Lesson 2

[Micki Hess]

Micki’s Rom Com Project

What I learned doing this assignment learning the deeper characters and connections that they have for each other.

ASSIGNMENT:

1. Starting with your concept and conventions, fill in as many blanks as you can for each of your lead characters.

Who is She?
Who is He?
What makes them lovable?
What attracts them to each other?
What needs does each fulfill for the other?

Chloe Monroe
Who is She:

Chloe Monroe is a successful event planner known for her meticulous organization and unwavering dedication to her clients. A recent college graduate, she poured her heart into building her business and has achieved early recognition in her field.

What Makes Her Lovable:

Despite her driven exterior, Chloe possesses a warm and witty personality. She has a knack for making others feel comfortable and valued, and her friends adore her fierce loyalty. Deep down, Chloe longs for a genuine connection and dreams of finding love that complements her ambitious spirit.

What Attracts Her to Weston:

Weston’s easygoing nature and adventurous spirit are a breath of fresh air for Chloe. His ability to find humor in everyday situations and his genuine interest in her work life spark a sense of joy and connection she hasn’t felt in a while. Weston challenges her to loosen her grip on control and embrace spontaneity.
Needs Fulfilled

Chloe’s Needs:

Security and Stability:

Weston can provide a sense of balance by encouraging Chloe to relax and enjoy the moment. His easygoing nature can help alleviate her stress and perfectionism.

Adventure and Excitement:

Weston’s adventurous spirit can awaken Chloe’s own desire to explore and experience new things. He can push her outside her comfort zone and help her discover a more carefree side of herself.

Emotional Intimacy and Vulnerability:

Deep down, Chloe craves a genuine emotional connection. Weston’s openness and ability to live in the moment can inspire Chloe to be more vulnerable and share her deeper feelings. In Weston, she may find a safe space to express her fears and dreams, creating a stronger emotional bond.

Weston Reed

Who is He:

Weston Reed is a talented freelance photographer who thrives on capturing the beauty of the world around him. A free spirit with a passion for travel, Weston avoids commitments and prefers to live in the moment.

What Makes Him Lovable:

Weston’s infectious enthusiasm and optimistic outlook on life are magnetic. He possesses a disarming honesty and a kind heart, always willing to lend a helping hand. Weston’s adventurous spirit makes him exciting to be around, and his down-to-earth personality puts everyone at ease.

What Attracts Him to Chloe:

Chloe’s unwavering determination and drive inspire Weston. He admires her work ethic and the success she’s built. Beneath her focused exterior, Weston sees a woman with a warm heart and a yearning for adventure, a side he hopes to help her explore.

Needs Fulfilled
Weston’s Needs:

Focus and Direction:

Chloe’s ambition and goal-oriented personality can inspire Weston to channel his energy and consider his own long-term goals.

Grounding and Responsibility:

Chloe’s grounded nature can help Weston find a healthy balance between his love of adventure and the need for some stability.

Emotional Connection:

Despite his free spirit, Weston craves a deeper connection. Chloe’s warmth and loyalty offer the emotional support he seeks in a partner.

2. Then work with what you have to improve the answers.

Chloe Monroe:

Who is She:

Chloe Monroe is a rising star event planner. Her meticulous organization and dedication are legendary, turning dream weddings into reality for her A-list clientele. Fueled by ambition, she built her business from the ground up after college and is now a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

What Makes Her Lovable:

Underneath her steely exterior lies a witty and warm personality. Chloe’s fierce loyalty makes her a cherished friend, and her ability to make everyone feel seen and valued is a secret weapon. Despite her success, Chloe craves a genuine connection, a love that complements her drive and ambition.

What Attracts Her to Weston:

Weston’s easygoing charm and adventurous spirit are a welcome contrast to Chloe’s regimented world. His ability to find humor in everyday situations and his genuine interest in her high-pressure career create a spark of joy and connection she hasn’t felt in a long time. Weston challenges Chloe to loosen her grip on control and embrace the unexpected, a quality she secretly admires.

Weston Reed:

Who is He:

Weston Reed is a captivating freelance photographer with a talent for capturing the world’s hidden beauty. A free spirit with a passion for travel, Weston thrives on new experiences and avoids commitments, preferring to live in the moment.

What Makes Him Lovable:

Weston’s infectious enthusiasm and optimistic outlook are impossible to resist. His honesty and willingness to help anyone in need make him a true friend. Weston’s adventurous spirit makes him exciting to be around, while his down-to-earth personality puts everyone at ease.

What Attracts Him to Chloe:

Chloe’s unwavering determination and drive inspire Weston. He admires her work ethic and the success she’s built for herself. Beyond her focus, Weston glimpses a woman with a warm heart and a yearning for adventure, a side he hopes to draw out. Chloe’s ambition motivates him to consider his own goals and dreams.

3. Take a break to process, then return and compare both characters to each other to find any other ways these two might create the best relationship for this movie or TV series.

Comparing Chloe and Weston: A Recipe for Rom-Com Potential

Chloe and Weston, on paper, embody the classic opposites-attract trope with their contrasting personalities. Let’s delve deeper into their strengths and how they can create compelling relationship dynamics for a rom-com:
Strengths as Individuals:

Chloe:

Ambition, Drive, Organization

Weston:
Enthusiasm, Optimism, Adaptability

Room for Growth:

Chloe: Needs to loosen up, embrace vulnerability.

Weston: Needs focus, direction, and a sense of stability.

How They Can Complement Each Other:

Chloe can: Encourage Weston to channel his energy into creative pursuits, providing him with a sense of purpose. She can also help him navigate the complexities of commitment, fostering stability in his life.

Weston can: Help Chloe relax and appreciate the beauty of spontaneity. He can inspire her to embrace the unexpected and find joy in the present moment. Weston’s unwavering support can bolster

Chloe’s confidence and help her navigate professional setbacks.

Emotional Connection:

Shared Vulnerability:

Despite their contrasting personalities, both Chloe and Weston crave a deeper emotional connection. Chloe’s need for security can be met by Weston’s optimistic outlook and ability to live in the moment. Weston’s desire for emotional intimacy can be fulfilled by Chloe’s capacity for loyalty and her safe space for sharing vulnerabilities.

Conflict and Growth:

Chloe’s controlling nature can clash with Weston’s free spirit, leading to humorous situations and opportunities for personal growth.

Weston’s commitment issues can create tension, forcing Chloe to confront her own insecurities and redefine her expectations in a relationship.

Overall, Chloe and Weston’s contrasting personalities create a compelling foundation for a rom-com. Their journey from hesitant reconnection to a supportive and emotionally fulfilling relationship promises laughter, self-discovery, and ultimately, a love that helps them both become the best versions of themselves.

[Judith Praag]

Judith's Rom Com: Day and Knight
What I learned doing this assignment is that adding on to what I started with is fun.

1. Starting with your concept and conventions, fill in as many blanks as you can for each of your lead characters.
• Who is She? Day (29) is a food truck cook, and student dietitian, she became an apprentice nun because she couldn’t say no to no good guys. She feels safe among the nuns and finds fulfillment in helping others, but she dreams of foodie, rock, and movie stars taking a liking to her.
• Who is He? Jay(34) has a debilitating rare disease and is supportive of others like him. He depends on caregivers and relies heavily on technology to communicate.
• What makes them lovable? She’s sassy and kind. He’s compassionate and funny.
• What attracts them to each other? There is chemistry. She’s caring toward customers and has the right moves. He pays attention and reads people.
• What needs does each fulfill for the other? For Day, Jay seems safe, not immediately a love interest, not a bad boy, she’s not a toy in his eyes. For Jay, Day is a way out of his isolation, playfulness, and adventure.

• This reply was modified 10 months ago by  Judith Praag.

[Claudia Wolfkind]

Claudia’s Rom/Com Project

What I learned doing this assignment: The more you dig deep into characters it elevates your understanding of what this story will need to make this come to fruition.

• Who is She?

Abby: an organizational expert who is a successful social media influencer, unfortunately, she’s also a terrible germaphobe thanks to a traumatic event from her childhood. She is missing a relationship with someone with whom she can really build a life.

In the opening scene we see Abby as a young girl watching her brother playing baseball. She’s completely bored. Her father is the coach of her brother’s team.

• Who is He?

Jack: is a master craftsman work-worker who owns his own mildly successful business. Jack is a life long friend of Abby’s family but they haven’t seen each other in 20 years, since they were teenagers. Jack avoids intimate relationships with women because he’s afraid his sloppy border-line hoarder secret will drive them away.

In the opening scenes we see Jack as a young boy playing baseball alongside Abby’s older brother.

• What makes them lovable?

Abby: Her eccentricities and the lengths she’ll go to avoid germs brings out the empathy in us. It’s endearing but also funny. The vulnerability that she tries to hide. She recognizes her own issues and tries to make fun of herself.

Jack: He’s an incredibly loyal friend. He’s self-deprecating. He’s caring and loving as well as generous and compassionate.

• What attracts them to each other?

What causes Abby to be attracted to Jack?

• He’s kind and loyal to her family

• He’s generous to the kids on the team

• He’s trustworthy and she feels safe with him

What causes Jack to be attracted to Abby?

• He finds her issues endearing

• He sees her huge heart even when she’s trying to protect herself with shields

• That she will go to any length to save her family

• What needs does each fulfill for the other?

What needs does Jack fulfill for Abby?

• The possibility of a long-term love story.

• A safe relationship that gives her what she can’t get from other people.

• The ability to be open about her issues, especially since he was there when it started.

What needs does Abby fulfill for Jack?

• He can make a difference for her.

• Being a part of a real family.

• A true love story that’s been growing since he was a teenager.

• This reply was modified 10 months ago by  Claudia Wolfkind.

[Pam Ewing]

ASSIGNMENT:
Pam’s Rom Com, Staking Claim
What I learned: How little I knew my characters, but I was wrong. Now I have a better interlocking handle.

Who is She?
o Natalie Turka (meaning Dark in Romanian) Rafferty (floodtide, abundance)
o Sheltered only child
o Naïve, needs a partner
o Grew up wealthy and generous
o Always trying and abandoning hobbies

Who is He?
o Oran (Irish for little pale green one) Rafferty (Rafe, nickname)
o Not hung up on his good looks
o Works hard at his businesses/investments
o Enjoys wealth in a non-greedy way
What makes them lovable?
Natalie
o Sense of humor
o A tad jealous
o Meek but fierce defender of others
o A low confidence
o Follows the rules yet yearns for power to break them
o Has a yet undiscovered secret identity
Rafe
o Not hung up on his good looks
o Supportive of her
o Outgoing and charming to the point of seeming flirty
o A little out there, crazy
o He knows her secret identity before she does and accepts it
o Has a yet unexposed secret identity
Together
o They share the being-wealthy gene
o They are faithful to each other but mostly because they have other interests
o They unconsciously work as a team

What attracts them to each other?
o Both were in a position they needed to settle down
o She was attracted to his looks and he liked her humor and wealth
o Her mother approved
o They enjoy each other’s company

What needs does each fulfill for the other?
o She feels he gives her some confidence/validity
o He feels she gives him stability/safety
o She feels freedom in his rule breaking though she chides him
o He picks on her generosity and hobbies though he actually approves
o When they learn each other’s secret identities it bonds them even more

[Terrie Shaft]

Terrie’s Rom Com Project
What I learned from this assignment is that just filling in the blanks every day is progress.
Who is She?
Sara is a social media influencer that posts about productivity! She is about to get a reality TV show. She is passionate about productivity.
An opening: Sara recording a post announcing her Reality Show and asking for applicants to be the focus of the first season.
Who is He?
Austin is an artist. He is talented but disorganized and get distracted. He has missed out on shows because he couldn’t produce enough work and his gallery is about to drop him.
What makes them lovable?
Sara – she truly wants to help people be happy by getting more out of their life. She’s confident that she can help anyone improve their life by being more productive.
Austin – he’s talented but lacks confidence in his work. Which manifests by being distracted and disorganized in his approach to work.
What attracts them to each other?
Austin to Sara
He’s attracted to her confidence, even if a bit overwhelmed by it.
He hopes her approach can make him more successful

Sara to Austin
She believes he’ll be great for her reality show and that she can really help him.
He’s kind and believes art exists to make people happy.

Note: these are more how they fit working on the reality show, what is the romantic issues?
What needs does each fulfill for the other?
What need does Austin fulfill for Sara
First – someone that will make a great reality show! His kindness and spontaneity. Getting her back in touch with her feelings.
What need does Sara fulfill for Austin?
Help him get ready for a gallery show while promoting his art on her reality show. She helps him prioritize his need to create

• This reply was modified 10 months ago by  Terrie Shaft.

[Patrick McCormick]

Terrie, your story has an adoring quality.
Just had a flash when seeing something you wrote that could be a title;
“Sarah To Austin”

[Renee Miller]

Renee’s Rom-Com Project

What I learned doing this assignment is how to create characters that fit the story and that are specifically designed to make the audience fall in love with them.

Sarah Collins:

Who is She? Sarah is a high-powered attorney who has achieved significant professional success. She grew up in the small town of Willowbrook but left to pursue her career ambitions. She is intelligent, meticulous, and driven, but often struggles with the feeling that something is missing in her life.

What makes her lovable? Sarah’s ambition is balanced by her genuine care for others and her desire to do what is right. Her success hasn’t hardened her; instead, it has given her a platform to help those who are less fortunate, particularly in her pro bono work.

What attracts her to Mike? She is drawn to Mike’s authenticity and his deep connection to their hometown. His stability, sense of community, and unwavering loyalty contrast sharply with the often superficial relationships she encounters in her urban life.

What needs does Mike fulfill for her? Mike offers Sarah a sense of belonging and grounding. He reminds her of her roots and the simpler pleasures of life, providing a counterbalance to her high-stress career. He fulfills her need for genuine companionship and emotional security.

Mike Henderson:
Who is He? Mike is a local business owner who has stayed in Willowbrook his entire life. He runs a popular diner that serves as a community hub. He is charismatic, kind-hearted, and deeply nostalgic. Despite his success, he sometimes feels like he missed out on broader life experiences.

What makes him lovable? Mike’s love for his community and his role as a local supporter make him endearing. He is the kind of person who remembers everyone’s favorite order and is always ready to lend a helping hand. His easygoing nature and humorous outlook on life also make him very approachable.

What attracts him to Sarah? He admires Sarah’s ambition and the way she has pursued her dreams, which is something he sometimes wishes he had the courage to do. Her intelligence and determination remind him of the potential everyone has to make a difference.

What needs does Sarah fulfill for him? Sarah brings excitement and a sense of adventure to Mike’s life. She represents the world beyond Willowbrook, offering him a window to the life he didn’t choose. Her return and interest in his life validate his choices and enrich his world view.

[Jess Paxton]

Jess’s Rom Com Project
Assignment 2

What I learned in this assignment:
Know thy characters! Know who they are, where they’re coming from, where they’re going, and why — and most of all, why they belong with each other.

CONCEPT INFO:

Two People Who Belong Together:

Stella needs someone to show her that family is a warm-hearted, loving experience.
Stan needs someone new who excites him and can be a mother for his children.

How Are They Separated:

Stella’s job is to evict Stan.

What Forces Them together:

Stella’s boss, Donald, insists she stay and spy on Stan; he even hints that she should seduce Stan.

Issues to be Resolved:

Stella’s experience of a family is a harsh one filled with abuse.
Stan needs to get past the memory of his wife’s death.

On Their Journey of Love:
Stella becomes enchanted by Stan’s kids, who treat her with affection.
Stan notices his kids’ affection for Stella, which takes him beyond mere sexual attraction to her, to thinking of her as a family member.
Stella decides to help Stan save his house, even if it means moving it across town.
Stan discovers who Stella is and rejects her utterly.
Stella gets Queen Elizabeth on the phone to save the town from her boss!
Stan accepts Stella back, and they become engaged. He returns to the B&B business, while she becomes an anti-corporate attorney in Canada.

Concept:
It’s capitalism versus true love as big-city corporate shark Stella falls in love with the small-town widower and father of two she’s been sent to evict so her client can build a retail outlet on his property. A story of love, family, and redemption.

KEY DECISIONS FOR CHARACTERS
OVERALL IDENTITY

Who is She?
Stella MacAfee, a highly successful corporate attorney but whose dysfunctional childhood has made her afraid of love and family.
In the opening, Stella destroys a whole community for the sake of her corporate client’s greed — showing how efficient and also how sociopathic she is.
In the bedroom scene with Joe, Stella shows disappointment that she will no longer have Joe’s “services” to help her avoid intimacy. Her arrival at the airport shows that she is used to special treatment.

Who is He?
Stanley Tolliver is a fireman, paramedic, and B&B owner trying to stabilize after his wife’s lingering death, and now facing the threat of eviction by corporate retail giant LotSmart.
In his introductory scene, Stan saves a child from a blazing house fire — demonstrating his courage and love for children and family.
When Stella gets into an accident on black ice, Stan volunteers to take her to the hospital, showing that he is empathetic to those in need. Later, his neighbors credit him with saving their homes from destruction by the wrecking ball crew. A demolition worker complains that Stan stood in front of his bulldozer, again showing his courage.

What makes them lovable?
What makes Stella lovable?
Her childhood with a dysfunctional family.
Her fish-out-of-water experience in a small town.
Her growing affection for children, family, and the community.
What makes Stan lovable?
His self-sacrificial actions.
His cute kids.
His devotion to his family, including his deceased wife, and his town.

What attracts them to each other:
What causes Stella to be attracted to Stan?
His gentle manner.
His optimism despite tragedy.
Showing her how corrupt the corporate world is.
What causes Stan to be attracted to Stella?
Her assertive attitude.
Her loneliness.
Her naïveté about community.

What needs do they fulfill for the other?
What needs does Stan fulfill for Stella?
Functional family life.
Redemption from her sociopathic life.
True, deep affection, the kind she has never had.
What needs does Stella fulfill for Stan?
A beautiful, mysterious, exciting companion to shake him our of his misery.
A mother for his children.
Someone he can redeem from the dark side.

• This reply was modified 10 months ago by  Jess Paxton.

[Lynn Vincentnathan]

Love your concept and characters. I’m thinking it is a wee bit similar to A CALIFORNAI CHRISTMAS (Netflix) in which a real estate guy is sent to buy out the gal’s winery and by mistaken ID he ends up working on that winery in disguise as the foreman they expected to arrive.

[Lynn Vincentnathan]

Lynn’s Rom Com Project SOPHIE’S WHITE CHRISTMAS

WHAT I LEARNED DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT is that focusing on these characteristics and traits helps to include them in the script and up the action, dialog, and general story strands to cover them in an organic way. These traits make the story more appealing to write and hopefully for audiences to view.

CONCEPT: A travel magazine writer and a meteorologist headed in opposite career and driving directions before Christmas hole up together in a blizzard making them refigure what direction to go in their lives.

1. STARTING WITH YOUR CONCEPT AND CONVENTIONS, FILL IN AS MANY BLANKS AS YOU CAN FOR EACH OF YOUR LEAD CHARACTERS.
– WHO IS SHE? Tilly is a travel magazine writer, dynamic, into exploration and adventure; afraid to get involved after a heartbreak; upset with mom and sister for pushing marriage; caring, loves her niece Sophie.
______ 1st brief scene Tilly’s mom and sister worry and complain about her. Sophie is sure Aunt Tilly can get her a white Christmas, despite them living in L.A.
______ 2nd and 4th scenes show Tilly on journey from NY to LA on assignments. Her assistant Susan draws it out about her being against getting romantically involved and against her family pushing; also that Tilly had an idea for a different type of travel magazine (unspecified at that point).
______ Early on Tilly expresses CARE for niece and when she meets Ethan early in Act 2, she saves his life.
______________________________________________________________
– WHO IS HE? Ethan is an L.A. meteorologist, a STAY-AT-HOME guy who wants marriage and family because of losing his family as a kid; COMMITTED to his girlfriend and to his best friend Paul.
______ 3rd and 5th Scenes show him at work with Paul discussing his objection Tilly and her family arranging a date for Paul with Tilly and his own plan to propose to his girlfriend. Also Paul brings up how traveling to Chicago to propose mucks up Ethan’s “STAYCATION” idea. In Scene 5 there is mention of his heartbreak from a glamor girl dumping him.
______ After the midpoint when Ethan’s “stable” girlfriend dumps him and he has come to realize Tilly is a wonderful person, it is Ethan’s COMMITMENT to friend Paul, his need not to hurt him, that prevents him from expressing and acting on his love for Tilly.
_______________________________________________________________
– WHAT MAKES THEM LOVABLE?
_______ ETHAN: his commitment to friends; his desire for marriage and family; his value of character over glamor; his vulnerability of being dumped; his friendly repartee and joking around, despite being mature and somewhat serious. Facing the horns of a dilemma — hurt his friend or hurt Tilly.
_______ TILLY: adventurous, fun, caring for others, vulnerability from being dumped, ability to get over problems, relents, and forgives.
________________________________________________________________
– WHAT ATTRACTS THEM TO EACH OTHER?
_______ WHAT ATTRACTS TILLY TO ETHAN: his goodness, stable commitment, physical attraction, their fun and repartee, their shared disappointments in love and other experiences/values, his need for being saved and cared for (physical and emotional).
_______ WHAT ATTRACTS ETHAN TO TILLY: her saving his life and caring for him, physical attraction, their fun and repartee, their shared disappointments in love and other experiences/values.
_________________________________________________________________
– WHAT NEEDS DOES EACH FULFILL FOR THE OTHER?
_______ WHAT NEEDS DOES ETHAN FULFILL FOR TILLY: stability, reorientation to family, inspiration for a new career direction, the need to care for someone in need, all without losing her need for adventure and fun.
_______ WHAT NEEDS DOES TILLY FULFILL FOR ETHAN: zest for life, fun, and adventure; courage to follow his dream of a new career direction; his deep need for a loving wife and family.

[Ira Drower]

What I learned from this assignment is that it is important to define the characters in a Rom-Com by first defining what makes them a couple, what makes them likable, and what might keep them apart in their search for love.
Concept: Count Dracul, a Vampire and a stage director fall in love while preparing for a play about Dracula and must find a way to work around him being undead and her desire for a career in theatre and film.
Two People Who Belong Together: Count Dracul needs someone outside his world of the undead to make him feel alive. Sophia needs someone who can provide her with love without being needy.
How Are They Separated: Sophia’s ex-boyfriend tries to sabotage Count Dracul’s audition, Jerry the Producer attempts to control her with promises of co-producing and upward mobility in the theatre and film, and Van Helsing is using her to try to kill Count Dracul.
What Forces Them together: Chris agrees to help Count Dracul if he shows Chris his ‘tricks’ and arranges for Sophia to be his acting and speech coach.
Issues to be Resolved: He is undead and struggles with wanting to love her and needing to drink her blood. She discovers he is arrogant and not a willing student.
On Their Journey of Love: The steps to reconciling their two worlds and finding peace together.

• Who is She? A rising star as a director of film and stage, voice and acting coach. She is strong, confident, but unfulfilled with her personal life.

• Who is He? Count Dracul is the vampire Dracula struggling with feeling irrelevant as the Prince of Darkness decides to audition for the part of Dracula in a play.

• What makes them lovable?
Sophia: She is smart, sincere, wants to see her students and actors succeed. Loves a challenge even if it is training a vampire to act and speak properly on stage.
Count Dracul is suave and charming and seeking that which he cannot have, love of a human, warmth, compassion with someone who can deal with his eccentricities.
• What attracts them to each other?
Sophia is attracted to his charm and wit coupled with an old-world style of chivalry attracts Sophia to him. He also shows vulnerability at times but tries to hide it.
Count Dracul is attracted to her ability to look him in the eye and not be hypnotized. She is strong, confident, and accepts no excuses for not following her stage directions. He finds her interesting and believes her loneliness is similar to his boredom with immortality.
• What needs does each fulfill for the other?
Sophia provides the human contact Count Dracul has missed, aside from killing humans for their blood. She represents warmth when he only feels cold, she provides the internal light he shuns during the day, and she is his equal in the way she handles him.
Count Dracul provides Sophia with someone who is finally good enough for her. As her student, she finally found someone who she could mold into a great actor.

[Lisa Paris Long]

LESSON 2: Key Decisions for Characters

Lisa Paris Long’s Rom-Com Project

What I learned doing this assignment is that by asking the direct questions my characters are revealed to me.

Working Title: The Angel Baby

Concept: At Christmastime, the wealthy inventors of a revolutionary product vow to never have kids until they see an ad for the most adorable baby and wish for a baby like that…in the morning that baby is in their bed and they must figure out how it got there and what to do with it.

Note: We see their meet-cute at the beginning in an ivy league library. Then jump to 15 years later.

Starting with your concept and conventions, fill in as many blanks as you can for each of your lead characters.

• Who is Caroline Mason (34 years old)?

Caroline – a successful painter who has helped her husband Matt build a company that has taken off due to going viral.
She doesn’t want children because she is and always has been focused on art. The world is too crazy to bring another child into it. Besides she doesn’t have the nurturing “mom” gene anyway.

• Who is Matt Caldwell (35 years old)?

Matt – a successful businessman who along with Caroline has built a multi-billion-dollar company from scratch in a short time due to viral social media.
Matt doesn’t want children because he’s too focused on his work. He believes there are too many kids and the world is overcrowded. He feels he wouldn’t be a good dad since he didn’t have a good example of one growing up.

• What makes Caroline Mason lovable?

o Sense of humor; she calls Matt “doggie”
o She is quirky
o She sometimes misspeaks and gets into trouble (don’t we all?!)

• What makes Matt Caldwell lovable?

o He loves Caroline deeply (always has since their meet-cute in college)
o He has a playful attitude – shows that he loves life!
o He pays attention to details and reacts accordingly

• What attracts Caroline to Matt?

o They have the same values and want the same things in life
o He needs her and expresses it
o Sense of humor
o Positive can-do attitude

• What attracts Matt to Caroline?

o They have the same values and want the same things in life
o She needs and “gets” him
o Sense of humor
o Loves her quirkiness

• What needs does Matt fulfill for Caroline?

o Matt keeps Caroline grounded; Safe for her to be herself
o Treats her like a real partner (not less than because she’s not a scientist)
o Dependable
o Adventurous

• What needs does Caroline fulfill for Matt?

o Caroline gives Matt all the attention he craves
o She lets her guard down with him which makes him feel wanted
o Safe to be himself around her
o Fun

[Lynn Vincentnathan]

I like your concept and characters. My idea for a future script is very slightly like your — he doesn’t want children, but they have one. She ?? divorces him and shuns him away (he has a career in another city anyway) because she wants to protect their son from all negativity (like Buddha’s parents). But eventually he comes back and in the end helps his son deal creatively with negative aspects of life (from which no one can really escape)… Your ideas have really helped me get into that story now.

[Donna Donna Hoke Hoke]

What I learned doing this assignment is that I have to start thinking about their story beyond the romance… they can’t exist in a bubble.

Who is She?

Charlotte Winfield. A good and giving person. She works at an animal shelter, where she has to deal with animals being put down. She works to save them and find them homes. She also does social about celebs because it allows her to worship from afar. Charlie is a woman in deep pain, good-hearted person who can only experience unrequited love because she fully believes someone who loves her will die.

Who is He?

Barnaby, a good guy masquerading as an asshole, which takes a toll on him. He has a severe heart condition that would claim his life at any time, so he’s fearful of leaving behind a woman who loves him, because he saw what his father’s death did to his mother. Ironically, he sells life insurance but he’s very bad at it.

What makes them lovable?

She cares for the animals; he cares for his mother. They do good deeds the other doesn’t see.

What attracts them to each other?

It’s physical but becomes more as they see how similar they are as they witness each other demonstrating great capacity for love.

What needs does each fulfill for the other?

Sex without emotional attachment–until it starts creeping in.

• This reply was modified 10 months ago by  Donna Donna Hoke Hoke.

[Tita Beal Anntares]

Tita Anntares’ RomCom Comedy – Characters
WHAT I LEARNED FROM DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT”
I don’t have to think it all out at once perfectly… I can riff, get in the zone, feel as well as think – and come back to these questions later.

EDITED CONCEPT (Note – this story is drama/Rom Com comedy not just Rom Com)
• TWO PEOPLE WHO BELONG TOGETHER: Adam and Zari meet in college and both strongly value people who help the more vulnerable and both embrace the opportunity brought by the US and NATO to turn their country into a democracy where people can elect leaders and treat each other as equal regardless of external identities
• HOW ARE THEY SEPARATED: When they graduate from college, they agree they must separate and go home to separate parts of their country because they do not want to hurt their families who are of different faiths and ethnic backgrounds – ones their families are each prejudiced against
• WHAT FORCES THEM TOGETHER: For about 5 hey have been building their own careers, with a few email contacts, each checking to make sure the other has not yet married – then the Americans quickly evacuate Kabul and the Taliban is moving into the government. Because of his work
(teaching Afghan soldiers in the US military well as founding a rights organization, completing all courses toward a PhD in good government with Delhi University, managing a pro-democracy candidate’s presidential election and coaching Mullahs to speak in public about the value of equal rights),
Adam can get on a plane to the US… but they are not married so Zari cannot get on his visa. Adam cannot bear the idea of leaving Zari, a professional college teacher who has taught women’s history and rights on a US government program and therefore is a target for the Taliban’s insecure rate. So instead of getting on a plane to the US, Adam gets in his car and races to ask Zari to marry him – and her family, terrified by the change in government, think she will be safer from the Taliban as a married woman so say yes
• ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED :
o ZARI:
 Had dreams of a royal-style wedding and assumed when she married, she would live a comfortable middle class life with good clothes, home, etc. Because she has given up her past life and family, friends for Adam, she wants him to show his love by giving her gifts, even if just roses, when they can’t afford anything. She also remembers friends who used to complain when a husband did not show tangible signs of love. She I s willing to live in a refugee area to survive rather than go back to Taliban, but gets upset when Adam ignores her desires and says he loves her just the way she is, without make up, good clothes or gold bracelets.
 She needs to learn – or remember – that she can be a teacher as a volunteer with refugees, not only when recognized by a university… and that the real treasure is a husband who values her for herself, not any externals… and that requires really accepting herself, not just claiming she has value in rebellion against the Taliban.
o ADAM:
 He married a professional woman – he knows she cannot get teaching positions, she can help him volunteer with refugees, not suddenly seem to become a dependant housewife. He becomes irritated if she buys make up instead of needed food. He wants her to act like a free, strong, professional woman. When she gets sick, he is mortified that he could not take good care of her as he promised. He feels ashamed when the situation and Zaris requests make him feel like the kind of unevolved husband he never wanted to be . And later when they are out of the refugee camp and safe in the US, he pushes her to try to find jobs, teaching or tutoring, not just stay at home, lonely.
 He needs to realize that when he tries to force her into his ideal image of what a wife should be, he is no different than a Taliban husband insisting his wife do/be what he wants her to do./be… and that he needs to value a person’s real agency/autonomy – a choice to stay home and be a mother is as valid as teaching. And to really support democracy’s promise of equal treatment, he needs to respect choices he may not like
o BOTH: when they realize, at different times, that what they love about US democracy is imperfect… and what they love about Afghan culture is imperfect – they each in difference ways learn their goal needs to be to continuously make improvements, not expect perfection
Characters
On Their Journey of Love:
• WHO IS SHE? Zari, with the support of her family, when the US and NATO countries arrived in Afghanistan, went to college, volunteered as a teacher with the poorest of the poor in rural areas and then got highly competitive jobs teaching women’s history and rights in a college and for a US program.
o Opening scene to show her character: TBD
• WHO IS HE? Adam welcomed the US troops into Afghanistan from the time he was 10 and his father sent him to pick melons so they could give vans filled with arriving soldiers a welcome meal. His older brothers signed up for the US and UK militaries – too young, Adam got a BA, founded a rights organization, started helping bring democracy to his country, even getting a PhD in good government until the Taliban found his dissertation research and started trying to kill him.
o Opening scene to show his character: TBD
• WHAT MAKES THEM LOVABLE?
o They sincerely want to help others less privileged
o They love the values of democracy – elected leaders not tyrants, equality, etc. … but when one tries to tell the other what to do/believe, they tease each other for not practicing what they preach
o They love what they know of America, but when try to act American, with warmth they force each other to stand up for their own Afghan culture/practices that often conflict with American styles
• WHAT ATTRACTS THEM TO EACH OTHER:
o Each loves the other’s ability to turn ideas about kindness and mercy into action for people less fortunate
o They both embrace the good aspects of democracy but also value the good aspects of their Afghan culture
• WHAT NEEDS DO THEY FULFILL FOR THE OTHER?
o To have a partner when thinking and living at the edge of the struggle for democracy
o Zari also needs Adam’s help when she sees imperfections without giving up
o Adam also needs Zari’s ability show him the joys of just being human in a family without having to take on all the responsibility of leadership 24/7 leader

• This reply was modified 10 months ago by  Tita Beal Anntares.

[David Penn]

David’s Rom Com Project
What I learned from this assignment is the importance of knowing your characters and why they should be together.
Who is She? Liz Westbrook. A liberal reporter stuck in a blue collar town. She’s smart, ambitious and insecure, feeling life’s passing her by. She’s determined to get out of the town, sacrificing her social life.
Who is He? Mitch Kulchinsky (‘Ski’). A Trump-loving fireman who grew up in the blue collar town. A former high school jock, he has a lot of friends. He wants to settle down and start a family.
What makes them lovable? Liz: She’s a good friend, treats her co-workers well, she’s witty, honest and vulnernable. Mitch: good-natured, cracking jokes, hard working and caring, simple.
What attracts them to each other? Liz likes Mitch because he saves lives as a fireman, is good natured and kind, treats her with respect. Mitch likes Liz because she challenges him, she’s funny and ambitious.
What needs does each fulfill for the other? Mitch fulfills for Liz: a social outlet. A potential husband and father. A person to challenge her opinions/beliefs. Liz fulfills for Mitch: A need for intimacy. A potential wife and mother. Someone to broaden his horizons.

[Stuart Voytilla]

What I learned doing this assignment:

This assignment allowed me to explore the vulnerabilities of the lead characters and why they could need each other. The story allows Julian to see a strong bridge to take to win Angelina’s heart. Julian’s genuine passion and willingness to take risks can ultimately help Angelina overcome her cynicism about true love.

Who is She?

Angelina: Angelina is a sophisticated, 28-year-old visiting lecturer from Venice. She is an expert in romance through the arts. However, she is cynical about the existence of true love, believing it only exists in art.

Who is He?

Julian: Julian is a 22-year-old engineering student from an East Coast university. He’s shy and averse to taking risks. Dumped by his girlfriend because he’s incapable of love and romance, he has a hidden passion for art (drawing, painting, fashion).

What makes them lovable?

Angelina:

Her intelligence and expertise in romance through the arts.
Her ability to inspire her students.
Her flaw and vulnerability: she can teach love and romance, but she doesn’t live it.

Julian:

His broken heart.
His innocence.
His willingness to take risks for love.
His hidden talent and passion for art, and his desire to find real love.

What attracts them to each other?

Angelina’s Attraction to Julian:

Julian’s naivety and sincerity are refreshing compared to the more jaded men she’s encountered.
His determination and passion.
His risk-taking and vulnerability in honestly pursuing love.

Julian’s Attraction to Angelina:

Angelina’s sophistication and beauty.
Her expertise in romance and the arts.
The challenge of her cynicism; he’s driven to prove to her the existence of true love.
What needs does each fulfill for the other?

Angelina for Julian:

She represents the sophisticated, artistic world he wants to be a part of.
He’s determined to prove love–his love for her–exists.
The opportunity to win her heart pushes him to take risks.
Winning her heart validates his belief in love.

Julian for Angelina:

His innocence and genuine passion provide a fresh, unjaded perspective on romance.
He allows her to find love, helping her overcome her cynicism.

• This reply was modified 9 months, 4 weeks ago by  Stuart Voytilla.

[Luc Pagès]

Luc’s Rom Com Project
What I learned doing this assignment is that simple questions about my characters forces me to put words on the feelings I have for them.
• Who is Arlette?
An old woman who has just been diagnosed with Alzheimer and tried to commit suicide so that she won’t be a burden for her children. Going through an NDE in ICU she is 18 again.

• Who is Damien?
A rock band member who has been comatose for 10 years, but is only now understanding his condition through an NDE in the same ICU.

• What makes them lovable?
Arlette's desires for a last love and to die without regrets.
Damien’s imposter syndrome and his ability to share his doubts and insecurities openly, combined with his self-deprecating humor.

• What attracts them to each other?
Anna is attracted to Damien for:
His sense of humor.
His kindness.
His musical talent.
His doubts about himself.
Damien is attracted to Anna for:
A playful spirit and a childlike sense of wonder that brings joy to their interactions.
An ability to love and accept Damien unconditionally, flaws and all, offering him a sense of belonging and security
A playful and witty sense of humor that lightens the mood.

• What needs does Damien fulfill for Arlette?
The possibility of a last unexpected love story.
The possibility to change the choice she made when she was younger.
Dying without regrets.

• What needs does Arlette fulfill for Damien?
Arlette's unconditional love and acceptance helps him heal and believe in himself again.
Arlette's zest for life, even in her older age, reignites Damien's own appreciation for the simple pleasures and possibilities that remain in his life.
Arlette's youthful energy and spirit reminds Damien of his own younger self, sparking a sense of nostalgia and a desire to reclaim some of that lost vitality.

• This reply was modified 9 months, 4 weeks ago by  Luc Pagès.

[Patrick McCormick]

Patrick McCormick's Romantic Comedy
What I learned doing this assignment:
Clarifying a story using these templates creates a natural way to see the bigger picture.
Lesson 2: Key Decisions For Characters

Who is She?
Linda Delaney: A young 30 something girl with a kind heart doing her best in the harsh world of Hollywood, while protecting the one who discovered her 15 years ago.
In the opening, she shows him the studio is going bankrupt unless they do a deal to save it.
After the first meeting, she watches him trick the executive trainees into thinking they're fired, just to watch the chaos.

Who is He?
Sean Daery: The aging executive struggling to keep his studio alive, uses sharp wit and humor to defend against the modernization of Hollywood.
In the opening scene he lands a toy plane on his desk after an imaginary flight over Los Angeles through time.
As the lawyers try to convince him to do a studio-saving deal, he ridicules their greed and shallowness.

What makes Linda lovable?
Her sincere savvy business sense.
Her endearing appreciation for Sean as a mentor.
Fiercely protecting him from ruthless dealmakers.

What makes Sean lovable?
His genius spontaneous wit
His dedication to his cause.
His use of humor to protect the sacred spirit of Hollywood.

What causes Linda to be attracted to Sean?
Being given a chance to succeed.
His unending wit.
His unquenchable quest of guarding the magic.

What causes Sean to be attracted to Linda?
Her innocence and sincerity.
Her dedication to her cause.
Her fiercely protective nature.

What needs does Sean fulfill for Linda?
To believe in something greater.
His forthright kindness.
His unending dedication when no one else believes.

What needs does Linda fulfill for Sean?
Believing in her authentic nature.
Protecting her innocence.
Her strong spirit, even though she doesn't see it.

[Missy Cohen-Fyffe]

Missy’s Rom-Com/Murder Mystery Project

What I learned doing this assignment is that I didn’t have a good handle on my characters’ personalities and why they would REALLY be attracted to one another. This assignment helped me pinpoint aspects of my characters that needed work.

Who is She?

Lilith Lockheart: A defiantly independent and untrusting goth girl with no money and no interest in being beholden to anyone except maybe her loveable grandfather. She needs to trust that someone will accept her for everything she is. Unfortunately, her arrival in this small New Hampshire lakeside community coincides with a string of murders. And now she’s the prime suspect.

In the first Act, we see her nomadic and untrusting nature when she catches her quasi-boyfriend in bed with a coffee clerk and splits faster than a toupee in a hurricane. Screw the guy. She’s not looking back.

But where can she go? With no money and clearly no friends, she calls her grandfather, Ted, and asks if she can stay with him in his lakeside home. She is visibly relieved when he says, “Yes.”

Who is He?

Victor Nolan: An honest but determined detective with a chip on his shoulder who would have been made Sargent had he not mistaken the First Lady for a terrorist and tackled her to the ground during a recent Presidential visit.

In his opening scene, Victor is being reprimanded by the Chief of Police in a big NH city and told that the Mayor wants him on traffic duty. The Chief decides to send Victor to a small lakeside community where he’ll be far away from the President and safely out of the Mayor’s cross-hairs for the foreseeable future. The Chief guzzles Mylanta like it’s a milkshake.

Both Lillith and Victor arrive in the lakeside community of Wolfesville, NH, at the same time.

What makes them lovable?

There is something about this character that endears us to them. It doesn’t mean they are “nice,” but instead, they have a way of being that causes us to care about them.

What makes Lillith lovable?

• Her unexpected vulnerability.
• She’s surprisingly sharp and funny.
• She’s not what you expect a goth person to be. She likes ballads, adores her grandfather, and saves injured animals.

What makes Victor lovable?

• He’s just trying to do the right thing.
• He’s self-deprecating.
• He doesn’t jump to conclusions like everyone else.
•
What attracts them to each other?

This is more than just looks. While that may be part of an initial attraction, we need to go deeper.

What causes Lillith to be attracted to Victor?

• His appreciation of her humor.
• His wit.
• He listens.
What causes Victor to be attracted to Lillith?

• She’s unlike anyone he’s known or met
• She’s clever.
• She needs him.
What needs do they fulfill for each other?

A big part of what makes a relationship work is the deeper needs that each fulfills for the other. These may not be obvious at the beginning, but over time, they are critically important for the relationship to continue developing.

What needs does Victor fulfill for Lillith?

• He doesn’t judge her, but rather appreciates her individuality and perspective
• He believes her.
• He makes her feel like she belongs.

What needs does Lillith fulfill for Victor?

• She appreciates his dedication.
• She respects his judgment.
• He doesn’t feel alone with her

[Rita Roberts]

Rita’s Rom Com Project

What I learned doing this assignment:

– I’m thinking about the audience experience/emotions as they watch = discomfort, longing, sorrow, hope, outrage, uncertainty, and ultimately love. FEELINGS! as a means of letting the audience experience falling in love again.

– More about my characters by making these lists.

1. Starting with your concept and conventions, fill in as many blanks as you can for each of your lead characters.
Who is She?
Ariale is a dreamer. A free-spirited librarian with an open mind who longs for a man who will join her in exploring the fun of life.

Who is He?
Ben is friendly man with time on his hands who is getting out of a difficult marriage. After poor choices, he now lets his lovable dog judge the character of people he meets.

What makes them lovable?

Ariale — she’s curious, pure-hearted, honest, loves children.
Ben — He’s kind, available, open to hearing Ariale’s dreams. He talks to and listens to his dog.

What attracts them to each other?

They both maintain a certain innocence even though they’ve not had good relationship experiences.

What needs does each fulfill for the other?

Ariale provides a curious sense of adventure mixed with integrity which requires trust, unlike the unhappy chaos his ex-wife caused.

Ben gives Ariale everything she thought her dad was, stable, loyal, honest. And they’re interested in the same things, proven by the home their spirits have unknowingly built together in their sleep!

[Ruthie Harris]

Ruthie’s Rom Com Project
What I learnt: This helps you delve into the makings and sustainability of attraction, along with potential traits for each character.
Who is she? Countess Eleanor Woburn is an English aristocrat expected to marry landed gentry to continue the lineage of the family estate.
In the opening scene, we see a mass of excitable ladies, bachelorettes and the occasional gay bestie, pile into a Las Vegas theatre to witness all Australian revue show – The Boomerang Bachelors.
Eleanor immediately stands out from the sequins, boob fest and stripper heels as glamorously understated and classy, perhaps a little out of her depth.

Who is he? Levi Lewis is the elder statesman of The Boomerang Bachelors. He should be considering retirement but to do what and with whom?

In the opening scene we see him peek out at the audience and spot Eleanor with her crew. It’s intrigue at first sight.

Unbeknown to Eleanor, her fate has already been sealed. Levi has clocked where she’s sitting and will be dragging her reticent arse on stage for his sexy, solo dance number.

What makes them loveable?
There is something about this character that endears us to them. It doesn’t mean they are “nice,” but instead, they have a way of being that causes us to care about them.

What makes Eleanor loveable?

Her haughty exterior yet vulnerable interior.
Dry sense of humor.
She genuinely wants the best for people.

What makes Levi loveable?

The Aussie charmer exterior envelops a genuine interior.
Somewhat goofy behind the sexy persona.
Takes his job seriously and never takes advantage of “fans’.

What causes Eleanor to be attracted to Levi?

Aside from the fact he’s an innate charisma bomb with a ridiculous body, she can see beyond that. She realizes all he really wants is to love and be loved, which is what she’s always wanted for herself. However, she’s done an excellent job of putting up barriers to protect herself from people only wanting something from her in terms of her title and money.

What causes Levi to be attracted to Eleanor?

He can sense a kindred spirit – they both have barriers up to protect themselves from being used. Of course, she’s an understated bombshell, but it’s more appealing to him that she wanted nothing to do with being on stage that night. But once on there, she allows herself to be vulnerable and trusts him not to make a fool of her. Sweat pours and sparks fly.

What needs does Levi fulfill for Eleanor?

He sees through her haughtiness and embraces her vulnerability.
She can totally be herself – no airs and graces.
A fuck-you to her family, who’d rather she was with stuffy nobility.

What needs does Eleanor fulfill for Levi?

To be loved for the inside not the hunky exterior.
A new life – he’s ready to retire.
A kindred spirit.

[Joseph McGloin]

Joe McGloin’s RomCom project
What I learned doing this assignment is the story is more interesting than I had originally thought.
Day. Loves Christmas as it is about gift giving. Holds onto her money and things tightly. Loves the beauty of ice skating. Was an Olympic hopeful.
• Who is He? A nice guy whose wife died when they were 25, 3 years into marriage. Afraid of the same thing happening again.
• What makes them lovable? She cared for her grandfather in his last years. He helps a caregiver’s daughter through school. Leaves Christmas decorations up most of the year.
• What attracts them to each other? Christmas. Careful about money. Haven’t had anyone in their lives since mid-20’s. He gives gifts anonymously, so does she – coordinates the Secret Santa at her office. Their mutual interest in angels.
• What needs does each fulfill for the other?
• Him for her: a peer from the same culture, a good guy client, someone who asks when she will return who is not her mother. Someone to explore angels with.
• Her for him: a peer, someone who he can talk with about angels. Someone he can trust (with his money). Someone to explore angels with

[Kimbal Thompson]

Kimbal Thompson ROM COM Assignment 2: Key Decisions for Characters
What I learned doing this assignment is taking the time to review where this story is going.
1. Starting with your concept and conventions, fill in as many blanks as you can for each of
your lead characters.
 Who is She? Margot Shehan, a design student from New York in Hawaii for the summer
and taking a studio course at the University summer session. She needs to immediately
depart just following meeting Keaton to rendezvous with a New York professor teaching
a summer course at the University and why she is there. This is not known by Keaton.
 Who is He? Keaton Karson, A University of Hawaii design student taking a studio
course at the University summer session and, unknown to Margo. in another existing
relationship,
 What makes them lovable? The persona of each and their immediate mutual attraction
and compatibility with one another plus enrollment interest in the same small design
studio.
 What attracts them to each other? Initially, physical attraction, both in the same design
studio, then discovering they have the same birthdate.
 What needs does each fulfill for the other? An attractive, bright, compatible person of the
opposite sex with similar interests in the same place at the same time.
2. Then work with what you have to improve the answers. Included above.
3. Take a break to process, then return and compare both characters to each other to find any
other ways these two might create the best relationship for this movie or TV series. Included

[Avi K]

Avi's Rom Com Project

What I learned doing this assignment is: It’s fascinating to see how chemistry between characters can be ‘created’ using the techniques in this lesson.

Who is She?
Ashley Miller: A top CIA agent, who hates relationships and believes that partners eventually let you down.

Who is He?
Daniel Walker: A successful novelist who wants a real relationship with someone who excites him and loves him not just for his money.

What makes them lovable?

What makes Ashley lovable?

• Unexpected vulnerability.

• Tragic past.

• The contrast between being glamorous, a spy and yet down-to-earth.

What makes William lovable?

• Self-depreciating humor.

• Willingness to help others.

• Willingness to do anything/depth of care for the people he loves.

• Want for true love.

What attracts them to each other?

What causes Ashley to be attracted to Daniel?

• His sense of humor.

• Kindness.

• Trustable and safe.

• Unexpected bravery/courage in danger.

What causes Daniel to be attracted to Ashley?

• Her vulnerability. She needs someone who can care.

• The need to prove her wrong about him.

• The allure of being with a spy.

What needs does each fulfill for the other?

What needs does Daniel fulfill for Ashley?

• The possibility of a true love story.

• Simplicity (as opposed to her complex world).

• A safe relationship that gives her what she can’t get from her usual one-night stands.

What needs does Ashley fulfill for Daniel?

• Adventure.

• He can make a difference for her.

• An enticing love story.

• This reply was modified 9 months, 2 weeks ago by  Avi K.