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Lesson 25
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<div>Laurie Solved Structural Problems. What I learned is….do the work even if you don’t want to. So..I did pull out the Lesson 5 and updated the beat sheet, which had a lot of updates for ACT 4.. then I pasted in Lesson 25 questions.. and wrote in the short answers…and realized I could strengthen in several places. No new scenes, I don’t need to hit the audience over the head.. but added in some dialogue. Thanks again! Including my notes below, which has a lot of shorthand for me..but I doubt anyone is reading them, I realize it’s just for me. </div>
Act 1:
Opening/Old Ways: Is this an engaging opening scene that lures us into the story?
Opening scene has Annie smelling her 1<sup>st</sup> husbands’ clothes in secret. You know something is clearly up right away
Is the lead character clearly living in a pre-transformation mode?
Not sure- fixed!
Do the “Old Ways” show up in their behavior and dialogue?
It’s subtle- dropped another hint!
Opening– Annie’s 60<sup>th</sup> birthday finds her in a seemingly happy scene surrounded by her 3 adult children and her 2<sup>nd</sup> husband Sean, but in private she is still mourning her 1<sup>st</sup> husband Chris who died 30 years ago.
1. Annie is pining for the past, still. Old ways. But still pretending all is well. Holding on to the past relationship is her secret weapon. She will always have that 1<sup>st</sup> love,
Inciting Incident: How does this incident invite and propel us into the journey?
It’s quick, and unexpected. And brings viewers to an unusual place some may have wondered about .Visually and theoretically. You want to see what happens
Inciting Incident– While skiing with her 3 adult children, Erin, Hunter and Maggie, Annie hits a tree and loses consciousness. Annie comes around in altered state, sitting in a twilight void, her life memories swirling around her in a blur. She has a guide who shows her that time and space are merged here. There are others in the distance, some in a coma, some preparing to pass on, others like her, in-between. The guide shows Anna how she can select from her life memories that are swirling around her and be briefly immersed in that moment.
Turning Point: How is this Turning Point a twist that locks us into the journey with “no going back?”
She is not sure how she was able to stay in the memory, so we aren’t either. But she doesn’t want to go back…yet.
Turning Point- She can view each of these memories before deciding if she wants to visit it. If she chooses, she then can briefly enter the memory. Then comes back to the altered state.
· OLD WAY Annie gets to visit her memories, but she is still just along for the ride. This is the old way
· EVENT She visits one memory of her mother, that goes beyond the good part, to one that exposes her mothers’s schizophrenia, then she always comes back to the altered state.
· OLD WAY- in discussion- This exposes how much Annie wishes she could change the past.
· EVENT One of the memories is the death of her first husband 30 years ago, which she passes by and does not view.
EVENT The next memory is before the accident. She is not pulled back into the altered state,
Act 2:
New Plan: What new plan did the protagonist create to deal with the Act 1 Turning Point?
She doesn’t tell anyone- cause she wants to stay AND she’s afraid she might be like her mother, a schizophrenic, especially as she is having realistic dreams of her other life and she has a c-section scar. So she goes visit her mother in an institution.
New plan– Annie is stunned that she is staying in the memory from 1993, happy to be with Chris again, her younger self and her 2 older children as kids again. She tells no one, afraid they will think she is going schizo, like her mother.
Her dreams at night are of Maggie and are too real. But then she realizes she has a scar.
· EVENT- Annie goes visits her mother in an institution. She doesn’t want to be like her- question doctor.
· Annie doesn’t want to be like the ‘old annie’ who is reacting to life instead of directing it. She wants to chose her story line.
Plan in action: How does the protagonist take action on that plan?
No insight from her mother, only growing concern on her state of mind. Plus she realizes it’s the day before Chris’s accident. But is she going crazy? She decides to visit her aunt… who is a hypnotherapist.
Plan in action. Annie realizes she is close to the day of the accident that took Chris’s life. Annie believes she can save Chris’s life. And is thrilled she can save him and give Erin and Hunter back their father. If this is real.
That sends her to her aunt Mary Lou who is a hypnotherapist, Annie tells her that she thinks she is living in a memory from an altered state-or she is going schizo. And asks if she had an injury when she was young that would have left a scare on her lower belly. so she has doubt
Mary Lou doesn’t judge, calms her down tries to convince her it really is 1993, there is no other life, no Sean or Maggie..She hypnotizes her to calm her down
Midpoint Turning Point: How does the Midpoint change the meaning, creating a reveal that changes everything while keeping us on the same journey?
Under hypnosis, Annie sees several different futures- some in color, some in B&W.. she sees the different paths..and believes that she can make the change Chris’ future.. she doesn’t have to be a bystander.. she has a choice.. but she wavers again when talking to ML..maybe it is PTSD.
Midpoint Turning Point– In hypnosis with M’Lous help, Annie returns to the altered state to help her see the future, she can see Chris with her children at an older age, each time she comes out of the altered state she is still in 1993 . She can also see memories with Sean and Maggie. Mary Lou suggests she may have PTSD… Annie wavers but concerned about acc. Mlou says there is no harm in delay
When she returns home, she hides Chris’s keys.
At night as she lies next to Chris, she is plagued by memories of Maggie disappearing. She call mlu in the night…calms her down.
Annie does a timeline and tries to figure out what is real by calling Sean’s old work number. He answers. She hangs up.
Annie realizes if she saves Chris and lives her life with him, there will be no meeting Sean, and more importantly, no Maggie. Annie is unsure if she is starting to be like her mother, but she can’t bear the thought of seeing Chris die again… but then there is dear Maggie. She puts the keys back
Act 3:
React/Rethink: What is revealed to the protagonist from the Midpoint?
She will lose Maggie if she saves Chris.
How do they react or rethink things?
Is it real? If it is, she has the choice she always wanted to save Chris- or.
Rethink everything– makes breakfast, hides in bathroom, but changes mind at last minute. Annie decides to save Chris and they witness the tragic truck accident Annie has the first day of life after what would have been his death. But at night, in her dreams, infant Maggie howls and fades away. The scar is gone.
New Plan: What new plan did the protagonist create to deal with this new level of conflict?
Save Chris, then leave him to have Maggie. She can save both.
New plan– in middle of night Annie abruptly leaves Chris, and her kids behind (she doesn’t want to take them away from the father she just gave them back), to keep on the timeline to meet Sean and have Maggie. The scar is back. She goes to mlos..
Turning Point: The lowest of the low. How has this Turning Point brought the character to the lowest of lows, making it almost impossible for them to win in a normal way?
Confrontation with Chris… pretends? To be schizo-
This forces them to adopt the change in a much bigger way.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift. Chris comes after her- she uses miscommunication to let him think she is leaving to protect him and the kids from her mental condition.
Act 4:
Dilemma: What emotional dilemma requires the protagonist to choose between two alternatives, losing something with either choice?
In pretending to be schizo… her daughter thinks diff of her and she has to flee as she is worried that she will be committed.
Climax/Ultimate @xpression Of The Conflict: How is this the ultimate expression of the conflict? How does it require a “fight to the death,” either literally or symbolically?
She meets Sean and has Maggie, but still losing with Erin and Chris won’t talk to her.
Resolution: How does this resolution represent the “New Ways” and bring this story to a fitting conclusion?
She takes control again, by using her knowledge to get money, get erin and others on track.
Erin graduation – first time seeing hunter and Chris in 8 years. He still loves her.
Secret correspondence. Sean is gone a lot
Chris dies of lung cancer. Erin is unforgiving, Hunter is sweet.
Maggie is talent musician… Sean wants a divorce
New Ways: What are the New Ways and do they clearly show up in your lead character’s Act 4 behavior and dialogue?
60<sup>th</sup> birthday… goes back- tried to save everyone…but she was the one who ended up missing out… so she’s going to take the choice and go back again..
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Jeanne Sanner Solved Structural Problems
What I learned in this lesson: I was afraid to tackle this one. I have many characters and I wondered if that interfered with the prime structure for the protagonist. After looking at Lesson 5, and going through my script, I realized how closely I followed my outline.
Act 1:
Opening/Old Ways: Is this an engaging opening scene that lures us into the story? Is the lead character clearly living in a pre-transformation mode? Do the “Old Ways” show up in their behavior and dialogue?
The first scene introduces the main characters, and the lead character demonstrates within this scene that she hates her father and does not want him in her life at all. She also reveals why she hates as she is provoked by one of the other characters.
Inciting Incident: How does this incident invite and propel us into the journey?
People will want to know if the main character can heal her wounds and how she will go about doing it.
Turning Point: How is this Turning Point a twist that locks us into the journey with “no going back?”
Turning point is the end of act one in which Andrea’s boy friend leaves her because of her issues.
Act 2:
New Plan: What new plan did the protagonist create to deal with the Act 1 Turning Point?
Andrea plans to deceive Justin in to believing that she has solved her problem by showing him an email she says she will send her father making amends.
Plan in action: How does the protagonist take action on that plan? She deletes the email once she has convinced Justin that she will send it, and she goes further by saying that her father has replied and they have scheduled a dinner together.
Midpoint Turning Point: How does the Midpoint change the meaning, creating a reveal that changes everything while keeping us on the same journey?
Andrea ultimately confesses to Justin that she has lied, and he kicks her out of his life forever.
Act 3:
React/Rethink: What is revealed to the protagonist from the Midpoint? How do they react or rethink things?
Andrea realizes two key things. One, deception is not the way to go, and it is not really who she is. Plus, she realizes that she really does need to find a way to forgive her father if she is to have peace and romantic love in her life. No longer for Justin, but for herself.
New Plan: What new plan did the protagonist create to deal with this new level of conflict?
She seeks the answer to “How do you forgive the unforgiveable?” with a minister, a guru, a mystic, an abuse counselor, and all endeavors fail.
Turning Point: The lowest of the low. How has this Turning Point brought the character to the lowest of lows, making it almost impossible for them to win in a normal way? This forces them to adopt the change in a much bigger way.
Lowest point is Justin has found someone else. She does not have the answer to her quest, she feels betrayed by her closest cousin and her roommate for not sharing how they achieved their success.
Act 4:
Dilemma: What emotional dilemma requires the protagonist to choose between two alternatives, losing something with either choice?
She must now choose to find a way to forgive her father, which goes against her beliefs, or keep her beliefs and deprive herself of happiness in the future.
Climax/Ultimate @xpression Of The Conflict: How is this the ultimate expression of the conflict? How does it require a “fight to the death,” either literally or symbolically?
She has hated her father for years. She believes her father’s behavior is unforgiveable, but she must forgive him to find peace.
Resolution: How does this resolution represent the “New Ways” and bring this story to a fitting conclusion?
She ultimately decides to give her relationship with her father a chance. They go to dinner again; This time it is peace and enjoyable, but when it comes time to leave the restaurant, they hug, which is very uncomfortable for Andrea. When they leave, her father turns left, Andrea turns right. Her father says to himself “There’s hope” and Andrea says to herself; “It is possible…day by day.
New Ways: What are the New Ways and do they clearly show up in your lead character’s Act 4 behavior and dialogue? Go to dinner in peace. But there is still more work to be done. However, Justin comes back and Andrea says yes to giving the relationship another try.
My script does follow the structure that Lesson 5 very effectively guided us to do! Thank you for such excellent instruction and guidance.
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Margaret solves structural problems
What I learned: Following an outline helps keep your intended structure.
My assignment: I found I had followed the structure exactly as I planned. The outline contained the needed elements. When I first started to write, I put the outline into my final draft. I checked each part as I wrote, making sure I was keeping true to the intended goal. As a result, I didn’t find any structural problems. I did see areas that needed to be expanded, so I fixed those as I went.
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