Lesson 1

[Lee Tidball]

What I learned doing this lesson is the importance of using the concept model to make sure that we know why the hero goes on the journey, as well what the journey is.

CONCEPT

In 1846 when successful businessman James Reed suddenly faces bankruptcy, he and friend George Donner and their families leave Springfield, Illinois and travel by covered wagon west seeking a new life in California. They are, however, duped by an unscrupulous adventurer into following a new route, a “short cut” that turns their epic journey into an epic nightmare. Based on the book “All We Left Behind: Virginia Reed and the Donner Party” by Nancy Herman, an Independent Press Awards Winner.

THE WORLD OF THIS SHOW – The wagon train journey of emigrants bound for Oregon and California in the 1840s.

• Unique Sub-World: The Hastings Cut-off (short cut)
• Previously unexplored: The hardships of blazing a trail that didn’t exist before.
• The unknown: What the country is like ahead—and how long it will take to cross it.
• The unseen: Natives who love to harass emigrants, emotions and conflicts that come with prolonged stress.
• Unheard of dangers: Crossing deserts of salt, being trapped by unimaginable amounts of snow in the mountains.
• Reason to explore it: Reed is desperate to get to California before others to ensure his family’s prosperity and also enhance his prestige and chances of becoming a leader there.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by  Lee Tidball. Reason: To add the source book that I've optioned and its distinction to increase credibility of the concept

[Barbe LaPierre]

Barbe’s Intriguing Concept and World

What I learned doing this assignment is that this approach is a great way to ID the most intriguing aspects of the story.

1. Concept:

• A. Engaging and highly proactive hero…Noren Amsala, a 24th Century Elon Musk with an interplanetary empire…

• B. …up against a major conflict…fighting an emerging syndicate, led by his boyhood “friend” Vosskara Slyth…

• C. …goes on unique transformational journey…learns that he has a grown son – somewhere – out there…

• D. …Into an intriguing world… begins the quest to find his son and defend his empire…

2. World:

• Unique Sub-World: The growing inter-planetary syndicate.

• Previously unexplored: In order to find his son, Noren must follow clues left in ancient artifacts and ruins deciphered by archaeologist wife, Nika.

• The unknown: “Hidden within the labyrinthine asteroid belt known as the Black Rift, a secret enclave serves as the clandestine headquarters for the growing inter-planetary syndicate.

• The unseen: Competing loyalties – Which side is A’Lyx on?

• Unheard of Dangers: Agents of the syndicate hiding in plain sight.

• Reason to explore it: Noren and Nika must enter the world of the Black Rift to protect their world, his empire and to find and save his son.

[Art Blum]

What I learned doing this assignment is that when I explained the story this way it seems very linear and clearer to me. I don’t feel so much like I’m going off in a million different directions. It’s coming together.

Engaging and highly proactive hero: Ryan Gordon, a remarkable teenager with the extraordinary ability to channel spirits wants is to be a normal teen…

Up against a major conflict: On the run from Hermes, a clandestine government agency seeking to exploit his unique talents.

Goes on a unique transformational journey. Forced to comply with Hermes when they kidnap his fellow classmates and take them to….

An intriguing world: a barren wilderness area in Alaska to use them in a deadly experiment.

The Unknown: Before Ryan will help he must learn the intent of the alien spirits he is to channel into the receptors, the bodies of his fellow classmates.

The unseen: This leads him to the shocking discovery that they’re not aliens at all but spirits of children lost in the purgatory of a doomed Hermes experiment done decades ago.

Unheard of dangers: The spirits of the children desperately want Ryan to save them. The classmates desperately want Ryan to save them. It’s an impossible choice. If he saves the spirits, his classmates die. If he saves his classmates, the spirits are left in a tortured limbo state.

Reason to explore it: The show introduces an unprecedented layer of moral complexity, forcing characters and viewers alike to question the boundaries of sacrifice and the consequences of wielding such extraordinary powers.

[Deanne]

Deanne’s Intriguing Concept and World

What I learned doing this assignment = focus on the central concept

My concept does not follow the pattern that focuses on the intriguing protagonist. It focuses instead on the central conflict. The six sub-headings of the show’s world all deal with that.

[Adite Banerjie]

Adite’s Intriguing Concept and World

What I learned: Breaking down the components of my story clarifies and strengthens the main conflict and helps me fine tune the intriguing elements.

1. Present your Concept.

· A. A meticulous banker and devoted single mom

· B. …when her daughter is abducted and her professional credibility is ruined

· C. …allies with hackers and corrupt businessmen

· D. …to infiltrate the dangerous world of criminal hacktivists who are bent on destroying the banking system.

Hook 1: What if a bank executive’s fund transfer to a criminal group is not an error but a cyber attack?

Hook 2: The fund transfer and the abduction of the bank executive’s daughter are synchronized. Can the executive save the banking system and rescue her kid?

2. Tell us the World of this show.

· Unique Sub-World: Cryptocurrency/cyber hacking

· Previously unexplored: the secretive world of high-finance deals

· The unknown: how cyber-mercenaries operate

· The unseen: the modus operandi of tech-savvy kidnappers; infiltrating their camp.

· Unheard of Dangers: endangering the lives of the kidnapped; imprisoned for illegal transactions

· Reason to explore it: save a loved one and save the banking system.

[Phyllis Strong]

Phyllis’ Intriguing Concept and World

I learned from this assignment that the sub-categories of the world really helped me define my intriguing sub-world.

Concept

· Aged, rich individuals transfer consciousness to young, brain-dead hosts

· … in hopes of getting a second chance at life

· … but the procedure is experimental

· … leading to unexpected physiological effects and complications.

Hook 1: What if you were old and could afford to transfer your consciousness into a young body with an untested procedure?

Hook 2: How will four wealthy, elderly test subjects fare when they transfer their consciousnesses to young, brain-dead hosts?

World

· The Silicon Valley Tech Industry

· … home of futuristic breakthroughs

· … through the experience of eager test subjects

· … as they discover unexpected fallout from the experiment.

Unique Sub-World: The wild-west of cutting-edge technology

Previously Unexplored: The lives of the test subjects.

The Unknown: How the world and the families of the hosts react.

The Unseen: Defense Dept Conspiracy, Reporter Investigation

Unheard of Dangers: The side-effects of the experiment.

Reason to Explore It: Second chance at life

World: The wild-west of cutting-edge technology, where extraordinary breakthroughs can change lives, but the costs are high and unpredictable.

[Eclipse Neilson]

Eclipse Neilson Intriguing Concept and World

“What I learned doing this assignment is to start with simple ideas and explore possibilities using AI then add your personal touch again and explore the core of your concept..

1. Present your Concept.

• A. Engaging and highly proactive hero…Robyn Stir -a war orphan -autistic genious sent by the Council of the Universal Beings to help find the heart of humanity.
• B. up against a major conflict Robyn befriends theThe Old One – OM Ma the guardian in her adopted family’s forest and realizes that saving the planet is the key to humanity’s salvation but quickly realizes that Water Burdock, a money-hungry and ruthless businessman is ready to buy and destroy her beloved forest and perhaps the world.
• C. …goes on unique transformational journey…Om Ma with the help of the Council of Universal beings and her kind adopted father teach Robyn the many ways her secret powers will reach others and ultimately find the heart of humanity.
• D. …Into an intriguing world. Mystical forest beings, universal concepts ,dream worlds of good and evil and the unique mind of a traumatized war orphan, who happens to be a genious.

2. Tell us the World of this show.

• Unique Sub-World: magical teachings of the forest, universe and time portals.
• Previously unexplored: The concepts of the connection between the forest, the universe, time portals and the soul of humanity.
• The unknown:Will Robyn find a way to rescue her beloved Om Ma and her forest and the heart of humanity.
• The unseen: The other realm’s part in the battle symbolized by the patterns of nature-Hidden dangers lurk in the form of greed and the dark secrets within Walter Burdock’s traumatized mind, adding an unseen layer of complexity to the storyline.
• Unheard of Dangers:Greed and dark secrets of Walter Burdock’s crazy traumatized mind and the evil ghosts of humanity.
• Reason to explore it:Will Burdock(evil) win and destroy the forest (the vulnerable)or will Robyn accomplish her first mission as a warrior to save the heart and soul of humanity.

[Renee Miller]

Renee’s Intriguing Concept and World

What I learned doing this assignment is how to look for the most intriguing aspects of my concept.

1. Concept

A. a skeptical journalist investigates the truth behind a cult’s malevolent claims. . .

B. … confronting the cult’s dark forces, and exposing the ancient horrors…

C. …that transforms her into a determined journalist, facing unimaginable terrors that reshape her world…

D. … as she delves further into a haunting realm and historical tapestry where cult escapees grapple with psychological scars from ancient rituals, civilizations and the evolution of a malevolent cult.

2. Tell us the World of this show.

Unique Sub-World: a group of former cult members, who escaped but are haunted by the horrors they witnessed, willing to share their stories as the characters explore the cult’s history, tracing its roots back to ancient civilizations and uncovering its evolution.

Previously unexplored: The malevolent beings the cult is communing with have a history intertwined with civilizations dating back centuries, creating a rich tapestry of forgotten lore waiting to be unraveled.

The unknown: The origins of the cult’s dark practices are shrouded in mystery. What ancient texts and artifacts do they possess, and what secrets lie within?

The unseen: Within the shadows of the cult’s ceremonies lurk not only the malevolent entities but also a faction within the cult with its own agenda.

Unheard of Dangers: As Veronica digs deeper, she uncovers a hidden threat that could unleash a force capable of transcending the boundaries between the earthly and the ethereal. The cult’s rituals were just the beginning; a greater, more perilous plan is set in motion, and Veronica must race against time to prevent it.

Reason to explore it: The uncharted world holds the key to preventing a cataclysmic event that could plunge the entire world into darkness.

[Sunil Pappu]

Sunil Pappu’s Intriguing Concept and World

“What I learned doing this assignment is…that the intriguing concept must have unique hooks that can instantly sell the show and the unique world must be relevant to answer the question ‘why now?’”

Intriguing Concept and World

1. Concept:

• A. A rookie RAW agent joins a crew of international thieves…

• B. …to penetrate an underground banking network (Hawala) operation…

• C. …to retrieve a coveted ledger that can upend governments and…

• D. …bring the financial world to its knees.

New Concept: A rookie RAW agent joins a crew of international thieves to penetrate an underground banking network to retrieve a ledger that can crash the financial world.

HOOK 1: How do you infiltrate a dangerous network that operates outside the regular financial system to find a secret ledger that can crash the world’s economies?

HOOK 2: What will it take for a crew of international thieves to retrieve a coveted ledger which can topple governments and crash the financial world?

HOOK 3: How do you steal a mythical ledger from an organization that operates illegally outside the financial system without leaving paper trails?

HOOK 4: What would happen if a suspended RAW agent recruits a rookie math whiz to join his crew of international thieves on an unsanctioned op to retrieve a secret ledger by penetrating the illegal financial world of Hawala?

HOOK 5: Why would a math whiz leave college to join a crew of international thieves on a dangerous unsanctioned op into the underground banking network called Hawala?

HOOK 6: What if Mr Robot meets Money Heist?

2. World: Unregulated Finance

• Unique Sub-World: Hawala Network

• Previously unexplored: Espionage, Black market, Ghost nodes, the art of disguise, time-sensitive transactions, pattern recognition, cryptanalysis.

• The unknown: How terrorists use the Hawala to fund their attacks? What form does it take in the digital world?

• The Unseen: Who are the players in the Hawala network and how far does it go?

• Unheard of Dangers: terrorism financing, money laundering, cybercrimes

• Reason to explore it: Hawala network was even used to fund the Hamas wars, joining hands with cryptocurrency the Hawala form of remittance is now a cybercrime epidemic in the financial sector.

[Richard Morell]

Richard’s Intriguing Concept and World

What I learned from this assignment is that AI can help me take my initial concept and make it sound so much more exciting and intriguing. I did have the experience once of putting my bio through AI and watching it come up with something that rather makes me look more enticing to others. I am happy to see how AI has reformulated the concept such that the basic concept sounds different but similar to other shows out there. This is the first time as well, that AI acknowledged the “small town with a big secret” trope that will form the essential basis for the show.

Engaging and highly proactive hero or group: A group of environmentally-aware and disaffected urban LGBTQ professionals

… up against a major conflict… who act from climate change acceptance despite the near-universal desire to deny its existence…

… goes on unique transformational journey… relocate to Skaneta, Michigan, a seemingly progressive small town and confront both a stubborn and shady mayor and that a mysterious power which magnetized the group to relocate there…

… into an intriguing world… and begin the work to transform Skanekta to weather the upcoming storms against the Mayor’s wishes and initially fighting the power but then learning to work with it and understand what it needs.

Hook 1: Someone is facing climate change and doing something about it, however misguided it might seem. This bumps up against the power structure in the town with Skanekta’s Mayor and his allies (many of whom are LGBT) still push the status quo.

Hook 2: Skanekta ha a vast history of magical protection and power and has drawn these people to the town… for what purpose?

Hook 3: The story will interweave the supernatural underpinnings with the threat of climate change in unexpected and novel ways.

Unique Sub-World: A small town where LGBTQ+ folks and magic practitioners are welcome

Previously unexplored: More LGTBQ folks live in big cities. Small Towns have a reputation of being closed-minded.

The unknown: The history and mindset of Skanekta would have to be different in significant ways from most other small towns. The dysfunctions would also be rather unusual.

The unseen: The power holding the town together is unseen. The Mayor’s plans are also hidden behind his tailored façade.

Unheard of Dangers: The town’s power has a mind of its own, and our transplants will learn the hard way what it’s don’t-cross lines are.

Reason to explore it: The thing that unites the characters is the acceptance that climate change is a foregone conclusion, and the power of the town seems to want them there. That is a mystery well worth unraveling.

Ideas for Increased Intrigue:

Mystery: Deepen the “unknown force” concept, leaving clues hinting at its nature and purpose.

Character Twists: Reveal hidden agendas or unsettling abilities possessed by seemingly ordinary townsfolk.

Supernatural Threat: Introduce a tangible supernatural element directly tied to the town’s secret.

Environmental Integration: Weave climate change’s impact into the supernatural element, creating a unique narrative thread.

LGBTQ+ Representation: Explore the town’s secret through the lens of its LGBTQ+ characters, offering a deeper commentary on societal acceptance and hidden prejudices.

Rewrite for TV Producer Appeal:

Logline: In Skanekta, Michigan, a town built on a dark secret, a group of urban transplants seeking a fresh start stumble upon a supernatural force that binds them to its fate and compels them to confront the unsettling reality beneath the idyllic facade.

Keywords: Climate Change, LGBTQ+, Supernatural, Mystery, Hidden Agenda, Urban vs. Rural, Midwestern Setting

Target Audience: This series targets young adults and millennials (under 45) experiencing anxieties about the future, drawn to the show’s exploration of climate change, societal issues, and the search for belonging in a world teetering on the brink of change.

Unique Selling Points:

Combines timely themes like climate change and LGBTQ+ representation with a captivating supernatural mystery.

Offers a fresh perspective on the “small town with a secret” trope through diverse characters and current social anxieties.

Creates a chilling and thought-provoking viewing experience that resonates with the target audience’s fears and aspirations.

[Abdul Rahim]

Abdul Rahim Intriguing Concept and World

1. Concept

• A. Engaging and highly proactive hero or group…Alex has the Methuselah Gene and has to find its connection to his inherited Cafe.
• B. …up against a major conflict…that he will ultimately out live his family and friends
• C. …goes on unique transformational journey…Learns that the Gene can be turned on and off
• D. …Into an intriguing world. within the mysterious walls of the Cafe.

1. World

Unique Sub-World: Inside the mysterious four walls of the Cafe.

Previously unexplored: The connection between Methuselah Gene, the cafe,

history and inheritance.

The unknown: will fear keep Alex from connecting his past to his future

The unseen: How the gene is effected, the experiment performed on him and

who’s behind it all.

Unheard of dangers: While operating his inherited cafe Alex uncovers a

hidden room, letters from his grandmother dated two hundred years ago

and who’s responsible for his grandfather’s disappearance.

Reason to explore it: To find the truth about who he really is and what the

cafe represents.

[Margaret]

Margaret’s Intriguing Concept and World

What I learned doing this assignment is?

That there are two “echoes” in this story, physical and faith-based, and that the story can be used to teach a lesson from history, so we don’t repeat the race wars past generations have embraced.

1. Concept.Transported to an alien planet, a mild-mannered man relives Masada’s historic siege through echoes, tasked with altering its outcome to save a warring nation from impending annihilation.

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[Janeen Johnson]

Janeen’s Intriguing Concept and World

What I learned doing the assignment is that I prefer my concept and AI’s intriguing world (with my own edits). Repeated requests and clarifications can get me much better results.

1. Present your Concept.

• A. Engaging and highly proactive hero or group…Ambitious people in a small town start a manufacturing side hustle
• B. …up against a major conflict…Each ingenious prototype is beaten to market by a state university’s think tank
• C. …goes on unique transformational journey…as they struggle to find who is leaking their inventions
• D. …Into an intriguing world… Suspicion and secrets abound in this small town.

2. Tell us the Intriguing World of this show.

• Unique Sub-World: A 1000 person town in rural lowa
• Previously unexplored: A small town that is diverse in politics, faiths, wealth, skills, and trust
• The unknown: What is each of the characters hiding in their background that makes them a possible leak
• The unseen: Who is the mastermind stealing their ideas?
• Unheard of Dangers: How did the car accident happen that killed Zane’s parents and left Arianna’s husband handicapped?
• Reason to explore it: People in small towns have to get along to survive while in cities, they can lead separate lives. that’s not possible in a truly small town

My concept: An ambitious team in a small rural community build a side hustle manufacturing business, but when each ingenious prototype is beaten to market by a state university’s think tank, suspicion and secrets abound.

My Intriguing World: Lives are intertwined and everyone is familiar in this thousand person community that pulls together to survive, yet tears each other apart. The populace manages to pack in colliding diversity across political lines, faiths, jobs, honesty, and dispositions.

AI’s results:

Concept (24 words):

When their promising prototypes are suspiciously scooped by the university, the solidarity of one tight-knit rural community unravels amid accusations, damaging secrets, and questions around the tragic fate of two fallen locals.

Intriguing World:

In this isolated farm town of 1,000, familiarity breeds distrust as simmering rifts in politics, faith and class stir suspicion that neighborly bonds hide damaging secrets. Two locals killed and one disabled in a mysterious crash make townsfolk question who they can trust, just as the team building clever inventions has their dreams destroyed as each invention is scooped by a state university’s think tank. This forces lifelong acquaintances to confront whether the unity binding them also enables a hidden saboteur bent on seeing them fail.

[Patrick Malone]

Patrick’s Intriguing Concept and World

I learned to be more precise and to the point in summarizing the concept and intriguing world,

1. Concept:

A. Engaging and highly proactive hero or group…

Local Floridians search the dangerous Dead Lakes for Confederate gold

lost during the Civil War.

B. up against a major conflict…

They encounter a rival group from the North also on the search.

C. goes on unique transformational journey…

The gold could elevate their lives or completely destroy them.

D. Into an intriguing world.

The gold is protected by the monster Amaruga and an immortal

Confederate soldier.

2. Intriguing World:

Unique Sub-World: The deep forests and swamps of the Dead Lakes of northern Florida, where the Amaruga, a mysterious and ancient creature, guards the lost Confederate gold. This sub-world is filled with ancient ruins, secret passages, and clues that lead the characters deeper into the heart of the forest.

Previously Unexplored: This hidden world has remained untouched for centuries, shielded by both natural barriers and the supernatural presence of the Amaruga. The characters will discover forgotten Confederate and Union campsites, remnants of the Civil War that have been concealed from the eyes of historians and treasure hunters.

The Unknown: The true nature of the mysterious Amaruga monster. The searchers uncover ancient rituals, Native American legends, and the true purpose of the creature in guarding the lost gold.

The Unseen: The spectral remnants of the Civil War, such as phantom Civil War soldiers. The characters must navigate through these supernatural elements while contending with the dangers of the physical world.

Unheard-of Dangers: Curses tied to the gold. The Amaruga, and the immortal Confederate soldier kill to protect the gold. The characters must navigate these supernatural elements while contending with the dangers of the physical world.

Reason to Explore It: Millions of dollars in gold. Clark is driven by family history, Ollie by financial troubles, Tammy seeks revenge, and Grant sees the gold as rightfully his.

[Nat Melvin]

Unable to reply in a general thread.

Natalie’s Intriguing Concept and World

WIL: Finessing the concept into a more concise format.

Concept (25 words or less): A Hawaiian orphan triggers an ancient curse, compelling her to reconcile warring Greek and Hawaiian gods to avert the impending doom threatening humanity.

A. Engaging and highly proactive hero or group…

B. …up against a major conflict…

C. …goes on unique transformational journey…

D. …Into an intriguing world.

A. A proactive Hawaiian orphan discovers forbidden magic, thrust into a role to unite warring Greek and Hawaiian gods.

B. The major conflict revolves around an ancient curse triggered by the protagonist, endangering humanity’s existence.

C. Of reconciling deities, the heroine undergoes a transformative journey to embrace her destiny and newfound powers.

D. The intriguing world seamlessly blends Hawaiian and Greek mythology, with the City of Refuge as the epicenter and the clash of gods threatening both realms.

HOOK 1: What if a Hawaiian orphan is forced to unite the warring Greek and Hawaiian gods?

HOOK 2: How does an insecure teenager navigate a mythical world of gods in conflict, preventing an imminent doom threatening humanity?

Intriguing World (paragraph): Embark on a captivating journey where the City of Refuge, a nexus of Hawaiian and Greek mythology, intertwines mortal and divine realms. Amid mystical landscapes, the clash of deities unfolds, blurring lines between earth and divinity. In this unique world, cultures collide, destinies entwine, and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance.

2. Discovering the intrigue of this world:

Unique Sub-World: A mythical fusion of Hawaiian and Greek legends

Previously unexplored: An epic power struggle between Hawaiian and Greek gods

The unknown: Uncharted divine realms that hold secrets waiting to be unraveled

The unseen: An orphan teen journeys alongside mythical beings

Unheard of Dangers: Confront mythical creatures, mysterious magic, profound destiny, and deadly intrigue

Reason to explore it: Embark on a self-discovery journey in a captivating mythical realm

STOLEN SENSES WORLD: A self-discovery journey to save humanity in a captivating mythical realm of Hawaiian and Greek legends confronting mythical creatures through navigating deadly intrigue.