Lesson 3: Creating The Mission Track

[leland teschler]

Lee’s hero mission track

What I learned doing this assignment is the mission is easier if you have a satisfying ending in mind at the beginning.

• Clear Mission: Stop terrorists from carrying out a massive attack
  with no harm to innocent bystanders

• Motivation: Hero wants to move away from undercover work with one
  last successful assignment. To do so, he can’t blow his cover.

• Inciting Incident: The hero is almost killed in his previous
  undercover assignment when his cover is blown and the pistol aimed
  at his head jams.

• First Action: Access to the terrorist’s home falls through. Quickly
  devising s a backup plan, hero gets himself hired by the restaurant
  where the terrorists hang out.

• Obstacle: Employees look down on him, the restaurant owner doesn’t
  trust him, hero must manufacture situations that get him close
  enough to the terrorists to plant listening devices and prevent
  their detection.

• Escalation: Armed thieves try to hold up the restaurant; Hero
  becomes attached to the kids of the owner and wants to protect
  them.

• Overwhelming Odds: His FBI colleagues are focused on terrorists and
  can’t help. He is on his own for dealing with ordinary thugs and
  thieves. In the middle of a robbery, terrorists figure out that the
  Hero is a wringer.

• New Plan: Forget cover status. Deadly force for thieves, terrorists.

• Full out Attack: Hero gets into a gun fight with terrorists before
  his colleagues can respond, as in opening scene.

• Success: Cover identity revealed to restaurant employees, terrorists
  vanquished.

[ATAUR BACCHUS]

What I learned: Filling in blanks in a structure
ATAUR’S MISSION TRACK
1. FOUR MISSION TRACK QUESTIONS AND PROVISIONAL ANSWERS
A) What is it about this hero that will have them go straight into the face of overwhelming odds?
Jesse’s sense of justice and deep personal wound drive him. His father was ambushed and tortured by the same mining interests that Noriega now represents. This personal vendetta, combined with his commitment to protect his town and its people, compels him to face overwhelming odds. Jesse’s background as an ex-Ranger with expertise in guerrilla warfare makes him uniquely capable of taking on such a formidable adversary.
B) What is the mission that would be an impossible goal?
The mission is to prevent the mining company from destroying the town and its surrounding environment. This includes sabotaging their operations, gathering evidence of their illegal activities, and rallying the townspeople to stand up against the mining interests. The goal is seemingly impossible due to the immense power and resources of the mining company, and Noriega’s ruthless enforcement.
C) What strong internal and external motivation could drive the hero?
Internal Motivation:
• Avenging his father’s death and finding closure for his past trauma.
• A deep-seated sense of duty and justice, feeling responsible for the well-being of his town.
• A personal code of honor that compels him to fight against oppression and corruption.
External Motivation:
• Protecting the town and its people from environmental destruction and economic exploitation.
• Exposing Noriega and the mining company’s criminal activities to the authorities.
• Inspiring the townspeople to unite and resist the external threat.
MISSION, MOTIVATION – SEE QUESTION AND ANSWER TO B AND C ABOVE

INCITING INCIDENT
Jesse overhears a conversation at the local diner about the mining company’s expansion plans and the return of Noriega.

FIRST ACTION
Jesse sneaks into the mining site at night, sabotaging equipment and leaving a message for Noriega.Heavy

OBSTACLE
Heavy guard, but Jesse has insider help

ESCALATION
Noriega and his men attack the town, instilling fear and demonstrating their power

OVERWHELMING ODDS
More mercenaries arrive; heavily armed

NEW PLAN
Hopeless to try to win by just gun battles. Use of terrain – prime land around dock also lowest – No more fire; water next time.
Evidence of illegal activity by mining company

FULL OUT ATTACK
Armoury dynamited.
Headquarters flooded