Lesson 2

[Janet McGinn]

LESSON 2 :TV example: PRISON ESCAPE, Episode 2, Three Circles of Characters:
WHAT I LEARNED… Characters relationships reflect the theory, “Six Degrees of Separation” as to their connectedness to the story.
A. MAIN CHARACTERS:
-A1- Inmate, Michael Scofield, structural engineer, prison map tattoo on chest, plans prison break.
-A2- Inmate, Lincoln Burrows, on death row, execution in 30 days
-A3- Victoria, female defense attorney, Lincoln’s ex-girlfriend.
B. CONNECTED CHARACTERS:
-B1- L.J. (Lincoln, Jr) Mike’s nephew
-B2- Prison Cellmate
-B3- Prison Doctor (Governor’s daughter)
-B4- Prison inmate, John Abruzzi, high-ranking member of the Mafia
-B5- Two F.B.I. agents including Alexander Mahone
-B6- Prison Warden Pope
-B7- Prison inmate “Cooper”, senior robber with hidden money
C. ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERS:
Tattoo Artist; Lincoln’s mother (Lisa); Bishop
BANK… staff, victims during robbery
COURT… Bailiff, Judge, 1st Defense attorney, Victoria’s office assistant
PRISON… chaplain, four guards, 50 inmates

[Xochi Blymyer]

LESSON 2 –

What I learned doing this assignment is that AI prompts give that extra push to gather ideas to round out a new story idea.

ASSIGNMENT 1 :

SWAGGER – CIRCLES

MAIN CHARACTERS –
Jace – 14-year-old basketball star
Ike – Former Pro player, now a coach
Crystal – Jace’s friend, on the girl’s team
Phil – Phil has given Jace a hard time but now they are teammates, his dad is not around

CONNECTED CIRCLE –
Tonya – Jace’s mom, protects Jace but wants to get him to his best abilities
Ms. Lacy – the team’s coordinator
Jerome – Jace’s former best friend

ENVIRONMENT CIRCLE –
Referees, Parents, Recruiters, Local News Reporters

ASSIGNMENT 2:

Xochi’s TV SHOW –

MAIN CHARACTERS:

The Old Woman – Queen of the dog park
The Single Woman – Escaping the chaos of her job, she walks her dog
The Doctor – Retired Pediatrician that give unsolicited advice

CONNECTED CIRCLE –
Mark & Jules – New parents also with a Great Dane, Harriet
Reese – The cross dresser with a tiny chihuahua w many outfits
Diego – The silent dog walker, always with many dogs

ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERS –
New Dog Owners
Dog Park Committee
Child
Off-Leash Rule Enforcer
Someone looking for their lost cat

A. Main Characters (Core Ensemble)
1. The Old Woman – Mags (Margaret Everly), 78
• Unique Role: The self-appointed queen of the dog park. Wields the rules like a sword and speaks as if she owns the land.
• Dog: A blind and possibly immortal poodle named Lemon.
• Secret or Intrigue: Mags once starred in cult B-movies in the ’60s… and still gets residuals. She’s hiding a health scare and possibly hoarding secrets in her rent-controlled brownstone nearby.

2. The Single Woman – Jo Vega, 39
• Unique Role: A tightly-wound 1st Assistant Director escaping the chaos of set life by walking her dog during her “golden hour” off.
• Dog: A neurotic border collie named Spielberg.
• Secret or Intrigue: Jo secretly writes rom-com scripts and is emotionally allergic to romance—until a new dog owner arrives.

3. The Doctor – Dr. Levi Zafar, 64
• Unique Role: A semi-retired pediatrician who gives unsolicited (but accurate) advice while his golden retriever socializes better than he does.
• Dog: Captain, an aging golden retriever with a mysterious limp.
• Secret or Intrigue: He’s considering physician-assisted death—but not for himself. He’s quietly helping a terminal neighbor and wrestling with what he still believes in.