Lesson 6

[Abdul Rahim]

Abdul Show Summary

Set up — Character’s normal situation:

Alex, the cafe owner and heir to a family legacy, grapples with the responsibilities of running the cafe. Meanwhile, Amelia, haunted by guilt from her past, frequents the cafe, attempting to help patrons secretly. Little does she know, her past experiments, including one on Alex, remain hidden.

Twist/Hook:

Unbeknownst to the cafe regulars, there’s a hidden room in the basement, and Amelia is haunted by her mysterious past actions.

Layer beneath surface – Major Empathy / Distress:

As Alex discovers the limitations of his Methuselah Gene, Evelyn, the separated wife with her own Book Nook, secretly influences cafe patrons through her therapeutic insights.

Twist/Hook:

Strange memories start haunting Alex, leading to a dramatic confrontation between Amelia, Alex, and Evelyn. The mystery deepens as the impact of an experiment unfolds.

Impossible to solve conflict or major mystery:

Amelia aims to manipulate Alex’s behavior, creating conflicts with Evelyn, who seeks genuine interactions. The hidden room and the mysterious experiment become central to an unsolvable conflict.

Final Hook into the Series – Extreme Dramatic Question:

With relationships strained, secrets revealed, and an impending longevity crisis, can Alex navigate the intricate web of the cafe’s mysteries, including the hidden room and his own gene, while maintaining the delicate balance between his patrons?

Format/Genre = 5 act structure with a 2 minute teaser at the beginning it’s a Drama / Thriller

Concept = A. Engaging and highly proactive hero or group…Alex has the Methuselah Gene and has to find its connection to his inherited Cafe.

B. …up against a major conflict…that he will ultimately out live his family and friends

C. …goes on unique transformational journey…Learns that the Gene can be turned on and off

D. …Into an intriguing world. within the mysterious walls of the Cafe.

Pilot Structure = Pilot as the inciting incident

Engaging and Intriguing Character: Amelia uses multiple aliases and disguises to protect her true identity and past associations.

She has a hidden online presence where she communicates with her covert contacts, unbeknownst to the cafe’s regulars.

Intriguing World: The Cafe

Empathy/Distress: Alex, the cafe owner with the Methuselah Gene learns that his gene’s potential longevity is marred by a rare, incurable health condition

Mystery: Through the season Amelia is haunted by her past actions. As Alex starts experiencing strange memories, the truth about the experiment

and it’s impact on his life gradually comes to light, leading to a dramatic confrontation between Amelia, Alex and Evelyn

Layers: There’s a hidden room in the basement of the Cafe

Open Loops: Evelyn who operates the Book Nook inside the Cafe and is married to Alex but separated. She mislead people’s mind through books in

her Book Nook. She’s a retired therapist who offers her insights and advice to fellow patrons becoming an unofficial counselor.

Conflict:Amelia aims to manipulate Alex’s behavior, creating conflict with Evelyn, who wants genuine interactions with cafe patrons.

Relationship Hooks: Alex and Evelyn are Ex-sposes

Irony: Despite his creative talents, Oliver struggles with writer’s block. The cafe, which is meant to be a hub of inspiration, becomes a place of frustration for him as he battles to find the words that will bring his stories to life.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 4 months ago by  Abdul Rahim.

[Brian Bull]

BRIAN BULL – SHOW SUMMARY

“What I learned from doing this assignment is…

The pieces are starting to fall into place.

ASSIGNMENT
1. Choose the Summary Format you like best.
A. Pilot as Inciting Incident

2. Create an outline using this structure or something similar
Set up — Character’s normal situation
Twist/Hook
Real situaiton – Major Empathy / Distress
Twist/Hook
Impossible to solve conflict or major mystery.
Final Hook into the Series – Extreme Dramatic Question

3. Turn it into a rough draft.

A lonely optometrist, Dr. Jim Brown, goes through his normal day of making glasses to perfection. He and his office Manager, Delores, banter regarding their horoscopes as Delores is a believer in the Psychic Realm and Jim is not. Jim will often visit his widowed mother, JoAnn, at Fairhaven Assisted Living where Jim knows she is well taken care of and safe, though JoAnn wants to start living life to the fullest.

Zelda, a psychic next door to Dr. Brown’s office, is giving a reading for a client when she “sees” an evil woman in the reading. She immediately ends the reading.

Jim hasn’t dated in years because of a lack of time but the truth is his heart was broken when his fiancee’ was a “no-show” at the wedding.

Zelda, tries to give her crystal ball to Jim but suffers a heart attack dropping the crystal ball, splitting it in two. Zelda goes to the hospital. Jim takes the two halves, determines the crystal ball is irreparable and is intrigue by the clarity of the glass, then he creates a pair of glasses which he finds out will enable him to see the future!

With the “psychic” glasses Jim “foresees” his future wife, Gloria. He also “foresees” Jezebel, Zelda’s sister, attempt to murder Zelda at the hospital!

How can Jim stop Jezebel from killing Zelda and how can Jim convince his “future” wife, Gloria, to marry him when she has no interest at the present time?

4. Return to your Binge Worthy Framework and add any of the key Binge Worthy components that will elevate the intrigue while working for the flow of the summary.
Engaging and Intriguing Character

Dr. Jim Brown – A pragmatic optometrist thrown into a enigmatic world of the Psychic Realm.
Delores – Obsessed with horoscopes and fortune cookies believing in the Psychic Realm which will bring Love, Money and Success.
JoAnn – Is elderly and wants to life life to the fullest
Gloria – An innocent psychic being manipulated my her older sister.
Jezebel – pure evil and determined to get what she wants.
Zelda – A psychic and mentor to Dr. Brown

Intriguing World

The practical world of the Optometrist office contrasted with the mysterious world of the Psychic Realm

Empathy/Distress

Dr. Brown was heartbroken when his fiancee’ was a “no-show” on their wedding day.
Dr. Brown is very protective of his mother, JoAnn.
JoAnn is dating a much younger man and wants to live life to the fullest causing Dr. Brown much anxiety.
Delores has low self-esteem at times because of her weight.
Gloria is being railroaded by her sister Jezebel.
Zelda is in Jezebel’s crosshairs.
Jezebel feels betrayed by Zelda and wants what she thinks should be hers; the crystal ball.

Mystery

Dr. Brown’s Dad went missing and presumed dead but he actually is a Dark Wizard trying to harness the Psychic Realm. Will Dr. Brown with him newly discovered gift, the psychic glasses, help him find his Dad? Will they team up or will Dr. Brown challenge him preventing him from achieving his goal?

Layers

How will Dr. Brown prevent Jezebel from murdering Zelda?

Open Loops

Will Dr. Brown and Gloria ever get married as Dr. Brown’s “vision” foretold?

Conflict

Jezebel vs. Dr. Brown / Zelda
Dr. Brown who is pragmatic vs. Delores who is spiritual and esoteric
Dr. Brown with his psychic glasses vs. Gloria with her Tarot Cards
Dr. Brown vs. Howard, his mother’s much younger boyfriend
Dr. Brown vs. his Dad, the Dark Wizard

Relationship Hooks

Will Dr. Brown and Gloria get together?
Will Dr. Brown and Delores ever see eye-to-eye and form a team?
Will Dr. Brown ever get along with Howard?

Irony

Dr. Brown is an eye doctor but is blind to love.
Dr. Brown is pragmatic but creates a pair of “Psychic Glasses”

5. Use either of these two prompts to generate another version of your Opening Summary.

ChatGPT
Title: “Optical Enigma”
1. Set up — Character’s normal situation: Dr. James Brown, a pragmatic optometrist, leads a routine life at Lucent Optical. His world revolves around eye exams and prescriptions. However, haunted by the heartbreak of being left at the altar and the mysterious disappearance of his father, he remains guarded against love and the unknown.
2. Twist/Hook: One day, Dr. Brown acquires a crystal ball from Zelda, his psychic neighbor. Unbeknownst to Jezebel, Zelda’s malevolent sister, Dr. Brown transforms the crystal into a pair of glasses, granting him unexpected psychic visions.
3. Layer beneath the surface – Major Empathy / Distress: Dr. Brown’s protective nature extends to his elderly mother, JoAnn, who is exploring life with her younger boyfriend, Howard. Delores, the esoteric assistant, battles low self-esteem, while Gloria, an innocent psychic, is manipulated by the evil Jezebel.
4. Twist/Hook: Jezebel discovers Dr. Brown’s creation, leading to a brewing conflict as she relentlessly pursues the crystal ball. Meanwhile, Dr. Brown has a psychic vision of marrying Gloria, adding a layer of complexity to his emotions.
5. Impossible to solve conflict or major mystery: The disappearance of Dr. Brown’s father unravels as it is revealed he is a Dark Wizard seeking to harness the Psychic Realm. Dr. Brown must navigate the complexities of his newly discovered psychic abilities to either join forces with or challenge his father’s dark intentions.
6. Final Hook into the Series – Extreme Dramatic Question: As Jezebel closes in on Zelda and Dr. Brown faces the dilemma of aligning with or opposing his father, the series poses the ultimate question: Will Dr. Brown use his psychic glasses to unveil the truth about his father’s disappearance, risking everything for the sake of the Psychic Realm, or will he succumb to the dark wizardry that runs in his blood?

[Gayla Betts]

Assignment: Gayla Betts Show Summary

What I learned doing this assignment is to not share material with people who aren’t writers even if they normally are your biggest supporters. My husband was upset that my main character did something that wasn’t as “nice” as he envisioned her.

Summary Format: Pilot as Inciting Incident

Show Summary:

A college journalism student who is the daughter of the President of the United States, Jess starts experiencing magical disturbances, in the library, in class, and in her apartment. A mysterious note leads her to the Starlight Café to learn more about her mother who died when she was born, and whom her father refuses to discuss.

Unbeknownst to her, the secret service agent assigned to protect her slipped her the note.

Jess slips into the café, navigates cryptic conversations, and tries to blend in until Gabriel Frost extends a friendly welcome, and draws her story out, little by little. She’s noticed by the café’s owner, Lilah, who asks her to leave. Recognizing a wasted trip, Jess is on her way out the door.

Until Gabriel remarks that she is the mirror image of her mother.

Jess creates a scene, demanding answers which no one gives her. Drawn by her magic to the portal, she has a standoff with Lilah who insists she leave.
Desperate and unable to control her emotions, Jess instinctively opens the portal without understanding exactly what she’s done.

Jess appears in an almost identical portal facing a very different version of Lilah threatening her life. As she gazes out into another Starlight Café, she’s gasps and passes out.

[Nat Melvin]

Natalie’s Show Summary

WIL: I like having options to choose from. I tries pilot and season summary versions. Posting both.

Pilot Summary Version:

In the serene landscape of Hawaii, Sola, an orphaned teenager, navigates life with her adoptive family, unaware of her divine heritage or the ancient curse that lies dormant within her.

During a school trip to a sacred site, Sola inadvertently awakens the ancient curse, unleashing untold chaos and attracting the attention of both Greek and Hawaiian gods.

As Sola grapples with the consequences of her actions, she discovers her connection to a world beyond her wildest imagination, facing empathy for the mortals caught in the crossfire and distress over her newfound responsibilities.

Ku, a powerful Hawaiian deity, senses Sola’s awakening and sees an opportunity to tip the balance of power, setting in motion a divine conflict with dire consequences for humanity.

With the feud between gods escalating and the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, Sola must navigate treacherous alliances and unearth ancient secrets to prevent annihilation, but the true extent of the curse and its connection to her remains shrouded in mystery.

Can Sola harness her newfound powers and unite gods from two worlds to avert catastrophe, or will the ancient feud consume both realms in a cataclysmic war that spells doom for all?

Season Summary Version:

Orphaned Hawaiian teen, Sola, grapples with her ordinary life until awakening an ancient curse that imbues her with Zeus’ power, and thrusts her into a divine conflict between Greek and Hawaiian gods competing for world domination. Tasked with uniting gods to prevent humanity’s obliteration, Sola’s newfound powers attract attention of both warring pantheons, setting the stage for divine confrontations and unexpected alliances.

While Sola grapples with the weight of her divine responsibilities, facing conflicting allegiances, betrayals, and avoiding Ku’s traps, Hecate’s dark forces, fueled with Antony’s secret agenda, conspire to exploit her potential. As Sola delves into the mysteries of her lineage and confronts adversaries, Antony’s true identity as Anteros emerges, threatening to unravel her plans.

The escalating divine rivalry, sparked by Zeus’ infidelity, Hera’s unexpected alliances, and Hecate’s dark schemes, presents an insurmountable conflict with catastrophic consequences for both realms.

Hera’s unexpected alliances and Hecate’s dark schemes intensify the divine rivalry, adding layers of complexity to Sola’s mission.

As war erupts between pantheons, Sola must navigate betrayals and make sacrifices to prevent catastrophic consequences, with the fate of both realms hanging in the balance.

Can Sola navigate the web of divine conspiracies, make the ultimate sacrifice, and prevent the cataclysmic clash between pantheons, or will the gods’ feuds plunge humanity into eternal chaos?

[Michelle Gaza]

I learned that I still feel overwhelmed when organizing the big-picture stuff. I am really comfortable writing one scene or focusing on one set of details. This part of the organizing is tough for me.

Response to Prompt 1:

Summary:

1. Set up: Dr. Eugene Jacobs, an ancient, demonic scientist, works with a network of psychopaths and plans to transform humans into monkeys to prevent their escape during a cosmic gateway.

2. Twist/Hook: Delphine, discovering her true identity as an angel named Shiloh, is tasked by The Three Sisters to stop Dr. Jacobs.

3. Layer beneath surface: Delphine grapples with her racial identity and befriends Jeriko, a rapper from Inner Earth, in an online dream community.

4. Twist/Hook: Delphine and Jeriko, along with The Three Sisters, form The Overtakers to reverse the transformation and stop Dr. Jacobs’ plan.

5. Impossible to solve conflict or major mystery: The Overtakers must gather allies and unravel the secrets behind The Three Sisters and Dr. Jacobs’ plan as they race against time before the cosmic gateway closes.

6. Final Hook into the Series: Will The Overtakers be able to free humanity from the demonic stronghold and prevent enslavement for 26,000 years, or will Dr. Jacobs succeed in his nefarious scheme?

Response to Prompt 2:

Summary:

Season Episodes: 11

1. Set up: Delphine, struggling with her identity, befriends Jeriko from Inner Earth.

2. Twist/Hook: Delphine discovers she is an angel named Shiloh and is tasked by The Three Sisters to stop Dr. Jacobs.

3. Layer beneath surface: Delphine grapples with her racial identity as The Overtakers form to reverse the transformation.

4. Twist/Hook: The Overtakers uncover Dr. Jacobs’ network of psychopaths, including Dr. Wei Lei and Velvet Dean.

5. Impossible to solve conflict or major mystery: The Overtakers race against time to develop a cure and expose Dr. Jacobs’ plan.

6. Final Hook into the Series: Can The Overtakers gather enough allies and unravel the secrets before the cosmic gateway closes, trapping humanity?

7. Set up: The Overtakers face the chaos unleashed by Dr. Wei Lei’s disease.

8. Twist/Hook: Delphine gains newfound powers, providing a potential advantage against Dr. Jacobs.

9. Layer beneath surface: The Overtakers navigate treachery and secrets within the group as tensions rise.

10. Twist/Hook: The Three Sisters reveal their true nature, shaking the foundation of the conflict.

11. Impossible to solve conflict or major mystery: The final battle between The Overtakers and Dr. Jacobs determines the fate of humanity.

Final Hook into the Series: Will The Overtakers succeed in freeing humanity from Dr. Jacobs’ demonic stronghold and prevent their enslavement for 26,000 years, or will their efforts be in vain as the cosmic gateway closes? The battle of good versus evil and the ultimate test of the angels’ resolve begins.