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lesson 4 the Interview
Lesson 4: Character Interview
What I learned from this assignment – I have enrolled in many of your Friday classes. This is the best exercise yet. My characters became real. This was fabulous. This creates subtext. I’m excited about the new information about Liz and Jake that I discovered in the interview.
Liz – Protagonist
1. Tell me about yourself.
I graduated from University of Vermont in business management. I earned a scholarship in music, but I changed my mind after high school graduation. I’m glad I changed. My mother bought the Bradford Inn after I started post education and I had on-the-job training while I studied.
How would you describe yourself?
I am organized. I love my work. Honest. Faithful. Friendly.
Hobbies? I like to read. I ski when I have time. I like software games. Since I travel most of the time, I play word games and solitaire for long periods of time.
2. Why do you think you were called to this journey? Why you?
Maybe because a part of me lives with a bad memory. I am not well-rounded. The social aspect of my life is null and void. I think I can say I am blank in that area. I haven’t had a date in years.
3. You are up against Jake. What it is about him that makes this journey even more difficult for you?
I loved Jake and we made life-long plans. He decided to go on the journey without me. I had to regroup
and start over. I have not been able to move past it. I don’t think about him much because my calendar
is packed every day.
Jake is successful in the music world. He always comes home for Christmas and tries to see me. I avoid him because I don’t want to be around him.
4. In order to survive or accomplish this, you are going to have to step way outside of your box. What changes do you expect to make and which of them will be the most difficult?
I think I need to officially end my relationship with Jake. He left town and left me a note. That’s it. We’ve really never talked about it. I realize I am better off without him, but it still hurts to be treated that way. I have to tell him I am happy with my decision. I know I am happier with my career choice. I need to be open to meeting new people. But what if it happens again? What is it about me that causes the man to move on?
5. What habits or ways of thinking do you think will be the most difficult to let go of?
I go ninety miles an hour, maybe I need to slow down and look at people. I think business all the time.
I am so organized I may scare somebody. I think ahead of people and answer questions before the person finishes the question.
6. What fears, insecurities and wounds have held you back?
fear of the truth. What if something is wrong with me? I perceived myself as one way but everyone else sees me differently.
fear of choosing the wrong person again. Sometimes I think I am better off alone than to be rejected again
fear of flying. I will not get on an airplane, for any reason for anyone.
7. What skills, background or expertise make you well-suited to face this conflict or antagonist?
I’m trained to study people to make the sale. I think I read people well now. I am a good listener.
8. What are you hiding from the other characters? What don’t you want them to know?
I don’t want them to know I still hurt and I’m afraid to start over.
9 What do you think of Jake?
I can’t stand him. I hate his country music. He is pushy. He keeps coming back to annoy me.
10. Tell me your side of this whole conflict / story
Jake and I began our friendship in the ninth grade. He had a great voice. One day after practice, our teacher asked us to sing as a duo just for fun. It was perfect. Our teacher encouraged us to be a group in competition. By the end of the year when we went to state competition, we won in two categories. In the summer after tenth grade, we began earning money. We sang at fairs, weddings, churches, talent shows. We had a large repertoire. We made good money. I saved mine for college. I don’t know what he did. My parents gave me a car and Jake and I split the gas and took off. Jake suggested we apply for a scholarship as a duo. We did and was accepted by U Vermont. The scholarship was huge.
Then the day after graduation, his mother came to our house and told us Jake was headed to Nashville. I gave up the scholarship, but I received a smaller academic scholarship to the business school. That summer my dad died and Mom purchased the inn.
Five years later Jake came home for Christmas and began trying to reconnect with me.
11. What does it do for your life if you succeed here?
I may be able to trust again. I don’t think I will ever love again.
Lesson 4: Character Interview
Jake (Antagonist)
1. Tell me about yourself.
I’m a famous country singer, hail from a small town. Everyone loves my music. I’m a goal setter. I won three Grammys in four years. I write most of my songs and I have a few ready to debut
2. Having to do with this journey, what are your strengths and weaknesses?
strengths: I am a great singer. I am ambitious. I love my work. I am important. I can talk Liz into joining me because I am very persuasive. She has always loved me.
weakness: I don’t have any weaknesses. I could say I spend too much money, but if you have it, you should spend it. Right?
3. Why are you committed to making the protagonist fail? Or for a relationship movie, what are you committed to making them change?
I haven’t had a “hit” in over a year. Sales are down. I need cash right now to fund my next album. I want to go independent now. I want control of my career. I know Liz has a good job and makes good money. I want to marry her and get control of her money. She is a good money-manager. I know she has most of it in the bank somewhere.
I’m not going to change. I don’t need to. I may play the game of courtship if needed. Once we are married, she will be traveling all the time and work out of Vermont. I’ll be in Nashville. the perfect marriage for a star like me.
4. What do you get out of winning this fight/succeeding in your plan/ taking down your competition?
I go independent in the field of music. I get to reinvent myself with the infusion of her cash. I will be back on top, where I belong.
5. What drives you toward your mission/ agenda or even in the face of danger, ruin or death?
I always win. Ambition. I like being in control. I never quit no matter how difficult it gets.
6. What secrets must you keep to succeed? What other secrets do you keep out of fear/ insecurity?
Liz must never know I’m in a slump. I need her cash.
7. Compared to other people like you , what makes you special?
I know I am good. I’m a huge success. Country music people love my songs. I’m not willing to lose. I won’t stop until I win. Some people like the spotlight. I am the spotlight.
8. What do you think of Liz?
Lizzy is a sweet girl, but she is gullible. Believes everything I tell her. She’s pretty and man, does she have beautiful eyes. She is driven to be successful. Always made good grades even though we spent hours practicing. She was focused. She fell in love with me. I’m been trying to remember when her birthday is, but I can’t. I tried to see her last Christmas, but I could never find her. That Sam didn’t help me at all. But this year, I have to see her. I don’t care what it takes. I need her. I’ve changed. I want her back in my life. (He snickered after he spoke)
9. Tell me your side of the story?
She had a beautiful voice and as soon as I heard her sing, I knew she would blend well with my voice. I asked the choral director to talk to her about forming a duo. I worded so it would be the choral director’s idea. She loved the idea. She was a little shy and afraid to sing solo. We practiced every day after school and we won several state choral championships in our division. When she turned sixteen, she got a car from her parents. It wasn’t a new one, but it got us from one place to another. I gave her my class ring to keep her close to me. She was pretty and I suspect some of the boys wanted to date her. We made good money and I knew my grades were not good enough to get into college. I lied to her about my grades. She made A’s and I was doing good for a C. I thought if we applied as a duo to college, I would get in on her grades. And it worked. I was accepted as a probationary student for the first semester. If I made good grades, I would be a regular student second semester in college. She didn’t have a clue about my situation.
It occurred to me that maybe I didn’t have the brains or dedication to go to college. Music is a hard major. The weekend after graduation, I took her on the buggy ride around the park. It was a beautiful night. We were happy and all she could talk about was college. She couldn’t wait to get there. I tried to tell her I wasn’t going to go to college, that I was leaving the next day for Nashville. She kept yacking about college. I just forgot about it. I didn’t need her anymore. I saved enough money to buy me a car.Dad gave me some money and I left the next day. Best decision I ever made.
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