Lesson 6

[Gayle Jackson]

Lesson 6: Gayle’s Plot
What I learned doing this assignment is that I have most of the elements in place, I need the confidence to know that it will work out as I want it to.

STEP 1
Act 1:
Opening- Casey is a comic book author in a loveless engagement who yearns for the same adventure she creates for her characters, especially her #1 creation Huckleberry Hawkins
Inciting Incident – In Istanbul, Casey goes to pick up a gift for her fiancé and is given the wrong package by mistake.
Turning Point – Mercenaries try to kill her to get the package. Casey is saved when a mysterious man pushes her off a train and jumps with her.

Act 2:
New plan – Instead of traveling by train to Paris with her Publicist, Casey must walk through the mountains to Budapest with the stranger.
Plan in action – The mystery man claims the name of the comic book character Huck Hawkins unaware Casey is the author. She is suspicious.
Midpoint Turning Point – Mercenaries find them and try to kill both.

Act 3:
Rethink everything – Huck tells Casey the truth of his assignment, that he is being betrayed for the art treasure in the package. But the package only holds a clue, not the treasure.
New plan – Casey is out. They go their separate ways. Her fiancé flies to Europe to rescue her.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – Casey goes to the embassy where the Interpol agents betray her. Her PR person provides cover for her to escape the embassy and the fiancé to find Huck.

Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – Casey and Huck rejoin and find the treasure. They are caught and escape certain death like in her comic.
Resolution – They return the treasure to its home country. Huck goes into hiding. 6 months later she is solo and finds him leading an adventure tour and hires him. They kiss.

STEP 2. Into that structure, fill in the 7 Stages of Love.
The 7 Stages of Love:
• 1. Meet-Cute
A comic book creator meets a man who acts like her hero when her makes her jump off a moving train with him to save both their lives from assassins hired to kill them.

• 2. Attraction/Flirting
They must travel through eastern European mountains to Budapest – stuck in a goat lodge when they talk about adventure and sleep beside each other. Casey realizes he doesn’t know who she is.

• 3. Denial
Casey realizes Huck is one of the smugglers who is only with her for the package and he still won’t say his real name when she tells him she created the character he admires.

• 4. Separation/Forced Together
After escaping hitmen, Casey’s fiancé and PR rep arrange for her to get to the embassy. Huck goes on his own to find the real artifact. Huck is lured back into the group but cannot re-commit to his ex-partner sexually

• 5. Working through Issues/Differences
Casey realizes agents are corrupt and want the package. She knows Huck is in danger and chooses to rescue him.
Huck thinks he knows where the package is but doesn’t tell his partner the truth.

• 6. Hate/Betrayal/All Hope is Lost
Casey and Huck meet at the location to find the artifact and are followed then left for dead. They must work together to get out. Huck is shot and left in the hospital as Casey is supposed to leave with her fiancé and PR rep.

• 7. Love Happens
6 months later – Huck has left the business and works as an adventure guide. Casey shows up solo and wants a new adventure.

STEP 3. Into that, fill in Her Journey / His Journey.
CASEY TURNER’S TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY:
• 1. Initial state:
Casey is a successful comic book author at a book conference in Istanbul lamenting how boring her personal life and relationship with her workaholic fiancé is.

• 2. Meet-Cute moment:
Assassins hired to get an artifact mistakenly handed to Casey at a market try to kill her on the Orient Express. Huck rescues her by pushing her off the train then jumping himself to escape the bullets.

• 3. Initial challenges:
Casey is engaged to be married and does not fully trust Huck since he has lied about his name and background. She does not believe Huck’s brash manners are appropriate and does not like how he took the name of her character and is not acting Huck-like.

• 4. Major conflict / Obstacle:
After a mad chase to the Romanian border, Casey decides to get help from the American Embassy, tell the truth, and return to her fiancé while Huck decides to find the artifact and negotiate for his life.

• 5. Self-Reflection:
Casey realizes she had more fun, interests and love for Huck and worries that she left him to finish the adventure on his own. She wrote the character to have a partner, and she can’t walk away from that. She ends her engagement.

• 6. Acceptance and Growth:
Casey finds Huck and together they find the artifact and have one last life-risking adventure.

• 7. Demonstrate the change:
Casey saves Huck when they are left in the crypt saying she will stay to help him because his life is worth saving.

• 8. Reunion:
After finishing her latest comic book about Huck and his partner working together, she goes on an adventure vacation and finds Huck is the tour guide. They are reunited and promise a life full of adventure.

HUCK HAWKINS’ TRANFORMATIONAL JOURNEY:
• 1. Initial state:
Huck Hawkins is a mercenary with his partner/lover hired to retrieve an artifact.

• 2. Meet-Cute moment:
Huck is double-crossed and learns Casey has the artifact by mistake. Huck saves her life by pushing her off the train and jumping to isolate her and find the artifact.

• 3. Initial challenges:
Huck is lying about who he is and why he is with Casey. She is uptight and scared and angry while he keeps the secret of what is really happening and why they are being chased.

• 4. Major conflict / Obstacle:
He is outdoorsy and a dreamer while she is sheltered and pragmatic. He needs to get the artifact but is not able to figure out the clues on his own. He needs her help, but only if he confesses the truth.

• 5. Self-Reflection:
When he tells her the truth, she panics and returns to her regular life by running to the embassy for help. He goes on his own and realizes he would rather be alone than be with the wrong partner.

• 6. Acceptance and Growth:
He realizes he needs Casey to find the artifact but doesn’t want to force her because it risks her life and he loves her, would never want to put her in danger.

• 7. Demonstrate the change:
When Casey comes to help, Huck tells her to go and not put herself in danger. She stays and they both almost die. He confesses his real name and why being the character means so much.

• 8. Reunion:
After escaping and recovering in the hospital, Huck takes a job as a solo adventure tour guide and Casey shows up for one of his tours. They embrace and promise to enjoy the next adventure together.

STEP 4: Fill in other scenes.
Scenes with Casey’s fiancé. She needs to lean on the idea of him as a tether to her past. He will fly to Europe to find her. Casey needs scenes with her PR rep who will be her contact to the world as she is lost in the mountains with Huck.
Huck scenes – needs a scene with his ex-lover/partner to set up the betrayal that will be the catalyst for his change from bad guy to good.

[William Peed]

ACT 1:

OPENING:

His Initial State: Miguel, in chains, being returned to captivity in Algiers after his latest failed escape attempt.

Her Initial State: She is Pasha Hassan's favorite concubine, and he is falling in love with her.

Meet Cute: Mock Execution

Him: At a mock execution staged by Miguel's captor, Pasha Hassan, Daniella acts to spare Miguel's life

Her: Daniella, Pasha Hassan's Favorite Concubine, saves the life of Miguel Cervantes, Pasha Hassan's Most Valuable Prisoner

INCITING INCIDENT: Pasha Hassan makes Miguel an offer – if he can write a marriage proposal that will convince Daniella to marry Pasha Hassan, Miguel will be free to return home to Spain.

Miguel's Initial Challenges: Miguel is Pasha Hassan's Most Valuable Prisoner. He is in love with Daniella, Pasha Hassan's favorite concubine. They can never truly be together as long as they are held captive in Algiers.

Daniella's Initial Challenge: Daniella is Pasha Hassan's Favorite Concubine. She is in love with Miguel, Pasha Hassan's Most Valuable Prisoner

TURNING POINT: Daniella makes/Miguel promise(s) that he will never leave her in Algiers by herself.

ACT 2: CHALLENGE THE OLD WAYS

Miguel's Major Conflict/Obstacle: Miguel wants to flee for safety. Daniella doesn't want to risk leaving the safety of Algiers.

Daniella's Major Conflict/Obstacle: Miguel wants to risk everything to flee to freedom. Daniella doesn't want to leave the safety of Algiers.

REACTION: Miguel tries to settle into a domestic bliss with Daniella. A Job! An Apartment! Dinner Parties! But as long as they’re in Algiers, Miguel will always be second to Pasha Hassan.

Miguel's Self Reflection: At Daniella's request, Miguel tries to settle into domestic bliss with Daniella in Algiers

Daniella's Self Reflection: Daniella realizes that she needs the safety Pasha Hassan provides, but wants Miguel's love

THE PLAN: Miguel will arrange it so that Daniella has to leave, by putting her Handmaiden’s life in danger.

Miguel's Acceptance and Growth: Miguel realizes that he can't live without Daniella, but he also can't share her with Pasha Hassan

Daniella's Acceptance and Growth: Daniella realizes she needs to leave Pasha Hassan, but still for selfless reasons

ACT THREE

MIDPOINT: Daniella asks Miguel to help get Zara out of Algiers.

MIGUEL: I would love to! But I promised you I wouldn’t ever leave you alone in Algiers again. Perhaps if you came with us…

RETHINK: Suddenly, Miguel has to plan an escape.

Miguel's Demonstration and Growth: Miguel hatches a plan to escape and to bring Daniella with him

NEW PLAN: Need Horses. Need a boat. Need a crew. Will use the Wedding as a distraction. Daniella is surprised to learn about the wedding. Miguel has never mentioned The Proposal to her.

TURNING POINT: Daniella asks Pasha Hassan to marry her.

ACT 4: TEST THE CHANGE IN THIS CHARACTER! PROVE NEW WAYS

CLIMAX: The Wedding! Right before which, Daniella learns that Pasha Hassan hasn’t changed at all. So Daniella asks Miguel to help her escape — again.

Daniella's Demonstration and Growth: She realizes she needs to leave because she can't trust anyone else to save her

He does, but in the end, the only way he can free Daniella is by sacrificing his own freedom.

Their Reunion: Daniella and Miguel work together to escape

RESOLUTION: Miguel and Sancho dream of what could have been as Pasha Hassan and his new wife, Hajji Murad’s daughter, head for Constantinople.

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

[Mary Buchanan]

Mary Buchanan RomCom Project: The Full Plot

What I learned from the assignment is this plan provides an excellent outline for the initial writing. It’s much easier with this plan. I wish we had had one complete basic blank outline with all the parts listed in order. I’m not sure I have everything in the right order.

Act 1
Opening: Margo puts cinnamon rolls in the oven and moves to the living room
Her initial State: The house is on fire:
His initial State: He arrives at a meeting in a courtroom in New York City. He sits there for several days. He visits his mother and shows great love for her and her cooking.
Meet/Cute :
Flashback: Margo remembers meeting Tony at the wedding
Attraction/Flirting: He promises he will call
Inciting Incident: Goes to Wildflowers meeting, opens the letter from the FBI
Turning Point: Margo becomes angry because she believes Tony thinks she is a criminal. She hires an attorney. What she does not know is Tony is in New York City working on a case.
Margo meets a con man but does not fall for the scam. She goes to Tallahassee to investigate. Meets a nice man who is a playboy, a prominent real estate broker. The con man pretended to be a part of the playboy’s broker firm.
Tony returns to Tallahassee and stops at his favorite restaurant, and hears about the playboy’s new interest. They have been friends for years. Tony is unaware of the FBI letter but discovers the playboy’s new female interest. The playboy’s father asks Tony to do some research on the con man. Tony has two days off and does the research at home. He finds information and he goes to Madison with the playboy to tell Margo the latest situation.
Margo is incensed when the nice gentleman broker shows up at her house with Tony. (Tony is unaware of the case against Margo because he has not returned to the office. He goes back to work tomorrow.
Tony realizes Margo has a new love interest. He tell the playboy to stay away from Margo. He saw Margo first. It surprises him that he admits that. The playboy never calls Margo because he “doesn’t mess with the FBI.”

Act 2
New Plan
Margo: When the playboy doesn’t call, Margo feels dejected. (Tony has told the playboy to forget Margo. She is a sweet woman and Tony is protective of Margo.)
Tony returns to work, and he learns that the man who was the investigator of the new Madison County case has to head home due to family illness. Tony is the appointed lead agent because he handled the Ponzi scheme last year. He was also told that after this assigned case, he would be transferred to Miami. He begins the investigation and fails at every turn. He has a meeting with Margo and her attorney.
Plan in Action:
Margo begins preparation for a court case, continues cooking lessons, and decides to forget marriage.
Tony continues to interview the criminal, who claims his evidence proves Margo was aware of the fraud and was a partner in the original crime.
Midpoint Turning Point: Margo hates Tony. Margo watches the weather news. A storm is brewing in the Atlantic Ocean. The disturbance might be a problem for the Gulf of Mexico and Florida.

Act 3
Rethink Everything: Tony is told he will be transferred to Miami in 90 days. He talks to Playboy and his father. They recommend he open his own PI business.
New Plan: He calls Margo to see if a house is available in Madison. She refuses to sell him a house. He drives over to Madison and meets with Sydnee, who agrees to find him a home, but he keeps it a secret from Margo. Sydnee talks to Diane, who has her old house up for rent. That’s the perfect matchmaker plan.
Turning Point: Huge failure/Major shift
Margo: The hurricane is headed toward the panhandle of Florida and will be a category 4 when it hits. Evacuate or find shelter. Margo packs important stuff and prepares to move to Diane’s farmhouse because it has a basement. Takes videos of home inside and out. Does the same for Sydnee’s home. She also makes cookies and buys food for the stay (a week’s supply of food and drinks. Grace, Margo and Sydnee leave Margo’s car and Grace’s in Margo’s garage and they head to the farm. The rain is bad, wind is picking up.
During the storm, Margo realizes the danger and thinks about Tony. She wonders where he is staying. She thinks about her life self-reflection. JJ, David, and Chase called and check on their sweethearts. All three men are with the Emergency system of Madison County.
Tony visits the prisoner several days in a row, hoping for a new clue to prove Margo is innocent. Tony makes one last visit to the prison. The weather is bad. The storm is approaching. The prisoner changes in front of Tony and assumes another personality – the first Ryan speaks, confessing his other self is lying. Margo is innocent. He tells what the second personality did. Tony heads back to the office to file his report, but the office has closed, according to the order of the governor. He has the proof but can not tell anyone because the court case is still active until closed by the judge and bureau chief. Playboy‘s father invites Tony and Playboy to stay at his father and mother’s home because the home is away from large trees. Tony heads to his friend’s home. Tony calls the State Emergency person he knows and discovers that 3,000 boy bags are ordered for the tri-county area. He’s afraid Margo will die, not knowing she was proven innocent.
Demonstrate the change:
Margo confesses her true feelings to Sydnee and Diane. Sydnee and Diane tell Margo about renting the house to Tony. At first, she doesn’t believe that big lie, but she allows a smile to emerge and hugs her friends. “Margo said, “This calls for a cookie prepared by me.” They are preparing snacks when they hear the helicopter overhead . Later she hears Tony calling her name.
Tony tells the playboy and dad, he is moving to Madison County and marry Margo. Playboy says, “I thought she hated you.” Tony admitted Margo’s attitude was an issue. He then decided to head to Madison County and tell Margo the truth and see if she is alive. When his phone is working, he discovers all the highways to Madison County are blocked. He panics and hires a pilot who owns a helicopter, but he has difficulty getting to the pad to take off. Tallahassee was hit by a tornado near his friend’s home.

Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict:
Tony is in the helicopter seeing the destruction of Madison County. He cannot land. The pilot finds the landing pad at the hospital. Tony runs to Margo’s house. Stopped in many places by trees and down power lines, and police.
He finds an empty house. He runs until he sees a bicycle in the road and he rides to Sydnee’s house. No one is there. He sees Chase in a police car and finds out Margo is at Diane’s house and gets directions, but he can’t drive there. So the helicopter takes Tony to the farmhouse. He sees the house is standing, but trees are against the side where he assumes the basement is. He and the pilot put stuff away so the people can come out.
When Margo hears Tony calling her name, she shouts back. She has a cookie in her hand.

Resolution:
Tony proposes. Margo accepts and offers Tony a cookie, who stares at the concoction. When he tastes it, he smiles and kisses Margo

[Madeleine Vessel]

Madeleine’s Plot

“What I learned doing this assignment is that layering the three tracks creates a pretty thick outline. Yay! Every pass thickens the plot.”

Act 1:
Opening:

David’s Initial State: David is a successful marine architect/engineer, whose partner, Phil, a gambler, has lost everything they have, except his laptop and a stack of bills that still need paying, to his gambling creditors. While he’s there, a biker gang collection agency breaks in and mistaking him for Phil, beat him severely.
He’s advised by the police to lay low until they can find the culprits. Everything about this situation makes him angry. David decides to go on a road trip. He doesn’t care where.

Thea’s Initial State: Thea in a garden apartment in San Francisco. She’s freelancing as a translator and interpreter, barely paying her bills. But then she gets a phone call from home. Her parents need her help over the summer to do mining assessment work. She packs her bags, quits her apartment and drives home.

David driving on a lonely 2-lane road in Nevada.

Thea on the hood of her 4-wheel drive vehicle dreaming of loving and being loved.

Inciting Incident: David’s car breaks down.

David sees steam starts coming from under the hood, and he’s forced to stop. He’s out in the middle of nowhere, and his phone doesn’t have a signal.

A priest on his rounds finds him. He gives David water then finds a spot where he can get a phone signal and calls into town for a tow truck. He stays with David until Thea arrives in the tow truck.

When asked his name, he says, “You can call me _____.

Meet-Cute: David and Thea meet when she arrives in a tow truck to pick up his broken-down car. He’s so happy to see her, he kisses her hands.

Meet-Cute moment: Driving a tow truck, she stops at David’s broken-down car, gives him first aid for dehydration, loads up his car, puts him in the passenger seat and heads for town. She’s playing the radio when a love song comes on. She starts to shut off the radio, but he asks her not to. He likes love songs. She feels a moment of connection and leaves the radio on.

In town, the mechanic tells him his car won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. He needs to order a water pump that needs to come from Germany.

David empties the car of its registration and insurance documents, leaving no trace of his identity.

Turning Point: No hotel rooms available, Thea’s dad takes pity on him and gives him a room in exchange for labor. David is more than willing to pay for lodging, but Thea’s dad doesn’t want money. He wants David to help him with assessment work in a gold and silver mine.

Act 2:
New plan: Dave accepts the terms for his lodging.

Plan in action: Capable in his own world doing his own work, he’s all thumbs in the mining world. Thea runs circles around him.

Attraction/Flirting: Working for Thea’s father puts David and Thea in proximity 24 hours a day. They work, nap, and ride together. Their first happens when they are lying on the hood of her car looking at the stars.

When I first saw the stars like this as a kid, I heard a little voice say, “I made this all for you.” Since then, I’ve always known I was made to love and be loved.

David’s Initial challenges: While he is attracted to Thea, he can’t see her living in his world, living in a big city as a marine architect/engineer’s wife. To him, she’s a country bumpkin who has no sense of urban living.

Thea’s Initial challenges:
When he moves into her parents’ house and starts working in the mine with her, it quickly becomes clear that he’s a rich city-slicker from a very different world than she’s used to. She tutors him in the mining work, and he doesn’t like it much. She sees his pride and doesn’t like it. He doesn’t tell anyone his name. This makes him suspicious.

Midpoint Turning Point: He almost gets himself and Thea killed when he doesn’t notice Curly spitting the fuses backwards.
Self-Reflection: Then, because he doesn’t notice Curly lighting the fuses backwards, and they all nearly get blown up, he is confronted with Thea’s patient response. She should be mad as hell. What’s wrong with her?

Two thugs in a pickup truck come on the mine with rifles and start shooting holes in everything. David is sick to death of this kind of destruction. He takes them both out. In a comical way.

Because of a raging thunderstorm, Dave and Thea must spend the night together in an old cabin near the mine site.
First Kiss somewhere here.

Denial: He quickly tells her the kiss didn’t mean anything. It was the romance of the night sky. She immediately agrees. They’re from two different worlds. They can’t possibly be together.

Separation/Forced Together: They are forced to stay the night together in an old cabin on the mine claim. When they return to town, everyone, including Dave’s longtime girlfriend, think they’ve slept together.

Act 3:

State Police arrive and notify him his attackers have been caught.

Major conflict / Obstacle: He won’t tell anyone his name, so she imagines all sorts of reasons why he is hiding his identity. Then the State Police show up and question him. This doesn’t bode well for their relationship.
Dave’s car is ready. He can leave anytime he wants.

His partner, Phil, wants to start over with him. So does his girlfriend. The very thought repels him. He’d rather stay out in the middle of nowhere.

But then a key player in his industry knows what happened to his business and wants to hire him.

Rethink everything: Stay or leave. He decides to leave and take the job in California.

They are separated when David must choose which world he wants to live in. He decides that he belongs in the world of boatbuilding and leaves.

When his car is repaired, he ups and leaves with a promise to call her.

He leaves Thea with the rest of the assessment work to do.

Thea is sad but she vows not to harbor hate in her heart.

David’s Self-Reflection: After his car is repaired, he chooses to return to California with the promise that he will call her. But then, he falls back into his old routine in a new office space. He doesn’t keep his promise to call her, but he has time to reflect on his prideful and even childish behavior.

Thea’s Self-Reflection: After her father dies, she is left to complete the assessment work on her own. Out under the stars, she remembers the fun she and David had watching the stars from the hood of her car and how fond he was of starry nights at sea. She keeps waiting for him to call.

Thea’s Acceptance and Growth: During the period of putting the family home up for sale and helping her mother relocate to a town near her brother’s family, she reconciles herself to the fact that he won’t call, but she vows not to put him behind her until she sees a starry night at sea. She moves to San Diego. Afterall, she works remotely and can go wherever she pleases and still get the work done.

He keeps seeing reminders of Thea and what he left behind.

David’s Acceptance and Growth: He realizes that Thea was ever patient with and supportive of him. He realizes that he needs that as opposed to longtime girlfriend who wants him to climb the ladder and make money and socialize with the city’s big wigs.

Working through Issues/Differences: While David is away reviving his business,

Thea is dealt a blow. Her father suddenly dies. Her mother sells the house and moves to another city to be close to her son and grandchildren. Thea moves back to the California coast where she can more easily conduct her translation and interpreting business. She decides on San Diego to be able to experience the night sky at sea.

Hate/Betrayal/All Hope is Lost: David realizes that he misses Thea. His life is hollow, meaningless without her. He was used to sharing his thoughts and feelings with her during the days mining. He returns to the Nevada town only to find out the whole family is gone.

He decides to make a visit, but when he returns to Nevada, he learns that the miner he stayed with has died, his house has been sold off, and the wife and Thea are gone.

He returns to the Nevada town where Thea lives to apologize for his behavior and to show support for her freelance translation business. He brings her ????

But when he gets there, he finds that the family no longer lives in that town. The father died suddenly. The mother put the house up for sale and moved away to be near her son, who is married with children. And Thea, no one knows exactly where she’s gone.

New plan: Find Thea.

He learns that Thea’s mom got a teaching job in Elko, Nevada, and that Thea moved to somewhere in California.
Huge failure: No one knows where she moved to.

An old teacher in town is the only one who knows her phone number.

Turning Point: He calls Thea.

Thea Demonstrates the change: She gets a call from him. She can’t control her overwhelming joy.

Major shift: They agree to meet.

Act 4:

Reunion: They meet on the beach in San Diego.

He finally learns that Thea moved to San Diego and gets hold of her phone number. He calls her, and they arrange to meet on the beach. They agree that they love one another and want to build a life together.

Reunion: They arrange to meet on the beach. They agree that they love one another and want to build a life together that embraces both their worlds.

She asks him what his real name is.

Love Happens: He tells her his name and who he really is. He tells her he missed her the whole time they were apart. They kiss.

Ultimate expression of conflict resolution:
They lie on the deck of a sailing ship looking up at the stars on a clear night.

• This reply was modified 8 months ago by  Madeleine Vessel.

[Bent Hanlen]

Act 1:
Initial state – it is just another day for Tommy at the shop
Opening – Tommy is at the plumbing shop and is given an assignment to visit a home.
Meet Cute – he meets Nimfa upon arrival to the house.
Inciting Incident – He arrives and finds a leaking pipe that is severely flooding the basement. He calls for back up and his boss answers. The guy says he will be there to help.
Attraction flirting – she makes it known she’s interested. She keeps interrupting him. He has to adjust the bill because of the distractions.
Initial challenges – he’s all business and is too shy to acknowledge her interest.
Turning Point – Boss arrives and they both turn off the water and help drain the basement.
Separation denial – he leaves the house not thinking she has a thing for him. She’s sad over it.
Act 2: The filipino family who called in the disaster are setting up a big dinner for later. The daughter sees Tommy and flirts with him. No one flirts with his boss which creates tension.
New plan – Tommy doesn’t catch the flirting. The woman named Nimfa packs them both a lunch before they go. Tommy’s boss sees the flirtation and creepily acts like he’s the intended one.
Separation forced together – Boss tells Tommy no more going to that house. He’s banned by company decision.
Major conflict obstacle – Tommy not allowed to go where Nimfa is per the boss.
Plan in action – Nimfa visits the plumber shop. Tommy is not there. The boss receives food for Tommy and a note from Nimfa. Boss takes it to the back office.
Working through issues differences – Nimfa wonders why she doesn’t see Tommy. She takes food to him to see what is happening. Boss sadly takes the food.
Self reflection – Nimfa has self doubt over Tommy.
Midpoint Turning Point – He eats the food and crumples up the note after reading it.
Act 3:

Rethink everything – Tommy arrives back to the office. He is unaware of the delivery from Nimfa. He sees consumed food that looks familiar. Something he ate before. Now he thinks his boss loves filipino food.

New plan – he comes back from a filipino restaurant with food for his boss and shares with his team.
Self reflection – Tommy thinks he should bring more filipino food to work to appease everyone.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – nimfa arrives to look for Tommy. She sees him and his filipino feast. She wants to know who gave all this food to him. She thinks there is another woman. Tommy doesn’t understand why she’s flipping out.
Acceptance and growth – Nimfa tells him how she feels about everything.
Act 4:
Hate betrayal – Nimfa thinks he’s not the one because he’s so dense and unresponsive to her.
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – Tommy doesn’t understand why he’s been yelled at by a beautiful woman over food that has nothing to do with her. He sulks in the office. Then he looks down and sees a crumpled note in the garbage can with his name on it. it is a note from Nimfa. The note tells him to enjoy the food and she wants to ask him out. The boss walks in. Tommy asks whats this. and where is the gift of dinner she delivered. The boss replies he ate it. And we can’t be flirting with clients. Tommy grabs a wrench and cracks the boss upside the head.
Demonstrate the change = the tension comes to a head.
Love happens. – they both realize the truth and then come together permanently.
Reunion – they learn about each other and come together.
Resolution – Tommy pulls up to Nimfa’s home. He gets out and goes to the door. She opens it with family behind her. He presents the note and tells her what his boss did. He adds he would love to go out with her on a date. They hug.

[Alison Benson]

Title: Petals and Pathways.

What I learned doing this assignment is that every time I learn something new, I have to come back to edit. I decided to jump between the Screenwriting Mastery course and the Romcom course which has proven very beneficial as I realize I was completely off topic for my first attempt at this. My original ‘bigger story’ focused too much on the love story and not the bigger picture. A huge learning curve.

Concept: Ina, a passionate florist, volunteers to work on a community project to win the organization first prize but clashes with Dave, the landscaper, who has opposing ideas on what makes a winning garden.

Main conflict: Ina and Dave have opposing ideas of what makes the perfect garden. She wants delicate, formal arrangements, he wants bright bold tropical flowers. Their views of love and life clash using the garden as the analogy as they slowly bond over shared values and traditions.

Opening: Ina, Jewish, is creating yet another wedding floral arrangement discussing with Shell, her best friend, her bad dating experiences, ‘the path to happiness is this (she holds up list).it’s impossible to tick all the boxes(NOTE add list).’ ‘Whose happiness? To a customer – . There are too many obstacles in the way of true love. You don’t think true love overcomes the obstacles? Customer: can vibrant and delicate combine? Ina shakes her head, can’t mix flowers that don’t belong together even if they are from the same family. Yours or your father’s? I owe it to them, particularly you grandpa, she looks at the holocaust tattoo on his arm. Grandpa says your boxes shouldn’t be about what colour, or what food you eat or what side of the bridge you live on – they should be about integrity, honesty and basic human kindness. it’s okay to have differences but it’s what you share that makes the difference all the more important. .
Action – Montage of three failed dates speaking to Shell, her grandpa, a random customer. 1. At Shabbats dinner, the date picks out the matza balls – her grandpa’s matza balls – loser. 2. It’s Shell’s boyfriend – taken. 3. Ina in sick in bed, date visits, she vomits into a bucket, she struggles with her hair, he won’t hold her hair back – narcissist. To Shell: my life is no fun, I’m going back to the good old days when we partied, now that’s happiness.

Meet Dave, Polynesian, on a landscaping job with Mata, his partner. (Action during) The owner’s dog runs out the garden, Dave runs after it, walking back, he puts a baby bird back in its nest, helps a lady unpack her car. Dave tells Mata can’t trust women, Mata: the humiliation was excessive – given, Women can’t be trusted with feelings. They are selfish and flakey. See flashback of Dave wanting to make an announcement in front of his family and friends at a function. Some Polynesian dancing has finished, the girls are stunning. Dave stands up with the microphone, there’s silence. His grandma watches with pride. He looks for one of the dancers. He says to her, he has set up his landscaping business with his partner (Mata), volunteers almost every weekend on a community project and now wants that special someone by his side – holds up a small box. Gasps from the guests. The girlfriend is in the crowd looking meek. He asks her to come up. She shakes her head. Everyone gasps again. He smiles, come up…, she shakes her head again. He steps down to her: … Will you, she puts her finger on his lips. Shh Dave. Let me speak. I love you Dave, I do, but I can’t marry you. You’re just too content with everything… you always focus on your little projects, your family, who I love dearly, but where’s your ambition? Where's your drive? you’re stuck and I can’t be dragged down with you. I tried to make it work but you weren’t willing to push yourself. I need more. This isn’t on me, this is on you. Take responsibility. You can’t expect me to be a landscapers wife forever. I do love your tats though. Whispers – and the sex was good. She leaves. Dave is left speechless. His grandma shakes her head in dismay.

Ina drives with her grandpa (MENTOR) to a wedding she’s the florist for. All the good ones are taken anyway, the rest are losers or narcissists. Particularly the good looking ones. There’s no one. Your paths are running parallel but they will cross when you least expect it. I cannot find someone that ticks all the boxes. Grandpa tells her to your boxes shouldn’t be about what colour, or what food or what side of the bridge you live on – they should be about integrity, honesty, basic human kindness. Her radar detector goes off – phew! 3rd save. Grandpa: good purchase.

MEET CUTE: meet at Ina’s brother’s bar mitzvah/Dave’s nephews hair cutting, in the garden.
At her brother’s bar mitzvah, her parents have set her up with someone, she has a couple of drinks at the bar, leaves the room quickly with Shell. One of the guests, a man, tells her not to drive.
In a garden outside, they hear drumming from a function room next door. They climb up on a bench to peer over, they’re Polynesian. Ina admires the flowers but they’re very bold. Two men are sitting on a bench on the other side. The girls jump back. The men are Dave and Mata. Dave asks, what’s wrong with the flowers? Ina: pretty but gregarious. Dave: that is true of people too. Ina is taken back – that’s rich coming from a man. What’s the issue with women? Their flakey. Ina: because they know the good ones are taken and all that’s left are the losers and narcissists. Dave turns to Mata – which one am I? Ina: Love doesn’t exist. Dave: i second that. She leans in, falls through the bushes. Dave catches her. There’s an immediate connection. An officer and a gentleman moment.

ATTRACTION/FLIRTING: After their moment, Ina isn’t feeling too good, wiggles out of his arms, throws up. Dave grabs her hair. Ina is surprised. He offers to drive her home. Yeah right. I don’t know you. No seriously, I will. Mata: You’re quite safe, it’s what he does, he rescues things. I’m not a thing. She’s not a thing. No you’re not. They realize it can’t be real and go their separate ways when each of their family events call them back.
Inciting incident: Ina back at work focusing on other people’s happiness. Grandpa asks her to help on the men’s shed garden project for a competition. First prize is money for renos. Ina agrees. She’ll come after work.

Ina is late, she speeds. Is pulled over by a police car – her radar didn;’t go off. The policeman is the man from the wedding who told her not to drink and drive. While he’s writing the ticket, the radar goes off. They’re illegal you know.‘You need a good Jewish man to drive you around.’ ‘Not you too?’ Come on, I’ll give you a ride.
The police car drives into the mens shed garden. Ina gets out, thanks the policeman, sees her grandpa speaking to someone, his back to her. Grandpa introduces the man, it’s Dave. It’s awkward. I thought it good if you both worked together.
(NOTE: NEED A SCENE AT THE MEN’S SHED GARDEN) DENIAL: it is awkward for them to see each other and wonder how the other got there neither knew the other was coming. They deny there was a connection.

(End Act 1) Turning point: FORCED TOGETHER: Dave offers to help Ina with her deliveries after work as he finishes early. She does need someone with a big truck.

Act 2: 20 to 30 pages — Challenge the Old Ways:
Reaction:There’s definitely an attraction there on both sides but It goes against both their belief that the opposite sex are untrustworthy and to protect their culture.

New Plan: WORKING THROUGH ISSUES AND DIFFERENCES in the men’s shed project. They begin with their designs on paper. Ina’s is a checklist with boxes to tick. Their ideas clash. Ina wants pastels and intricate designs, ordered, safe. Dave wants bright, tropical colours with bold designs, risky. Grandpa watches from afar, smiles. Ina’s dad arrives to have a look, meet Dave, instantly likes him. – (NOTE the dad can clash with Ina )
Dave invites Ina to his mother’s birthday. She makes some floral arrangements, he picks her up. There’s an umu, ukuleles, dancing, Ina fits in well, enjoys the community and family connection. Dave watches her from a distance, he’s definitely attracted. His grandma sees this. Mata is concerned about Dave getting serious about someone from outside his culture. He doesn’t want the culture lost. (NOTE: The grandma says something to him about it being okay)
Ina invites Dave to a Shabbats dinner, He fits in well. Her dad and grandpa have gotten to know Dave. Ina is definitely attracted, only grandpa sees this. Is a bit concerned about Ina’s dad if he finds out romance could be blossoming. Dave loves the matza balls.
Ina makes a delivery to a wedding and is harassed by a drunk guest. Dave, helping with the delivery, escorts the guy out. Ina sees his integrity.

Turning Point 2: (Midpoint) Ina and Dave at the end of a big day of deliveries, sit on the top of dave’s truck to watch the sunset. Ina asks about Dave’s tattoos. He explains the family, the heritage, (Not sure – the legend of Ina and the Shark.) She tells Dave about her Grandpa surviving the holocaust as a child and his tattoo. That for some people, it’s a reminder. Dave is very sympathetic. He can see that. First kiss.

Act 3: They are definitely an item, they must tell their families.
Rethink: At the men’s shed, the landscaping and gardening ideas begin to gel.
New plan: Individually, they both have to think how to tell her parents. Dave agrees to, Ina won’t – she can’t imagine doing this to her parents and grandpa. They’d never forgive her.

Turning point (Huge failure/major shift): HATE/BETRAYAL/ALL HOPE IS LOST. The judges have been to all the community gardens and will declare the winner at the men’s shed. Ina and Dave’s family and many others are there. Ina’s dad has concerns about the huge variety of things in the garden – why so many elements? Grandpa says to him, sometimes risks are worth taking. Life isn’t always a list of boxes to tick.
Dave’s ex-girlfriend who appears. The ex asks to speak to Dave. Ina watches from a distance. She looks at her dad still pondering over the garden, turns to Dave and the ex – who is btw gorgeous! The ex wants back in. She was wrong, she’ll make it work. Ina hears, is devastated, she walks away to her dad, he is right, the garden was all a big mistake. The ex carries on, Dave, you are good enough for her, I’m not a victim, I’m a survivor. Ina’s back is to him.
Dave pulls away from the ex, she walks away in a huff. Your loss.
Dave is agitated, looks for Ina, she’s gone. He’s asked to say a few words about the final project before the announcement is made. As he speaks he looks for Ina. She can’t get far, she has no license. Dave makes a speech about how the garden and landscaping came together. What started out as two opposing views from different sides of a bridge, actually gelled to make something beautiful because that’s what community does, that’s what families do – they come together…

Act 4: test the change in the character, prove new ways.:
Climax//Ultimate expression of the conflict: … your boxes shouldn’t be about what colour, or what food or what side of the bridge you live on – they should be about integrity, honesty, basic human kindness. Ina steps into view. Dave’s eyes are on her. it’s okay to have differences but it’s what you share that makes the differences all the more important. Ina looks at her grandpa, he shrugs. Her dad is confused – what’s going on here?

LOVE HAPPENS:Ina realizes she misjudged Dave. She must face her father. Dave makes an announcement that he loves Ina. The hope for love is still alive causing Ina to confront her father. Please dad, he ticks the right boxes. Kathleen (Ina's mum) takes Bernard (Ina's dad's) hand. He looks lost. Grandpa slaps him on the back. The tie of family and community will prevail making their union unique and strong and part of the new ever changing world we live in.
Ina declares her love for Dave.
Their project wins second place – a jumping castle.

Resolution: They set up a xmas tree and a chanukah menorah in the men’s shed garden with the jumping castle. Children everywhere, an umu is raised, matza ball soup dished out, ukuleles play hava nagila. The couple reunite as better human beings who are truly “made for each other!” . Kathleen says- oh your children are going to be gorgeous, I wonder what colour they’ll be? Mum!

• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by  Alison Benson.
• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by  Alison Benson.
• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by  Alison Benson.
• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by  Alison Benson.

[Eugene Mandelcorn]

Eugene’s Double Rom-Com Structure

What I learned doing this assignment was that it is much more difficult than I thought to put together these 3 elements into a meaningful 4 Act Structure.

Act 1:

INITIAL STATE: JOE is a young man who has lost his mother in a tragic accident, has inherited the home, and fears that his father who left the family when he was young, is among the homeless. He aspires to be a successful filmmaker. BETH is estranged from her family, who are financially insecure, and she is struggling to make a living on her own. She also aspires to be a successful filmmaker.

Opening: MEET-CUTE MOMENTS -Joe and Beth meet in a park and then at film screening meet at a film screening.
JOE drops coins in Beth’s Coffee Cup. BETH reacts with anger that Joe thought she was homeless and storms away.
JOE & BETH – Second Meet-Cute – They meet while exiting the theater, when Joe bumps into Beth, by accident and feels that this second meeting means that they were meant to be together. Beth thinks just the opposite, that he is a Clutz and maybe even following her.
JOE bumps into Beth and spills her glass of soda, staining her blouse. BETH is doubly incensed with this young man.
Inciting Incident: They are put together to work on a film project in their filmmaking class.
JOE & BETH – Attraction/Flirting – Joe compliments her in the breakout room in their filmmaking class and offers to pay her to work on his film project. Knowing that he feels something for her, but needing the money, she decides to accept.
INITIAL STATE: VOICE is an older man, who was a Shakespearean trained actor, who is homeless, because of his deep-rooted paranoia and propensity for conspiracy theories, is unable to work. KAREN, an older widow, was a trophy wife, without any experience in the working world, but is meticulous in her habits, even as a homeless person.
Turning Point: They pick two older homeless people to play the main roles in their project, promising them homes, as a result.

Act 2:

New plan: They bring the two homeless individuals, Voice and Karen to a small vacant lot where they will construct their homes while filming it.
VOICE & KAREN – MEET-CUTE MOMENT – Voice and Karen are put in the back seat of Joe’s car on the way to the lot where their tiny homes will be built and banter back and forth like two adversaries ready for the big fight.
VOICE thinks of Karen as a spoiled socialite and KAREN thinks of Voice as a crazy, stinky old man.
INITIAL CHALLENGES: JOE – He is bringing the three of them to a small narrow lot where he intends to build a couple of tiny homes and shoot a feature film in the process. BETH – She is not crazy about this project, but has agreed to come aboard, because Joe has hired her to write a script centered around these two homeless people as they attempt to house them. VOICE – Although he sees Karen as attractive, he cannot identify with her haughty, superior nature. It challenges his egotistical bent. KAREN – She is repulsed by Voice, who smells and is insulting. She agrees to this project, only if their homes are at opposite ends of this small lot.
VOICE & KAREN – Attraction/Flirting – Voice obviously loves the banter that Karen and he get involved in. They both are sharp and competitive, but the connection is obvious. Different as night and day, they are finding their Sunrise and Sunset, the more they communicate.
Plan in action: Joe and Beth, along with Voice and Karen, clear the lot, put up the tents, drill for water, plant fruit and vegetable and deal with the city and county to plan the structures and apply for building permits.
JOE & BETH – Denial – They lose their connection when Joe insists on shooting the whole project on Cell Phones documentary still, while Beth is working on a dramatic script that she feels needs actors and a director that believes in her work. Maybe they weren’t meant to work together and should let these poor homeless people go back to their encampment.
MAJOR CONFLICT/OBSTACLE: JOE – Joe starts shooting the project documentary style. He calls it Cassavetes Style and using his cell phone. BETH – Beth is upset not only that he is using a cell phone, but that he seems to have no real interest in the scenes she has written for the main two characters. VOICE – Voice is asking for his lines but is pretty good at tearing Karen comments apparent and making fun of the film that Joe is making. KAREN – Is more sympathetic with Joe’s approach but feels Beth could have picked a much better person to play opposite her than the boisterous and smelly Voice. (How in the world are they going to work together as a team!)
Midpoint Turning Point: The people in the new housing development across the street want the homeless people across the street from them evicted and the city make it very difficult for them to build two small structures on the lot.
JOE & BETH – Separation/Forced Together – Beth makes it clear that they are having problems working together in their filmmaking class, but the instructor talks her into continuing to work with Joe.
VOICE & KAREN – Denial – The two almost get to the point of fisty cups and decide that it is not worth it and maybe they should go back to their original places of residence.

Act 3:

Rethink everything: They can only put one structure on the lot, and it must be in the center of the property.
JOE & BETH – When Joe secretly tapes Beth in a very emotional state, she is incensed and refuses to talk to him, but when Voice consoles her and puts in his 2 cents, in defense of Joe, she reconsiders.
New plan: Joe and Beth propose a contest between Voice and Karen to who will live in the tiny home to be built.
VOICE & KAREN – Separation/Forced Together – Voice and Karen find out that they will not be able to have their individual homes built, they are angry, but the idea that they may be able to share a home brings them together.
Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: The city tells them that they cannot have a permanent structure on the lot. Not even a tiny home.
JOE & BETH – Working through Issues/Differences – Joe and Beth confide in each other. Joe tells about tragic death of his mother and the fact that he thinks that his long missing father is homeless. Beth reveals that she was fired from her job and that the money that Joe was paying her keeping her afloat for a while.
VOICE & KAREN – Working through Issues/Differences – Voice reveals that he killed a gang member and is fearful that the gang is after him. Karen reveals that she has never been the bread winner and feels hopeless and helpless without her husband to support her.
SELF-REFLECTION: JOE – Realizes that because of his attraction to Beth he has offered to pay her to keep her on the project and is not treating her as an equal. BETH – Realizes that although Joe has perhaps taken on more than he can chew, he effectively trying to keep the project on budget and really wants to help the homeless. VOICE – Realizes that he really enjoys the verbal fisticuffs with Karen and is starting to respect her intellect and ideas. KAREN – Is starting to respect Voice, although she disagrees with him at every turn, she is starting to believe that she can turn him around.
ACCEPTANCE AND GROWTH: JOE – Joe allows Beth to shoot some of the scenes she has written, but of course she still has to use a cell phone. BETH – She realizes and respects Joe’s determination to make this film, a mixture of doc and narrative. VOICE – He seriously talks to Karen about his problems. KAREN – She also begins to confide in Voice.
DEMONSTRATE THE CHANGE: JOE – Joe confides in Beth about his search for his homeless father. BETH – Beth reveals that she has been evicted from her apartment and has been living in her car. VOICE – Accepts the fact that he is a bit paranoid and tells Karen that maybe the local gang is not really out to kill him. KAREN – Accepts that Voice really cares about her and that maybe she is a bit too concerned about her looks and her surroundings.
JOE & BETH – Hate/Betrayal/All Hope is Lost – With the possibility of no home being built and the time and money already spent gone to waste, makes the housing situation precarious. Beth leaves Joe after finding out that he recorded a private conversation she had with him.
VOICE & KAREN – Hate/Betrayal/All Hope is Lost – Although speaking to each other with respect and caring, they no longer feel confident that a home for them will be built. They feel the city and the neighboring homeowners are working against them and their wishes.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Joe orders a temporary, prebuilt, tiny home on wheels and has it moved to the center of the lot. Both Voice and Karen work on it and finally decide to share it.
REUNION: Offers his home to Beth. BETH – She is seriously thinking about it. VOICE – Decides that he will share the small home with Karen. KAREN – Decides that she will share the home with Voice. (When the Tornado comes all four of them are forced to huddle together in the tiny home, during the storm)
Resolution: Just as they move into their new home a Tornado hits and while destroying the entire new home community across the street, their tiny home is left standing and the homeless people who ridiculed them ask for their help in rebuilding their community.
JOE, BETH, VOICE & KAREN – Love Happens – When a Tornado strikes both couples are forced to shelter in the tiny home built with recycled plastic water bottles. All the homes in the development across the street are destroyed and only their tiny home remains standing. Their love for each other is solidified and their homeless neighbors befriend them as well.
They are covered by the press and Joe’s homeless father arrives to reconcile with his son.

• This reply was modified 5 months, 2 weeks ago by  Eugene Mandelcorn.