Lesson 2 Assignments

[Lenore]

WIM Module 6, Lesson 2

Lenore Bechtel’s Solved Character Problems

My vision: I want to create enough salable screenplays that an agent will want to market my work and recommend me for writing assignments.

What I learned from doing this assignment is doing the Actor Attractor lesson 2 in Module 3 paid off. The only character problems I found were weak dialogue, which I knew was happening in my speedy first draft. So I concentrated with this assignment on dialogue specific to each of my three main characters. Plus I found a few action spots that needed expansion.

I’ve had to adapt assignments because the only antagonist in this screenplay is time.

My Title: Berlin Rendezvous?

Concept: Keeping her promise to Zhores, the Russian soldier she loved when the Berlin Wall went up in 1961, Libby—flying to meet him when the Wall is coming down in 1989—is stunned to learn how her seat-mates lives intertwine with theirs.

Dramatic triangle: Libby, Freida, Allison

Genre: Drama/Suspense

[Margaret]

Hi! Happy to see someone else post on Module 6! I can’t see anyone else’s post on lesson 1 – can you?

[Lenore]

Margaret, Thanks for the question which prompted me to look at Lesson 1 and realize I hadn’t posted. I certainly thought I had and could probably find my post at module 5, lesson 1, but I’m not going to take the time to look for it. Now three of us have posted: you, me, and Lloyd Shellenberger. Lenore Bechtel

[Lloyd Shellenberger]

WIM Module 6, Lesson 2

Lloyd Shellenberger’s Solved Character Problems

My vision: Working hard every day to become the best writer I can be and as a result I do become the best writer in Hollwood.

What I learned from doing this assignment is speed writing creates weak characters that must be strengthened and layers that must be added to the process.

I will go through each character eventually and improve them.

My Title: Letters from Baghdad (Left behind)

Concept: When an Iraqi Interpreter is murdered by terrorist, SFC Reese and his men must step up and save the widow and her children from certain death.

Dramatic triangle: State Department, Military Command, Al-Sadr

Genre: Drama/Action

• This reply was modified 1 year, 8 months ago by  Lloyd Shellenberger.

[Margaret]

Margaret Solved Character Problems!

Vision: To be the best faith-based screenwriter.

What I learned: Yikes, my intros for my characters were pathetic. LOL. Spent some time to clean that up. I had some talking head scenes that needed action as well. I noticed when I speed write, I tend to just put in the dialogue and forget the visual descriptions. I tell, not show.

[Adrienne Watkins]

Adrienne Watkins – Solve Character Problems Module 6 lesson 2

My Vision: I am going to work as hard as I reasonably am able to succeed at script writing to be recognized by multiple movie producers as a skilled script writer, and to have my scripts produced worldwide

What I have learned from this assignment is to write script with protagonists and antagonist personalities colorful, with personalities audience can identify with. Also keep the audience guessing what they’ll do next.

[H. Vince]

H. Vince’s Solved Character Problems!

WIM Module 6 – 2023

Lesson 2: Solving Character Problems

What I learned from doing this assignment is my initial character descriptions were weak. I added more depth to the character triangle and even added kind of a red herring with the antagonist.

TITLE: DREAM VACATION

WRITTEN BY: H. Vince

GENRE: DRAMA/THRILLER

HIGH CONCEPT: When a retired couple finally take their dream vacation, the husband starts showing signs of rapid dementia and leaves his wife in distress in a foreign country.

MAJOR STORY HOOK: Imagine thinking you can trust your doctor to prescribe you something to block your anxiety and instead you become a guinea pig for a clinical trial drug that causes extreme memory loss while you’re in a foreign country on your dream vacation!?

[Marguerite Langstaff]

Module 6 Lesson 2 character problems

Marguerite Langstaff: The Billionaire in 501

Visiion: I want to learn to write and market movie scripts.

What I learned from doing this assignment was that my two main characters, Protagonist Mimi, and Antagonist Pappy were both two weak..so I had to add some scenes to remedy that.

State/Activity: I love tackling this problem….sort of.

Mimi was too goody-good. She is more interesting if she isn’t so perfect, so I added a few things for her to do wrong, hoping that we, the audience, can even identify with some of those things. Then I added a unique way for her to dress throughout. Since she’s now from a ranch I’ve dressed her in cowboy boots and fancy belt buckles.

Pappy was just too bland. I’ve increased his personality, made it stronger and now he sends Mimi flowers every day…much to her chagrin. He is also stronger standing up to his daughter Sally who wants desperately to keep him away from Mimi.

These improvements to the characters making them stronger increases my own interests in the script.

[Brian Bull]

BRIAN BULL – Solved Character Problems!

VISION!!!
My ultimate goal is to get my scripts from my hands to the SILVER SCREEN!!

“What I learned from doing this assignment is…
This is important and I need to keep this assignment on going. As my script continues to develop so does my character. There’s always room for improvement.

The ONE THAT GOT AWAY – A Fisherman’s Tale
A fisherman is determined to catch the fish he blames for his younger brother’s death, however, in the end, it turns out the fisherman is the one who had gotten away.

ASSIGNMENT

Check your lead characters to see if they have any of the problems listed in this lesson.
A. Generic Lead Characters.
B. Weak protagonist or antagonist.
C. Protagonist Too Good or Antagonist Too Bad.
D. Weak character intros.
E. Characters not in action.
F. Protagonist journey not strong.
G. All the characters seem the same.
H. Lead characters not present.

For any character problems you find, make the prescribed improvements.

I made several improvements so far and I feel I will be continuing to make more improvements as I move along.