Lesson 8

[Deb Johnson]

Deb’s Character Journey Track

What I learned: Each character’s journey builds depth into the story. By building Character Profiles and giving each of them a Character Journey the story outline takes shape.

CHARACTER PROFILES:

Gabe (Leader/Protagonist):

Traits: Cautious, analytical, empathetic. impatient.

Fears: Failure

Wants/Needs: Wants financial stability, needs to overcome his fear of change, and pursue his passion for writing books.

Likability/Rooting Factors: desires redemption, protective instincts toward the group.

Reaction Under Stress: Initially denies but is determined to face the truth.

Relationships: Strained relationship with Isa due to past betrayal, protective older brother figure to Ella, clashes with Aaron due to conflicting investigative methods.

Isa (Love Interest):

Traits: Knowledgeable, mysterious, independent, vulnerable

Fears: being manipulated

Wants/Needs: Needs to prove her worth

Likability/Rooting Factors: Complex past with Gabe, expertise in the supernatural

Reaction Under Stress: withdraws but will attack when cornered

Relationships: distant and uneasy with others

Ella (Seemingly Innocent):

Traits: Curious, manipulative, secretive, desires genuine connections.

Fears: fear of being unimportant.

Wants/Needs: Wants attention and validation, needs authentic connections and acceptance.

Likability/Rooting Factors: Youthful innocence

Reaction Under Stress: dramatic outbursts

Relationships: sincerely wants to connect

Aaron (Rebel/Rule Breaker):

Traits: Rebellious, skeptical, charismatic, pot-stirrer

Fears: conformity

Wants/Needs: Wants recognition and validation.

Likability/Rooting Factors: genuine passion for uncovering secrets.

Reaction Under Stress: Defiant and rebellious, blame others.

Relationships: Clashes with everyone

Mamma Lee (Complainer):

Traits: Skeptical, stubborn, protective.

Fears: fear of losing her sense of normalcy

Wants/Needs: Wants family reconciliation, needs to confront the truth about her husband’s actions.

Likability/Rooting Factors: Adds a sense of grounded skepticism, relatable family struggles.

Reaction Under Stress: Denial and deflection

Relationships: mothering but with an agenda.

Tunney (Out of Control/Obnoxious):

Traits: Reckless, impulsive, thrill-seeker, absurd, and contradictory (even when he’s obviously wrong)

Fears: being alone

Wants/Needs: Wants adrenaline rushes, needs approval and acceptance from the group.

Likability/Rooting Factors: Adds tension and unpredictability

Reaction Under Stress: Dramatic and impulsive

Relationships: Unpredictable

Cassie (Red Herring): (She is a supernatural blogger who can take a legitimately fascinating or even mildly interesting story and turn it into something stupid, dishonest – or even worse, something boring.)

Traits: Nosey, gas lighter, narcissistic, super friendly, Deceptive, opportunistic, sensationalist

Fears: Fear of obscurity

Wants/Needs: Wants attention and recognition, needs to be taken seriously as a paranormal investigator.

Likability/Rooting Factors: Adds misdirection and suspense.

Reaction Under Stress: Dramatizes situations, deflects blame, shuts down emotionally.

Relationships: Manipulative

CHARACTER JOURNIES:

Gabe (Leader/Protagonist):

Character Intro: Gabe walks through the torn-up downtown with Aaron. He’s incredibly impatient, eschews nostalgia, and wants Aaron to get to the point. They see a coyote, displaced in the storm. A Copperhead venomous snake bites Aaron, Gabe kills it.

Denial: Gabe dismisses the typewriter’s curse as a hoax but wants to help the victim.

Reaction at First Horror: Gabe rationalizes Tunney’s death but wants to investigate anyway.

Relation to the Group after the First Horror: Becomes the leader. Aaron is jealous.

How They Fight Back: Gabe is determined to learn the typewriter’s origin through research and deciphering its messages.

End Point: Once Gabe realizes complete honesty is the key to breaking the curse, he tries to persuade others to tell the truth. When they refuse, he sees no other recourse but to “drop a bomb” on the typewriter. While his own “truth-telling” frees him and breaks his curse (he is ready to leave his job and become a novelist) – he’s now unleashed the typewriter to become more powerful.

Insight from Survival: Gabe’s survival showcases the power of facing one’s fears and embracing change. But his flaw – impatience – unleashes more devastation.

Isa (Love Interest):

Character Intro: Isa and Cassie approach an unstable structure that emits eerie sounds. Cassie wants to plow through, and Isa is conflicted because of the danger. They barely escape the collapse (both are slightly injured)

Denial: Isa believes there is something sinister about the typewriter but is afraid to express the truth because she doesn’t trust those around her and wants to explore it on her own.

Reaction at First Horror: Isa reacts in fear but hides it. Doesn’t want others to see her vulnerability.

Relation to the Group after the First Horror: Confesses what she has perceived about the situation.

How They Fight Back: Works with others to learn the typewriter’s vulnerability – ultimately wants to destroy it.

End Point: Isa’s survival hinges on her ability to trust Gabe and confront her own vulnerabilities. She refuses to be 100% honest and she dies as predicted. However, she does tell Gabe about the typewriter’s other iterations and it’s potential to become something else. He doesn’t quite believe her.

Insight from Death or Survival: Isa’s death underscores the importance of being vulnerable and trusting others as a good way to live.

Ella (Seemingly Innocent):

Character Intro: Ella rides her bike downtown, she smells a gas leak but doesn’t tell anyone about it – yet.

Denial: Ella loves to divert attention – so this discovery is exciting to her – but only as a distraction – it doesn’t mean anything until she can find a way to use it to her advantage.

Reaction at First Horror: Ella goes into shock.

Relation to the Group after the First Horror: Ella uses the others as a shield.

How They Fight Back: Ella refuses to speak. Ella’s death is the catalyst for the group’s realization that the typewriter targets those who lie.

End Point: Ella’s deceit serves as a cautionary tale about the impact of deceit on personal growth.

Insight from Death or Survival: Even the innocent are corrupt and lies destroy.

Aaron (Rebel/Rule Breaker):

Character Intro: Aaron walks Gabe through the wreckage – He accidentally rouses a Copperhead venomous snake and is bitten. First aid is readily available. But he’s mad at Gabe for killing the snake.

Denial: Aaron initially dismisses the supernatural origins of the typewriter, attributing it to a mere historical mystery. His denial is driven by a fear of being proven wrong and a desire for recognition.

Reaction at First Horror: Aaron’s reaction is defiant, challenging the existence of the supernatural. He minimizes the horror, dismissing it as a mere obstacle to his goal of uncovering the typewriter’s secrets.

Relation to the Group after the First Horror: Aaron’s rebellious nature clashes with Gabe’s cautious approach, causing tension within the group. His skewed historical accounts mislead the group, creating further discord.

How They Fight Back: Aaron’s fight involves a rebellious pursuit of the typewriter’s secrets, often ignoring warnings and placing the group at risk. His charisma and determination make him a polarizing force within the group.

End Point: Aaron’s hubris is his downfall. He thinks he’s more powerful than mere words.

Insight from Death or Survival: Arrogance kills. Know your limits. Be truthful.

Mamma Lee (Complainer):

Character Intro: Mamma Lee welcomes Gabe and Aaron into her home. They enter the kitchen which has suffered significant damage – but she insists that everything is fine and proceeds to make them coffee/tea.

Denial: She accuses everyone of overreacting. That there must be a reasonable explanation.

Reaction at First Horror: Dismissive and refusal to consider anything supernatural.

Relation to the Group after the First Horror: She becomes a voice of reason, urging the group to focus on practical solutions rather than supernatural explanations.

How They Fight Back: Mamma Lee goes into hiding. She refuses to face the truth.

End Point: Gabe begs Mamma Lee to confess her sins, but she assures him that she’s done nothing wrong. She does not accept her culpability in her husband’s abuse of her children.

Insight from Death or Survival: Mamma Lee’s fate offers insight into the consequences of denial and the importance of embracing uncomfortable truths.

Tunney (Out of Control/Obnoxious):

Character Intro: Tunney uses a drone camera to document the damage – he flies it close to emergency responders – making them very angry. He accidentally knocks a power line – causing a hazard that must be dealt with immediately.

Denial: Tunney says it’s just a prank.

Reaction at First Horror: Tunney is brash and dismissive and scoffs at the idea of supernatural consequences.

Relation to the Group after the First Horror: Tunney refuses to get involved and leaves for another “adventure”.

How They Fight Back: Selfish and uninvolved – Tunney is the first victim.

End Point: Tunney’s demise is linked to his inability to recognize the gravity of his actions.

Insight from Death or Survival: His journey serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked recklessness.

Cassie (Red Herring):

Character Intro: Cassie and Isa approach an unstable structure that emits eerie sounds. Cassie ignores the danger and wants Isa to investigate – she prods and encourages Isa to go on, despite the danger, and, of course, insists that Isa go first. They barely escape the collapse (both are slightly injured)

Denial: Cassie says it’s all a mere publicity stunt or an elaborate hoax.

Reaction at First Horror: Cassie’s reaction is initially dramatic, exploiting the situation for sensationalism.

Relation to the Group after the First Horror: Cassie’s deceptive nature creates distrust within the group. Her misdirection adds chaos to the group dynamics, creating further confusion.

How They Fight Back: Cassie will use others as a shield to protect herself.

End Point: Cassie will deny any wrongdoing and blame others. This will be her demise.

Insight from Death or Survival: It’s not wise to play with the truth.