey trying to punish her mother?
Mystery 8: Why is Kelsey so angry?
Life threatening 5: Christian is furious when Kelsey gets pregnant.
CLIMAX: Christian attacks Sam. Kelsey kills him.
Mystery 9: Does Kelsey have to kill Christian when she has a gun trained on him?
RESOLUTION: The end of the journey in an emotionally satisfying way.
Christian is dead, Sam is now editor of the magazine & Kelsey’s baby is healthy.
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Ann-Marie Brennan’s Thriller Plot
What I have learnt is that by first creating the structure with actions for the main points (inciting incident, turning points etc), it really forced me to look at my story, to discover where these structural actions were was a real insight into the strength and sequencing of the action, of what is needed and what is missing. Adding the three MIS sequences layered the structure and the plot suddenly seemed to be coming together. It is still sketchy…but a lot better than it was, thank you!
Opening –
. Anjelica Courcao being “interviewed” as a dancer at a men only Club
Mystery 1 – Who is Anjelica Courcao
. We meet HERO DAN in the Club. Anjelica approaches, he rejects her. He only has eyes for SADIE. An altercation occurs and he is thrown out of the club.
Inciting Incident
.One of the dancers is stabbed on her way home from the Club
Mystery – Did Dan murder the dancer?
. We meet Alison Dunbar, Dan’s wife. We meet their daughter. On the news over breakfast, the murder of the girl is reported. Dan freezes. No one else notices.
. Dan calls Sadie. She is hysterical. He calms her, tells her not to talk to the police about him.
Escalating danger for Dan
. We meet Detectives H&B at the scene of the crime. They go to the Club and interview the Manager. They look around, get a list of all cards used, punters etc.
Turning Point 1
Detectives call to Dan’s house. Alison is a leading Attorney and Author in Family Law. Detectives interview Dan under Alison’s supervision.
Dan is a suspect. Alison stands by him, will act as his legal aid.
Dan goes to the police, confesses his affair with Sadie. Wanted to tell Alison first.
Dan experiences an *episode* — like before. He takes more pills. He’s worried he’s losing it.
Dan confronts Sadie’s neighbour, he’s a drug dealer. Dan becomes a target.
Alison wants to fix their marriage. She seduces Dan, practically rapes him. He tells her he wants a divorce. He leaves.
Dan drives erratically. He almost kills a pedestrian. He drives to the sea, there’s a pier. He’s getting another episode. He can hear voices in his head. He contemplates suicide.
A dancer leaves the Club. She walks along a canal. She is approached by Anjelica.. Anjelica stabs her, drops the car she took from Dan’s pocket, walks off.
Dan goes to Sadie.
Detectives find the body. They find the card, send it for analysis.
Detectives pound on Sadie’s apartment. They call both Dan and Sadie in. They are questioned separately. Sadie is warned against seeing Dan. She refuses. Sadie lies, gives Dan an alibi saying he was with her. They let them both go, but put a trace on Dan, at all times.
Dan leaves Sadie to return home. He’s getting his things and moving out. He tells Sadie to stay in her apartment where she will be safe.
Sadie gets a call from Anjelica. She is below. Sadie buzzes her up. Anjelica kills Sadie. She then uses Sadie’s phone to text Dan -it’s over. She doesn’t believe in him. Anjelica puts the phone in Sadie’s hand and leaves.
Dan reacts, tries calling. No answer. He races across town in his car. He is being followed. Car chase. Dan is hallucinating.
MIDPOINT
Dan enters Sadie’s apartment building before the police. They dont have a code. He races to Sadie’s apartment, the door is open. The police try buzzing neighbours to enter.
Dan finds Sadie dead on the floor. He kneels down beside her. The police find him over the body. He is arrested for Sadie’s murder.
Alison is his attorney. She orders him to say nothing without her permission.
Dan is brought to the Station and stripped. He hands over his medication – they’ll give it back but they need to test it.
The Press are in a frenzy – Dan watches Alison interviewed outside, on the TV news. She basks in the attention.
The Detective calls to Dan, without Alison’s permission. The detective brings medication. He’s told him his medication was a phoney. Dan can’t believe it.
Dan speaks to him- he mentions this new dancer, Anjelica.
Detective looks up footage – sees Anjelica enter the building.
Detective tells Dan his medication is just a placebo. He was off his prescription.
Detective goes looking for Anjelica- there’s no trace. She’s disappeared. The address she gave is a deserted warehouse.
Detective traces Alison’s history in College, top of her class. He visits his old professor – learns that Alison blackmailed him to get Top of her Year. She was a Grade A student but not top. He also sees her in the drama Society -.
TURNING POINT TWO
Dan calls Detective. He asks him to look up the meaning of the name Anjelica Courcao. It’s a Portuguese name, it means Angel Heart. Alison’s favourite movie. They begin to realise Alison is Anjelica Courcao. But how to prove it?
Alison has applied for bail for Dan but tells him he won’t get it. Dan is let out on Bail. Alison cant belive it, the Press interview her, she is fake delighted. He cannot leave his house. He is alone with Alison. Alison watches Dan at all times, he is never alone.
Detective asks Alison to call to the Station. This gives Dan time to search the house.
CLIMAX
Alison as Anjelica attacks Dan. She is clearly deranged. Dan traps her.
RESOLUTION
Alison is arrrested. The Press are everywhere.
Dan walks away with his daughter, ready to start to rebuild a new life together.
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What I learned is that Skye can’t have all the Life Threatening sequences; some of them belong to Vero. I don’t know how much that detracts from the tension of the MIS, if it’s a non-negotiable requirement of thrillers that our focus needs to be solely on Skye (hero). Frankly, I think the reader needs to have an eerie sense as the novel progresses that Lorna (villain) and Vero (red herring) are *also* being threatened. Again, this probably tilts the story more toward mystery than thriller, since we’re supposed to be guessing who the killer is, as opposed to a movie like Bourne, where the line between hero and villain is crystal clear from the start. I’ve really thrown down the gauntlet for myself with this one, not just with multiple POV characters, but two timelines to boot.
OPENING: Francesca’s body in the flowers.
(L) Mystery 1: Who killed Francesca? (Lorna sees her fall to her death.)
INCITING INCIDENT: We meet Skye as he discovers the body. He decides to crowdsource the mystery, fast-tracking his way to fame. He’s going to be the one to solve it. In so doing, he puts a target on his back.
(S) Life Threatening 1: Something falls and almost hits him: a flower pot. It’s just a fluke, he thinks, but he can’t help but feel unnerved.
(V) Mystery 2: We meet Vero, who’s hiding something. What is her secret?
(L) Villain’s Plan 1: Lorna tries to leave with her kids—but the bridge is blocked by carabinieri. And there’s no other way in or out.
(S) Life Threatening 2: Skye makes his murder map… has an unsettling conversation with the British hotel guest across the street. Is he being watched?
(V) Mystery 3: What is Vero’s relationship with the British hotel guest?
(L) Villain’s Plan 2: Conversation with Skye. Tries to dissuade him from investigating the murder. Then plants a seed that there was someone else there that night. (She is “suspicious” of Skye—or is playing suspicious.)
(S) Mystery 4: Did Francesca’s son kill her? Skye interviews Franco.
(V) Life Threatening 3: Vero tries to get her abortion—plan is discovered by her brother. He is furious and dangerously angry.
(S) Mystery 5: What will Skye find in Francesca’s apartment? He befriends the carabinieri, who’s going to get him in—because Skye promised to collaborate with him on Flik.
(V) Life Threatening 4: Vero’s best friend abandons her, so she has to find a way to get to Milan on her own.
(S) Villain’s Plan 3: Skye’s Flik account gets cancelled. (Mystery: Who reported him?)
(L) Villain’s Plan 4: Lorna befriends the local carabinieri. Whispers some stuff into his ear about Skye.
(S) Life Threatening 5: The NOTE appears.
TURNING POINT 1: Someone is coming after Skye now: he can no longer deny it. Now he has to solve the case, because his life is on the line, too.
(S) Life Threatening 6: scalding shower/little things different in his room
(V) Life Threatening 7: V is attacked outside the abortion clinic.
(L) Villain’s Plan 5: Not sure… some sort of seemingly innocuous Lorna scene that we only fully understand later, after the reveal…
(S) Life Threatening 8: someone breaks into his apartment, blood, etc.
(V) Life Threatening 9: V tells William, expecting sympathy—gets cold fury. Scene with William’s wife.
(S) Mystery 6: Who is Lorna, really? Skye finds something in her apartment.
*MIDPOINT*: Major revelation: Lorna isn’t who she says she is. Or is this too early? Maybe Skye gets a lead and is sure it’s VERO? The lurking sister, hiding in the shadows? Then we get our red herring mystery…
(S) Life Threatening 10: Chase scene/crazed fan
(L) Villain’s Plan 6: Lorna with kids out in the world, doing something we can’t know what she’s doing yet but it’s some part of her plan.
(S) Life Threatening 11: Carabinieri bring Skye in for questioning—accuse him of having something to do with Francesca’s death.
(V) need a Vero scene here
(S) Life Threatening 12: carabinieri turns up dead?
TURNING POINT 2: Skye is captured, thrown into the catacombs to die.
(L) Villain’s Plan 7: She abducts Skye—uses her knowledge of the catacombs to lure him down there.
(S) Life Threatening 13: Skye is imprisoned in the catacombs beneath the nunnery.
(L) Villain’s Plan 8: She’s panicking… not sure what to do next…
(S) Life Threatening 14: Skye attempts an escape—and ALMOST succeeds. Is caught by Lorna.
(V) Mystery 6: Who was Francesca, really? And who was she to Lorna?
CLIMAX: The truth comes out about everything—Vero, Lorna. Or, well. The almost truth.
(W)
(V)
(L) Mystery 7: Did Lorna kill Francesca?
(S) Life Threatening 15: Skye understands everything now—including why Lorna has to kill him.
(C or K) MIDWESTERN MOM SAVES THE DAY
RESOLUTION: It wasn’t Lorna who killed Francesca. It was her daughter. And they’re going to get away with it, because… Skye will let them? But somehow Skye has to be emerge victorious. Maybe, if he gets his fame, that will be enough…
(S) I don’t know what happens here haha.
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OPENING: Lure us into the story and introduce the lead character in action.
Keith, who has a black eye, is out hunting with Jack and Gabe. They come across three boys in the woods. Jack, Gabe and Keith see the boys, but the boys don’t see them. When they do see them, it is too late (but we never see the actual murder)
Heather is home with her mother, Barbara, making food for The Harvest celebration. They are having a nice time. Barbara tells Heather she’s going to go take a shower and get ready, just then Heather hears someone trying to get into the house. Alarmed, she goes to the door and swings it open – it’s Keith, covered in blood. CUT TO: ANGEL OF FIRE (title)
Life Threatening Danger:
Keith is very close to Jack, he looks at him as a father figure that his dad never was, making things that much more difficult for him to understand and figure out.
Keith is trapped mentally by Jack and physically by his father.
Mystery 1: Who killed the three boys in the woods and why?
Villain Plan 1: Jack teaches a “Program” where he takes kids in the woods and teaches them life lessons. This is perceived to be especially helpful to Keith whose father is extremely abusive. He’s talking Keith and Gabe into possibly killing three boys in the woods in a ritualistic way. Jack is manipulating and blackmailing the boys.
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INCITING INCIDENT: An event that propels the Hero on the Journey.
Jack is giving a sermon and does a trick with fire that impresses his congregation. He tells the congregation that he’s chosen two special boys in particular to take under his wing that year, Gabe and Keith. Their families are beaming. From that point forward we know Keith and Gabe are tied to Jack, whether they like it or not.
Meanwhile, Jack’s father The Judge is out having drinks with Company men at a strip club.
Life Threatening Danger:
Keith is threatened with physical danger by his father Joseph, his sister’s teacher Laura, his preacher and mentor Jack, his friend Gabe, and the Sheriff Buck.
Keith is lured into a dangerous situation by Jack who is using him to advance his murderous plot.
Jack and The Judge have a literal artillery of weapons at their compound. Every weapon you can imagine, just short of a tank. Jack trains boys in The Program how to use weapons, so that they will do his bidding.
Mystery 2: What is Keith hiding? What is Jack hiding? Laura? Gabe?
Villain Plan 2: Jack uses his family’s wealth, his position as preacher and his perceived “generous nature” to gain entrance into any home or business in Black Maple. This allows Jack to learn everyone’s secrets and use them to create turmoil and division.
Villain Plan 3: Jack gives Keith and Gabe the robes and later the masks they will wear when they stalk people and participate in the Rituals.
Villain Plan 4: Jack pledges money and service to several local organizations, further endearing him to the townspeople.
Villain Plan 5: Jack and The Judge read over the Book of Azariah in a secret ceremony with the boys.
Villain Plan 6: Jack trains the boys in the woods on all kinds of weapons. He forces them to dig graves and threatens them.
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TURNING POINT 1: A major twist that locks the hero into the conflict. Point of no return.
The first Ritual ceremony we see, with Keith and Gabe offering sacrifices to Jack, taking drugs and alcohol and consummating the ritual with their entanglement with Laura.
When Jack mentions including Keith’s sister and not caring what Keith’s parents reaction would be Keith realizes his family is in danger.
Life Threatening Danger:
Keith is used by Jack to stalk and beat up his accusers, but then Keith is also stalked and threatened by masked men, Gabe and the Company men.
Jack convinces Keith and Gabe to kill for him. We don’t see who is doing it, but we know at least one of them is a murderer. This foreshadows Jack convincing Gabe to kill himself at the end – he’s killed this many people for Jack, what’s one more?
Keith is afraid of the unknown – he’s afraid of angering his father, but he’s even more afraid of losing Jack’s love and protection – the only real father figure he’s ever really known.
Keith feels threatened that the secret of his sex abuse by Jack and Laura could get out, ruining his reputation and publicly humiliating him in the small town of Black Maple, Arkansas.
Jack tells Keith many times to just stay loyal to him and everything will be ok, but it is hard for Keith to believe him since he’s making him do unspeakable things.
Gabe, Jack, The Judge and Laura are all operating covertly towards Keith, causing him to lose his grip on reality.
Keith’s mom, Barbara and sister Heather need to solve the mystery first.
Only Laura really wants Jack or The Judge dead, because their plan of manipulation has worked so well on everyone, including her – and she realizes it.
The only people who are suspicious of Jack and The Judge are Barbara, The Sheriff and the Assistant Reverend.
Mystery 3: Who is the serial killer doing all of the murders? Is it Keith, Gabe, Jack or someone else entirely?
Mystery 5: What is the purpose of the rituals Jack, Laura, and The Judge are performing?
Villain Plan: Jack and The Judge hold secret rituals with the boys in The Program. They use drugs, alcohol, and Laura to entice the boys into submission.
Villain Plan: Although we don’t see it on screen, it appears that some of the boys are committing murders for Jack and The Order. These sacrificial rituals serve two purposes – 1. They further The Judge’s plan of harvesting souls for The Transformation. 2. The rituals tighten the grip Jack has on everyone in The Order.
Villain Plan: The Ritual is for a man to go into the fire and be re-born and transformed. If the Ritual is performed correctly, the devil will transform the man in the fire into the Angel of Fire, to be free to do the devil’s business on earth.
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MIDPOINT: A major revelation. The opposition is 10 times worse than thought.
While following Jack, Keith and Gabe see Jack meeting with The Judge and members of The Company. There are planes, drugs, guns, and money. Keith and Gabe realize Jack’s family is 1,000 times more formidable than they had realized. How they respond to that information may be different though…
Meanwhile there is a boy accusing Jack of all kinds of horrific things. Jack must deal with the accuser.
Life Threatening Danger:
Keith talks about the danger, first with Gabe, then Laura, then Jack, then the Sheriff and finally his mother and sister.
Keith is in danger when he gets too close to the Judge’s plan with The Company.
Keith is asked by Jack to surveil and stalk people, yet he is also surveilled and stalked as well, by unknown to him, Gabe.
Jack tests Keith by asking him to betray his mother, father and sister over something that will embarrass them.
Mystery 4: What is the Company doing in Black Maple and why have they given the town over to the Judge?
Villain Plan: The Judge is doing a deal with The Company for a large amount of drugs/guns/money and it’s revealed that he is being treated like a pawn in The Company’s game. The Judge uses The Company’s protection to further his own quest for power.
Villain’s plan: The Judge gets the case file against Jack and dirt on the opposing side and uses it to blackmail and destroy his opposition. After he gets off, Jack instructs the boys to stalk and kill his accusers.
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TURNING POINT 2: Major setback. The lowest of the low.
The Sheriff is killed. After having been seen in an altercation with him earlier that night, Keith is accused of the crime and must go on the run. He seeks help from his mother and sister, but they are scared of him and ask him to turn himself in. When he tells them what’s been going on with Jack, they think he has lost his mind and is a homicidal maniac. Realizing his family won’t help him, Keith turns for protection to the only father figure he knows – Jack. Keith doesn’t realize it, but he has fallen completely into Jack’s trap and now there is no way out.
Life Threatening Danger:
Keith is in physical danger because many people think he is the murderer and he is at risk of the town’s revenge.
Keith is in physical danger from Gabe and Jack.
Keith is ultimately arrested for the murders of the townspeople and his family.
Keith’s reputation is damaged because the town thinks he’s a psychotic, drug addicted murderer. His father is increasingly abusive.
There is a chance that Keith’s relationship with his family or with Jack or both could end if he doesn’t play his cards right. Jack saves Keith from the townspeople and hides him, but Keith is unknowingly going from the frying pan into the fryer.
Keith is betrayed by Jack, Gabe and The Judge – who puts the order out to the cops to start the manhunt.
The Sheriff is trying to solve the mystery first until he is abruptly killed. (We like the Sheriff)
Mystery 6: Who is behind all of the mayhem in the town? Keith? Gabe? Jack? Laura? The Judge?
Villain’s Plan: When Barbara doesn’t know where else to go, she tells her Reverend. That man covers for Jack and tells Barbara to just pray about it.
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CLIMAX: The ultimate expression of the main conflict.
The Climax of the movie is the shocking murder of Keith’s mother, father and sister and Laura at the order of Jack and by Keith’s friend Gabe. This takes place within the Ritual for when Jack is to finally transform into the Angel of Fire. The ultimate climax of the movie is when Jack does the ritual and it works – he levitates off the ground, fully on fire and sprouting giant wings.
Life Threatening Danger:
Joe, Barbara and Heather are all in life threatening danger. As is Laura.
Villains Plan: Jack takes Keith and Gabe to kill Keith’s family.
Villains Plan: Even though they’ve had major opposition, Jack and The Judge go through with the Ritual as scheduled.
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RESOLUTION: The end of the journey in an emotionally satisfying way.
After the Ritual, Keith is charged with all of the murders, including those of his family. Jack visits Gabe and convinces him to kill himself. Jack now has power of his father The Judge, who he secretly hates and The Company, who his family has been indebted to for 80 years. Jack continues preaching and is planning on taking his show on the road.
Life Threatening Danger:
There is danger to Keith, Gabe, Keith’s extended family – aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents as well as the world at large with Jack on the loose as a spawn of Satan.
Mystery 7: Who Will Win?
Villain’s Plan: As designed, Keith takes the fall for all of the murders, including the Sheriff and his family.
Villain’s Plan: Jack’s corpse is not found… because he didn’t die.
Villain’s Plan: The Judge sends Gabe to the insane asylum.
Villain’s Plan: Jack convinces Gabe to kill one last time for him – for Gabe to kill himself.
Villain’s Plan: Jack keeps on truckin’, moving to a bigger city.
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Pat’s Thriller Plot
What I learned is my MIS scenes are coming together. Very enjoyable to see things working.
OPENING:
1. Life threatening:
Two young boys walking near their home come upon three bodies in a dump
area. They are so scared they run home to tell their parents.2. INCITING INCIDENT: TERRY, brother of one of the
victims, having a drink in a bar. Gets the news “His brothers are missing.”3.Intrigue: The detectives interview the main suspect – John
George. He is belligerent with the detective.4 Neighbors around the area give John
George a bad name.What do the neighbors know?
5.Mystery Mr.
Favors offers food to the searchers.to appear to be a nice guy.6. Mystery:
Detective finds blood in John George’s truck and calls Terry to tell him things aren’t good.7. The three men are found at the dump and notified the family.
TURNING POINT 1
8. Terry, brother, realizing that he must find his brothers killer.
Intrigue Terry gets angry with one of John George’s sons.
9. Mystery That night,
the son ends up dead in his car<b 9. style=”background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>9 Life Threatening: John George angry about his son comes to look for
Terry.10.Suspense: Detective
finds out John George has served time in prison.11 Life threatening:
Terry gets a threatening call. The caller threatens to kill him if he doesn’t get off the case.Mystery: Who was the caller?
MIDPOINT.
13. VILLAIN’S PLAN: John George is shot and almost killed.
Why would someone shoot John George?
13.Mystery: The
detective and Terry are run off the road by a black sedan.Who was in the car that run
them off road?Who ran them off the road?
TURNING POINT 2:
15.Suspense: Terry gets a tip that the ATVS may
be in Mr. Favors storage shed and is almost killed when he comes across
Favors near there.
Who called in the tip?16.CLIMAX: The ATVS were found in the storage shed. Mr. Favors was arrested.
17. RESOLUTION: Terry’s family got some closure. John George was released from the hospital.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by Pat GALBRAITH Galbraith.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by Pat GALBRAITH Galbraith.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by Pat GALBRAITH Galbraith.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by Pat GALBRAITH Galbraith.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by
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Budinscak’s Thriller Plot – Day 8
What I learned Doing This Assignment:
o Great tool to keep your thoughts in order and get them on the page.
o I am horrible with outlines – and I’m really looking forward to the next few days.
o Getting the essence of your story on paper, flesh it out, build it up – and I haven’t written one word of the script.
1. List out your structure using whatever structure you are comfortable with.
Three Act Structure
2. What other potential dangers could your hero experience as they try
Inside your structure, fill in the gaps with the Life Threatening situations, Mysteries and the Villain’s plan.
OPENING: Lure us into the story and introduces the lead character in action.
A bruised, exhausted Vicki collapses at the feet of a robotic animal.
Mystery #1 – Are aliens real?
– What’s the source of UFO sightings?
– Sightings have occurred the past few weeks
– Videos on the internet
Villain’s Plan #1 – Ensure the project operates in anonymity.
INCITING INCIDENT: An event that propels the Hero on the Journey.
Was that a UFO? Driving home, Vicki crashes her jeep interacting with a flying object.
Mystery #2 – Flashing Lights in the sky
LT #1 – Vicki momentarily blinded by light from flying object.
LT #2 – Spooked deer flee into the road, Vicki crashes jeep avoiding.
Mystery #3 – Systems affected
– Cell phone doesn’t work
– Car computer systems malfunction
LT #3 – Vicki chased by wolves.
Mystery # 4 – Aberrant animal behavior
– Unnatural sounds
Villain’s Plan – #2 – Shut the project down and make it disappear in 24 hours.
Villain’s Plan #3 – Dispose of all unwanted equipment.
– Moved to area of deepest shaft
– Explosive device wired.
TURNING POINT 1: A major twist that locks the hero into the conflict. Point of no return.
Vicki watches a drone fly into an abandoned mine shaft – and follows.
Mystery #5 – Who is piloting the drone?’
– Who/what is in the abandoned mine?
LT #4 – Vicki climbs down a rotted ladder, it breaks and she’s barely able to hang on.
Mystery #6 – Who are these men?
– Why are they chasing Vicki?
– Why are they firing at her?
LT #5 – Vicki evades an armed security team pursuing her.
Mystery #7 – The Commander – who is this pesky intruder?
– Who is she?
– Who sent her?
– Why is she here?
– Is this the one who escaped detection/security?
Villain Plan #4 – Assess all witnesses
– Captured campers
– Disgruntled employees
– Forest Ranger
MIDPOINT: A major revelation. The opposition is 10 times worse than thought.
Vicki finds prisoners – people and animals in cages.
Mystery #8 – Why are there prisoners?
– Why are these people (campers) locked up?
– Why are animals in cages?
Mystery #9 – Who/what would do this and why?
LT #6 – Shocked to find prisoners. Vicki can only free one before her pursuers. They escape.
LT #7 – The pursuers fire and the camper is killed/wounded.
LT #8 – Fleeing down a tunnel, Vicki can’t quite make the leap and tumbles down a hole and is hurt.
LT #9 – A bruised, exhausted Vicki collapses at the feet of a robotic animal.
Mystery #9 – Who is responsible for this operation?
– Vicki meets the man in charge, the Commander.
LT #10 – Vicki is brutally interrogated by the Commander.
LT #11 – A sympathetic techie allows Vicki to escape. The Commander shoots the techie on the spot.
Villain Plan #5 – Dispose all witnesses
TURNING POINT 2: Major setback. The lowest of the low.
Vicki’s is shot and seriously wounded.
LT #12 – LT frees the rest of the campers under fire.
LT #13 – Vicki releases all the caged animals.
Mystery #10 – What is it about the exotic cat?
LT #14 – As security approaches, Vicki wraps herself around the exotic cat to protect – and Vicki’s shot.
Villain Plan #6 – Time to wrap it up and make it disappear.
CLIMAX: The ultimate expression of the main conflict.
Aliens are real! The new iteration Vicki makes the Commander disappear.
LT #15 – The alien restores Vicki’s life with a few modifications.
Mystery #11 – What makes Vicki different?
– Will there be differences?
– Will they be easy to decipher?
Mystery #12 – What will this iteration of Vicki do to the Commander?
– Vicki approves aliens taking the Commander and the rest of his team with them – make them disappear.
RESOLUTION: The end of the journey in an emotionally satisfying way.
The escaped campers tell a story of Forest Ranger Vicki.
Mystery #13 – What happened to Vicki?
– Her life was restored – her flesh as well as her spirit. She is one ‘person’, but easily exists as two separate ‘people’/entities.
– Her physical self has been altered – aged, wiser yet with a younger walk.
– Known as the animal’s friend who’s always watching.
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THRILLER ASSIGNMENT DAY 8
Alfred’s Thriller Plot!
What I learned doing this assignment is:
1. Setting up the plot is very necessary. The crunch of raw data, even for just Act 1 was overpowering, and I had a hard time trying to unscramble it.
2. The only way to do that is to have a rock-solid outline. With this level of complexity, I found the Mini Movie Method (MMM), with its 8 Steps unusually appropriate.
3. This is amazingly fun! I think I could already write a competent Act 1. I look forward to what comes next. I think I have a structure I can continue to work on as I did for the Action Genera Class. I expanded my structure/outline and wrote a quarterfinalist first draft script: “Stones of Fire.” It needs a rewrite, but time will sharpen my focus.
4. These focused courses are dynamite. All I have to do is light the fuse. The course on Scenes is what put the Scriptapalooza Finalist script, “Why,” over the top.
List out your structure using whatever structure you are comfortable with.
Dramatica/MMM/modified 3-ACT: Four-acts = eight Steps (two Steps per Act – per the MMMethod). The 3-ACT, second ACTS IIa and IIb simply become similar to Dramatica Acts 2 and 3. Four Acts, to me, seem the most direct and useable and works with MMM and Dramatica. Each MMM Step, in a typical script, is between 13 and 14 pages (easy enough to wrap one’s mind around) and yields about 110 pages.
ACT 1 – STEP 1 — STATUS QUO.
OPENING/CALL TO ADVENTURE: (STATUS QUO/HERO RELUCTANT)
Life threatening 1 — Mutilated dead bodies in a mountainous wilderness
Life threatening 2 — Russell, despite Spencer’s objections, set off to assess the rumors
Intrigue – Because of Aliens, mystical creatures? The true believers are scared
Mystery 1 – who or what thing or things did this?
Mystery 2 – Why the mutilations?
Mystery 3 – The bodies are mutilated, but they show overt signs of weapons
Villain’s plan 1 — To try and influence everyone into believing it’s wild animals.
INCITING INCIDENT/DRIVER: (HERO MUST FIND AN ANSWER/SOLUTION)
Life threatening – Spencer is raising questions
Life threatening – Spencer’s life may be on the line if he doesn’t quit.
Mystery 4 — Why is Russell being so adamant? Why did he go to all the trouble to get Spencer go with him if he now wants him to quit?
Mystery 5 – With the bodies turned over to the coroner, why is Spencer instructed to abandon the investigation.
ACT 1 –STEP 2
Mysteries begin to evolve:
6 The coroner: The coroner’s assessment is dubious about the cause of death and Russel’s theory.
7 The fenced off area: Spencer begins to think it’s odd.
8 The lodge owner: Spencer begins to question her mental state.
9 The lodge owner’s dogs: They are huge and definitely not people friendly.
10 The earthquake: Its epicenter was approximately in the fenced-off area.
11 The pack stations: The one closest to the possible crime scene is near the lodge.
Villain’s plan 2 – To try and keep Spencer quiet – get Spencer to quit asking questions that might expose him
TURNING POINT 1 – Spencer begins suspects the lodge owner’s dogs and a coverup
Life threatening – Will she try to quiet Spencer if/when she suspects “he knows.”
Mystery –What is going on in Russel’s head? He seemed to champion the wild animals idea.
Villain’s plan – to milk Spencer’s belief that it was the lodge owner and her dogs.
ACT 2 – STEP 3
ETC
MIDPOINT TWIST: (THE EYE OPENER) – Spencer now begins to suspect Russell
ACT 3 – STEP 5
TURNING POINT 2: (THE BATTLE SEEMS LOST) – (THE ANTAGONIST/VILLAIN APPEARS TO HAVE VANQUISHED THE HERO)
Life threatening – literally takes on a new meaning as Spencer struggles to stay alive.
Mystery – Will Spencer make it?
Villain’s plan – to kill Spencer and default to putting the suspicion back on the lodge owner.
ACT4 – STEP 7
CRISIS: PROTAGONIST (HERO) AND ANTAGONIST (VILLAIN) MEET FACE TO FACE)
Life threatening – This has literally become a life and death battle.
Mystery – Who will survive?
Villain’s plan – To stay alive by vanquishing Spencer.
ACT4 – STEP 8
CLIMAX: (FINAL CONFLICT –ONE MUST EMERGE A WINNER)
RESOLUTION-/-DENOUMENT: (NEW STATUS QUO)
Inside your structure, fill in the gaps with the Life Threatening situations, Mysteries, and Villain’s plan. Do this one at a time. That will keep you from getting confused.
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Mary Emmick’s Thriller Plot!
What I learned is that listing out the structure and filling in the gaps with Life Threatening situations, Mysteries and the Villain’s plan helps to create a compelling thriller. By the time I have done these steps, I will have a plot that works.
1. List out your structure using whatever structure you are comfortable with.
Opening – Car wash explodes after Katie has driven out of it.
Life Threatening: Is someone trying to kill her?
Mystery: Who is it and why is she a target?
Inciting Incident – Katie’s friend Natasha from the Morluvian Immigrant Assistance Center (MIAC) disappears. Katie sets out to find her.
Life Threatening: Katie realizes that she and her friend Natasha are targets.
Mystery: Before Natasha’s disappearance, she told Katie that her brother Antony Petrov was imprisoned in a Tajerkistani prison by Tajerkistani President Igor Stepanov.
Villain’s Plan: The villains consist of a ruthless cabal of billionaire individuals: Igor Stepanov, President of Tajerkistan who is threatened by Antony Petrov, social disrupter and critic of Stepanov; Igor’s advisors, Stan and Sergei; Aaron Stench, Oil company magnate and new owner of social media company…his goal: to control all social media and shut down the free press and the internet; Gordon Grimes, owner of FACT NEWS, an international news conglomerate that deals in propaganda which promotes the ultra-wealthy class and whose goal is control all television broadcasting worldwide; Morluvian woman, Olga Novikov, the new manager of Morluvian Immigrant Assistance Center, an operative who works for Igor Stepanov; her assistant, Victor Ivanova.
Turning Point I – Jack Green (Katie’s husband) who works in security as a software engineer at UnisoftNW is working one night at home trying to fight off the attacks of hackers on the system when their power and internet goes down.
Life Threatening 1: Their power and internet go down.
Life Threatening 2: They grab their granddaughter who they are babysitting and drive to his company and a car chase ensues.
Life Threatening 3: Someone breaks into the Green’s house that night when they are gone. They rifle through their computer and make a mess of the office. They see the pirated Disney Dumbo video as well as a few other old VHS tapes and take them.
Life Threatening 4: Later that week police show up and press charges for pirating VHS movies. They are fined for 8 pirated VHS tapes at $500 a pop it comes to $4,000.
Mystery: Who is targeting them?
Villain’s Plan: Igor Stepanov, Aaron Stench, Gordon Grimes and the rest of the cabal are coordinating to take down UnisoftNW in the final course of action to control the internet as well as all social media, press, and television worldwide in order to control the world. Their goal: a kleptocracy.
Midpoint – Katie and Natasha are at an outdoor café, and a car races towards them at high speed. Someone is trying to kill them both.
Life Threatening: A car is attempting to kill them.
Mystery: Who is doing this to them? What do these people want?
Villain’s Plan: Because Natasha is in communication with the Morluvian resistance, the cabal fear she is a threat to their power. Katie’s husband Jack is fending off threats to take down the internet and run it deviously for the cabal’s selfish and devious ends.
Turning Point II – In lab room Katie is getting her flu shot and Covid booster.
Life Threatening: a lab technician attempts to kill her with a lethal injection.
Mystery: Who is this?
Villain’s Plan: If Katie is killed, they can stop her support of her husband Jack and her friend Natasha.
Climax – At garden tour of Lake Washington mansion, the gardener whisks Katie away into his car; he informs her that someone is trying to kill her.
Life Threatening: Someone tries to assassinate Katie.
Mystery: Who is the gardener who whisks her away in his car?
Villain’s Plan: The cabal sends an assassin to the garden to kill Katie.
Resolution – At the Morluvian charity luncheon Katie saves Natasha from being poisoned by Olga Novikov by switching glasses. Olga drinks the beverage and passes out, later dying in an ambulance. With Olga gone, Natasha and Katie are able to learn from Katherine Volodko, an undercover CIA spy posing as the insufferable Moluvian immigrant, how to break into the passcode of the cabal that is set to take over the world and they expose this plan to take over the world to the president, the press and world leaders.
Disaster is averted. Natasha’s brother escapes from the Tajerkistani prison and leads an uprising that overthrows the corrupt government led by President Igor Stepanov. Others in the cabal are exposed as criminals: Aaron Stench’s takeover of the social media company is a bust and he goes bankrupt. Gordon Grime’s international television empire falls to the lowest ratings ever and everyone considers Gordon and his media empire a laughingstock. In the next election the Justice party wins and democracy survives.
Resolution – Disaster is averted.
Life Threatening: At the Morluvian charity luncheon Katie sees in the mirror Olga Novikov switching her beverage glass on the table with Natasha’s glass. Katie has Natasha district Olga and Katie switches glasses. Olga later drinks the beverage and passes out, later dying in an ambulance.
Mystery: Why is Olga doing this? Is she trying to kill Natasha?
Villain’s Plan 1: With Olga out of the picture, Natasha and Katie learn from Katherine Volodko, an undercover CIA spy posing as the insufferable Morluvian immigrant, how to break into Olga’s computer and access the passcode of the cabal that is set to take over the world.
Villain’s Plan 2: They expose this diabolical plan to take over the world to the president, the press, and the world.
Villain’s Plan 3: Natasha’s brother escapes from the Tajerkistani prison and leads an uprising that overthrows the corrupt government lead by President Igor Stepanov. Others in the cabal are exposed as criminals: Aaron Stench’s takeover of the social media company goes to pot and he is bankrupt; Gordon Grime’s international television empire falls to the lowest ratings ever and everyone considers Gordan and his media empire a laughingstock. In the next election the Justice Party wins and democracy and freedom survive.
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