Lesson 5

[William Whiteford]

ASSIGNMENT 5
William Whiteford Villain Has a Great Plan!

What I learned is the composition and sequencing Villain’s Plan. Its necessary ingredients are goal, intrigue, and cover-ups. Hero’s destruction is here a by-product. We devise such a plan in a reverse order to engineering Villain’s plan, that is, the end goal first, then execution, and cover-ups.

1.What is the end goal?
The Villain, Scribbler J., wants to ruin the life of G., a famous middle-aged writer, by getting him confined to a psychiatric clinic. Then, J. plans to escape abroad with G.’s younger wife, who has been seduced and manipulated into helping execute this plan.

2.How can the Villain accomplish that in a devious way?

A.Hacking the Writer’s Secret Project:
J. gains access to G.’s private writing files and learns the details of G.’s latest thriller, which happens to involve animal cruelty.
B.Seducing the Wife:
Scribbler J. forges a deep relationship with G.’s wife, feeding her lies about her husband’s mental instability and encouraging her to leave him.
C.Staging Animal Killings:
J. stages several animal murders around the neighborhood, closely mimicking the violent acts described in G.’s thriller. He then plants evidence that links these acts to G.
D.Filing a Police Report:
J. goes to the police, posing as a concerned friend and neighbor. He reports G. for animal cruelty, offering fabricated “proof” from the hacked files.
E.Manipulating the Neighbor:
J. manipulates a neighbor of G.’s into corroborating his claims about G.’s strange behavior, furthering the case against him.
F.Orchestrating a TV Interview:
J. arranges a manipulative TV interview, where he pretends to be G.’s long-time trusted secretary. In this interview, he expresses his “shock” at G.’s behavior, subtly pushing the public to believe G. is mentally unstable and guilty of the crimes.
G.Mobilizing Animal Rights Activists:
J. tips off animal rights activists about G.’s supposed involvement in animal cruelty, creating public outrage and building pressure on the authorities to take action.
H.Forgery and Financial Manipulation:
J. forges documents to take ownership of G.’s house and assets, with the help of G.’s wife. He convinces her to sell everything and flee abroad with him.
3.How can they cover it up?

A.Gaining G.’s Trust:
J. pretends to be an eager fan of G.’s books, exploiting his admiration for G. to gain the writer’s trust and access to his personal life.
B.Mirroring the Book’s Themes:
The animal killings are staged to match the gruesome descriptions in G.’s thriller, making it appear as if G. were acting out his own fictional work.
C.Posing as the Writer’s Secretary:
J. creates a public persona as G.’s trusted secretary, playing the part of a knowledgeable and concerned employee, which helps him manipulate the public.
D.Feigning Shock in the TV Interview:
In the public TV interview, J. expresses shock and disgust over G.’s alleged actions. His emotional performance helps sell the narrative that G. is responsible for the crimes.

5.Sequence it to make it as intriguing as possible.
A.The Hack and Seduction:
Scribbler J. hacks G.’s files and applies for a job as his secretary, using forged letters of recommendation. Once hired, he begins seducing G.’s wife, eventually convincing her to sell the property and leave with him.
B.Burning the Manuscript:
When G. finds out about J.’s intentions, he burns J.’s manuscript in a fit of rage. J. vanishes temporarily but continues meeting G.’s wife secretly. Soon after, a series of animal killings shakes the community.
C.The Police Investigation:
With reports from J. and a manipulated neighbor, the police confine G. to his home, suspecting him of being mentally unstable and responsible for the animal killings.
D.The Villain’s Escape:
G., realizing what has happened, manages to track down his former secretary, but J. escapes before G. can expose him.
E.The TV Interview:
A manipulated TV interview further pushes the public and authorities to see G. as guilty, leading to a formal evaluation of his mental health.
F.Psychiatric Confinement:
Based on the overwhelming pressure from the public, police, and manipulated evidence, G. is committed to a psychiatric clinic. However, G. manages to escape, determined to clear his name.
G.Final Showdown:
G. confronts J. in a final showdown. In this moment, the full extent of J.’s plot is revealed.

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[William Peed]

Assignment 5

Mike's Thriller – The Villain's Plan

1. What is the end goal?

If Pasha Hassan is the villain, then the end goal is to get married to Daniella.

If El Lobo is the Villain, then the end goal is to get Pasha Hassan named the Sultan's Grand Vizier in Constantinople

If Miguel is the Villain, the end goal is to escape Algiers, with Daniella and Sancho and Dr. Alonzo.

2. How can the villain accomplish that goal in a devious way?

If Pasha Hassan is the Vilain, he accomplishes the goal by asking Miguel to write a proposal to Daniella.

His is goal is the least devious. He loves Daniella. He wants to marry her. He wants his proposal to be a surprise. Yes, it's a little devious to have Miguel write his proposal, but he knows Miguel is her favorite poet.

If El Lobo is the Villain, he needs to try to scuttle the marriage to Daniella. She has too much power over Pasha Hassan. El Lobo is losing his Pasha Hassan's ear to Daniella. Being the Vizier to the Sultan's Vizier isn't as impressive if the Sultan takes all of his advice from his wife.

— his plan, as it, is the second most complicated, and the most devious. It's the most devious because he's doing what he's doing for power. For influence. For gold. But, in his defense, he isn't really coming up with the plan. He's simply acting on Miguel's subtle suggestions.

If Miguel is the Villain, he needs to plot an escape, and get Daniella on board.

His goal is the most complicated, and the second most devious. His plan has to incorporate Pasha Hassan and El Lobo's plans. And get six people out of Algiers.

3. How can they cover it up?

Pasha Hassan covers it up by swearing Miguel to secrecy.

El Lobo covers his plan up by not having any actual idea what it is.

Miguel covers his plan up by speed and skill and schemes.

4. Sequence

Pasha Hassan

— He asks Miguel to ask Daniella to Marry him for him

— he slowly begins to change to become a better man for Daniella

— He saves the Prisoners she asked him to

— He does something else she asks him to

— He dances with her

— He gives her handmaid, Zara, away to Hajji Murad in exchange for the Grand Viziership of the Ottoman Empire in Constantinople

El Lobo

— Miguel insults him about Daniella having Pasha Hassan's ear. "You used to decide who lived and died in Algiers.

— Miguel suggests Hajji Murad's daughter is looking for a husband

— Miguel suggests El Lobo bring Hajji Murad to the Harem

Miguel

— Needs a crew – Father Gui

— Needs to convince Daniella

— Needs a boat- Il Codice da Vinci

— Needs to get Hajji Murad and Benengeli to the Harem

— has to finish his proposal

— Has to convince Daniella to go again

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

[CHRISTOPHER WEBB]

What I learned is: That I needed to create a through an intricate plan for the villain to success and for the hero to unravel. I had to go more in depth and do more research to find the bones of the criminality rather than just the outer layer.

To create your Villain’s plan, answer these four questions:

What is the end goal? – The end goal of the corrupt rich Mayor Crumble is to have his own private army. In the state of New Jersey, it is illegal for a politician to have his own private army so he is doing what he can in order to subvert the law to have his own army under his control.

How can the Villain accomplish that in a devious way? He is the private funding of his own insurance company. The company insures only former criminals, the disenfranchised, the unsupported, those who’ve had their back turned by society.

How can they cover it up? – By funding his own private insurance company.

Sequence it to make it as intriguing as possible.

Wins Mayoral ship in the year 2000 after starting out rich.

Nearly gets caught using political positioning to acquire land illegally. Alters plan. Realizes that there is not enough distance/protection between him and his criminality.

Sets up The triumvirate. A trio of criminal who answer to him and are the go between him and his criminality. He provides the funding. They do the work.

The come up with plan to open insurance company and collect criminals to set up a private army for criminality

Plants his men inside various positions inside the attorney generals office as well as the department of banking and insurance.

Obtains legitimate license to open insurance company.

Sets up Adherence Insurance company for the purpose of insuring a specific kind of clientele.

• This reply was modified 8 months ago by  CHRISTOPHER WEBB.

[Diane Caldwell]

Subject line: Diane’s Villain Has a Great Plan!

What I learned doing this assignment is put yourself in the Villain’s place to come up with a long-term plan.

What is the Villain’s end plan? – Kill everyone

How can the Villain accomplish that in a devious way? – Pretend they are someone else and hire others to assist them in this plan.

How can they cover it up? – Point fingers at other people.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 3 weeks ago by  Diane Caldwell.

[Antonia Roman]

Antonia Roman, Villian Has a Great Plan!

What I learned in this assignment is: It is important to be clear on the goal and strategic planning of the Villain.

What is the end goal? Destroy his brother’s life by sabotaging his new capital venture promotion, stealing money from the company, and living his brother’s happy life.

How can the Villain accomplish that in a devious way? He hacks the computer system, reversing the investment portfolio, stealing millions of dollars from his brothers’ clients.

How can they cover it up? By impersonating his brother.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 2 weeks ago by  Antonia Roman. Reason: It's all clumped together when I post it
• This reply was modified 7 months, 2 weeks ago by  Antonia Roman. Reason: It's all clumped together when I post it

[Ann Jordan]

Ann Jordan’s Villain Has a Great Plan!

What I learned is: It’s important to work out the villain’s entire plan as much as possible, because that’s what your hero will be struggling against.

1. The END GOAL of my villain, Bridgid, is to regain youth and extend her life indefinitely by using the magic granted to her by an ancient artifact to pour her life force into one of her female descendants, knocking them out of their own bodies and stealing the rest of their lives. She’s done this twice before, but was stymied by circumstance after the second one. Now she’s desperate to steal a descendant’s life again before she dies of old age.

2. Bridgid can ACCOMPLISH HER GOAL like this:

a) Failed attempt: (This is backstory, for my head canon, not for the page, unless very briefly.) In her earlier attempt to steal the life of the remaining descendant she knew about – Meggie’s mom, Therese – Bridgid screwed up, causing Therese’s death. That was when she lost track of the bloodline, because she didn’t have info on whether Therese had children.

b) Earlier attempt: Bridgid hired an investigator to find Therese’s children. He discovered there was apparently one child, Michael, but was unable to find the current whereabouts because the widowed father had moved. A male child wasn’t useful to Bridgid, so she decided to obtain legal possession of the house she had unwisely sold to her son a few decades before, so that she could rejuvenate herself enough to have another girl child and start the reincarnation process over.

c) Bridgid made offers to her son (under another name) to buy the house but he wouldn’t sell, and he had moved to Europe (renting out the house).

d) Bridgid traveled to Europe “on vacation” where she found and murdered her elderly son.

e) PRESENT DAY: (1st act) Bridgid returns home from her “vacation,” to the house across the street from THE house, and waited to be notified that she had inherited the house, or to buy it from whoever ended up with it. However, her son had willed his house to his great-niece, Michael Margaret – AKA Meggie.

f) When Meggie and her husband decide to move to her newly inherited house, to save money for a few years, this upsets Bridgid’s plan. It takes her a little while to realize that Meggie IS the “Michael” who is Therese’s child, deliberately named a male name, for the most powerful saint, for his protective power. She first wants to take over Meggie immediately, but then decides it’s better to wait until Meggie has the baby, which is known to be a girl. So she bides her time, befriending the family so that when Meggie has the baby, Bridgid will have her choice of taking over either the mom or the baby.

g) After the baby is born, Bridgid preys on Meggie’s own fears about her post-birth mental health by trying to convince both her and her husband that Meggie has postnatal depression and is in fact moving toward psychosis, which would make her a threat to the baby.

3. Bridgid can COVER UP her actions this way:

a) Bridgid maintains the façade of being a kindly, average, middle-aged lady by acting normally around other people.

b) Bridgid makes a point of “befriending” Meggie, Tyler, and Joshie when they first move in. There is another, older, rather odd woman on the block who also brings cookies and befriends the new arrivals. (red herring)

c) Bridgid makes a verbal slip when George, Meggie’s father, is visiting. Bridgid sees from George’s reaction that he realizes she knows way too much about the family, and may know even more than that. George approaches Meggie about it, but he only knows part of the story and it sounds crazy, so she doesn’t believe him. Bridgid covers up her slip by arranging George’s death in an “accident” before he can convince Meggie of the truth.

d) As Meggie fears more and more for her own mental health, Bridgid offers to take care of Meggie and the baby so Tyler can go to work. This makes her look like a hero and also gives her access to do her worst.

e) As Meggie the truth about Bridgid and tries to counter her, Bridgid tries to convince Tyler that Meggie is a threat to the baby and should be hospitalized so she can’t harm the baby.

4. Sequence it to make it as intriguing as possible:

– We will see some of Bridgid’s actions in the opening scene, and then learn about some of her actions in visions and flashbacks in Act I. But because the first incarnation of Bridgid looks different from the present-day incarnation of Bridgid, the viewer will not understand who the present-day Bridgid really is until about midpoint in Act II. Meggie’s realization of who Bridgid is will not hit until Act III.

• This reply was modified 7 months, 2 weeks ago by  Ann Jordan.