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Lesson 6
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Michelle’s Transformational Events
What I learned from this assignment is that I need to rethink/rework assignment 5.😂
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Benita. Lesson 6 …Transformational events. I have added two extra character traits to my protagonist ‘old ways.’
1 Having failed when given unworthy jobs, Tracy actively goes looking for one. By doing this she accepts that life owes her nothing. Tracy responds to an advert.
2 Tracy learns fast and grows to respect and like her boss, Marty. Marty takes her to a client’s house to learn how to mend a safe.
3 Harmony is restored between Tracy and her mother. Tracy shows her mother that she can unlock a safe, and Tracy hands over her wages to pay household bills.
4 Tracy becomes friendly with Mary. They bond over Marty’s funeral arrangements.
5 Distrustful of men, Tracy gets to like Jim. Jim saves her from Constable Strong.
6 No longer restless and unfulfilled, Tracy manages the shop, repairs safes and discovers Marty’s hiding place.
7 Tracy shows she can be loyal. Tracy defies constable Strong and does not betray Marty.
8 Tracy does a good deed. Tracy assists in returning stolen jewels.
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Lesson 6: Transformational Events
What I learned doing this assignment is a whole picture begins to emerge as character and plot gets fleshed out.
Act 1:
Opening: a boy born into Levittown, hating Catholic school (mean, uneducated nuns), and watching his local horse farm neighborhood carved and excavated into suburbia.
He rebels and gets the stick from the nuns.
Loses his after school job (a teen) as the horse farm gets razed.
Confront his dominant mother for making him go to Catholic school (against a passive father).
Series of shots showing him excel at Football, Wrestling, and History.
Show his wrestling coach has immense impact on him re leadership, tenacity, dedication, work ethic.
Inciting Incident: High School is out and off to central Maine!
When he leaves in his 54 Ford, tip of the fedora to his father and nothing for mother.
Turning Point: his first firing
Shows his “bull rush” in Football at U of Maine – until he gets asthma.
Ends up working on a farm and coaching wrestling and football.
Shows the basketball team favored with all the best equipment.
He uses booster money for wrestling equipment and gets fired.
Act 2:
New plan: start a farm and family. Plan in action: history genius, great coach, farmer, philosopher
Fun & games on the farm. Meets his mentor and local drunk/mechanic fixer/court jester.
Leverages his charisma to get misguided youth to do his dirty work on the farm – it doesn’t always go well.
Is offered a management job at newly founded Dexter Shoe and has flashback/dream image of throwing his manager into the leather cutter.
New dairy products begin to emerge in stores. The local town businesses start to decline.
Midpoint Turning Point: Industrial Farming is beginning of the end for him to support a small dairy farm family
Act 3:
His mentor dies as he is going through a divorce.
The farm leans toward bankruptcy and in a manipulative move gets the wife to signs off so he can keep the farm.
Rethink everything. In his “Walden” moment he shuts down the dairy farm and gets his forestry degree so he can be alone with the trees.
New plan: Put it in a book. Begins to write about “what we have lost” to sort out our local town’s decline and global shift.
Turning Point – Huge failure / Major shift: loses the “new girl” helping him with his books as his secret schizoid gets in the way (again).
He does finally get published and begins to think about what’s next and what his legacy should be on this earth.
His outer goal is to make local photographer Uncle Bert famous alongside Thoreau and his inner goal is show how to Live a Life of Purpose (from his fantasy POV).
Act 4 – Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict:
As he drifts into slumber, we see that capitalism becomes devoid of greed, local communities begin to share again and there are no more homeless.
People get back to nature and climate change slows. Politics becomes civil once again with an end to hateful tribalism.
He introduces Henry David Thoreau to Uncle Bert at the base of Mt. Katahdin and prepare for a hike.
We hear medical beeps in the background.
With a mighty climb before them, our hero says “now comes good sailing”.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by Chris Spizuoco.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by Chris Spizuoco.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by Chris Spizuoco.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by
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Subject line: Akaash’s Transformational Events (
Answer the question “It helped me go through my structure and content to find many points of transformation and place them in context at the end of each sequence in the each Act.’
Old and New Transformational Arcs.
1.Outwardly strong, confident, skilled at Warcraft but relies on this for his popularity while denying that inwardly he is vulnerable due to his father’s obvious disappointment in his failure to acquire the religious and philosophical values of kingship.
When Akaash’s mother confirms he is not yet ready to take the throne despite news of an impending attack, it is like a slap in the face. He abandons the coronation and leaves Avanti in search of his father to ask the question ‘why’?
2. Akaash demonstrates his formidable skills, defeats a giant who shows him the way to the cremation field and encounters ghosts, demons and rotting corpses to find the Yogi who can guide him to his father, Vikram.
Vikram realises that for the first time he is entirely alone and that nothing will be handed to him on a plate. He conquers his pride to asks the powerful Yogi for help and instructions to find his Uncle.
4. The Yogi tells him his father superceded his older brother Hari’s throne. He wonders if history will repeat itself and he will be superceded by his younger brother Dharma who disappeared with his father.
Akaash is disillusioned with his father Akaash thinks of abandoning his journey but reflects on his own ways and realises he could have worked harder on the values of kingship instead of blaming his father. The right thing would be to liberate him from the curse then ask his father to explain his position.
5. Alone on his journey with no praise or encouragement, he is distracted and loses focus.
When his grandfather’s spirit warns him he’s running out of time to disrupt his uncle’s meditations his father will be condemned to eternal damnation Akash remembers his mission and leaps into action. In the fight that follows, he fends off magical creatures and when Hari falls into the abyss, he jumps in after him to rescue his father.
6. Enjoys the lavish hospitality of Vasuki, king of Pataal, the deepest ocean, and asks Vasuki if Vikram is still here. Vasuki refuses to tell him and informs him no visitor is allowed to leave the kingdom.
The Corpse who has attached itself to him tells him Vikram is not here but tells him the Cobra stone is his only way out. . Akaash persuades an attendant of the Cobra queen to bring him the stone but is ashamed when he realises she will be severely punished, he feels guilty (and finds a way to save her.)
7. A massive reef appears as Akaash reaches the boundaries of Pataal. Marshy land lies on the other side. Akaash knows there’s no way out. He gives up.
An old woman begs him to carry her to the other side. Akaash sees her distress and pulls himself together, putting up with her nagging and nipping and scratching. The act of helping her takes him back to the human world.
8. The Corpse advises Akaash to refuse the Yogi’s command to prostrate himself before the Goddess because because he and Hari are to be the human sacrifice which will gain him sovereignty over the world. Akaash believes the yogi is a good guy. It will anger him and destroy his chances to save his father.
Akaash listens carefully to the Corpse’s reasoning and its sincerity and knowledge and agrees to follow his plan.
9. Akaash finds his father in the Sky-god’s heaven with his brother. They’ve forgotten about him and Avanti. They have no desire to leave this euphoric realm. The memory gem alerts him to the arrival of the enemy at the gates. Akaash has a dilemma. Should he wait for his father’s ‘answer’ or should he return and do his best to fight of the enemy and save Avanti.
He decides that Avanti has to be his priority and win or lose, worthy or unworthy he is honour-bound to defend the Sacred City. But the mention of a sacred city under attack galvanises Vikram and Dharma and they go with him
10. The battle is ferocious. Akaash fights to his best ability with devotion and selflessness. Vikram is shot but as he dies he tells Akaash he needs no confirmation from him. That he has demonsrated the qualities and values of a true leader. Akaash is grateful but he’s already realised he’s worthy and fights on to destroy the enemy and the yogi.
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Natalie’s Transformational Events
What I learned – I am not at all writing the story I started with mentally and I’m not sure which story is stronger but I continue fumbling forward!
Old Ways – Passive, overly logical, planning as substitute for action
Sees estranged husband at will reading and puts up a front to maintain status quo even thought she doesn’t want to admit that she’d like to try to work things out
Forced into action by accepting her mother’s dying request to claim her ancestral birthright
Arrives in old country and bristles at her guide when she sees him being unnecessarily haughty and rude to another local – something falls apart at her touch and she blames hormones and nerves after traveling
She gains confidence and explores the local market on her own on her way to dinner – meets a woman who tries to explain the meaning of her necklace but doesn’t finish because she has a hot flash that sets fire to a vendor stall as she passes
Next day she fumes at the bureaucracy as guide smirks at her behind her back but a friend from home calls to check up on her and gives her some information about her ancestral homeland – she cuts off guide before he is rude to another local
She’s proud of herself for dining alone when her husband joins her – surprise. She is more curious than angry and they plan to tour her ancestral land together with the guide the next day – a strangely fragrant breeze surrounds them
Guide doesn’t like the husband coming along and on route the guide dumps them in the countryside to fend for themselves. She opens up to husband about strange experiences she’s having then they end up spending the night in a castle ruin not making to back to town but somehow they were not cold or wet overnight
They encounter a farmer who tells them about the evil controller who is the guide and she decides that she will stop his reign of terror and head to antag’s castle home
They break in and find a piece of the birthright cup that her necklace charm fits into. He comes home and catches them taking away the cup and her necklace and imprisons them
She is given an ultimatium to sign over her birthright or her husband will be executed. She finds the ability to focus her powers in a unique way which prompts a battle with the antag.
She is eager for battle and learns more about her powers as she fights. When it looks as though she has lost she finds a new power that is the secret of her birthright (air/wind to his fire)
She has the confidence to win, claim birthright and free the locls from his terror and the courage to be honest and open with her husband
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Doug’s Transformational Events
What I learned from this exercise is: how writing this screenplay is going to help me understand more of how to move from a more selfish, self-centered way of “making a living” into a higher, more ethical and heart-felt way of doing things – which seems like a major life lesson, for me, as well as my protagonist, Nick – as well as Shania and Athena – the antagonist’s daughter, and the antagonist herself! As well as recasting my experiences as a real estate agent into a more death-defying, action-packed adventurous quest!
Start with the Character Arc and the list of Old Ways and New Ways.
Nick goes from an “I win/you lose, zero-sum game” person to someone who works to help everyone win, because there is more than enough to go around.
Old Ways
1. Got to cheat the other person before they cheat you.
2. Survival of the fittest (toughest/smartest/trickiest)
3. Limited supply, gotta take yours first and help your allies – let everyone else fend for themselves.
4. Use your skills to rob from the rich and give to poor little ole you!
5. You’ve gotta control the people you love, or they’ll end up stabbing you in the back
6. You’ve gotta defend your turf or you’re less of a person.
7. Fear and greed are the ultimate motivations.
8. If you go out on a limb for someone, they’re bound to cut it off.
New Ways
1. There’s infinite supply – enough for all.
2. More fun to let your loved ones be free – even if it can be scary, wondering what they’ll do next.
3. When you work to have everyone win – much more fun and you may get help from unexpected quarters.
4. Coming from your heart lets your intuition click in and unforeseen brilliance can be the result.
5. When you honestly want everyone to do well, fear and fear of failure is no longer a huge motivating force and you are able to bigger risks with much greater confidence (for potentially much higher gains),
6. When you are coming from love and goodness, you can see how others are, too and you can relate to that part of them and they may respond in kind, even if they, too, are a mixed bag of motivations and emotions.
7. When everyone wins, achieving your goals is a lot more fun and fulfilling and you have many more allies, as well,
8. Friendship among equals works a whole lot better than hierarchical relationships with a competitive pecking order.
LIST OF CHANGES NICK (PROTAGONIST) NEEDS TO MAKE
1. Change from using his skills to “rob from rich to give to himself” — to using his skills to help all to succeed. 4 (level of difficulty from 1-10)
2. Change from cheating/tricking others — to gain an advantage over them (before they do the same to you) – to helping everyone, or at least not hurting them! 4
3. Change from seeing a limited supply – not enough for all, so you need to get yours and the heck with others – to realizing there IS enough for everyone, and there’s more on the way. 6
4. Change from manipulating/controlling those you love to keep them from stabbing you in the back – to letting them be who they are and loving them for that – and having fun with whatever happens as a result. 10
5. Change from trying to maintain superiority in a team (or undermine the current leader) so you can win – to working with a band of equals, all working at achieving their collective and separate goals. 6
6. Change from “street-level” chicanery to high level pan-determinism – allowing oneself to soar to the higher, impersonal levels to see the big picture and not be bound by a small, egoic perception. 7
7. Shift from a fear/greed motivation to a heart-based ethic, working for everyone’s highest good – which opens one to intuitive brilliance and assistance from all kinds of unlikely sources! 9
4. Sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult. This will imply the journey the character takes.
I think the hardest thing for Nick to do is to “trust the one he loves and not try to control them” – in this case, it’s going to be Shania – and this final test will arise at the climax, where the mansion is getting ready to blow up – and – well, if it doesn’t (blowing it up was the plan), all her mom’s plans and schemes may come to naught – but can Nick trust Shania to save the day and not betray him by stopping the explosion (oh, and incidentally, not get him killed as well)?
Realizing there is an unlimited supply, and life and wealth is not a zero-sum game, is going to be an ongoing lesson, probably partially learned many times.
Operating on one-upmanship and street-level scamming people will be something Jerome, his real estate mentor, will probably be teaching him, because there’s “more than enough to go around” and you don’t have to trick people to help them to see that their own self-interest will be served if they follow your guidance – but then, when Jerome is murdered, all that will be called into question, and Nick will have to move to a higher level of understanding to dislodge the old survival-of-the-fittest methods (which do still serve a purpose) and move into a more pan-determined, everyone wins (or at least, your larger team) – because there are still enemies out there who are playing a determined game by the “old means” – and turning the other cheek may just get you killed – so you have to go about these changes “intelligently”.
5. Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character.
First incident that occurs to me is in the airport – after he lifts the guy’s wallet filled with $100 bills – and then – well, sort of gives the documents back (but keeps the cash) and then, on his way out – impulsively gives the homeless person with the cat one of the bills – thinking it’s a $1 bill – and then realizes it’s a $100 – but shrugs and reminds himself there are a lot more where that one came from! (moving to an abundant mindset from scarcity) – and then, much, much later, when Nick is being chased down a city street by the bad guys – the same homeless person pushes his/her shopping cart filled with “personal effects” in front of Nick’s pursuers – so they crash into it (but the cat is safe on his/her shoulder – like a pirate’s parrot) and the homeless person and the cat have a good laugh over the good turn they have done to their benefactor (and please notice the new rhinestone collar the cat is now sporting!)
So – right – realizing it’s better not to try to control and manipulate your loved ones comes at the climax (the final expression of this test, because it will probably come up earlier and, probably, be failed at least once) – final time for Nick to “allow Shania to be free” and not try to manipulate her (and hope and pray that she doesn’t “go back to her old ways” and let the mansion (and the entire block explode)! And Shania, for her part, has to decide that she, too, is going to go for the higher level and – in effect – by so doing, betray her mom’s criminal plan, thus putting that whole underworld network in jeopardy – with possible retribution from the various dark forces who are a part of it- but, as a result, she’ll be saving her boyfriend, the homes on the block, and, in actuality, the entire neighborhood – and trust that it is all going to work out okay!
And then – once she does that – THAT is when they discover the “hidden treasure” of the deed to the land underlying the State Building, hidden in the basement of the mansion, which will guarantee Carl and his newly minted determination to follow in his great-grandfather’s footsteps of becoming a neighborhood benefactor “guaranteed funding” for whatever he decides to do – and there will be something else (as yet to be determined) which will protect Shania’ mom, Athena, from any high level retribution. Possibly some very high connections in the British government, which may be activated by Shania’s dad – thanks to Shania’s ongoing reconciliation with him – and how that helps Athena to overcome her own “old ways” of pain, betrayal, and desire for revenge. Complicated stuff, which may take a while to sort out!
6. Add these transformational events to your four-act structure.
Well, as above, I have some ideas – but there is a lot more to work on and a lot more to come!
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Marilynne’s Transformational Events
What I learned doing this assignment is… Perfection is a hard habit to run away from!
Character Arc – although a very smart woman with tremendous potential, a researcher allows everyone around her to control what she does. She moves from a dependent, weak position to one of independence and strength where she calls the shots on her own life.
Researcher OLD Ways:
1. Doesn’t question authority figures; lets others determine her path
2. Dedicated and driven to doing the best research in the world
3. Unable to see how a past wound experiencing technology’s harm prevents her from succeeding
Researcher NEW Ways:
1. Self-confident, not afraid to voice her opinion and “kick ass” where she needs to
2. Recognizes her team’s knowledge and skills
3. Released from her wound and able to see past the incident to focus on moving forward
6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for my character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways) – sequenced from easiest to most difficult; dramatic events or tests in bold, italic
1. Own her position of knowledge and power when she engages with members of her department.
At a highly charged departmental meeting a colleague strongly suggests he should take over her project because she is too inexperienced. This is the last straw – she has more experience and knowledge than anyone in her department and decides she won’t take any more crap from them.
2. Become skilled at operating inside the VHP lab as its developer.
During the test of a rock climbing scenario, the climbing rope is apparently cut and the tester “falls to the ground” – only 2 feet, but he felt he was falling from a great height. She doesn’t have any idea how this could happen and begins testing the training scenarios herself to push the technology.
3. Recognize the Virtual Human Project has the potential to develop in more complex ways outside her current experience.
She finds a Virtual Human – an androgenous figure – dressed in black sitting in her office. It makes threats to destroy her. It shouldn’t be able to exist outside the lab.
4. See the Saboteur’s power and its intent to destroy her.
An apparent random robbery at a local convenience store leaves her son with a spinal injury. The perpetrator looks like the figure in her office.
5. Defeat the Saboteur at its own game.
She lures the Saboteur into the lab for a “motocross race.” What he/it doesn’t know is 2 people on her team are going to join her to destroy it.
6. Move into her rightful place as the research leader.
She can conduct the urgent treatment on her son and prove it is successful.
Transformational events added to my four act structure.
Act 1:
Opening: Isy has discovered she can temporarily heal wounds in her Virtual Human Project.
*Own her position of knowledge and power when she engages with members of her department.
At a highly charged departmental meeting a colleague strongly suggests he should take over her project because she is too inexperienced. This is the last straw – she has more experience and knowledge than anyone in her department and decides she won’t take any more crap from them.
At the same time, a bizarre accident in a trial scenario interferes with their testing and a key team member quits.
*Become skilled at operating inside the VHP lab as its developer.
During the test of a rock climbing scenario, the climbing rope is apparently cut and the tester “falls to the ground” – only 2 feet, but he felt he was falling from a great height. She doesn’t have any idea how this could happen and begins testing the training scenarios herself to push the technology.
Inciting Incident: An androgenous figure dressed in black randomly robs a local convenience store where Isy’s son Roberto is shot and sustains a life threatening spinal injury. He will die without her Virtual Healing intervention, but she can only make temporary repairs and can’t figure out why.
*See the Saboteur’s power and its intent to destroy her.
An apparent random robbery at a local convenience store leaves her son with a spinal injury. The perpetrator looks like the figure in her office.
Turning Point: Isy is close to finding the answer (for her son) when a similar figure in black gains entry to their secure environment. It causes a crash in the virtual test of a motocross race scenario and comes close to seriously injuring Isy.
Act 2:
New plan: Focus on finding out how and why someone is sabotaging the Virtual Human Program (VHP); investigate possible suspects that would have something to gain by destroying her project
Plan in action: Initially Isy and her team simply react to incidents – repair the damage; work backwards to figure out how it happened; develop possible reasons for why, eg. if find a programming glitch when running a test recreate the work, double check accuracy and then determine who could be responsible, who would benefit (?government, ?military, ?industry)
Turning Point/Midpoint: The figure in black is in the real world (is it the same one at the convenience store? What does this mean for VHP and real world cross-overs?) and sitting at Isy’s desk when she arrives for work. It threatens her and her son’s lives. Review of their security records reveal a shadowy black figure physically in the lab as well as on multiple computer monitors.
*Recognize the Virtual Human Project has the potential to develop in more complex ways outside her current experience.
She finds a Virtual Human – an androgenous figure – dressed in black sitting in her office. It makes threats to destroy her. It shouldn’t be able to exist outside the lab.
Act 3:
Rethink everything: Isy realizes she needs ideas from the whole team and includes them in developing a plan to catch the infamous “ghost in the machine.” Start to think seriously about who might be doing this and why. Rules out the military who it turns out are funding part of her research.
New plan: Upgrade physical and electronic security. Develop a plan for taking down/attacking the figure in black. Team members start round the clock monitoring of the virtual and physical spaces; reset access codes to the VHP
Turning Point 3: Huge failure / Major shift: Isy attempts to temporarily repair Roberto’s spine damage to give her more time to find the error that’s preventing a permanent change. The figure in black interferes in the treatment and nearly kills Roberto.
Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Isy is again attacked in a virtual test of an extreme sport. But this time she’s ready and aggressively knocks out it’s race car, sending it crashing to the side in flames.
*Defeat the Saboteur at its own game.
She lures the Saboteur into the lab for a “motocross race.” What he/it doesn’t know is 2 people on her team are going to join her to destroy it.
Resolution: At the last moment Isy repairs Roberto’s spine.
*Move into her rightful place as the research leader.
She can complete the urgent treatment on her son and prove it is successful.
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David Bruno.
Transformational Events
“What I learned doing this assignment is…?”
I’ve learn to develop events that move the story forward.
ASSIGNMENT
Start with the Character Arc and the list of Old Ways and New Ways.
ANTAG: ARC, old ways: a paper pushing family man bureaucrat who just wants to make it to his pension with the NSA. He is coming up to automatic rotation for promotion and is reluctant. Coldly carries out his duties without regards to other people’s feelings or consequences. New ways: In a new position of authority and autonomy. His act of executing the alien in the gas chamber has impressed his betters. He now has a small group of special forces at his disposal to complete his assignments.
3. Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).
ANTAG: 1. His employee review puts comes with greater status and salary, he is thrilled about it. 2. He meets with renegade aliens and is briefed about the galactic civilization. 3. He is assigned to dispatch the renegade alien and takes time to absorb the significance of it. 4. He executes the renegade alien with no remorse or emotional conflict, very coolly done. 5. He takes on a portfolio of cases and Alistar is the case of special interest to his superiors because of Alistar’s status in the academic world and potential exposure of the NSA nefarious activities regarding aliens. 6. When Alistar gets closer to the truth the NSA determines to dox him. 7. Doxing Alistar fails and he is put under pressure to dispatch him, but struggles with his commitment to protect the US vs killing a prominent citizen, Alistar. 8. The antag is confronted with his failure to end the Alistar case and is humiliated and demoted by management when Alistar testifies before a congressional committee. 9. He commits suicide.
PROTAG: ARC, Old ways: Alistar is a successful college professor yet is obsessed with the origins of the homo-sapiens arrival in the evolutionary timeline. He is unafraid of putting forth unusual theories about alien origins. His investigations into alien sightings intrigues him and he goes beyond what any other academic has taken it before. He is stymied by his career and his conventional desire for a path to tenure. Likes his life and the perks of interactions with co-eds. New ways: Becomes rebellious to academic conventional theories, seeks truth and pursues the unaddressed conflicts of facts that academia ignores. Takes a sabbatical to travel to Egypt to research artifacts with Friend, Max. Alistar discards the conventional theories of academia and investigates his own theory of the appearance of the homo-sapien species. Disconnects from the grid to hide from the NSA threats to his life. Goes to the Mojave Desert and Death Valley to alien sighting locations. Uses drones to investigate further into a MOA (Military Operation Area). Becomes highly skilled in stealth methods and technology to hide from NSA’s pursuits. Approaches an alien encampment to observe activities. Makes contact with aliens and learns of the massive coverup by the NSA and determines to expose them to congressmen who are concerned with government wrongdoing. Testifies before a congressional committee about aliens and the NSA activities.
Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways). 1. Alistar argues with other faculty about aliens and the origins of homo-sapiens on earth. 2. Takes a field trip with students and sees alien spacecrafts. 3. Is confronted by NSA agent about his investigations and is warned to pursue other interest on to state secrets. 4. Takes a sabbatical to travel to Egypt and research artifacts. 5. Finds artifacts and his friend, Max, is assassinated by NSA sniper. 6. Travels to the Mojave Desert and disconnects from the grid. 7. Becomes highly skilled in stealth. 8. Contacts aliens and watches them being destroyed by a vacuum bomb. 9. Communicates with congressmen about aliens and NSA activities. Testifies before a congressional committee.
4. Sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult. This will imply the journey the character takes.
PROTAG:
1. Alistar argues with other faculty about aliens and the origins of homo-sapiens on earth.
2. Takes a field trip with students and sees alien spacecrafts.
3. Is confronted by NSA agent about his investigations and is warned to pursue other interest on to state secrets.
4. Takes a sabbatical to travel to Egypt and research artifacts.
5. Finds artifacts and his friend, Max, is assassinated by NSA sniper.
6. Travels to the Mojave Desert and disconnects from the grid.
7. Becomes highly skilled in stealth.
8. Contacts aliens and watches them being destroyed by a vacuum bomb.
9. Communicates with congressmen about aliens and NSA activities. Testifies before a congressional committee.
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Aina’s Transformational Events
What I learned doing this assignment is that I’s good to think about character journey in the form of list of changes/steps that need to take place inside the character and then try and find events for each of them. It’s exciting to see the story come together this way.
1. CHARACTER ARC
Urr starts as an inexperienced, anxious but spirited loner city elf and ends up being a merry, mischievous farm elf who reunites all the farm elves in his new home.
2. OLD WAYS
Quiet loner – stays away from everyone – prefers his own company
Ignorant of other mystical beings & his own history
Snobbish – false belief in his own greatness
Fear of conflict keeps him indoors
Rigidly set in his ways – rituals to look after the family – superstitious
Fear of unknown – His biggest fear is not knowing what would happen to him if the family were to break up – so he is ready to do whatever he can to keep them together
NEW WAYS
Fun leader who says very little
Aware of old myths and his part in the elf-lore
Dares to look out and have friends, and enemies
Still prefers his own company but is happy to have others to turn to around him
Knows change cannot be avoided
Braver than before
Accepts his nature as a mischievous elf
3. LIST OF CHANGES/STEPS
Trust his curiosity and let it lead him outside
Open up and learn to communicate it others
Dare to have friends and enemies
Learn about the history/roots of elves
Loosen up, learn to do things on the go as problems arise and not worry ahead
Embrace the unknown – tackle his own fear of it
Trust his own judgment and skills
Become the fearless leader he can/must be
4. DRAMATIC EVENTS
He is forced to go outside when all family does it and he realises that part of family life will from now on take place outside the house.
First trip outside – swarmed by farm elves – Meeting the farm elves – many loud creatures, all want to ask questions, touch him, consider him odd
Feeling odd and different – he has never had that feeling – he always belonged in his lone world, now lonely feels wrong
Velbas’ daughter approaches Urr when he is down – they form a friendship.
Velbas tells him about elves history as they go about trying to scare the family back to the city
Shadows appear again – Urr has been too busy to worry about them, he is not prepared and now must fight them spontaneously
Dilemma: does he stay and Velbas will make life for his family hell or does he leave (fear of leaving the family because he does not know what will happen to him) and family will get to live in peace?
Fights for his life in the snowstorm, almost dies, but finds his strength, yet now he’s lost
Leads the farm elves, and Velbas in the battle of banishing the shadows from the farm.
UPDATED STRUCTURE
1. Act 1 – Set up and see Old Ways
Opening: Montage of Urr’s life: Xmas – Urr is left cookies and cream under Xmas tree, Urr doing his rituals, connected with family, shadows in the corner of a room, family argument, Urr fends shadows off, all good. Family collects boxes, talk of moving. Excitement.
Inciting Incident: as the family is leaving, daughter asks if their family elf comes along, parents say yes. At the last minute Urr packs his things and moves with the family.
Urr explores his new home – an old farm house, needs a lot of work. It’s all too big to keep an eye on the whole family.
He is forced to go outside when all family does it and he realises that part of family life will from now on take place outside the house. Escapes back to the house.
And bumps into Velbas and his daughter. Velbas wants the intruder out. And Urr wants to get away from this place.
Turing Point: Urr makes a deal with Velbas, together they will do all they can to get the family to move back to the city.
2. Act 2 – Challenge the Old Ways
The Plan: Urr and Velbas come up with a plan to leave an impression that the house is falling apart – if there’s one thing the father hates most, it’s things not going to plan, and Urr plans to use his as a way to get them to move out.
Reaction: Urr finds Velbas rather unpleasant. Urr does not like the idea of creating hardship for his family but he listens to the old elf out of respect, and pushes his own ideas to the background. He is not sure how to co-operate – it is difficult for him.
First trip outside – swarmed by farm elves – Meeting the farm elves – many loud creatures, all want to ask questions, touch him, consider him odd
Feeling odd and different – he has never had that feeling – he always belonged in his lone world, now lonely feels wrong
Velbas’ daughter approaches Urr when he is down – they form a friendship.
Plan in action: Velbas helps Urr to create havoc in the house, but in fact Velbas only lets to crash/trash things that are already broken. The Father is annoyed, but keeps fixing things and this ties the family even stronger to the house.
Velbas tells him about elves history as they go about trying to scare the family back to the city
Shadows appear again – Urr has been too busy to worry about them, he is not prepared and now must fight them spontaneously but he wins, feels good about himself.
Midpoint Turning Point: Urr finds out that Velbas has been working against him, he wants only Urr out and to keep the family in order to help his house to prosper again.
3. Act 3 – Profound moments that give us new ways
Urr is exhausted from going against his nature and creating chaos instead of harmony. On top of that the shadows have returned and although family loves the new house, there are more disagreements than ever before.
Urr sits down with his only friend, Velbas’ young daughter and realises:
Respect for elders nor being polite is not helping him
He must stand up for himself and his family
He must get wiser and stronger to fight the shadows – saving the family becomes main goal
New plan: save the family from themselves and the shadows first and then figure out a way of getting them away from the farm and back to the city
Begins mending and fixing the house, leading farm elves to help along (everyone finds their purpose again) and training to be stronger to fight the shadows.
Turning point: the house is good, the family is happy, Urr has done his job.
Dilemma: does he stay and Velbas will make life for his family hell or does he leave (fear of leaving the family because he does not know what will happen to him) and family will get to live in peace?
He decides to leave the family and call himself defeated, Velbas has won.
4. Act 4 – The change in Urr. Prove New Ways.
Urr walks off into the night day before Xmas Eve. Fights for his life in the snowstorm, almost dies, but finds his strength, yet now he’s lost. He realises he does not have fear anymore and decides he cannot leave his family like this, he must stand up for what is his. He turns to go back but gets lost in the snowstorm.
Farm elves find him and help him get back. Farm needs him – the shadows have emerged larger than before and Velbas cannot handle them by himself.
Climax: Leads the farm elves, and Velbas in the battle of banishing the shadows from the farm.
Resolution: cookies and milk under Xmas tree, Urr and farm elves celebrate the victory. Velbas moves to stables, leaving house to his daughter and Urr.
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Tully’s Transformational Events
What I learned doing this assignment is that THIS MAKES TOTAL SENSE TO ME!!! But I have a lot of brainstorming to do. LOL.
CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE, FROM EASIEST TO HARDEST:
1. Understanding that decisions are better than hope.
2. Seeing that she’s truly invisible to people, unless she deliberately makes a splash.
3. Understanding/feeling what it’s like to have opposition. (That it’s exhilarating! And not the same as abuse.)
4. Understanding that people who don’t want help can’t be helped, and people who do are unstoppable. We are all unstoppable no matter what we’re doing. And no matter what we THINK we’re doing.
5. Accepting that she is capable.
6. Seeing that her son has found a way to be seen, like she could never have dreamed.
DRAMATIC EVENTS OR TESTS THAT COULD CAUSE THOSE CHANGES:
1. The feeling of clarity and freedom that comes from killing Howard. Not because of the killing, but because it solves a problem she had for years. Now that problem is gone, because she made a decision.
2. Though it should be obvious she killed Howard, it doesn’t even occur to them. They think someone killed both him AND her, since she’s missing. They’re vaguely looking for her body.
3. The first time the cop outsmarts her – and how she responds. Exhilarating!
4. Oof, I need something for this.
5. The accepting is what’s hard… I need something for this too. If she accepts that she’s capable, she has to accept retroactive blame for her son, in her mind.
6. She is able to watch him at work one day. The way he eases in and out of attention, either charming and lighting up the room or slinking into the shadows – and because he’s like her, because he’s “off”, because he’s “broken”, no one ever looks for him there. Killing is how he’s coped with everything. And that’s the hardest because while she can’t blame him for soothing his pain however he can… she does have to stop him.
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What I learned doing this assignment is that main characters sometimes need to hit rock bottom before they can start their journey of self-discovery.
OLD WAYS
Monique moves to Southern California and continues with her brash behavior and irresponsible drinking.
Arrogant and rude with waitstaff in restaurants
Overrides all suggestions and advice from friends and coworkers
Refuses to concede even when it’s clear she’s wrong.NEW WAYS
Slowly realizes her situation is more complex than she was willing to admit.
Becomes more thoughtful and less prone to outbursts.
In going sober, she’s less aggressive and more reflective.
Realizes she’s the only one fighting for her identity.Initial list for Monique.
Understands she has to stop drinking.
Needs to prove her identity, and claim her property.
Embarks on a mission to prove the scammer is involved in an ongoing series of property thefts.Transformational events of Fair Market Value
After being shunned by her husband’s friends and coworkers in Seattle, she moves to Southern California, where she realizes she still doesn’t fit in.
After being taken for a homeless person, she realizes that the odds are stacked against her.
Monique takes a series of low-paying jobs that humble her, but also makes her even more determined to build back her life.
Sobriety brings clarity and a renewed sense of purpose.
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