Lesson 7

[William Whiteford]

Assignment 7

William Whiteford – The Life-Threatening Sequence

In this assignment, I learned how to create a Life-Threatening Sequence, one of the critical conventions in thriller writing. A movie or story thrills when the audience fears for the hero’s safety. Ideally, the hero should remain under constant threat from the inciting incident until the climax.
The most dramatic and effective way to build suspense is by placing the hero in a life-threatening situation. As the stakes rise, it keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Therefore, writers must carefully consider what emotions their hero’s peril will evoke in the audience.
Additionally, there are two main sources of danger for the hero: the villain’s plan and the need for cover-ups. Often, one crime leads to another (e.g., killing a witness to prevent them from talking). When developing a story, it’s crucial to brainstorm different threats to the hero and select the ones that are most impactful and fitting for the plot.

1. What is the Villain’s plan, and how does it endanger the Hero?
The villain, Scribbler J., plans to frame the hero, writer G., for heinous crimes he has staged himself. His goal is to have G. committed to a psychiatric clinic. Afterward, Scribbler J. intends to flee the country with G.’s younger wife, whom he has manipulated and seduced into assisting with this plan. If the villain succeeds, the hero’s life will be destroyed, potentially resulting in a long-term prison sentence.

2. What other potential dangers could your Hero face while solving the mystery and confronting the Villain?
• A veteran may try to shoot the hero.
• The villain beats the hero at the beginning.
• The villain could physically attack the hero at any time.
• The villain could steal the hero’s literary work and money.
• The hero could lose his job, reputation, and property.
• The hero might face public humiliation.
• The hero could be injured or killed.
• The hero’s brother, Dan, may attack him in secret.
• A psychiatrist hired by the police or TV could request a medical evaluation of the hero.
• The veteran might attack the hero inside a psychiatric clinic.
• The hero may escape from the clinic at night.
• The police could chase the hero, now a fugitive, in a car as he pursues the villain.
• The hero could confront the armed villain in an underground airport garage.

3. From the list of potential dangers, which ones work best for this story?
The following dangers fit best for this particular story:
• While searching a park, the hero, writer G., hears gunshots.
• The veteran runs toward the hero and may shoot him.
• At the beginning of the story, the villain beats the hero.
• The hero’s brother, Dan, secretly attacks him at night.
• Following a TV interview, the hero is placed in a psychiatric clinic.
• The hero escapes from the clinic, and the police chase him.
• The hero pursues the villain to an underground airport garage, where they engage in a life-or-death battle.

4. Sequence these dangers in order:
• A veteran may shoot the hero.
While searching a park, writer G. hears gunshots, followed by rustling and footsteps.
• The villain beats the hero at the start.
After burning the villain’s manuscript, the hero faces a vengeful Scribbler J., leading to a confrontation and a fight in the yard.
• Frustrated by the hero’s decisions, Dan, his brother, attacks him secretly at night.
• Following a TV interview, the hero is sent to a psychiatric clinic.
After a police investigation and pressure from an Animal Rights campaign, the hero is sent to a psychiatric clinic for evaluation.
• The hero escapes from the clinic.
Inside the clinic, the hero confronts the veteran, hears disturbing cries, and escapes. The police give chase.
• The hero pursues the villain to an airport.
The hero tracks the villain to an underground airport garage, where they engage in a final, deadly confrontation.
# # #

[Diane Caldwell]

Subject: Diane’s Life Threatening Sequence

1. What is the Villain’s plan and how does that put the Hero in danger?
To stalk, torment and kill all the people Villain perceives held him back in his entertainment career, coming from many angles, thus putting Hero in danger at every step of the way.

2. What other potential dangers could your Hero experience as they try to solve the mystery and confront the Villain?
–Situations that arise from contact with LAPD
–Surveillance/watched
–Danger to someone they know
–People around them die or are injured
–Stalked
–The threat that their own secret could be revealed

3. From the list of potential dangers, choose the ones that work for this story.
All of the above would work for this story.

4. Sequence those dangers in order and make a list of them.
I’m going to start working with the list above in #2, in that order.

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

[William Peed]

1. What is the Villain's plan and how does it put the Hero's life in danger?

Pasha Hassan wants to marry Daniella to impress The Sultan of The Ottoman Empire so he will be named the Grand Vizier in Constantinople.

2. What other potential dangers could your Hero face as they try to solve the mystery and confront the Villain?

1. Death for escaping

– the Gate of Grief

– Mock Execution

– Meet* cute – Daniella saves Miguel's life

– *They've already met. They've known each other for years. This is the first time they "meet" in the movie

– Death of Miguel's Guard

– Mystery: Why does Pasha Hassan allow Miguel to live?

2. Losing Daniella's love

– Pasha Hassan asks Miguel to propose to Daniella for him

– Miguel takes an opposite turn in the labyrinth. Makes a mental not to himself. The same way will does in Shakespeare in

Love. He's been gong the opposite way through the maze, from the bagnios to the harem.

– Mystery – Why doesn't Pasha Hassan ask Daniella to marry him his ownself?

3. Surveillance

– Benengeli

– Who knows Miguel's secrets

– El Manco LePanto

4. Lying to Daniella

– Daniella makes Miguel promise to never leave her*

– * Miguel never actually promises

5. Losing himself/his self respect

– He stays with Daniella even though she's still with Pasha Hassan

– He gets a job. An apartment. A new wardrobe. To make Daniella happy

– In spite of this, she still chooses* Pasha Hassan over Miguel

– * she doesn't have a choice

– which is made clear by Benengeli*

– *whose life is also in danger*

– * should Pasha Hassan catch Miguel and Daniella, or if Miguel escapes, Benengeli will lose his head*

– * like Miguel's last guard

6. Losing Daniella, Part Duh

– Miguel accepts the fact that he cannot remain in Algiers if Daniella is going to marry Pasha Hassan. He's going to escape,
and, ideally, bring Daniella with him.
– Which will put Miguel's, and anyone who chooses to go with him, as well as Benengeli's lives, in danger

– Which causes Miguel to put together a plan, which results in —

7. Discovery, Disguise, Chase

– Miguel goes to the Harem, so Benengeli can see what actually goes on

– Miguel, looking romantic, framed in the keyhole. Daniella's lips so sweet and tender, like petals falling apart, mouths
along to Miguel's story.

– Which happens to be the same time that Pasha Hassan, El Lobo and Hajji Murad show up

– Daniella rescues them

– But Benengeli's not wise enough to recognize it

– Miguel and Benengeli disguise themselves as concubines

– Zara saves them by offering herself to Hajji Murad

– they escape through Daniella's balcony and flee through the streets of the Casbah*

– *the whitewashed walls in the moonlight

– Keystone Janissaries

– Miguel and Benengeli hide in a secret garden

– Benengeli's dagger at Miguel's throat, a shock of red blood in the pale moonlight

– Discovery by Janissaries

8. Altogether Now

– Daniella asks Miguel to get Zara out of Algiers.

– He agrees, but only if Daniella goes with him

– Which now puts Miguel, and Daniella, and Zara and Benengeli and Sancho and Dr. Alonzo's lives at stake

– Mystery: How's he going to get them out of there?

9. Heat from Pasha Hassan roughly page 65

– The Sultan is coming. I need my proposal*

– *Is this the first time we hear about the Sultan's arrival? Maybe we mention this earlier?

– If he doesn't convince Daniella to marry him soon, Pasha Hassan is going to kill him.

– Miguel would rather be dead than see Daniella marry Pasha Hassan

10. Losing Daniella's love forever

– Daniella discovers the Proposal

– "You lied to me."

– "It was a lie of omission."

– Daniella proposes to Pasha Hassan, using Miguel's own words!

11. Loss of Freedom

– He's going to Constantinople*

– no slave has ever returned to Europe from Turkey

– Maybe this is where we first reveal the Constantinople gig.

– Pasha Hassan and El Lobo have kept it a secret from Daniella

12. Humiliation

– He reveals Pasha Hassan's plan to got to Constantinople to Daniella

– She already knows. Pasha Hassan took Miguel's unintentional advice and told her already

– Daniella releases him from her promise. He can go. She won't stop him. He can use her wedding to escape.

12. Loss of respect from friends and self

– He'll remain a slave before he'll leave Daniella

13. Intrigue: What is Hajji Murad going to collect as his price for getting Pasha Hassan named Grand Vizier?

14. Discovery

– Miguel and Sancho* infiltrate Pasha Hassan and Daniella's wedding

– Sancho's working. That's why they couldn't use the wedding as a distraction, as Miguel had intended.

15. Forced marriage/Betrayal

– Zara is Hajji Murad's chosen prize

– Pasha Hassan has betrayed Daniella's trust.

– Zara was Pasha Hassan's engagement gift to Daniella, a symbol of his love. He's now given Zara to Hajji Murad in

exchange for the Grand Viziership of The Ottoman Empire

– Zara escapes rather than be forced to marry a man she doesn't love.

16. Chased

– Zara escapes, which causes Benengeli to follow

17. Death

– the only way Daniella can save Zara's life at this point is to —

– escape with Miguel

18. Discovery

– the old Wedding Switcheroo

– "Where is my Bride?" Cut To__

– Daniella on her horse as Miguel tries to climb on his.

19. Chase:

– "Where is my betrothed?"

– Zara on her way to the Harem

– When Pasha Hassan discovers Daniella and Miguel have escaped, he sends El Lobo and his Janissaries* after them

– Where is Benengeli, my most trusted Janissary? Cut To:

– Benengeli following Zara

20. Discovery

– Zara in the Harem

21. Disguise

– Zara in the Janissary uniform. Tereza as the prisoner.

– Aren't you a bit short for a Janissary?

22. Discovery

– Miguel, Daniella, Zara, Tereza and Benengeli through the labyrinth

23. One Last Betrayal

– Miguel had offered Zara to the Gatekeeper*

– It was after my last escape attempt

24. Losing Daniella

– El Lobo and the Janissaries show up at the Docks

25. Losing Daniella, his Freedom, and or Death

– Miguel and Sancho hold of the Janissaries as Daniella, Zara, Tereza, Benengeli and Dr. Alonzo escape

• This reply was modified 7 months, 3 weeks ago by  William Peed.

[CHRISTOPHER WEBB]

What I learned is it is important to have a sequence created ahead of time. I had a plan of what might happen to the main here, but I never thought to put the mystery/intrigue/suspense and danger into the plot. This has helped me and bettered me.

What is the Villain’s plan and how does that put the Hero in danger?
The villain is a gangster who is in political power. On his face he is the mayor of the Township of Underwood, New Jersey. But, beyond that, he oversees, operates, and finances a criminal organization. He collects them and houses them under an insurance company that he funds but does not have anything to do with in name. The company insures people in his criminal empire under a legitimate insurance company. —The danger comes when one of the investigators for the insurance company, Paul Muckshaw, is arrested. Knowing that he will be targeted, he makes a call to an inmate in Leavenworth Prison, Martin Avery. However, Martin is unable to take the call because he is put in solitary confinement for beating an inmate into a coma. Two days later, Paul is shot dead. The start of the pilot picks up four months later after Martin is released. He heads back to his hometown to investigate, not knowing he’s already been investigated for any possible connection to Paul. {This is the immediate plan for the pilot]
What other potential dangers could your Hero experience as they try to solve the mystery and confront the Villain?
Many by working as an insurance investigator for a company that insures (secretly) some of the most dangerous men and women in criminal enterprise, he is literally entering a hornets nest. The more he investigates the more that he is in danger of losing his life and the attacks can come in a variety of ways since he is dealing with a variety of criminals. His only saving grace is that killing him may expose their criminality so they have to hold off until it’s convenient for them.
From the list of potential dangers, choose the ones that work for this story.
Threats
Talking about the danger
Physical danger
Surveillance / watched
Chased
Lured into a dangerous situation
Closeness to the villain
Trapped / Abducted / Arrested
Danger to someone they know
People around them die or are injured.
Stalked
Thugs or professionals hired to hurt them.
Presence of weapons or thugs
The unknown
Something that damages their reputation
Public humiliation.
A demand to stop pursuing the mystery.
Betrayal from someone close.
Someone operating covertly around them.
Other parties who want the Villain dead.
Sequence those dangers in order and make a list like the one I did for Basic Instinct above.
For the pilot only
He is surveilled/watched.
Someone operating covertly around Him.
Placed in Physical danger
Is told about the danger of the job and what it demands
He is close to the villain as his partner at the job (and future romantic interest is a double agent and a trained assassin).
A demand to stop pursuing the mystery

• This reply was modified 7 months, 3 weeks ago by  CHRISTOPHER WEBB.