Lesson 2: Key Decisions for Characters

[ATAUR BACCHUS]

ATAUR’S ROMCOM PROJECT
ASSIGNMENT 2: KEY DECISIONS FOR CHARACTERS

WHAT I LEARNED FROM THIS ASSIGNMENT
Seeing “Character” as a stringing together of individual “Decisions” by WRITER.
(Character also a stringing of sequential choices/decisions of CHARACTERS – protagonist, antagonist etc.)
1. Starting with your concept and conventions, fill in as many blanks as you can for each of your lead characters.
• Who is She? Rachel. Roving Foreign Correspondent and War Reporter. Psychological Fatigue reporting on Military Conflicts, Distressed Populations and Environmental Crises
•
• Who is He? Liam. Vacation and Tour Guide. Somewhat in Exile on a Caribbean Island, away from screwed-up world.
•
• What makes them lovable?
• Rachel – still an idealist.
• Liam – Idealist. Self-deprecating.
•
• What attracts them to each other?
• Rachel to William. Articulate Self-Deprecating. Humour.
• William to Rachel. Professional and Empathetic.
•
• What needs does each fulfill for the other?
• Liam – Rachel: No guile. Idealism Philosophical about the fundamentals, everyday material life
• Rachel – Liam: Sophisticated but unaffected
•

[Dean Burkey]

What I learned doing this assignment is the importance of making both characters likable in some way. To present them both as worthy of love.

[Brenda Clarke]

BRENDA CLARKE, this is helping me see the greater depth to what the characters needs are and is something that I can improve upon as I keep outlining this project.
Who is she?
A devoted mother, who has put her needs aside as her children came first

Who is SHE?
A corporate lesbian who takes life a bit too seriously and is missing a real relationship in life.

What makes them lovable?
The Mother is down to earth, spontaneous and fun
Corporate Woman despite her brash exterior is vulnerable, friendly good person

What attracts them to each other?
Mother instantly attracted to the athleticism of corporate woman, “sporty type” but likes her kindness (as she realises she let her win the tennis match)
Corporate woman loves the mother’s honesty and her sense of humour, a type she normally wouldn’t go for. (straight)

What needs do they fulfill for the other?
Mother fulfills in Corporate Woman the possibility of a long term loving relationship, a simplicity and safe space that she hasn’t had from previous relationships.

Corporate Woman fulfills in the Mother a sense of adventure, that she is doing something for herself for once, and being in a same sex relationship that she has secretly longed for.

[Duane T Basham]

What I learned doing this assignment – The characters coming into this – and the baggage they carry is critical to to conflict and how it’s resolved.

Who is She? She is “lovelorn” – though I don’t like or use that word. She loves hard but is insecure how much the man loves her. She knows she is a handful, thus she suspects he is going to have issues with her – and she is always on the lookout for them.

Who is He? He is happy go lucky – dates around but never serious. He’s slow to make a move and does not push things. This reads as casual – but in truth he is guarding his heart. He will not put his heart out there to be stepped on, so he will never say I love you first or act like this is a serious relationship

What makes them lovable? The both desire love above anything – but she does not trust it and he does not give it.

What attracts them to each other? The each approach the potential of a relationship differently than anything they have met. This is intriguing, to them and they would both “like to know more.”

What needs does each fulfill for the other? Her need to be supported in her career as a woman with time and deed and whiling loving her just the way she is. His need to have an equal in the relationship – not someone who wants to tie him down or get him to commit. His need is for someone to KNOW he loves them by the way he acts around them all the time and how inclusive he is in her life.

*** This includes my re-thoughts.

[Connie Barr]

Connie’s Rom-Com Project Lesson #2 assignment
What I learned doing this exercise:
This was a valuable exercise to fill in some to the story gaps in my project. This lesson presented some key questions to pos for the main characters in the love journey.
• Who is She? Karen is a retired, lonely widow who tries to keep busy with her BFF and array of pals plus volunteer work but still longs for a partner to share life with.
In the opening scene, we see Karen remembering her husband’s sudden death and then her efforts to keep busy to avoid thinking about it and pushing away the sadness and aloneness.
One year later, we see Karen sharing with her daughters that she plans to start dating via a senior-oriented site which delights the younger one and totally freaks out the eldest.
• Who is He? Jim is a lonely widower who also stays busy with his golf buddies and band members but still aches to have a special lady in his life.
In his opening scene we see Jim playing golf with his buddies who complain about their wives’ foibles and reminds them how lucky they are to still have the ladies with them.
Not long after that, Jim encounters Karen in a super market produce area but ignore the funny attraction.
• What makes them lovable?
1. Karen is a funny and loves to laugh
2. She is loveable and attractive. She sings with the senior theatre group
3. A kind soul who delights in helping others, like delivering Meals on Wheels.
1. Jim also has a great sense of humor, doesn’t take himself too seriously.
2. He enjoys helping his sons and their families as well as friends and neighbors.
3. He loves to fix things.
• What attracts them to each other?

What causes Karen to be attracted to Jim?
1. Jim has a ready sense of humor & playful nature
2. His gentlemanly behavior. He is affectionate but appropriate
3. A shared love of music, films and travel
What causes Jim to be attracted to Karen?
1. In addition to being an attractive redhead, she is stylish.
2. She embraces new adventures.
3. Her beautiful singing voice and love of theatre.
• What needs does each fulfill for the other?
What need does Jim fulfill for Karen?
1. Someone who gets her & makes her laugh every day
2. An affectionate & fun partner to share her later years with
3. A person of character who supports her with love and kindness
What needs does Karen fulfill for Jim?
4. A loving partner to share his 3rd act of life with
5. A fun travel companion
6. Someone who shares his passion for music & movies

[Pat Fitzgerald]

Pat's Rom Com Project
What I’ve learned is seeing my characters become more three-dimensional and vulnerable.

Who is she: Jaki Buran: A bartender at the club where she was once a renowned stripper, and a volunteer at the assisted living home where she hopes to be hired as a caregiver.
Who is he: Mitch Nickelsen: A financier with a large inheritance who wants to establish recreation centers in disadvantaged areas.

What makes them loveable?
Jaki enjoys volunteering in an assisted living home.
Is rebellious if it means doing what’s best for herself and others.
Helps a friend who runs a free lunch and exercise program for the homeless.
Mitch cares deeply for his father.
He enjoys Jaki’s rebellious nature.
Always exploring ways to help the disadvantaged.

What attracts them to each other?
Jaki is initially attracted to Mitch because he finds humor in her unconventional ways.
She sees how much Mitch cares for his stroke victim father.
She thinks his money will solve all her problems.
Mitch enjoys Jaki’s blunt honesty.
He sees through her superficial want for material things.

What needs does each fulfill for the other?
Jaki can restore fun in Mitch’s life.
Mitch can give Jaki a sense of security.
They both need the barriers they have built around themselves knocked down. Mitch can do this for Jaki and vice versa.

• This reply was modified 9 months, 3 weeks ago by  Pat Fitzgerald.

[Ron Turowski]

Ron Turowski Rom Com Project
What I learned doing this assignment is you begin to develop characters.
Starting with your concept and conventions, fill in as many blanks as possible for each lead character.
• Who is She? A rich id from Palm Beach
• Who is He? An ors type with good values but hides a dark side.
• What makes them lovable? He is kind, gentle, and considerate, and she has a quirky personality that her parents suppress.
• What attracts them to each other? Opposis attracts the chance to be free from the snob life of Palm Beach.
• What needs does each fulfill for the other? Each on has what the other lacks in their life.

[Rae Rodgers]

Lesson 1 – Rae Rodgers – Concept & Conventions
What I learned doing this assignment is how to build a story from nothing. It can be done if you have a good story reserve from your own life experience and a wildly creative mind to pull from… also excellent screenwriting guidance such as SWU.

Fill in the blanks to create a concept:

ASSIGNMENT:
Create your concept and Conventions
Start with whatever idea you have, fill in the blanks and create a concept.
1. Two people who are destined to be together.
Much like the Brigid Jones the opening is a “meet cute” – a flashback to childhood.
At five, all Emmy wants is to be a pilot. No dolls, strollers; she wants trains, planes, boy toys with engines. But growing up in Joshua Tree far from cities and airports, tiny Palm Springs airport was where she’d watch planes take off and land… while her Mom did airport maintenance with no caregiving support for her child.
From age six Riley just had to fly. There would be no compromise. The first indication was his leap from the family holiday home roof in Like Arrowhead with large self-made wings strapped to his upper body. And now, present day, after piloting a flight from Prague to NYC and a twenty four hour stopover he grabs a last minute “jump seat” for pilots only and heads to LA for a family reunion.
JFK Airport. As Riley boards the business class cabin a co-pilot takes him aside. Asks him to surrender his “jump seat” to a mother who is taking her special needs child to LA for surgery. Riley surrenders his seat in a heartbeat and waits for the next flight.
Hours later, boarding a back-up flight, the flight attendant steers Riley to the cockpit where the Captain gives him a revered jump seat in the cock-pit, one of two seats directly behind the pilot. Riley looks to his right, sees a pair of knock-out female legs, the rest of her hidden by a large open magazine. Minutes later, a very beautiful jerks her face from behind the pages introduces herself as Emmy.
During the five-hour non-stop flight the two talk, bond, and before landing both know there is something special there. Emma admits to him she has no life outside of piloting but wants to someday marry and have kids. She states she is a “Greeny,” talks passionately about married couples replacing themselves that’s all, and not adding to overpopulation. He listens but does not offer his opinion. By the end of the flight, Riley and Emma are inextricably in love!
2. How are they separated:
Riley’s family is in Bridgeport Connecticut. Emma’s is Los Angeles via Yucca Valley. At first they swear this will not separate them, but it causes tension as their relationship takes on a whirlwind life.
3. What forces them together:
NYC is Riley’s default stopover city. Los Angeles is Emma’s. They scramble their flight schedules to meet up in either city, but flights get delayed on a regular basis and there are too many missed dates. All he wants is marriage, but she has more piloting to do and is not yet ready to give up her life’s pursuit. So, she studies for her real estate license on the side thinking this might be an easy job to fall into while creating a family of four.
4. Issues to be resolved on their journey of love.
Riley and Emma cannot be apart! So, they marry in NYC courthouse and Emma, while piloting back and forth, gets pregnant way before she is ready.
5. How are they separated.
Four months into her pregnancy, with bad bouts of morning sickness and unable to pilot is forced to give up the career of her lifetime. She studies, passes her California real estate exam, but this will never satisfy or replace her obsession with piloting planes. As her business builds, she’s home even less than when she was piloting!
How will comedy be expressed?
Emma and Riley are madly in love, so she takes random flights, hanging with him in the cockpit , hiding her growing baby bump from the Airlines, taking “jump seat flights” just to be together… using a paper bag when she has to!
6. What forces them to be together
They make it work, flying together no matter what, until Emma’s OBGYN tells her that air travel is no longer an option. But they need to see, feel, touch each other twenty four seven and so separation is not an option.
7. Issues to be resolved on the journey of love
There is only one answer, Emma must stay home and live a conventional life. She is committed to the marriage and the baby but she also needs a career. So she studies for her real estate license —
8. How will comedy be expressed
Currently a work in progress 🙂

[Joy Smith]

Joy Geldard-Smith’s Rom Com Project

What I learned doing this assignment is that it’s fine if I don’t have all the answers yet, but one of the keys to creating good romcom characters is that they have to be each other’s “missing piece” in some way – just like with real life couples.

I was creating a poster for this (for the one sheet I’ll be putting together) and I realised a few story details while doing that as well, which was helpful.

I’ll probably still need to make their differences more ‘extreme’, but this is just lesson 2, so I’m going to move on and make progress.

Logline (updated):
A US Marshall working undercover as an ice cream vendor and a charming local crime reporter team up to catch a dangerous criminal who is on the run posing as Santa – but not before he delivers Christmas presents to every kid in Monterey.

Concept:
• Two People Who Belong Together: US Marshall Stella and journalist Crispin both seek truth and justice, with an unexpected shared history of childhood in the same town. (though they didn’t know each other when they were small, it’s not a second chance romance).
• How Are They Separated: Stella’s undercover mission and Crispin’s distrust of law enforcement (reinforced when he finds out she’s not who she says she is).
• What Forces Them together: Stella chasing a dangerous criminal that is posting as Santa, and Crispin chasing the story.
• Issues to be Resolved: Stella grapples with her duty to her job versus her growing feelings for Crispin, while Crispin must learn to trust Stella.
• On Their Journey of Love: Through solving the heists, they rediscover their shared past, working through their issues and finding love.
Conventions:
• The Journey of Love: They go from meeting when Crispin’s niece drops her ice cream, and Stella gives her a replacement.
• Relationship Set-up: The real ‘meet cute’ happens when Stella’s ice cream truck breaks down, blocking in Crispin’s car, meaning that he thinks he is going to miss a scoop.
• Issues each must Resolve: Stella being undercover and the associated lies, and Crispin getting in the way of her investigation by being a great reporter. Crispin struggles to trust Stella, particularly after she confesses to working undercover.
• Separation: Stella’s undercover work keeps them separated for most of the movie, then it is their own issues relating to that.

1. Starting with your concept and conventions, fill in as many blanks as you can for each of your lead characters.
• Who is She?
Stella Lee – US Marhsall. Travels around the country hunting bad guys.
• Who is He?
Crispin Davis – Local Crime Reporter. Local to Monterey, thinks it’s a perfect place (especially at Christmas!) and doesn’t understand why people would want to leave.
• What makes them lovable?
They both have a sense of right and wrong, and want to chase justice. Initially, they are both a little too rigid in this, but learn through the magic of Christmas that there are times when you have to hold before you get the result you want.
• What attracts them to each other?
Crispin shows his caring side by looking after his niece. She also shows herself to be caring by replacing the ice cream that the niece dropped (also saving him lots of hassle). Although he loves Monterey, he could do with a little bit of adventure, and she provides that. He also likes looking after his niece, but doesn’t have children of his own yet, and the way Stella deals with his niece shows him that he might be able to find the right woman to have kids with.
Stella likes the stability in Crispin’s life, as well as his nose for a story – an investigator but also a civilian, she also wants to protect him from the dangerous criminal Santa.
• What needs does each fulfill for the other?
Stella: fulfils Crispin’s need for adventure and the need for a long term partner to have children with.
Crispin: fulfils Stella’s longing for a more stable life, for some roots.

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

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.

[Leo Sopicki]

Leo's Rom-Com Project

What I learned doing this assignment is that you need to go more deeply into your characters in order to craft a good story.

Who is She?
Dianne is a famous Internet Influencer: Miss Ultimate. We meet her as she prepares to broadcast about movies, music and technology. She enjoys poking fun at some of her more extreme followers.
We hear applause and cheering during her podcast, but then realize it is only sound effects, not real people.
She worked as a waitress before inventing Miss Ultimate.

Who is He?
Leonard is a Systems Administrator for a sanitation agency. He hardly ever talks to anyone and spends most of his time behind his keyboard.
He is obsessed with Miss Ultimate.
He was a “military brat” and never got the chance to establish long term relationships in school.

What makes them lovable?
Dianne likes helping random people when she sheds her Miss Ultimate persona. She is searching for a way to make a difference in the world but hasn’t yet found it.
Leonard saves people’s data and time and keeps their computers working. His dedication to his job keeps him from finding the time to connect with others.

What attracts them to each other?
Leonard is attracted to Dianne because:
She asks him questions that have nothing to do with computers.
She tells heart warming stories about people she has helped.

Dianne is attracted to Leonard because:
As a military brat he had been all over the world, while she’d never been out of this city.
He doesn’t ask her for any favors, just tries to make her smile.
She thinks she can help him overcome his obsession with his “online mystery women”.

What needs does each fulfill for the other?
Leonard fulfills Dianna’s need for:
Real world relationship
Being appreciated as Dianna not Miss Ultimate

Dianna fulfills Leonard’s need for:
Real world relationship
Appreciating someone for true values, not glitz

[Cindi LeRoy]

Lesson 2: key decisions for characters
Cindi’s Rom-Com project

What I learned doing this assignment is it’s important to make your characters likeable so the audience bonds with them.

Who is he?
He likes to fix things. He’s a handyman. He is a junior high history teacher; teaches shop classes .He likes historical things.
He’s helpful and likes to put his skills to use.
Maybe he used to see her when he was a teenager. He lived in the neighborhood and did yardwork for the Great Aunt. He occasionally saw her hanging around the house and thought she was cute.

Who is she?
She’s interested in history.
She has a corporate job.
She thinks she’s artistic. She sees an image in a magazine and thinks she can re-create it, but it never looks quite right.
Maybe she vaguely remembers a couple times seeing him as a teenager doing yardwork and thought he was cute. But she lived in a different neighborhood and only visited the Aunt occasionally and didn’t remember him. She likes security, she likes adventure. She has family values.

Why is she attracted to him?
They share an interest in history.
He’s laid-back and fun.
He’s attractive and respectful.
He’s flirty. He’s a different kind of guy than what she ever met. She deals with serious businessman all day. He’s more relaxed and fun. She’s impressed that he’s so dedicated to/ & motivates his school students. Maybe he brings the kids over to the mansion to complete a project or to do a painting job. She’s impressed by this. Plus, it’s free help.

Why is he attracted to her?
She’s attractive and smart.
She’s a go-getter.
She’s funny/ witty comments to him. He’s curious about her.
She’s resourceful. She has a plan to bring some volunteers/from the historical society to help fix up the house/mansion.

They find interesting historical costumes in the attic. They dress up and act in that time period serving tea or a luncheon. Make polite but innuendo type conversation in what might be used during that time. Maybe the 1830s.

What Makes her lovable? – she has a witty personality; and she can give it and take it. She has this mansion that’s in rough shape so she can’t sell it. She doesn’t have the funds to fix it up. She’d like to keep it since it’s been in the family for years.

What attracts her to him? He seems generally interested in helping her; has a positive/Let’s do it attitude.

Conflict and growth: she’s kind of a free spirit and acts spontaneously without thinking it through. He gets stuck, bringing her ideas into reality and fixing up some of her messes. He’s more logical.
They each leave things laying around and they each stumble and fall and have accidents and blame it on the other with banter.

What each needs from the other: they see each other as ‘safe’ for a potential long-term relationship that they both need/want.

They are both committed to saving the mansion.

[Gayle Jackson]

Gayle Jackson’s Rom Com Project
What I learned doing this assignment is I have to be careful not to be too much like the Bullock/Tatum film “The Lost City”

Lesson 2
• Who is She? Casey is a comic book series creator who wants to be safe and watch action from afar but is in immediate danger. She is a dynamic star in her work world but struggles to feel secure. She feels being on marriage and family track will make her happy and she wants to have one last adventure – interior conflict – she is unhappy and afraid to say so.

• Who is He? Huck is an affable mercenary looking for the great score to get him out of the game. He has a partner/love interest who controls him and he is tired of being her punching bag. He has a gentle nature in a cruel business and seeks the comfort and safety of an honest relationship but has a danger chip in his DNA that makes him constantly run into risky situations.

• What makes them lovable? They have a cute banter where they don’t take crap from each other and can tease while being supportive and are on the same page with fundamental goals of non-criminal adventures where they can team up.

• What attracts them to each other? Other than physical, they both like to tease with love. She writes comic books, he reads them. She seeks adventure, he lives it. They both love to travel, and he is a natural mentor to bring her out of her shell through adventure while she supports his desire to find someone to love who is kind and trustworthy by showing him that women can be that.

• What needs does each fulfill for the other? He gives her wish fulfillment and courage. She gives him nurturing and support for pursuing a gentler life.

[Roni Halpern]

Roni’s ROM COM project.

Who is She?
unnamed is fun, loving, hardworking, approaches the subject of looking for love with a healthy attitude, but unsuccessful, and runs into a variety of ill equipped people
Who is He? He is a loving yet distrusting person, who has been through a variety of heartbreaks and failures. He wants to have love and to keep it, but goes through life not understanding what that requires.
What makes them lovable?
both want love, but also not understanding what stands in their way – her immaturity in giving up concepts of “movie-love”, and his inability to understand that love isn’t going to define him, just offer joy.
What attracts them to each other? they know each other from a distant past, so familiarity makes them feel safe.
What needs does each fulfill for the other? He makes her own up to what she needed to bring to her past relationships – responsibility, accountability, and she helps him see that she couldn’t have been enough to make them happy as a couple in the past and that he needed to enrich his inner world – they both fix what caused their past relationship to fail and get reacquainted as the mature versions of themselves. both deserving and also now capable of love.

What I learned most in this assignment is the great attention to detail to put both of them in a place of deserving love, and growingly need to earn it. the earning as the process that is what they go through. The earning process becomes my focus of attention – the physiological journey of the characters.

[William Peed]

MIke's Rom-com

What I learned: The connection between these characters must be real and deep and believable.

Who is She?

Daniella is a minor princess from Ukraine who has been kidnapped, tied up, taken away and sold into Pasha Hassan's harem in Algiers where she has become his favorite concubine.

Who is He?

Miguel Cervantes is a wounded hero of the Spanish/Ottoman Wars who has been kidnapped, tied up, taken away and held for ransom in Algiers, where he has managed to get himself named Pasha Hassan's Court Poet.

What makes them lovable?

Daniella uses the small amount of power she has to help the less fortunate citizens of Algiers by tempering Pasha Hassan's violent excesses.

Miguel uses his wit and charm to woo Daniella and plan their escape from captivity.

What attracts them to each other?

Their mutual situation — captivity at the hands of the cruel and tyrannical Pasha Hassan.

Thier mutual need to escape.

Miguel is attracted to Daniella's decency and kindness

Daniella is attracted to Miguel's charisma and charm

What needs does each fulfill for the other?

Daniella is Miguel's muse

Miguel is Daniella's safe harbor

• This reply was modified 8 months, 1 week ago by  William Peed.

[Mary Buchanan]

Mary Buchanan RomCom Project
What did I learn from this lesson? The questions forced me to think deeper, especially about the characters’ needs. That may be why I was not able to finish this book the first time I tried to write it.

Who is she? Margo Cashwell is a successful real estate broker who is the victim of a Ponzi Scheme. She has never married and now feels like she has lost out by focusing on her career. Both of her close friends have successful marriages. She is a fifth wheel among her friends. She doesn’t allow the situation to define her. She pursues her career and starts over.

Who is he? Tony Leveche, the FBI agent, interviewed her and convinced her to testify against the criminal, Margo’s classmate and professional colleague. Now, he is the chief investigator who accuses her of participating in the scheme. He allows the past to determine his future.

What makes them lovable.?
Both have great personalities, show concern for others, want the best for others, and are altruistic. Margo can’t keep a secret. Tony loves his mother and knows Margo can’t cook. He plays jokes about her culinary skills.
He fell in love many years ago, but it ended poorly. He refuses to give love a chance.

What attracts them to each other?
Tony admires her determination to succeed and her zest for life. Margo loves that he accepts her for what she is. Both are high-energy and love their work.

What needs does each fulfill for the other?
Margo is a risk-taker. Tony must finally take a chance on love. Tony will teach her everything about cooking and will partner
with her. He accepts her as she is.

Ways to create the best relationship:
Tony will get under Margo’s skin by teasing her about cooking, but he will also teach her. Although he is the investigator for the alleged case against her, Tony discovers the truth, which leads to her innocence.
The hurricane forces them to realize they love each other.

[Eugene Mandelcorn]

Eugene Mandelcorn's Rom-Com Project
What I learned doing this assignment is that these characters really seem real to me. I can identify with them.

Who is She? BETH – An aspiring filmmaker who lost her survival job and is about to be evicted from her residence.
KAREN – A older widow who was a trophy wife, who lost everything when her husband died and has ended up on the street.
Who is He? JOE – An aspiring filmmaker who lost his mother in a tragic accident and inherited her house and a vacant lot. He wants to find his father who left when he was young as he believes the man is homeless.
VOICE – An older Shakespearan trained actor, who has not worked for quite a while and is homeless. He still has great ambitions, but is his own worst enemy.
What makes them lovable?
JOE – He wants to reunite with his father. He has no-one in his life, right now. He's determined to solve the homeless problem, but needs help. He falls in love with Beth at first sight.
BETH – Brought up without much material possessions , she wants to make it on her own in the film industry. She is looking for that big break, always trying to be positive. She is having money problems, but always looking for a solution.
VOICE – He is everything one would turn away from. Old, Smelly, Egotistical, Loud, but has a personality that is magnetic. He was born with Charisma and is a great storyteller, believing so much in his stories, that he can convince some of the people, some of the time, that they are true.
KAREN – A very attractive older woman, who was financially, taken care of most of her life. She kept house and kept her husband happy, but never herself. She feels like she has lived a beautiful nightmare with only the nightmare left. She is looking for something to make her feel whole, and we feel her longing.

What attracts them to each other?
JOE & BETH – Joe falls in love with Beth at first sight. They watched the same movie, in the same theater. It turns out to be his favorite, but not hers. She is very reluntant to make a loving connection, but is pulled in by the offer to be paid for her work on his project and get a credit on it, as well, to perhaps forward her career and pay her bills.
VOICE & KAREN – Voice is so obnoxious to most people who avoid him, because of his negative traits that he secretly enjoys the verbal sparing matches he has with Karen and obviously feels sparks in their adversary relationship. Karen sees the possibilities in Voice, which he may not be aware of, and although repulsed by him in someways, is attracted to him in others. The negative, positive, attraction.
What needs does each fulfill for the other?
JOE & BETH – Beth fulfills for Joe the connection, both physical and emotional, that he is looking for. Joe fulfills the financial and artistic solutions Beth is looking for and eventually realizes they are also physically and emotionally compatible.
VOICE & KAREN – KAREN never really had much communication with her late husband, he never confided in her. Her banter, back and forth with Voice, is excellerating comparied to her previous relationship. Voice, although secretly attracted to Karen, also enjoys their banter. He is often ignored or shunned by people, who don't verbalize what they think. Even though they think differently, they end up seeing how much they have in common.

• This reply was modified 8 months, 1 week ago by  Eugene Mandelcorn.

[Madeleine Vessel]

Madeleine’s Rom Com Project

“What I learned doing this assignment is this. By making key decisions about my two characters, using these prompts –
Who is She?
Who is He?
What makes them lovable?
What attracts them to each other: What needs do they fulfill for the other?

– I can ensure that the audience bonds with my lead characters and wants them to have a love story together.

Concept:
A charismatic stranger, whose fancy car breaks down in a remote Nevada town, quickly becomes entangled with a goodhearted miner’s daughter, sparking suspicion, tomfoolery, and love as his mysterious past comes to light.
Conventions:

Two People Who Belong Together:

A sophisticated San Diego marine architect, who has lost his business because of his partner’s gambling habit, is drifting to he doesn’t care where.

A goodhearted woman, stranded in a small Nevada town helping support her parents, longs for the day when she can spread her wings and adventure into the wider world.

What Forces Them Together.

When his car breaks down out in the middle of the Nevada desert, he is forced to accept a tow into the small town where she lives and forced to take lodging with her family and go to work for her father as a gold and silver miner. They work together doing assessment on various mining claims during the summer.

How Are They Separated:

They are separated when he is arrested for his partner’s murder and returned to San Diego for trial. Actually, his partner was killed by his creditors.

Issues to be Resolved:

From the get-go, she sees him as rich, soft, and as free as a bird. Where’s the future in someone like that?

From the beginning, he looks down on her as a country bumpkin with no ambition.

On Their Journey of Love: Sacrifice/self-denial

Step by step, she comes to know his goodness and honesty, and he comes to respect her intelligence and talents, which she already is sharing with the wider world.

Experience of Falling In Love:

They fall in love while living and working together. She puts ointment on his blisters. He is patient with her mother, is a workhorse for her father, and protects her from a couple of creeps out to do her harm.

The Journey of Love:

Sacrifice and self-denial.

He falls for her when he realizes her kindness is genuine.

She falls for him when he shows himself willing to sacrifice himself for her welfare. He puts himself between her and two criminals out to do her wrong.

Relationship Set-up:

Her family gives him lodging and temporary work while his car is being repaired.

He and she live and work side-by-side 



Issues each must Resolve:

She thinks he’s rich and soft and free as a bird. Who wants to be hooked up with someone like that?
He thinks she’s a country bumpkin with no ambition.

Separation:

He is arrested and dragged away by law enforcement.

How will Comedy be Expressed: slapstick

Most of the comedy will happen when they are living and working together.

Who is She?
Thea Pitney (Gift of God) (arid): A goodhearted woman stranded in a remote Nevada town working for her parents, who longs for the day when she can spread her wings and adventure into the wider world.
Who is He?
David Self (Beloved) (Sea Wolf): A sophisticated San Diego marine architect, who has lost his business because of his partner’s gambling habit, is drifting to he doesn’t care where. To an outsider, he’s free as a bird but what kind of bird.
What makes them lovable?

Thea:
Unexpectedly talented (she speaks five languages)
Kindness to others.
Humble and
Capable of making a commitment and staying loyal.

David:
The contrast of being sophisticated and used to wealth and yet being willing to roll up his sleeves and go to work.
Plays the guitar and sings beautifully.
Willing to sacrifice himself for her welfare.

What attracts them to each other?

What causes Thea to be attracted to David?
o His singing.
o His willingness to extend himself for her. Sacrifice/self-denial
o His willingness to roll up his sleeves and go to work even if he is not good at it.

What causes David to like Thea?
o Her kindness.
o Her humility even though she’s a talented polyglot.
o The love she has for her parents. Her loyalty to them.

What needs does each fulfill for the other?

What needs does Thea fulfill for David?
o The possibility of a long term love story.
o She is someone who is trustworthy. Her yes means yes. Her no means no.
o He isn’t lonely when he’s with her.
o She is someone who is capable in her own right, who can be an equal partner, but who also needs him when she’s overpowered.

What needs does David fulfill for Thea?
o He’s someone she can count on when she is in danger.
o He holds the key to the wider world.
o He understands her choices and her worth when everyone around her thinks she’s wasted her education on learning languages and is wasting her life not getting married and settling down with the local man who likes her.
o She isn’t lonely when she’s with him.

[Nancy Lucas]

Nancy’s Rom Com Project.
Lesson / Assignment #2
What I learned doing this assignment is the importance of each of them having something they 'need' that the other can help fulfill. This really helps to clarify the story.

• Who is She?
In my story, Debra is in her early 30’s and owns her own bakery in a small (mountain) town. Her business is located on the town square. She loves what she does and is trying to find ways to grow her business.

• Who is He?
In my Story Jason (not sure if I am keeping the name) comes from the next town over. They had not met up until now, where he is in town due to the installment of internet satellite for the town. He is a ‘field supervisor’ and is in sales for the company. After 5 years of living in NY, while also traveling for the company, bringing him back to his ‘hometown area’ will make him realize how much he desires a simpler life, with family, friends, a sense of community and purpose.

• What makes them lovable?
What makes Debra loveable is her desire to make each cake so special for each customer. To make sure people are happy and will go out of her way to do something special for others. She is hard working, and the town knows this and appreciates her.

• What attracts them to each other?
He is attracted to her because she represents the simpler life he thought he was ‘better than’ when he moved away after college to go to NY. She finds that, although he is somewhat ‘worldly’ he is very much accustomed to this mountain-town life and ‘down to earth’

• What needs does each fulfill for the other?
She would fill his need for stability, and a simpler life. Regaining his sense of purpose and making a difference for his family, friends and community.
I am still working on what she wants and how he can play a role- I think that it could be that he can grown her business with internet sales- but I do not know if that would be a good fit.

• This reply was modified 8 months, 1 week ago by  Nancy Lucas.

[Bent Hanlen]

Bents rom com project

what i learned doing this project is i see where their motivations clash and how empty they both are yet each could provide what the other needs if they are able to break through the defenses they both have built up

Who is She? she is a broken hearted woman whose spouse left her for another woman and has found comfort in her family.
Who is He? he is a plumber who has defenses set up. he loves to help people yet keeps his guard up at all times.
What makes them lovable? They are both kind hearted but previous pains have made them careful.
What attracts them to each other? they both are aware of their wounds so they both enter this carefully. He can fix things. Her ex created problems. She gives him the attention he likes and then takes an inch out of his defenses. To where she is working on getting inside to him.
What needs does each fulfill for the other? He is a provider and she loves the traditional role. She is loving and he gravitates to the attention she provides.

[Renee Johnson]

4 What I learned…. I went back to this assignment. I see more of each character. Took better notes of who they are. This will go a long way into their dialogue and actions. I have a better understanding of romance and how to get them there. We are all so complicated but in fantasy land of movies /story telling it only takes 4 traits to create great memorable and lovable characters that we hope will succeed. I also have a better understanding how to reel in and capture a better character if I don’t stray away from 4 traits but emphasize them. I will say I am taking more time to think about my stories than I used to.