Lesson 3

[Nat Melvin]

Natalie’s Creating The Mission Track

WIL: That this concept holds this far and will be elevated with future assignments.

1. Ask the Mission Track questions to discover your Hero’s mission.

What is it about this Hero that will have them go straight into the face of the overwhelming odds?

Brie, the single mom, possesses an unwavering determination to protect her children and students under her care, driven by her sense of responsibility, love and fierce maternal instinct that compels her to confront the danger head-on.

B. What is the mission that would be an impossible goal?

Brie’s impossible mission becomes unraveling a web of intricate sabotage on the State Fair’s rides and attractions, a race against time as she faces challenges that test her physical skills, problem-solving acumen, and emotional resilience while she must figure out which ride has been set to collapse.

C. What strong internal and external motivation could drive the hero?

Internal Motivation:

Maternal Instinct: Brie’s deep love for her two children. She would do anything to ensure their safety and well-being, even if it means risking her own life.

Sense of Responsibility: As the chaperone of the group of students on the field trip, Brie’s sense of duty drives her to protect them from the impending danger.

Personal Redemption: Brie carries the weight of past decisions and regrets, particularly her failed marriage. Resolving the crisis at the fair becomes a chance for personal redemption and making amends with her father and herself.

External Motivation:

Preventing Disaster: Brie’s external motivation is to prevent Cooper’s catastrophic plan from unfolding. She knows that if she doesn’t act, the consequences will be dire, affecting not only her family but also the fairgoers and the fairground itself.

Reconnecting with Her Father: Repairing her strained relationship with her father and preserving the family legacy provide an added incentive to confront the crisis.

Saving Her Father’s Reputation: Brie realises that if the disaster strikes the fairground, it will destroy her father’s reputation.

Community Impact: Brie is motivated by the broader impact on the community. She understands that the fair is a cherished tradition for many, and she feels responsibility to protect it.

D. Imagine that mission playing out across a story. What could naturally happen if this hero went on this mission against this villain?

Challenges and Obstacles: physical confrontations with Cooper’s henchmen, mechanical malfunctions on fairground rides, and psychological mind games to test her resolve.

Tense Confrontations: high-stakes confrontations as Brie attempts to outsmart and defeat the man she once trusted, leading to intense verbal exchanges and emotional showdowns.

Character Growth: As she faces adversity, she becomes more resourceful, resilient, and confident. Her journey also includes confronting her past mistakes and finding inner strength.

Rescue and Heroism: successfully rescues students and fairgoers from perilous situations.

Alliances and Betrayals: Brie may form unexpected alliances with other characters, including fairground employees, fellow parents, or even her estranged father. However, the story might also reveal betrayals from individuals she thought she could trust.

Race Against Time: The story is punctuated by moments of urgency as Brie races against the clock to defuse a critical situation or stop a ride from malfunctioning. These moments of suspense add to the intensity of the narrative.

Emotional Reconciliation: Brie’s mission provides opportunities for emotional reconciliation and healing. She may have heartfelt conversations with her children, make amends with her father, and even confront her own inner demons.

The Fairground as a Character: with its attractions and mechanisms as they become a battleground and a symbol of the challenges Brie must overcome.

Sacrifices and Losses: Brie may face difficult choices and experience personal losses as she strives to protect others and prevent disaster.

Climactic Showdown: The story builds toward a climactic showdown between Brie and Cooper, where their conflicting goals and values come head to head.

Resolution and Redemption: resolution to the crisis and the potential for redemption, both for Brie and for other characters, a moment of reflection and closure as the fairground and community begin to heal.

2. Use the Mission Steps to outline the mission.

Clear Mission: Brie’s clear mission is to prevent her fiancé Cooper’s catastrophic plan from unfolding at the State Fair, safeguard her children, the students, and the fairgoers, and repair her strained relationship with her father.

Motivation: Brie’s unwavering love for her family, sense of responsibility for the students, and a deep desire to make amends for her past mistakes.

Inciting Incident: Brie accidentally overhears a conversation between Cooper and his henchmen at the fairground, revealing Cooper’s nefarious plot.

First Action: Brie’s first action is to discreetly obtain a schematic of the sabotage mechanisms planted on fairground rides, laying the foundation for her mission.

Obstacle: Brie encounters numerous obstacles, including Cooper’s manipulative mind games, mechanical malfunctions on rides, and her own internal doubts and fears, all while she’s doing everything she can to prevent stampede and chaos.

Escalation: The situation escalates as fairgoers unknowingly enter dangerous rides, and students inadvertently get separated. Chased by Cooper’s henchmen, Brie’s mission becomes a race against time as she navigates escalating chaos.

Overwhelming Odds: Brie faces overwhelming odds, including her own fiancé’s betrayal, the potential for casualties, and the risk of permanent damage to the fairground’s reputation.

New Plan: When Brie realizes the extent of the sabotage, she adjusts her plan to focus on dismantling and fine-tuning the rides and the Ferris wheel to prevent catastrophe.

Full Out Attack: Brie uses her knowledge of the Ferris wheel and fairground layout to neutralize the threats and outsmart Cooper’s henchmen.

Success: Through Brie’s determination, resourcefulness, and love for her family, she successfully dismantles the sabotage mechanisms on the Ferris wheel and other rides, preventing disaster. Her actions not only save lives but also repair her relationship with her father, and the fairground is ultimately preserved.

[Connie Hood]

LESSON #3

Constance Hood – Clara’s mission

What I learned: Connecting the dots is going to be hard work. I’m writing a drama based on real people – Clara, Clifford, Johnny and crazy situations based on real life. Real action, real threats. Johnny was really a trapeze flier, Clifford was an MD/DDS with an airplane. Clara’s father was a revenuer. The wing walking is real, so is identifying a body, Clifford’s crash landing a plane on the farm of his potential father-in-law. These are action scenes in the midst of real stories, but I don’t have clean context yet. Need to make up a plot. Spent the week going through cartons of letters and newspaper clippings on these folks.

Ask the Mission Track questions to discover your Hero’s mission.

A. What is it about this Hero that will have them go straight into the face of the overwhelming odds?

Raised in the Victorian tradition, Clara has a rebellious streak which is fed by her intelligence and curiosity. She is brilliant and athletic. Keeps her own points of view to herself, charming public demeanor. Fearless except for heights – gets dizzy and disoriented if she even stands on a chair.

Adores her father, analyzes statistics and data for him. He’s an IRS investigator -a “revenuer”

She’s willing to help her father. Vast amounts of cash have been deposited in a local bank –

B. What is the mission that would be an impossible goal?

That someone would actually reveal to her the source of the funds – How are they discovered? How are they disbursed?

C. What strong internal and external motivation could drive the hero?

Is there a crime? What law? Does it matter? Everyone drinks on the sly, so surely booze and prohibition can’t be at the root of the extortions, tax evasion, massive earnings of a few individuals. Research early mob activity.

D. Imagine that mission playing out across a story. What could naturally happen if this hero went on this mission against this villain?

Even though Clara has been trained to keep confidences and not disclose her feelings and attitudes, this is a very dangerous situation with some ruthless people. Also a bunch of drunken dolts, high rollers and freedoms of life on the road. Is the circus the source of the money? Doesn’t make sense because they travel.

Clear Mission:

Motivation: Clara is bored to tears working in IRS office. Her father is an auditor in 1931. She’s a brilliant mathematician/linguist – Phi Beta Kappy university graduate, but not an office clerk. Athletic and adventurous.

Inciting Incident:

Reports of stranger making massive deposits to a small locally owned bank. Where is the money from? A Balkan circus is in town, but the stranger does not look familiar, or like a “circus guy.” He is reserved and conservatively dressed. No foreign accent. Claims to be….a …. Bank clerk asks several friendly questions.

First Action:

Clara meets some gals in town, shopping? Finger waves at beauty parlor? They invite her to the circus. She’s stunned by the acrobatics, stunts, and skimpy costumes. But she loves it.

Accepts an invitation to goes out late night dancing with the girls. Gals taker her to a Speakeasy. They lend her an immodest slinky dress – she is a terrific dancer. The conservative navy-blue dress and lace collar are gone. Insists on keeping her long hair. She’s never had a drink.

Obstacle:

She dances with Clifford. He asks too many questions. Evades him. He also has a undisclosed mission. He is a new FBI agent.

“Could the circus people be part of something larger?”

Escalation:

Clara makes friends with Johnny, trapeze artist. He invites her to an air show. Clifford walks the wing…She’s terrified of heights. The man is dashing. Johnny fascinated by flight –

Also meets Borko the clown, in full costume and makeup. Lots of cash flowing around the circus. Backstage they make their rakia and hang out. She’s beginning to recognize faces – none of which match the descriptions at the bank. She is also beginning to understand the Romanian/Russian conversations.

Overwhelming Odds:

This is needles in a haystack. Maybe the bank visitor really was a Detroit magnate originally from ….West Virginia? The deposit was in bags of cash, so obviously it was not – taxed? Who was that depositor? She also has a sense that her father knew this was not going to be a simple or safe situation – but that she’d be game.

New Plan:

Against the moral dilemma of Prohibition, she sees a complex mix of hypocrisy. However something smells fishy. And the bank clerk is found in the river. Clifford appears to identify the body – he is a dentist/doctor.

Full out Attack:

Borko invites her to his rail car. Forces strong drink – during performance he forces her to the tightrope platform, to walk, no net. Some sort of circus implement used as potential weapon. Johnny spots her on the tightrope walk.

Borko’s friendly clown appearance is in direct opposition to his powerful, controlling, mobster persona. He charms his prey, then consumes it.

Success: Clifford is a newly minted FBI agent – a DDS who hated dentistry and loves flying and adventure. He crash lands in her father’s farm. Who/what is this man? How are they alike? Secretive, clever. Different? Attraction is deep but neither wants to be caught yet. They begin to work together to solve the unanswered questions.

Other escalation events: Cross country chase over the mountains in a Model T/ vs. roadster. Clifford and Clara make a final escape in an airplane. Kisses and a proposal.

You can also use any of these steps: Twist, escape, search, discovery, hide out, attacking back, apparent success or defeat.