Lesson 6

[James Clark]

James E. Clark

Analysis: Happy Hearts

Day Six Assignment

1-Transformational Logline: An entitled county APS bureaucrat has a plan to use her position to put wealthy individuals into the “system” so she can make positive impressions on her boss and get faster promotions to help pay off her Stanford student loans.

2- Transformable Character is Karen

3- The current structure is the 9 beat structure. For this assignment I will break it out in the MMM format

4-The MMM Transformational Journey Format

A- Does my logline match the dialogue and action?

Yes.

B- Do I have the three gradients?

Karen falls under Forced Change due to her behavior and actions

C- Are the gradients sequenced in escalating challenges?

Karen is in Denial of her actions; Karen gets angry when Margie and Ruth challenge Karen’s actions by denying her access to Margie’s life: Margie’s contacts with the Palm Springs police department have Karen getting pulled over daily for minor traffic infractions causing Karen to try and talk her way out of the situation – she fails; Karen loses her job with the County. She fights her depression by reading her Bible for the first time in years; Karen Accepts her responsibility which frees her up to become a better human being. The final change results in Karen, Margie and Ruth becoming a family where one didn’t exist before.

D- What did I learn from this assignment?

Asking the question What if…? Is a powerful way to dive deeper into each situation in the story.

[Bob Rowen]

Bob Rowen’s Transformational Structure

What I learned doing this assignment was the need to rethink some earlier portions of my story and how nicely it’s coming together. Can’t hardly wait to write the script.

Transformational Logline.

An idealistic, naïve, headstrong high school social science teacher must repetitively experience the realities of his educational system until he is forced to come to terms with the politics of it.

Main Character

Transformational Character: WADE MEADOWS

3. Mini-Movie Model (DRAFT):

MM #1 (Pages 1-15) WADE MEADOWS gets to teach only because he is willing and able to coach football. The school community wants a winning football program! Wade must turn around a losing football program within his first three years of teaching in order to keep his teaching position because he does not have tenure. Wade is successful in both the classroom and on the football field during this three-year probationary period.

First turning point: Wade is granted tenure at the beginning of his fourth year in the school district but resigns as football coach after his fourth season because he discovers a serious performance enhancing drug-use problem with the players.

MM #2 (Pages 15-30) Wade focuses on his teaching and encourages his students to get involved and become critical thinkers. His focus is on the rise of political parties, what led to the Populist Movement, the New Deal, and the Great Society in American history. Two student groups emerge: His third period students, the Young Republicans Club; and his sixth period students, who call themselves the Progressive Students Club. All seems well at first because an idealistic Wade believes that truth and compromise will ultimately prevail.

Second turning point: Wade is called into the principal’s office because some parents have complained about his teaching. The group of complaining parents turns out to be just one parent – the president of the school board whose daughter is in Wade’s third period class.

MM #3 (Pages 30-45) During a school’s open house event, Wade befriends KURT REIMANN, a 98-year-old German immigrant, who is the great grandfather of one of Wade’s students.

Third turning point: The students aren’t making the connection of past historical events with the current political scene. And there is a lot of resistance to Winston Churchill’s warning, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it”.

MM #4 (Pages 45-60) After Wade converses with Kurt, he seizes upon the opportunity for his students to hear directly from Kurt his concerns regarding the parallels of what happened in his country during Hitler-times to what’s happening now in America.

Fourth turning point: All hell breaks loose with the president of the school board!

MM #5 (Pages 60-75) Wade is confronted by TREVOR BLAKE, one of his sixth period students, who demands to know why Wade is not addressing current affairs head-on in class. Wade responds that there are problems with getting political in class but agrees current affairs is a necessary part of the civics curriculum. After meeting with his principal, Wade receives some suggestions and encouragement for dealing with the challenge.

Fifth turning point: Wade decides to take up the challenge.

MM #6 (Pages 75-90) Wade develops a current affairs approach that is completely student centered and the principal fully supports it.

Sixth turning point: The president of the school board, Ken Franks, hates what Wade has done in the past and is now doing in the classroom with what he considers as Wade’s radical left teaching. Franks charges Wade with violating his teacher’s Oath of Allegiance and recommends his termination.

MM #7 (Pages 90-105) Wade decides to defend himself and demands an open hearing so he can put an example of his teaching methods and strategies on public display. After Wade finishes his demonstration, the president of the school board calls it a charade and retires the school board into an executive session. A short time later, the school board announces in open session a 3-2 vote in favor of Wade’s termination. A large portion of the audience recoils!

Seventh turning point: A suspenseful state of affairs exists.

MM #8 (Pages 105-120) Members of the audience demand to speak one last time before the school board makes it final. The last member of the audience to speak, who happens to be the Superintendent of the County Schools Office, makes a surprise announcement that was supposed to be made public next week. His office has named Wade Meadows Teacher of the Year. Two members of the school board immediately demand they go back into executive session to reconsider its decision. After a very long period of time, the school board returns to public session and announces a reversal of its earlier decision.

Eighth turning point: There is a new teaching reality for Wade.

[Paulette Harris]

Paulette L. Harris: Transformational Structure

Assignment 6

1- Transfomational Logline: A narcissistic Pastor must learn the truth of his profession, with unbelievable lessons as God agrees with Satan to turn a Church Body over to him to control for a year.

2- Transformable Character: Pastor Don will be the main character. Although I’ve listed him as the change agent, that could change because unknown to himself, he is actually the one being changed and manipulated as he tries to change his new congregations way of thinking about marriage and family. He’s changing for the worst as his congregation wises up and Satan turns up the pressure cooker using his main point man, INK.

Pastor Don and his congregation both seem to go through transitional change as they interact.

Pastor Don becomes worse as Satan shows up more and his demons excitedly make mistakes that cause them to reveal themselves on occasion.

3- The Three Gradients: Excitement, anticipation of adventure, move to a new environment, hope to unsettled as things planned begin to unravel, fear creeps in, then discouragment in the form of alcohol, and slipping of thoughts outloud. Pastor finds himself looking in the mirror more and talking out loud only to sometimes hear a “voice” in his head and seeing shadows about the room. He has no knowlege of negative beings.

4- Then Courage to accept that he may have been wrong and must move on, no excitement here, despair. He learns the truth and repents after running into a person who accepts him where he’s at and prays with him to recover after a heart attack. Triumphly Pastor Don returns home to start fresh. He’s learned Good always wins over evil.

5- Wife always supportive but having experienced this before with Don, she’s praying hard with some prayer warriors and trying to save their own marriage.

6- I’m using the MMM example, although both examples are good, the 1st choice seems to be easier to play with at the moment.

7- Does my logline fit?: Yes, I believe so.

Comments always welcome here. 🙂

[Andrea Gilbert]

LESSON 6: ANDREA’S TRANSFORMATIONAL STRUCTURE

1. What I learned doing this assignment:

This was a particularly grounding exercise in getting my ducks in an escalating row where my story is concerned. I am good at big picture stuff. This forced me to tighten up and make some clear decisions about my character’s gradient arc…which, again, I imagine will continue. This class is taking me to task and I love it.

2. Transformational Character: Jill

3. Mini Movie Structure -> with transformational logline –> The Three Gradients in Escalating Challenges – using a slight combo of forced and desired change.

TRANSFORMATIONAL LOGLINE:

A neurotic mid-age writer whose main characters of her graphic novel have gone missing / must journey to her subconscious mind through hypnosis where she is immersed in her sci-fi YA story to face and heal from traumatic memories / so she can become whole and invisible, and create a reality beyond her dreams

MM 1 (p 1-15)

DENIAL

Challenge/Weakness

C: Nothing is turning out as Jill expected with her big break pitching her graphic novel to the publishing company. Everyone/thing seems to be against her.

W: Jill’s victimhood approach to life.

Jill gives a graphic novel presentation – we see the comic-book images “come to life”: a spaceship– on board are two young girls: one pre-teen (Ami), the other a gritty teenager with a titanium arm (Skyler). Jill is nervous giving the presentation – meanwhile, behind Jill’s awareness, there’s something wrong inside the world of the space-girls – as Jill struggles to answer tough questions about her story, her characters head for a crash landing.

Afterwards, Jill is filled with anxiety, as she faces typical inner stressors: her difficult mother, a challenging job for an introvert as a bartender, and an extroverted, in-your-face successful video gaming podcast mogul half-brother who lets her live there – for now.

Jill deals with conflict and stress with sarcastic humor and by entertaining ‘flights of fancy’ in her mind – both are types of defense mechanisms to ward off unpleasant feelings she is essentially disconnected from.

Good news, the publishers are willing to give her story a second look with some deep dive changes – bad news…

TURNING POINT: JILL’S characters have gone missing from her pages.

MM2 (p 15-30)

ESCALATION

Challenge/Weakness –

C. Having to step up and accept a bigger responsibility in order to take care of basic life’s needs.

W. Fear of failure

Jill is caught up in the “real” challenges of her failing financial reality and must grudgingly accept a promotion as a bar manager – while she frets about what she can do about finding her characters – then she meets a quantum hypnotherapist having dinner at the bar who’s in for an Alien Con weekend as a presenter. Jill learns that she can access her imagination through hypnosis and….

TURNING POINT: Decides hypnosis may be her only chance to solve her problem.

MM 3 (p 30-45)

DOUBT

Challenge / Weakness:

C: being trafficked by space beings

W: Powerlessness

Jill’s experience in the so-called subconscious mind is a huge departure from the surface reality. She’s clearly no longer on Earth, in fact she is in a subterranean part of this strange planet where she’s a teenager, poor, orphaned and lured by a man who feeds her food in order to catch her for child trafficking. She is powerless. (Metaphor for the beginning phases of childhood for trauma survivors)

The cargo of trapped kids is shuttled out of this ice-planet to a mother spaceship. Jill sees the sky for the first time and is awe-struck. She also notices the sparkling city of the elites down below reminding her she was nothing.

Jill fights to get away from her captors by sheer force and brutal skills that surprise even her. She meets a boy her age, Pal – who she reluctantly lets tag along.

TURNING POINT: Survival Mindset Fails

·

MM 4 (p 45-60)

HOPE:

Challenge/ Weakness:

C: Tries to activate a giant toddler through telepathy as a distraction for when she and her friend Pal try to get away in a space craft, but her abilities are limited

W: shame/guilt for not being good enough

Jill and her new friend Pal hide and gather intel until they meet a shipmate who is motivated to help them escape. Jill discovers she has psychic abilities to see energy streams around different people, beings, and systems, helping her navigate this odd place and form a plan.

But the shipmate changes his mind and betrays them before they can get to an escape pod,

TURNING POINT: Jill must do her best to leverage her new skills in mental telepathy to create a diversion – only to have it go wrong – losing her friend Pal in the process.

MM 5 (p 60-75)

DISCOURAGEMENT:

Challenge/ Weakness:

C: Jill, who now looks just like her character Skyler, must learn from the girl (Ami) how to vibrationally outsmart the reptile people so they can escape.

W. Self-doubt

Jill finds herself on a strange planet of humanoids run by human-looking reptilians who seek to keep this ignorant population severely restricted and controlled. She is immediately drawn into rescuing a young girl from being dismembered – only to lose her own arm and be tasked as this girl’s bodyguard.

The girl, Ami, is the spiritually gifted daughter of the reptilian elite, who is always trying to get out from under their control to help people. Jill, who is now transformed to look like Skyler (the main character in Jill’s novel) is tasked with being Ami’s bodyguard. But the actuality stings even more- as Skyler must take her cues from Ami if she wants to survive the rigid and punitive rules of this society.

Ami sees Skyler as a diamond in the rough and takes her to be initiated by the Venusian Elders who teach her the ways of shifting vibrations. When one shifts their vibrations higher, they are immune to the rules others are trapped by: they float like water over all challenges and move like a silent breeze past those who seek to control.

For the first time Skyler allows herself to trust and love another human being and to feel joy.

The ultimate challenge of self-mastery is to operate a consciousness-assisted spacecraft. All spacecraft on this planet are preprogrammed to go only to approved areas – however, the elite have access to special wet-wired craft that can merge with the DNA of the pilot and travel anywhere. Ami gains access to one of these craft to get Skyler prepared to leave forever one day. However, Skyler has repressed anger issues that cause problems.

MIDPOINT: Jill makes the transformation in this hypnotic journey to becoming Skyler – the scrappy main character from Jill’s novel. She found her but doesn’t realize she IS her.

Ami – originally the “side-kick” but truly THE CHANGE AGENT also makes her debut in this origin story.

TURNING POINT: Skyler realizes she has repressed anger issues that must be addressed.

MM 6 (p 75-90)

REVELATION

Challenge/ Weakness

C: Skyler must overcome her lower vibrational habits such as negative self-talk in order to lift off.

W: Self-sabotage

The plan to one day leave this evil society has just been moved up to now. A pre-arranged marriage has been set for Ami – an interbreeding program that secures the bloodline success of the ruling race. Ami is doomed.

Skyler takes Ami in the conscious-assisted spacecraft (CAS) and flies them out and away from the planet. They’re followed – the chase is on. Skyler escapes to a nearby planet and when she enters the atmosphere, realizes it’s her home ice planet, where she last encountered her betraying enemy Snow-Blinder. Her emotional rage is triggered causing her to lose control of the craft and head for a difficult landing. Now they’re stranded and Ami is unconscious. Skyler leaves to assess damages and gets stuck in a snow drift – then sees Snow Blinder approach. Blinded by her rage at him, she attempts to fight him and ends up slipping off a cliff to her death.

From a hypnosis point of view, Jill is drifting away from this life into the void. She snaps out of the trance very shaken, and before she can be debriefed, runs out of the office.

TURNING POINT: Blinded by her rage at him, Skyler attempts to fight Snow-Blinder and ends up slipping off a cliff to her death – leaving Ami on her own.

MM 7 (p 90-105)

COURAGE

Challenge/ Weakness:

C: Making sense of the trauma and the feelings she is faced with, not realizing these are hers (as opposed to her character Skyler)

W: Dissociation

Now at home Jill is recovering from the shock of what this all means. They’re dead? Her characters are dead? Is this the end of her writing career? When she goes to sleep, she dreams she is visited by her Native American friend, Jimmy Nightwalker, who we meet in the first act. He takes her to a possible future lifetime. Here Jill sees that not only does she become very ill in the future, but she is forced to be caretaken by her nagging mother. Her life is doomed if she doesn’t resolve this inner conflict now.

Jill determines to find the hypnotherapist – who is now on her way to the airport – to be put back into trance so she can retry that last fatal scene from another perspective, which she isn’t sure what that is yet.

Jill, back in trance, as herself – confronts Snow Blinder (a bad guy in her novel) who is not anything like she remembered or believed. He has reformed and has a very sympathetic backstory and perspective on what happened.

Jill believes she can convince Skyler to shift her perspective and take a new course. But when she finally gets her chance to re-enter that fated scene – and Jill saves Skyler form falling to her death – instead of gratitude and reason, Jill is met with heightened vitriol and rage from Skyler about the past Jill has never been burdened to know.

Skyler, having acted as Jill’s defensive ego in her life, was there when her father left – no- abandoned them to the poisonous mother who felt nothing but bitterness and contempt. Jill was saved from having to bear the brunt of this trauma. Similar “you -can’t- handle- the -truth” TRUTH BOMBS are hurled at a baffled Jill. Skyler creates violent mayhem moving things with her mind, causing destruction with her rage.

TURNING POINT: Go big or just quit.

MM8 (p 105-120)

FINAL VICTORY

Challenge/ Weakness

C: Convincing her shadow Skyler that she is worthy and can be given a new role in Jill’s life.

W. REPRESSED GRIEF

Jill gets triggered by Skyler’s truth bombing as she now recalls a flood of painful repressed memories that come through.

Ami appears by Jill’s side. Jill is stunned and is touched by her honesty and gentle patience. Jill peers into Ami’s sun goggles and sees the reflection of Skyler within.

JILL REALIZES THE TRUTH NOW…. she IS Skyler. Ami goes to Skyler, and immediately calms her down. Jill marvels at the trust and love that radiates between them.

Jill closes her eyes. When they open, Jill is the only one there.

Jill realizes then that Ami and Skyler are the source of connection for her: Skyler is her shadow – Ami is her.

Tying up Loose Ends:

Skyler is assigned a new role in Jill’s life, which keeps her busy and happy, with similar duties – only more productive and lucrative for Jill’s creative goals developing the interactive, introspective video game. Ironically one that her video podcaster brother has trouble playing.

Top of her game now, Jill meets a man at Comic Con who bears a striking resemblance to Pal, the guy from the mothership. Love is a strong potential.

Old belief “We were abandoned – and therefore unloved!” ->

New belief: “We can fly from this new place of wholeness – together as a team.” ~ Fly Girls

New Status Quo

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by  Andrea Gilbert.

[Bill]

Bill Southwell’s Transformational Structure

What I have learned doing this lesson is that the mini movie method is an easy way to outline the script. This is a powerful lesson for me.

Transformational Logline: Charis is just finishing high school enjoying popularity through her dancing and artistic skills and her ability to manipulate classmates. But then she falls sick. With several hospitalizations her future does not look good. She gradually changes her outlook. With her determination to achieve her goals she advances over her disease only to be followed by more serious setbacks. Finally, she becomes a new kinder loving person and her poetry writing skills improve.

The Transformation Chacter is Charis who is transformed by a forced change.

MM #1 – Pages 1 – 15 – Charis, a high school girl in Pittsburgh, excels in school and in social settings with her uncanny ability to maneuver people is diagnosed with a crippling disease. She vows to overcome her condition and become a skilled poet.

Turning Point: Call to Adventure.

MM #2 – Pages 15 – 30 – Charis feels her life is destined for greatness, which is frustrated by her health condition holding her back. Gradually she accepts her affliction but refuses to relinquish her dreams.

Turning Point: Locked in.

MM #3 – Pages 30 – 45 – Charis makes the decision to follow the doctor’s orders to a tee. She takes all her meds on time and gets the exercise and sleep needed to help her recovery. She doesn’t like the dietary restrictions but she sticks with it. But all this is of no avail. Her condition continues to worsen.

Turning Point: Standard ways fail.

MM #4 – Pages 45 — 60 – Charis’ family move to Arizona hoping the sun will help with her healing. It works for a while but then flair ups return.

Turning Point: Plan backfires.

MM #5 – Pages 60 — 75 – In her new environment Charis becomes lonely and eagerly waits each day for a letter from a boyfriend which seldom comes. She longs for someone to share her dream. Now she is home schooled and isolated. She plunges herself in reading English Literature, soaking in the great writers and poets. In periods of remission Charis is able to go to dances. Her popularity returns filling her with renewed hope. Several boys are vying for her affection.

Turning Point: The decision to change.

MM #6
– Pages 75 – 90 – Charis’ sickness returns with a vengeance. She is put on sulfur drugs and high doses of cortisone causing a puffy face. She is hospitalized to remove fluid from her lungs. One by one her boyfriends back away upon learning of her condition. The family decided to move again, this time to Palo Alto California to be near the Standford Medical Center. Charis’ mother Afton aggressively searches for a doctor who can help.

Turning Point: The ultimate failure.

MM #7 – Pages 90 – 105 – Charis meets Dr. Snell, who immediately changes her medication. This is seen to work. He literally saved her life. She gains new hope. She is writing to Bill, who is seriously showing interest in her. But Charis wonders how her dreams of being a wife and mother could ever occur.

Turning Point: Apparent victory.

MM #8 – Pages 105 – 120 – With the guidance of Dr. Snell, her condition improves, and she makes plans to attend college. Bill suggests she come to summer school at his university in Utah to take creative writing classes. Charis has developed a sense of gratitude to God and shows empathy to all, especially the sick and lonely. But now she is faced with a decision: Should she leave her Standford environment where she is close to intellectual opportunities AND close to her doctors? She is intrigued by the thought of getting to know Bill.

Turning Point: New
status quo.

[Trish Carothers]

LESSON 5 – THE THREE GRADIENTS Trish’s Three Gradients What I learned from doing this assignment is that I have gaps in my story that need to be addressed according to the gradients lesson.

Character 1. The Emotional Gradient

A. For Harald: Forced Change

a. EMOTION: Fear/despair/Denial: in a huge battle in 1030 ad, after watching the brutal death of his older brother, Olaf, King of Norway, by his enemy Kalfr, and being almost killed himself, Harald is whisked away from the battle by his friends Rongvald, Thorensson, and Dalkr (Olaf’s man). He takes some time to heal in a secret cabin in the mountains doctored by Thorensson, and who are all hiding from capture/death by Kalfr’s men.

DENIAL: Upon awakening, Harald can’t believe what happened to his brother in front of his eyes, can’t believe he couldn’t reach him in time to save him, and can’t believe he’s left alive.

ANGER: He is bitter, cranky, and angry, blames himself, his friends, God, and wondering, “What Now?”

BARGAINING: Confined to his bed, he bargains with God – If you let me live, I’ll kill Kalfr and avenge my brother…If you let me live, I will do something to honor my brother and all who died on the battlefield…If you let me live, I’ll appreciate every day I breathe…If you let me live I will lead the men to safety and take care of them…

DEPRESSION: What’s the use…I’m too young…I’m too stupid…I’m too unskilled…too inexperienced. I’m too wounded, too helpless, against bad odds and tied to this bed – arggghhh… I would be better off dead.

ACCEPTANCE: My brother chose to fight. I chose to fight with him. I’m proud that he was brave and courageous, that he tried to win. I was brave and courageous too. I’m like him in many ways. I always wanted to be King of Norway since I was little. But can I do it?

b. ACTION: 1) I’m going to be as brave and courageous as Olaf. My friends will help, and the other soldiers who lived and fought that day will come with us. Will fight with us. Will win with us.

2) First, I have to get out of this bed .

3) Harald, with his friends and army leave the cabin and sneak away to a port. get bpats. and leave for Kievan Rus, to the castle of King Yaroslav and his wife, Ingrgerd, a relative of Harald and Olaf.

4) King Yaroslav persuades Harald to lead his men and Yaroslav’s men into battle against his enemies, the Poles and the Pechenigs. Harald is fearful but determined. His friends look out for him. A secret enemy in Harald’s army with orders from Kalfr tries to kill him from behind, and misses, kills the man in front of Harald.

5) In between battles, as Harald’s skills improve and his fears diminish, he becomes acquainted with Yaroslav’s daughter, Elisiv. He forms an emotional attachment to her, asks her to marry him and she rejects him.

6) He leaves, angry and rejected, feeling less than like his mother used to make him fee in comparison to her love for Olaf. With his friends and army fhey head for Constantinople to hire themselves out as mercenaries to the Emperor of the Eastern Holy Roman Empire. They are hired as the Emperor’s personal Varangian guards, and then sent into battle.

7) They fight for several years, through the deaths of three Emperors. They all get rich, especially Harald, through the capture of enemy fortresses and the riches they get from sacking them. Harald sends all his wealth to King Yaroslav to keep for him when he returns, so Elisiv will see what she’s missing.

8) Harald is now an experienced fighter and wins his battles. Rongvald longs to go home to his family, Thorenssen longs to return to a beautiful slave girl at the Constantinople Palace, the other men in the army are calling for home too. Harald says ok, after they go to the River Jordan in Jerusalem to be baptized.

9) On the way to Jerusalem, stopping for the night, two of Kalfr’s traitors attack the core group. Ronvald has a mortal wound. Dalk’r is killed, with his dog. Thorenssen is slightly wounded, and Harald has a slice on his arm. Some of the men are wounded or killed.

10) Harald promises a dying Rongvald that he will burn him in a funeral pyre, take his prizes to his family, and take care of his dog. They have the funeral pyre and head for Jerusalem in the morning. They are baptized in the river, and begin the journey back to Constantinople.

11) Harold in now a confident and experienced warrior. Arriving in Constantinople, the new Emperor is suspicious and afraid of Harald and his army being in the city.

12) He arrests them and imprisons them in one of the buildings to face possible death on fake charges. Queen Zoe wants to marry him, but Harald refuses. She wants him killed too. A big riot is going on in the town against the Emperor. Thorenssen’s slave girl secretly frees them, and they all stealthily head for the boats at the shore close by, avoiding any large angry groups.

13) They lose half the men going over the steel rope barrier across the inlet to the city, and sail to Kiev, where Yaroslav receives them. A celebration ensues, and after a lavish dinner, a few days of joisting and wrestling, Harald agrees to meet Elisiv in the gardens again. Elisiv wants Harald to propose to her again, but he doesn’t. He tells her that this time, she has to propose. When she does, he grills her with questions about his suitability after all, he’s the same man as before when she rejected him. What’s changed…his riches…is that what she’s after? After his intense quizzing, she praises his accomplishments, his improved physic, and his concerns and she accepts his proposal. A big wedding ensues with huge celebration.

12) A month later, the Wedding over, Harald and Elisiv, Thorenssen and his slave girl now wife, and the army prepare to leave to city and return home.

13) Harald plans to return to fight to be the King of Norway, and his friends and whole army plan to go with him on these plans. Two of Kalfr’s remaining killers blend back into the army. So begins the fraught journey home to Norway.

c. CHALLENGE: To accept his role as leader, let go of the guilt, and accept the responsibility for himself and his men in strange lands and at home.

d. WEAKNESS: Youth and naivete, and inexperience

[William Donnelly]

WHAT I LEARNED DOING THIS ASSIGNMENT – I have a lot to learn. But I am trying to simply plug in content into a format. I can and will upgrade th content, but I want to know the format.

WILL DONNELLY’S TRANSFORMATIONAL LOGLINE
In a pre-apocalyptic world, a depressed young woman with wild voices in her head / learns to access her innate wisdom / and discovers she was born to save humanity from its own apocalyptic choices.

THE MAIN CHARACTER:

Change Agent: Apocalyptic Earth, AI and Corporations Attempting to Help or Control the Situation

Transformational Characters: Angelique, Chad, Society

MMM: #1: (Pages 1-15)

EMOTIONAL GRADIENT – Angie is at the end of her rope, wants to give up.

ACTION GRADIENT – Angie finds herself imprisoned in an asylum, gift of her mother.

CHALLENGE:

Angelique has run from the voices in her head for years, causing herself much harm. She has wanted to give up, and quiet the voices by whatever means.

WEAKNESS:

Angelique has felt a victim to life since her father died.

MM 1 DENIAL:

at age 17, Angelique finds herself waking up in an asylum. As the world is scrambling to figure out how to survive the coming apocalyptic weather patterns, Angelique and all her peers are having trouble coping. Last thing she remembers is going unconscious after taking some drugs. She overdosed.

MM 1 ANGER

But her selfish and driven mother has had enough and commits her to a “private” rehabilitation center. It’s nothing more than a psyche prison for wealthy families with children who are out of control and need to be hidden away. On her first day waking up there, she has a psychotic melt down and is sent to solitary confinement.

MM 1 BARGAINING

She works to trick the male nurse attendant into helping her. He rebuffs her.

MM 1 DEPRESSION

Since she failed the attempt to get help, she falls asleep utterly beaten down by life.

MM 1 ACCEPTANCE

While asleep, she has a series of lucid dreams, which instruct her to meditate and use a technique taught to her at age 13 by a mysterious man in her family’s condo complex. As she lets go of resisting the patterns of her mind, Angelique begins to realize the voices in her head actually may be able to help her. In fact, they tell her that she was born into this life to help humanity. She is willing to at least listen to the voices, which show themselves to be curiously accurate, and they show her how to escape the asylum.

FIRST TURNING POINT

After years of malaise, Angie awakens a sense of possibility once she accepts her lot in life (with the voices). She tries something new.

MM #2 (p 15-30)

EMOTIONAL GRADIENT – Because the dreams and voices seem to make some sense, she is willing to at least listen, and try.

ACTION GRADIENT – She must use one of her personalities/voices and seduce the orderly and get his keys so she can escape.

CHALLENGE: She must learn how to trust the voices

WEAKNESS: She still thinks she is crazy.

SECOND TURNING POINT

For the first time since childhood, she befriends these voices and benefits from it.

MM 2 DENIAL:

She does what she can to stay busy in solitary. She tries to forget the dream.

MM 2 ANGER

She looks in the mirror and is overcome with anger, banging her head against the reflective metal.

MM 2 ACCEPTANCE

Exasperated and bleeding, she sits down on the floor and is instructed to remember what that mysterious man, Chad, taught her when she was 13. She goes deeply into a state of quiet and solitude, focusing on what she remembers about his face and his demeanor. She feels a calm she can’t remember ever feeling.

SECOND TURNING POINT

With nothing to lose and no where to go, Angie stops fighting herself and for the first time begins to tune into her own wisdom/inner life.

MM #3 (p 30-45)

EMOTIONAL GRADIENT – She is willing to trust and do what she needs to to get out

ACTION GRADIENT – She must seduce and trick the guard and steal his keys.

CHALLENGE: She must be willing to do things (like steal, break out of an asylum) that she has never done before

WEAKNESS: She is not sure she can trust the voices/her instincts.

MM 1 EXCITEMENT: She gets a remarkable sense of positivity when she follows one voice and “pick pockets” the guards keys while flirting with him like a geisha/courtesan.

MM 1 HOPE – She now has a way out of this hell

MM 1 DISCOURAGEMENT – she has trouble finding her way through the buildings basement.

MM 1 COURAGE – even though she cannot hear the voices at the moment, she uses her own abilities to find the special door to the tunnel

MM 1 TRIUMPH – scene ends with her looking back at the hospital now free.

THIRD TURNING POINT

Angie realizes that, however confusing, these voices might not be her enemy.

MM #4 (p 45-60)

EMOTIONAL GRADIENT – Though now free, she is scared and uncertain as to what to do next

ACTION GRADIENT – she must overcome being out in the world with little support and a society that is beginning to fall apart.

CHALLENGE: She must learn to take care of herself in bad conditions

WEAKNESS: She is only 17 and has been quite irresponsible up until now.

MM 1 DENIAL: She forgets her commitment to growth

MM 1 ANGER -and starts drinking to kill the pain.

MM 1 BARGAINING – gets accosted and tries to bargain her way out, but gets robbed

MM 1 DEPRESSION – feels helpless

MM 1 ACCEPTANCE – gets back on her feet and finds a living arrangement

FOURTH TURNING POINT

She finds she is actually quite adaptable and can get what she needs.

MM #5 (p 60-75)

EMOTIONAL GRADIENT – Chad is stuck on the asian continent as the weather patterns are too dangerous to fly or boat back to N America

ACTION GRADIENT – He breaks free of his black ops gig and makes a deal to board the one government plane that may or may not make it across the pacific.

CHALLENGE: Chad wants to change and go home, but he has made a deal with the devil for survival’s sake and now is stuck and in fear for his life.

WEAKNESS: He relies on heavy drinking and drugs to numb the hell

MM 1 DENIAL: He has spent 2 years here and pretends it is all ok.

MM 1 ANGER – he gets drunks and gets in fights

MM 1 BARGAINING – He looks for a way out of his imprisonment, but he can’t get out of his contract

MM 1 DEPRESSION – he feels like giving up

MM 1 ACCEPTANCE – he accepts that he may die but he has to get back to N America

FIFTH TURNING POINT

Chad had long given up on his life, but for whatever reason, feels now it MUST get back to LA.

MM #6 (p 75-90)

EMOTIONAL GRADIENT – Chad must risk everything to get on that plane and return to the Old US

ACTION GRADIENT – one of the passengers is a hit man charged with killing Chad for leaving

CHALLENGE: Chad has committed to not killing any more humans

WEAKNESS: He once again will go back on a promise he has made to himself

MM 16DENIAL: He thinks he will be ok leaving

MM 6 ANGER – he hates being trapped in this form of human trafficking

MM 6 DEPRESSION – he is not certain this is all worth it and may let the hitman just take him out and end his suffering

MM 6 ACCEPTANCE – he realizes, as he stares at someone who could have been him, that he wants to live

SIXTH TURNING POINT

Chad will do anything to return to LA, as his gut tells him he is needed there. He gets memory flashes of a young girl he taught meditation to back in “healthier” days. He has forgotten who he is and wants to come back into his power.

MM #7 (p 90-105)

EMOTIONAL GRADIENT – Chat and Angelique run in to each other in LA – and immediately recognize one another. They spend the day together, then have dinner together

ACTION GRADIENT – Both are in survival mode but the time together brings them great comfort

CHALLENGE: Though there is an unmistakable attraction toward one another, at dinner those both realize they have a strong connection and unknown reason.

WEAKNESS: Angelique feels ashamed to having made a pass at Chad. Chad was so enlivened by her interest, but is too broken to be a good lover, and somewhere deep inside him he feels that all he must do is protect her.

MM 1 EXCITEMENT: Both characters feel at home with the other

MM 1 DOUBT: Both characters feel the attraction, but also feel that there is something preventing them from being together in this life

MM 1 DISCOURAGEMENT: ?

MM 1 COURAGE: Chad feels it is essential to stay near to Angie. Angie accepts this

MM 1 TRIUMPH: THEY form an alliance to fight the good fight.

SEVENTH TURNING POINT

Angelique now has formed a powerful alliance to take on MegaCorp and AI. Chad feels at home next to Angie, and everything changes for him once this alliance is formed.

MM #8 (p 105-120)

EMOTIONAL GRADIENT – Excited to work together, all is well until they fail and almost get killed in a shoot out

ACTION GRADIENT – Espionage is Angie’s new talent, thanks to a voice that have lived it before.

CHALLENGE: Angie wants to believe she can accomplish the impossible, but almost getting killed was really a wake up call.

WEAKNESS: Even though Angie has learned to listen to the voices, she doesn’t always win

MM 1 EXCITEMENT: It is a fast-paced journey into the world of spying on huge corporations

MM 1 DOUBT: it is unlikely they could possibly accomplish their goal

MM 1 HOPE: the need is great so they set out to sabotage the mainframe for the dominant AI at MegaCorp

MM 1 DISCOURAGEMENT: At first, the remote magnetic implant doesn’t seem to be impacting the AI.

MM 1 TRIUMPH/LOSS: The first glimmer of hope is when AI is no longer able to uptake the data in to its algorithm now they have a chance to defeat it.

EIGHTH TURNING POINT

Though their first battle/infiltrations was successful, their second attempt at espionage fails, and ends up in a bloody shoot out. Both feel like absolute failures and imposters.

• This reply was modified 2 years ago by  William Donnelly.

[Susan Willard]

Susan A. Willard’s Transformational Structure

What I learned doing this assignment is

· Structure is key to holding everything together so the story will work.

· My theme and voice may change as I write the script.

· Profound Scripts are about Character interactions.

Tell us
your Transformational Logline.

A retired grandpa, and his disabled grandson, anticipate a summer of fun together, but instead must confront their disabilities and fears, to find grandpa’s homeless friend who has disappeared.

Tell us
who the main character will be:

Forced Change for Lead Transformational Character: Walter.

Perspective: Walter

Forced Change for Transformational Character: Walter’s Son: Ethan.

Forced Change for Transformational Character: Walter’s Grandson: Landon.

List out
your Mini-Movie structure, (or whatever structure you’ve chosen) for your
story. MINI-MOVIE STUCTURE:

And

Go back
through and make sure you’ve covered each the following:
– The Transformational Journey
listed in your logline.
– The Three Gradients.
– It is sequenced in Escalating
Challenges.

See below.

MINI-MOVIE STUCTURE:

Mini-Movie, Step 1 – Status Quo and Call to Action

Grandpa Walter is having his usual early morning breakfast with his friend Jack. They are waiting for their homeless friend Oscar, who is late. Jack, Oscar, and Walter have breakfast together every day, and play cards at the Medical Clinic’s cafeteria, call The Sit and Sip.

The TV plays news in the background. Jack is fixed on a story about homeless people in the area going missing. It is too late to play cards because Walter’s son and grandson are coming over to visit and drop of his grandson for a summer visit.

Jack brings up the TV news and Oscar wondering if there is any relation between the two. Walter says no because Oscar had an appointment at the clinic this morning. Jack acknowledges, by asks, “Where is he?”. Walter begins to ask about Oscar. Jack goes to see if Jack is at any of several places Jack stays at night. Jack tells Walter, “Everyone needs someone to help them through life.” Walter dismisses the comment telling Jack, “You watch too much TV.”

Ethan, Walter’s son, calls asking why he isn’t at home. They are there waiting for him. Ethan has an extremely important business trip and needs to get going. Walter suggests they leave his grandson’s things and meet him at the Clinic Cafe, because he is a busy himself.

Walter begins his search to find Oscar. He talks to the clinic desk, the clinic nurse, the clinic doctor, the clinic patients waiting in the waiting room. He even talks to the clinic janitor. He is getting frustrated and upset. The retirement community is so small that someone he talked to should know where Oscar is. Walter is asked to leave the clinic, so he goes back into the café to find Ethan and Landon arriving.

Change Agent: Missing Friend

Transformational Characters: Walter

Old Ways: Set in routine. Not paying attention to what is going on in the community. Walter feels that Oscar, his missing friend is fine just misplaced. However, it is unusual not to find someone that’s seen Oscar. Oscar will show up.

The Vision: Jack says, “Everyone needs someone to help them through life.”

Challenge: To find his friend, Oscar, who is missing.

Weaknesses: Impulsive. Frustrated. Lying to gain information. Denial.

Mini-Movie Step 2 – Locked into Conflict

The family sits at a booth in The Sit and Sip Clinic Café. None of the are particularly happy.

They make small talk, determine that Walter isn’t found, and order lunch. Landon tells a bit about his new prosthetics and Ethan gobbles his food and prepares to leave. Thinking both were staying the week, and Landon the summer. Walter is surprised. A lively argumentative discussion is had and Ethan leaves in a huff, only after explaining all the information and instructions about Ethan’s new prosthetics, embarrassing Ethan, and leaving angry.

Jack enters the café, quickly passing and bumping into Ethan. Ethan doesn’t acknowledge him – only keeps on going. Jack comes to Walter’s table, gives a quick hi and a smile to Ethan and begins to talk about his quest for looking for Oscar. Oscar is nowhere to be found. As Jack is talking, he is fixed on the TV again replaying the missing homeless people report.

Another neighbor comes into the café, and overhears their conversation, reaffirming the concern for Walter. Jack goes to talk to the reporter of the news story, the radio station reporters, and the news paper reporters, as well as the police, and the fire/rescue station.

Walter tells Jack he will figure out where to look next. Walter and Landon are left alone in the café, thinking about Oscar, the missing people, and what they can do. Jack suggests they go home, and he will talk to them soon.

Walter and Landon start out the café through the clinic, and Landon’s prosthetics start having a problem. Landon can’t walk home until his legs fit properly. They sit in the clinic waiting room, so Landon can fix the problem. Walter has an idea; he will see if he can get a quick check up. The janitor overhears that Walter wants a check-up and tells him the visit consultative visit is free. So, Walter goes and gets a check-up. But all he gets is the good news that he doesn’t need to be a patient.

Deflated and frustrated, he sits down next to Landon, who is watching the TV. Landon begins to discuss the same information about missing homeless people. Walter says, “We live in a small community that looks out for each other. We will find Oscar.” They talk and come up with a plan, but don’t know where to start until Landon asks, where was Oscar last?

Change Agent: Motivation to find Oscar. Landon. Jack.

Transformational Characters: Walter

Old Ways: Set in routine. Impatient. Frustrated and angry cause Walter to become persistently more forceful when talking with people. He is angry at the situation because he is becoming more concerned for Walter.

The Vision: Walter says, “We live in a small community that looks out for each other. We will find Oscar.”

Challenge: To think clearly and find ways to help his friend and find out where his friend is.

Weaknesses: Impulsive. Frustrated. Denial. Can’t think clearly.

Mini-Movie Step 3 – Unexpected Clues – Revision in Objectives.

Walter and Landon discuss Oscar’s potential clinic appointment for this morning, but the clinic denies it. Maybe he is had or is having some tests and they just don’t want him disturbed, Landon suggests. Landon suggests how to keep track of the facts that Walter knows so he doesn’t look in the same places twice. Walter agrees. Landon can keep track, so they review the information.

The Janitor overhears that Oscar may be having tests, Landon wondering where the tests are conducted, and the Janitor tell them, behind the door that says, “Entry only by Permission.” No, he didn’t see Oscar go back there, but that’s where the tests are done.

They thank the janitor, and he goes to the café to clean. Landon notices that the door is propped open, so that the janitor can go in and out pushing his cleaning cart, without having someone else to open and hold the door for him.

Landon leans down like he is working with his prosthetics, (so does Grandpa) and Landon whispers, “Let’s go see if Oscar is in the back of the clinic getting a test done.” Walter and Landon quickly devise a plan to go back and see where Oscar is. Landon says, “Families stick together. Oscar is like family. We will do what it takes to find Oscar.” They are convinced he is getting a test.

Landon documents details and off they go. They walk to the desk and wait until no one is looking and they slide through the door. Landon’s backpack gets caught on the door handle, and they struggle to get it loose. When they do, the door closes completely behind them. Walter quickly turns and tries the door. Locked. Now they are locked into the back area of the clinic. They are committed to investigating. There is nowhere else to go. – Sorry, Grandpa. No worries –grandpa replied.

Change Agent: The Janitor. The opportunity to investigate.

Transformational Characters: Walter. Landon

Old Ways: To give up once all the known outlets of information are seemingly exhausted. Not to push any further.

New Ways: Both Walter and Landon are willing to think and outside of the box, as well as break the rules to find their friend, Oscar, who is really like family to them.

The Vision: Landon says, “Families stick together. Oscar is like family. We will do what it takes to find Oscar.”

Challenge: To find Oscar having a test taken or clues that he had a test taken. Weaknesses: Impatient, Impulsive, Unprepared, Unorganized, Not thinking Clearly.

Mini-Movie Step 4 – New Plan Enacted

The two stood in the dark hallway, squinting their eyes to see the layout of the clinic’s private facility. “What’s the plan now, grandpa?” Landon asked. They continue their plan of looking for ‘Oscar clues’ as they called it. The first target was Room 1 on the right labeled “Advanced Dementia”. Landon took a picture of the door with his phone, and they went into the dark room. (They encountered horrific situations, documented them, and gather hopeful clues) (encounter with a person coming into the room, and Ethan calling Landon on his phone).

The decided to leave room 1 before the person comes back. Out in the hall they go to room 2 on the right, labeled, “Medical Center”. Walter suggests that Landon take pictures of everything – its quick and effective, while he collects clues that could become evidence of Oscar being there or where he is. Landon says “The plan will work, but I can’t do this without you Grandpa. You are my strength.” Grandpa hugs Landon and says, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here for you, always.” They go into room 2.

Change Agent(s): The situation grows with each room, pushing them forward. Fear, Determination.

Transformational Characters: Walter. Landon

Old Ways: When all you have is failure, go do something else.

New Ways: Walter and Landon must confront their fears along with the devious reality. They are forced not to think of consequences, only Oscar and their safety.

The Vision: Landon says “The plan will work, but I can’t do this without you Grandpa. You are my strength.” Grandpa hugs Landon and says, “I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here for you, always.”

Challenge: Walter: To listen more intently to ideas from his grandson, Landon. Some of his ideas may be useful. Landon: To learning to be more independent, yet helpful to Grandpa.

Weaknesses: Fear, Inadequacy, unable to confront the horrific unknown

MIDPOINT:

Walter and Landon have their method of investigating and documentation in place and are working well together. Locked inside back rooms of the medical facility, then proceed to room 2 labeled “Medical Center”. Documenting the door, they go inside. No lights cause them to wait until their eyes adjust. It’s a big pharmacy and science lab all in one. Walter: Don’t touch anything. Everything is dangerous. Walter finds a box of clean gloves and stores some gloves in this pocket and the box in Landon’s backpack. They photograph and take a few small items they feel will be of help.

Danger enters. They fight the danger. The secure the danger so that it will not hurt them, Walter’s phone rings again and he answers. Landon: “I wish dad was here.” Walter: “Me too. How about after all this is over, let’s call your dad and have a man’s night out to tell him all about our adventure today. Family should have no secrets. What do you say?” and they leave for Room 3?

Change Agent(s): Room 2 – gives good clues, and a bit of hope. Strange phone call renews opportunities.

Transformational Characters: Walter. Landon

Old Ways: Walter: Still believes he has things figured out.

New Ways: Walter more accepting of their situation. Landon is also starting to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

The Vision: Landon: “I wish dad was here.” Walter: “Me too. How about after all this is over, let’s call your dad and have a man’s night out to tell him all about our adventure today. Family should have no secrets. What do you say?”

Challenge: Walter and Landon: To accept what comes next with a brave and discerning attitude, because anything could happen.

Weaknesses: Fear, Inadequacy, unable to confront the horrific unknown

Mini-Movie Step 5 – Heroes Doubt & Reality Closes In

Room 3 is labeled, “Media and Nanotechnology”. From Wall to Wall are Screens blaring with monitoring images. Landon photographs the room. The more Walter explores, the visions seep into his mind. The more visions he sees the more reality clears his thinking. No one is safe in his community. He asks Landon to take a picture of everything, of everything, in this room. It is very important. We must leave quickly. Walter is at the brink of panic and flight for their safety but must maintain composure for their safety and so that Landon does not become more concerned. (Landon notices the deviant crimes that he is documenting but doesn’t say a word. He will be strong as to not really scare Grandpa.) Landon asks, “Is your house safe Grandpa?” Grandpa says, “No anymore. You and I are safe when we are here working together.”

Descriptions of the scenes they see are vivid and in real-time. Both stare at the colorful moving of people and places they know, like watching their friends on the big box movie theatre. Landon slowly starts to photograph again, and Walter picks up a clue.

Walter’s phone rings. It is Ethan. He doesn’t answer, lets it roll to message. We will call your dad once we are finished. Landon: Good thinking, He wouldn’t understand, yet.

They finish up and hear some noises outside. Then the lights go out. The clinic must be closed. They slowly go to the door and peer out. They then make their way to room 4.

Once the hall is quiet, the two quickly move out into the hall to the next door. Door 4. “Experimental Kitchen” (documented) was still open, so they entered. Don’t touch or eat anything. I don’t think this Kitchen has food for us. Be quiet. Landon took pictures. Walter found a small, worn paperback book titled, “Poisoning Food and Contaminating Drinks”, showed it to Landon and put it in his backpack.

The two wearily finished each of their tasks without a word, determined to be complete. The headed to the door to leave, then stopped. People were walking around in the hall and the room next door. The hid near the door, in the shadow of the dark room. A door closed. Landon’s phone vibrated. It’s dad. He sent to voicemail. Walter’s phone rang. It was Ethan. He let the phone go to voicemail. The lights went out. It must be clinic closing time. Landon, “I’m hungry.” “Sorry, son, nothing good to eat here, but we can live on finding the truth until we are out of here.” The exit room 4 and head to room 5.

Change Agent(s): Room 3 & 4 – the dark, invasive reality that they can’t escape.

Transformational Characters: Walter. Landon.

New Ways: Walter and Landon must accept that no one is safe. They may be the only ones that know the secrets. It is more important than ever to find out what is happening to Oscar.

The Vision: Landon asks, “Is your house safe Grandpa?” Grandpa says, “No anymore. You and I are safe when we are here working together.”

The Vision: Landon, “I’m hungry.” “Sorry, son, nothing good to eat here, but we can live on finding the truth until we are out of here.”

Challenge: Walter and Landon: To accept that they may have the keys of information to stop this sinister facility.

Weaknesses: Insecurity, wanting to flee, physically & mentally tired.

Mini-Movie 6 – No Stopping Now. Determined To Finish.

After checking the hall, they started to the room 5, labeled, “Surgery and Implants”.

Landon took door pictures, by now his hands shook, and Walter wavered while opening the door. I want to go home, said Landon, me too said Walter. We are almost done. Immediately upon entry into the room, they smelled formaldehyde and rubbing alcohol. That smell makes me sick. Me too. Let’s work fast. Try not to touch anything.

Quickly and quietly, they completed their tasks. Landon helped Walter find physical evidence to take. Walter was physically worn out. Landon was hungry and his legs ached from the new prosthetics wear.

Walter’s phone rang again. Strange. He will call them back later. Noises outside, as they progressing to the door to leave. They were caught off guard. The door opened quickly, and Grandpa was charge at by the intruder. Landon had climbed upon a storage cabinet and saved Grandpa. Walter: “You are just like your dad, thinking about others first, way ahead of what’s going to happen. Thanks for saving my life.” Really? Dad does that? Lots of hugs … But they had to work fast and leave. (Secured the intruder and left for the last door, room 6 – “Stagging”.

Change Agent(s): Room 5 – the dark, invasive reality that they can’t escape.

Transformational Characters: Walter. Landon.

New Ways: Walter and Landon must look out for each other and keep each other safe. Danger is everywhere and the have no one to depend on except themselves. The excursion is not over.

The Vision: Walter: “You are just like your dad, thinking about others first, way ahead of what’s going to happen.

Challenge: Walter and Landon: To accept that they may have the keys of information to stop this sinister facility.

Weaknesses: Physically and Mentally Exhausted. Scared. Focused on leaving.

Mini-Movie Step 7: A Sudden Change & Ultimate Reality

There’s one more door between the two and the outside door. They couldn’t stop now. Room 6: labeled, “Stagging Area. They went in. It’s cold, no, it’s freezing here. They froze from realization. They stood in fear. “I don’t want to search for evidence here.” Said Landon. Me either, but let’s take a few pictures as evidence. Landon crying. Ok but I don’t want to look. Walter – that’s ok. I have enough pictures. Let’s get out of this terrible place. Both crying. They went to the door to leave the evil place.

Suddenly the door opens. Who ever put me in the closet, must be in here it’s the only room we haven’t looked in. Everyone freezes staring at each other. It’s you! Yells the doctor. I know you guys, exclaimed the Janitor. Then they charged. A fight ensues, ending with Walter and Landon trapped by their attackers. We have you now and you know what that means.

Landon asks, “Grandpa, is this what real evil looks like?” Grandpa, answers, “Yes, True evil doesn’t look evil, it acts evil.” No one says anything else. They head for the exit to leave the medical facility, at gun point.

Change Agent(s): Room 6 – the ultimate evil that came for them.

Transformational Characters: Walter. Landon.

New Ways: Walter and Landon must face the reality of true evil.

The Vision: Landon asks, “Grandpa, is this what real evil looks like?” Grandpa, answers, “Yes, True evil doesn’t look evil on the outside, it acts evil.”

Challenge: Walter and Landon: To accept no matter what effort they put into saving Oscar; they cannot save themselves.

Weaknesses: Physically and Mentally Exhausted. Scared. Afraid of the Future.

Mini-Movie Step 8: The New Status Quo

They are led to and outside the exit, and to a car. Landon has trouble getting in, leading to a struggle between all four characters.

Out of the dark, they hear, “Stand still and put your hands on your heads. Drop all weapons. This is the county Sherriff.” They obey.

Stay right where you are with your hands up. They are quickly taking aside, and hand cuffed. The doctor and janitor get the same welcome. Walter and Landon are moved to a big black SUV. Janitor and Doctor are moved to another big black SUV and are taken away.

Walter and Landon were red-puffy-eyed, shaking. Out of their big black SUV steps Nurse/Sherriff Kathy, who walks to the men holding Walter and Landon, and says let them go. They are with us. Ethen sits in the SUV waiting for Walter and Landon.

The Doctor: “You can’t stop us. We will be back to get you next time.”

Sherriff Kathy: “Don’t be afraid of evil. Show your family and friends you love the by your actions, remembering good people are everywhere.”

Landon, “Wherever there’s evil, good is one step ahead.”

Walter, “Guardian Angels on earth really do exist.”

The last scene ties up all loose ends and pulls the ending together, (Oscar, Jack, Ethan’s appearance, Nurse/Sherriff Kathy and more).

Change Agent(s): Their desire to live a life without evil, or without personally confronting evil again. To live a life with family, friends, and communities that are safe.

Transformational Characters: Walter. Landon. Ethan,

New Ways: Walter and Landon must practice putting others first, appreciating family and friends as much as possible, conduct acts of kindness, caring, helping others, and building great relationships, while being ever diligent to see and combat evil, because it’s everywhere.

The Vision: The Doctor: “You can’t stop us. We will be back to get you next time.”

Sherriff Kathy: “Don’t be afraid of evil. Show your family and friends you love the by your actions, remembering good people are everywhere.”

Landon, “Wherever there’s evil, good is one step ahead.”

Walter, “Guardian Angels on earth really do exist.”

Challenge: Walter, Landon, and Ethan: To accept the reality of the evil exposed in their world. To build life-long relationships with family and friends to love, serve and protect.

Weaknesses: To overcome the day they searched and found missing Oscar.

[Trish Carothers]

LESSON 6 TRANSFORMABLE STRUCTURE

LOGLINE: Harold, one of the three men that eventually vie for the English crown, sees his brother die, and must run away to Russia and Constantinople to avoid sure death, to learn how to fight and think like a great warrior.

HARALD: Transformable Character

MM #1 – Pages 1 – 15 – Our hero’s status quo, his ordinary world, ends with an inciting incident or “call to adventure,” introducing the story’s main tension.

EMOTION: Fear/despair/denial: in a huge battle in 1030 ad, after watching the brutal death of his older brother, Olaf, King of Norway, by his enemy Kalfr, and being almost killed himself, Harald is whisked away from the battle by his friends Rongvald, Thorensson, and Dalkr (Olaf’s man). He takes some time to heal in a secret cabin in the mountains doctored by Thorensson, as all are hiding from capture/death by Kalfr’s soldiers.

Turning Point: Call to Adventure: Harold’s brother Olaf is dead. Harald is severely wounded, unconscious. He and his friends hide in a mountain cabin, to hide from Kalfr and his soldiers who are searching the forest for them. While he heals.

MM #2 – Pages 15 – 30 – Our hero’s denial of the call, and his gradually being “locked into” the conflict brought on by this call.

DENIAL: Upon awakening, Harald can’t believe what happened to his brother in front of his eyes, can’t believe he couldn’t reach him in time to save him, and can’t believe he’s still alive. He’s feels guilt, sorrow, and shame all at once, a confusing entwined ball of emotions. Days pass as he wrestle with himself.

ANGER: He is bitter, cranky, and angry, blames himself, his friends, Olaf, and God, and wondering, “What Now?”

BARGAINING: Confined to his bed, he bargains with God – If you let me live, I’ll kill Kalfr and avenge my brother…If you let me live, I will do something to honor my brother and all who died on the battlefield…If you let me live, I’ll appreciate every day I breathe…If you let me live I will lead the men to safety and take care of them…

DEPRESSION: What’s the use…I’m too young…I’m too stupid…I’m too unskilled…I’m too wounded… too helpless. I CAN’T DO ANYTHING! Bad odds and tied to this bed – arggghhh… I would be better off dead. While Harold heals slowly, once the fevers stop, he thinks “What now?” He realizes he can’t go home. Is his family even alive?

T and R baby him, but Dalkr takes him to task.

INT – HAROLD’S BEDROOOM IN THE FORREST CABIN– DAY

A crash against the bedroom door as Harald hurls a bowl of soup against it.

DALKR

Stop pouting and feeling sorry for yourself.

HARALD

Who says I’m pouting?” as he thumps his fist against his leg. “Ouch!”

DALKR

You’re an idiot. You’re like a nasty snake just waiting to strike at any one of us, or all of us together. All we did to deserve the worst of you, was save your sorry, stinking, life. Don’t make us regret it any more than we already do, you blasted sniveling puppy!”

RONGVALD

Begins to make up a song about a bratty little boy who gets sent to his room without any supper.

Thorensson picks up his lyre and plays a mournful melody in time with Rongvald’s song, ending with a verse about laying around in bed all day and pouting

HARALD

I’m already in my room, in my bed and I’m Not pouting. There’s nowhere else you can send me.

DALKR

We could send you to Valhalla where your brother Olaf is. Wonder if he would welcome such a pewling snotty little boy like you into the resting place of warriors. If you would even be allowed intro such a sacred place.

RONGVALD

Don’t you mean Heaven, Dalkr? I’m sure that’s where he is this very moment.

DALKR

Where ever.

THORENSSON

Where ever he is, he would be glad to see you, Harald, pewling, snotty nose and all. In an aside to Dalkr, “Stop beimg so hard on him. He just lost his brother.

HARALD

I miss him. I’m tired of just laying about in bed all day. You guys get to be up and doing stuff. Though, I know not what. I can only imagine while I twiddle my thumbs.

DALKR

The only part of you that you can actually move. I will jump for joy the day I have to stop taking care of your pee and crap, not to mention this mess of soup on the floor…unless you want to crawl over here and lick it up. Don’t suppose you would like to hop up and take care of that job, would you?”

HARALD

Stop complaining and whining, Dalkr.

ACCEPTANCE: My brother chose to fight. I chose to fight with him. I’m proud that he was courageous and faced Kalfr so bravely, that he tried to win. I actually was brave and courageous too. I’m like him in many ways. I always wanted to be King of Norway since I was little. I’m going to be the King. I just never realized that it would be this way.

ACTION: His desire, as a Viking, if he lives… he feels the burning need for revenge, as do his men. The need to recapture the kingship also hardens into resolve for Harald.

He starts to do bed exercises. He and his friends make plans to leave. He sends Thorenssr on with men to a port to buy boats and supplies for everyone.

Turning Point: Locked in. MM #3 – Pages 30 – 45 – Our hero’s first attempts to solve his problem, first things that anyone with this problem would try, appealing to outside authority to help him. Ends when all these avenues are shut to our hero.

Harald, with his friends and army sneak out two by two to leave the cabin and go to a port to meet Thorensson. They leave for Kievan Rus, to the castle of King Yaroslav and his wife, Ingrgerd, a relative of Harald and Olaf.

4) King Yaroslav persuades Harald to lead his men and Yaroslav’s and his brother’s men into battle against his enemies, the Poles and the Pechinegs. Harald is fearful but determined. His friends look out for him. A secret enemy in Harald’s army with orders from Kalfr tries to kill him from behind, and misses. Kills someone else close by which makes Rongvald, Thorensson, and Dalkr suspiscious. Become more vigilent.

5) In between battles, as Harald’s skills improve and his fears diminish, he becomes acquainted with Yaroslav’s daughter, Elisiv. He forms an emotional attachment to her, asks her to marry him and she rejects him. This event recreates Harald’s feelings of “less than” from his mother’s obvious preference for Olaf and her concentration of support and love for Olaf. Also, the rejection he feels is exacerbated by memories of his mother’s treatment of him. He realizes idol worship and similarities to Olaf may be manifestations of competition with his brother for his mother’s love.

Turning Point: Standard ways fail

He is angry and hurt, and turns to Yaroslav, Elisiv’s father, for advice. Yaroslav the Wise tells Harald to leave and go to Constantinople and become a Varangian Guard for the Emperor of Byzantiaum, the Easterm Holy Roman empire. Perhaps he will find both his fortune and enough prestige and power that Harald will then impress Elisiv.

MM #4 – Pages 45 — 60 – Our hero spawns a bigger plan. He prepares for it, gathers what materials and allies he may need, then puts the plan into action — only to have it go horribly wrong, usually due to certain vital information the hero lacked about the forces of antagonism allied against him.

6) He leaves with his friends and army for Constantinople to hire themselves out as mercenaries to the Emperor of Rome of the Eastern Provinces. Harold meets with the Emperor in the Great Throne room in the palace. Empress Zoe flirts with Harald. The Emperor hires them as his personal guards, the Varangians, and then sends them into battle. They fight for several years.

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Turning Point: Plan backfires.

MM #5 – Pages 60 — 75 – Having created his plan to solve his problem WITHOUT changing, our hero is confronted by his need to change, eyes now open to his own weaknesses, driven by the antagonist to change or die. He retreats to lick his wounds.

Montage of Harald’s battles, strategies, smarts, winning important battles and they all get rich by the pillaging of the palace exchequer on the death of the emperor (3 times). “Aren’t we rich enough yet, Harry?” The men’s grousing increases about going home especially Rongvald who misses his wife and childfren. They don’t understand how much money Harald will need to become King. Harold finally agrees to go home. Plans to go to Jerusalem before going home. Everyone to be baptized in the River Jordan.

Turning Point: The decision to change.

MM #6
– Pages 75 – 90 – Our hero spawns a new plan, but now he’s ready to change. He puts this plan into action…and is very nearly destroyed by it. And then…a revelation.

On the way to Jerusalem two planted betrayers by Kálfr Árnonson attempt to murder Harald. They mortally wound Harald’s friend Rognavald + his dog Skoll, Dalk+ his dog Hati, and Harald’s dog Geri, some warriors, and the traitors mortally wounded in return. “Who told you to kill us?” Harald thunders, then kneels by his best and oldest friend Rognavald who gives advice and instructions about his burial pyre with his dog Skoll. What to take home to his family and tells Harald to go home. Harald promises to go… and take special care of Kálfr Árnonson.

EXT: CAMP CENTER WITH FIRE – NIGHT

(12E10)37. He tortures one of the least dead. traitors. “Who betrayed us you rancid pig” He gasps… “King Canut. Harald jabs his fist into the wound…he screams…”Who? Try again!” as Harold holds a knife against his throat. “Kálfr! Kálfr Árnonson…” “You are a dead man. Pray and cleanse your soul!” Harald slits his throat and they throw his naked carcass outside the camp for the dogs. Harold’s remaining dog. Freki, getting first crunch. Harald realizes that life is shorty. His friend died because of Harald’s greed and complete disregard for his people; another burden to carry for the rest of his life. It was actually past time to go home and what might await for them all there.

Turning Point: The ultimate failure.

MM #7 – Pages 90 – 105 – The revelation allows our hero to see victory, and he rejoins the battle with a new fervor, finally turning the tables on his antagonist and arriving at apparent victory. And then the tables turn one more time!

Return to Constantinople, where a suspicious, greedy new Emperor, Michael V, imprisons them and plans to kill them. Zoe asks Harald to marry her, he refuses and tells her he and his men are going home. Zoe adds accusations also and the plan to kill them all proceeds. Arguments erupt, fear and anxiety among the troops. Escape with help from Thorensson’s slave girl, who is secretly in love with Thorensson, who releases them and they escape, in 1043.

Turning Point: Apparent victory.

attempt to defeat him, wraps up his story and any sub-plots, and moves into the new world he and his story have created.

Escape out of Constantinople

Sailing up to Kiev. Big celebrations. Yaroslav and Harald have a talk. Elisiv and Harald are strolling in the gardens. Elisiv is waiting for Harald to renew his proposal, but he talks on and on about the myriad events of his Constantinople work. She abruptly interrupts him.

ELISIV: Harold, I want to marry you. Would you like to marry me?

HARALD: Are you asking?

ELISIV: Yes, I am. Will you marry me, Harald?

HARALD grills her. He stops and looks at her, seriously. “Why would I want to marry you, Elisiv?”

ELISIV: Are you serious, Harald? “I’m the daughter of a wealthy, powerful man. You proposed to me before you left for Constantinople. Why wouldn’t you still want to marry me? Unless you were just asking because of the money.

HARALD: I’m not a king, Elisiv. I may never be one. What do you think about that?

ELISIV: Why are you asking me that?

HARALD: Most of my family is probably dead, and we weren’t anything but smalltime farmers. Did you know that?

ELISIV: Yes, Ingregerd told me before you came the first time. Is this important to you?

HARALD: It seemed to be important to you before I left for Constantinople. You know, your exalted family connections and such that are so important to you?

ELISIV: They were then, but they aren’t now.

Harald: Why the change, Elisiv? Is this just about the money?

ELISIV: I would slap you but I think you were in the same position when you proposed to me. I thought you were after the money then. I didn’t know you. You worked for my father and bragged about yourself. Offered me the role of camp follower. As if. You had nothing to recommend yourself except a propensity to win military battles. An important skill I admit and one I personally admire. Your exploits show bravery and intelligence, quick thinking. And my father admires you. (even though he’s not yet a king, she believes in him. He’s no longer an untried boy) Besides, you’re a handsome, strong man. What’s not to love?

HARALD: You’re right. What’s not to love (an epiphany). I accept your proposal, Elisiv. You realize we’ll live in Norway eventually. Can you handle that?

ELISIV: I think I can, as long as the sex is good.

HARALD: What sex?

[MARY Johnson]

Tell us your Transformational Logline.Tell us who the main character will be:

To avoid financial destitution a woman who’s never kept a promise must (reluctantly) hold accountable those who have broken promises to her – until she discovers the real answer lies in first keeping her promise to herself.

My transformable character is Christine – a Microbiologist and Novelist

My change agents: Christine’s supervisor. Her coworkers. Her mother. The woman who asked her to write her story. The woman’s son. Her ex-husbands (2). (Each acting to varying degrees at varying times).

Status Quo and call to adventure:

We start with Christine who is returning to work after 5 days off to go visit her terminal mother. She discovers her boss is trying to fire her for job abandonment even though she was approved for FMLA. She’s a fly under the radar never stand up for herself person – this is the straw that broke the camel’s back. When she stands up she’s either fired or walks out (can’t decide which yet – both have their merits) Either way the lack of an income is her call to adventure.

Locked into conflict:

She finds herself in an impossible position. She contacts an attorney who is going to be expensive – too expensive. Her mother is getting worse so she has to go back home anyway and can’t work on a legal case at the moment. She’s having second thoughts about walking out (if I chose quitting over fired).

Old ways: she feels unworthy to “have things” – material things as well as emotional “things”.

Challenge: she’s forced to stand up for herself as well as find a new source of income.

Weakness; No support system at this point. Depression. No faith in the legal system even if she did pursue the case against her employer.

Tries to solve the problem but fails:

She finds out her mother reversed mortgaged her house so there’s nothing for her to inherit. A prized possession of the mother is missing – Christine had the intention of selling it.

Change agent: The son/daughter of her favorite teacher who happens to be a writer that turned their life around writing.

Her vision is that her employer didn’t keep their promise to her and left her out in the cold after all those years working for them.

Old ways: She’s doing a run and tell – asking the attorney to help her. Untrusting of him anyway. Self sabotage – spends money she doesn’t need to be spending. Can only find part time work at the hospital local to her mother’s house.

New ways: Challenged to make a living.

Weakness: Feelings of unworthiness and inadequacy.

Forms a new plan:

Change agent (son/daughter of her favorite teacher) convinces her to give the writing a try – but she has to trust herself and let go of all distractions.

Vision: To try the way of focus on nothing but writing.

New way: Isolates herself for a positive reason this time. Won’t listen to the “you can’t do it” from anyone – but mostly from herself. She puts off the son of the artist she’s writing about to isolate herself (they’ve been having an affair.)

Midpoint: Disastrous encounter with the artist’s son makes her question her motives. Is it really just about the money – or is there more to it?

Change agent: Her shifting priorities.

Old ways: Procrastinations still – but far less. she still has the self sabotage tendency.

New way: Not about money – it’s about keeping the promise to the artist but mostly to herself.

Challenge: Forcing herself to do something with no guarantee pay off

Weakness: Fear of the unknown. Fear of being vulnerable.

Antagonist Prevails:

During the affair with the son of the artist (I really need to name these people) she tells him about how she lost everything in the divorce – including custody of her daughter. She also told him she attempted to write his mother’s story while she was still married to her ex. The son has read what she’s written and he doesn’t like it. His mother told the story – warts and all. And man are there warts in the story. He concocts a plan and notifies (amorously) her ex husband (a man who would love another opportunity to go at her). There’s no statute of limitation on something created during the marriage making it big later – it would still be marital property subject to distribution.

Change agent: Ex husband, son of artist.

Old ways: Insecurity. Depression sets in. Hopelessness.

New ways: Decides to Stand up to ex husband at the hearing.

Challenge: Trusting – anything (herself more than anything)

Weakness: Fear of looming homelessness.

The bigger better plan:

She pushes through and finishes the book about the artist. The husband takes her to court. At the hearing Christine admits to the judge how she would tell the story to her husband as they lay in bed at night. So the judge challenges the ex husband to recite the story. He can’t. It’s more emotional and twisting than that but it’s the bottom line.

<font face=”inherit”>The story resolution is after </font>Christine’s<font face=”inherit”> death. Her formerly estranged daughter (which is a subplot) writes a prolog and final chapter to the book – explaining how writing this book freed her mother’s creativity and she went on to write others and found success doing so. She never published “this” book and left it for “me” (her daughter) to decide if it gets published or not. The book was intended to be a message to the son of the artist but ended up being a message to her own daughter too.</font>