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Lesson 9
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12 Replies
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Alfred Dunham: Twists and Turns.
What I learned doing this assignment:
1. Planning out some of the twists beyond the three Major Twists is proving helpful in fleshing out the storyline. However, without more of the story written, it’s hard to fully anticipate more that will naturally follow. The climb out of The Valley, for instance, will certainly generate more. Isabella is totally spooked and losing it.
2. Further, I have not yet fully orchestrated the end events, so I don’t know where to put additional twists. I’m surprised I could come up with 14. Some still seem a bit “soft,” but they can be “hardened up.”
TWIST = An unexpected turn of events or a shift of direction of the plot.
TYPES OF PLOT TWISTS THAT SEEM APPROPRIATE TO THIS SCRIPT, SO FAR.
1. Something planned for doesn’t happen.
2. Lost their resources.
3. Someone changes sides.
4. A new problem occurs.
5. A lie is uncovered.
6. New consequences emerge.
7. New options emerge.
8. A mistake returns to haunt them.
9. A trust is violated.
10. We see an unexpected side of someone.
11. It just got more dangerous.
12. Secret identity uncovered.
13. The worst thing possible happens.
14. The “solution” makes things worse.
Build Twists throughout your story
TWIST 01: T1.
TWIST: Isabella doesn’t want Ryan to know that she and Silas know each other, so she holds DIRECTION: Both Silas and Isabella unexpectedly meet on their way to join Ryan for lunch. She holds back and lets Sialis go ahead. He is to pretend he doesn’t know her.
TWIST 02: T4
DIRECTION: A stranger joins the guests at the wedding but stands back.
TWIST: After they are pronounced husband and wife, he suddenly leaves.
TWIST 03: T10
DIRECTION: The helicopter breaks down, and Ryan and Isabella are ready to call it quits.
TWIST: Silas proves himself worthy, fixes the craft, and flies them to their destination.
TWIST 04: T11
DIRECTION: Nothing feels right. They decide to leave, but a ground fog comes up.
TWIST: They are too afraid to leave, now. Go back to the cabin and hole up.
TWIST 05: T11
DIRECTION: After a scary night in a weird cabin, Isabell is determined to leave, but
TWIST: When she decides to “crash the gate,” she is zapped unconscious by an unseen force.
TWIST 06: T11
DIRECTION: Isabella convulses, and Ryan is afraid to leave, now.
TWIST: He carries her back to the cabin.
TWIST 07: T8
DIRECTION: The night sounds return, and Isabella is terrified.
TWIST: Once again, Ryan tries to calm her and almost succeeds.
TWIST 08: T13
DIRECTION: Isabella is starting to calm down until
TWIST: Her mentally ill mother seems to literally appear in the room.
TWIST 09: T6
DIRECTION: Isabella is screaming, but Ryan knows that her mother is dead.
TWIST: Ryan demands an explanation. He doesn’t believe in ghosts.
TWIST 10: T5
DIRECTION: Isabella confesses her trying to hide her mother’s illness it from Ryan,
TWIST: But Ryan wants to know who else knew or knows.
TWIST 11: T10
DIRECTION: Maximus’ infatuation with Isabella unfolds, and his blackmail and
TWIST: Ryan talks to the image of Isabella’s mother and realizes they are being watched.
TWIST 12: T14
DIRECTION: Ryan understands that if they cannot leave The Valley via the gate, there is no way out.
TWIST: Or is there? They return to the gate, but they are still blocked, so they return to the cabin, and Ryan burns it to the ground. Reasonably sure that Maximus is now deaf, dumb, and blind –
TWIST 13: T14
DIRECTION: Ryan unfolds his new plan. Isabella refuses, but as the fire now threatens to burn them alive,
TWIST: Isabella fully places her trust in Ryan, and they begin the dangerous climb out of The Valley, now fully engulfed in flames.
TWIST 14: T2
DIRECTION: Ryan and Isabella make it out of The Valley; think they’re safe, but
TWIST: Maximus shows up and threatens to kill them… until his crashed helicopter explodes and kills him.
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THRILLER PLOT/MAP
Opening
MYSTERY 1. Who, after all, is Silas, and who is his boss?
2. Why the strange offer?
3. Where is this “Valley,” and why does an electronics firm own it?
4. Who is the guy at the wedding that walks off?
DANGER 1. Why is Isabella so out of joint over Sialis knowing her?
2. What is the significance of a guest leaving the wedding?
TWIST 1. (1) Both Silas and Isabella unexpectedly meet on their way to join Ryan for lunch. Isabella doesn’t want Ryan to know that she and Silas know each other, so she holds back and lets Sialis go ahead. He is to pretend he doesn’t know her.
2. (2) A stranger joins the guests at the wedding but stands back. After they are pronounced husband and wife, he suddenly leaves.
Inciting Event
MYSTERY
1. Does Silas actually know how to fly that old helicopter?
2. Okay. Now they’re “here” [the starting point], now what?
3. Really, now. A paid gatekeeper to The Valley? Why?
DANGER 1. The old helicopter decides to hiccup. Silas must fix it.
2. The snake in the trail upsets Isabella.
3. Isabella’s fear of heights.
4. Isabella’s claustrophobia – rock fall?
TWIST 1. (3) Both Silas and Isabella unexpectedly meet on their way to join Ryan for lunch. Isabella doesn’t want Ryan to know that she and Silas know each other, so she holds back and lets Sialis go ahead. He is to pretend he doesn’t know her.
2. (4) A stranger joins the guests at the wedding but stands back. After they are pronounced husband and wife, he suddenly leaves.
3. (5) The helicopter breaks down, and Ryan and Isabella are ready to call it quits with Silas. Silas proves himself worthy, however. He fixes the craft and flies them to their destination.
Turning Point 1
MYSTERY 1. Nothing feels right. The gatekeeper was weird.
2. The cabin appears new, but it is made to look old.
3. Inside, the cabin is spooky: symbols, the diary….
4. Are they alone, or not? Ryan feels eyes on the back of his neck.
5. What has Silas gotten them into? His descriptions do not fit.
6. Why is Isabella so full of fears? Ryan wonders.
DANGER 1. Are they seeing danger on their walk down Valley or just imagining it?
2. Ground fog moves in. Isabella’s fears get the best of her.
3. The night is filled with strange noises. Sleep is fitful.
TWIST 1. (5) After a scary night in a weird cabin, Isabell is determined to leave, but when she decides to “crash the gate,” she is zapped unconscious by an unseen force.
2. (6) Isabella convulses, and Ryan is afraid to leave, now. He carries her back to the cabin.
Midpoint Twist
MYSTERY 1. The cabin is weird: the symbols, the book, the night sounds….
2. Isabella wants to leave. She is frightened. Ryan agrees.
DANGER 1. Isabella is struck unconscious at the gate – and convulses.
2. Ryan is now frightened. Takes her back to the cabin.
3. Is she going to be okay? Or is this just the beginning?
TWIST 1. (7) The night sounds return, and Isabella is terrified. Once again, Ryan tries to calm her and almost succeeds.
Turning Point 2
MYSTERY 1. Night two in the cabin has both Isabella and Ryan spooked.
2. Who or what is doing this? For what reason? Silas? Silas boss?
3. Isabella’s mother [who is dead] appears — terrifies Isabella, and
4. She becomes Ryan’s first evidence of what might be happening.
DANGER 1. Isabella blames Silas – and thinks he’s blackmailing her.
2. Ryan at first goes along with her as Silas’ hit on her unfolds.
3. Isabella’s mother threatens her – and talks to her in the present.
4. Ryan finds this curious – realizes they’re being watched.
5. Isabella’s experience with Maximus unfolds.
6. Ryan realizes that the dangers are real.
TWIST 1. (8) Isabella is screaming, but Ryan knows that her mother is dead. Ryan demands an explanation. He doesn’t believe in ghosts. Isabella returns to a semblance of normal.
2. (9) Isabella confesses her trying to hide her mother’s illness from Ryan, but Ryan wants to know who else knew or knows.
3.(10)
Climax
MYSTERY 1. Ryan decides to test a theory….
2. How might Ryan beat Maximus at his own game?
3. Is everything being electronically orchestrated?
DANGER 1. Ryan assumes that Maximus is bent on killing them.
2. Ryan develops an escape plan, but…
3. The escape plan may be as dangerous as Maximus’ plan.
4. Ryan sets the cabin on fire, which spreads. They have no choice.
5. They must try the escape route.
TWIST 1. (11) Maximus’ infatuation with Isabella unfolds (and his blackmail), and Ryan talks to the image of Isabella’s mother, he realizes they are being watched.
2. (12) Ryan understands that if they cannot leave The Valley via the gate, there is no way out, or is there? They return to the gate, are still blocked, so they return to the cabin, and Ryan burns it to the ground. Reasonably sure that Maximus is now deaf, dumb, and blind –
Resolution
MYSTERY 1. What will Maximus do, now?
2. How is he aware of what’s going on?
3. Silas shows up, proclaiming himself innocent.
4. The connection of Silas’ boss to Maximus unravels.
DANGER 1. Maximus shows up and crashes his helicopter but escapes unhurt.
2. He is enraged by the fire and threatens to kill everybody.
3. His helicopter explodes, throwing shrapnel everywhere – he is killed.
4. Ryan and Isabella pledge to focus on their strengths and forget the past.
TWIST 1. (13) Ryan unfolds his new plan. Isabella refuses, but as the fire now threatens to burn them alive, Isabella fully places her trust in Ryan, and they begin the dangerous climb out of The Valley, now fully engulfed in flames.
2. (14). Ryan and Isabella make it out of The Valley, and think they’re safe, but Maximus shows up and threatens to kill them… until his crashed helicopter explodes and kills him.
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Brenda Clarke PLOT TWISTS & TURNS
I am slowly getting the hang of what we are doing by adding layers with M.I.S. and now adding twists. I feel my outline is still very linear and am hoping to add more twists as my creative mind comes up with some more solutions. 🤞I did however add only a few twists with todays exercise.
Now that I have added the Plot Twists into my existing Thriller MAP, the outline has become very thorough with clear outlines full of detail ready to write a first draft!
9. PLOT TWISTS AND TURNS
Twist 1:
Direction: Daughter having a normal catch up chat with her mother via video callTwist: Mother abducted by Asian men, who are in search of her father/husband
Twist 2:
Direction: She desperately calls her father, who isn’t answering his phone. “please leave a msg”. She calls her retired Martial Arts instructor and shows her the image of man’s dragon tattoo.Twist: MA says it looks as though they are soldiers from Chinese Triads, who operate in Melbourne and Macau, asked student to go to Casino and find out what is happening.
Twist 3:
Direction: At Casino she finds “The Corporation” have been dealing in shipments of Heroin and a large container was seized a few weeks ago by the Australian authorities. The Corporation are trying to track down their informer.
Twist: MA instructor with this new information says for the Daughter to get to China ASAP.Twist 4:
Direction: Student and Teacher reconnect, daughter must be “combat ready” if she is to continue investigation.
Twist: We find out the Student was a very successful martial arts practitioner.
Twist: Triad soldiers interrogate mother about the whereabouts of her husband, we know that somehow he is involved with the TriadsTwist 5:
Direction: MA & Student find local bar where triad soldiers hang out, daughter hears of shabby hotel nearby where they may have her mother held captive.
Twist: The father/husband packs bags, puts on cap/backpack and escapes through back alley.Twist 6:
Direction: Use mother mobile phone to track her whereabouts and pin point the last time it was switched off.
Twist: Father is abducted by other soldiers, mugged from a street, and thrown into a black van. Twist: Two women fight against 6 men and rescue the mother/wifeTwist 7:
Direction: The Dragon shoots dead an opposing Triad Leader, quickly escapes detection
Twist: The Dragon now gets one of his soldiers to leave “video evidence” that the father/husband was in the location at the time. Pointing the Chinese Authorities in his direction and away from him.Twist 8:
Direction: Father/husband now held hostage in an abandoned warehouse is interrogated by “The Dragon”.
Twist: The father denies everything, he states he is innocent and they have the wrong man, as he is simply a business man dealing with import/export business.
Twist: The Dragon is informed of Daughter/MA rescue of mother, he now instructs his soldiers to kill them.Twist 9:
Direction: Daughter/MA/mother see news item on TV where father/husband is implicated in the recent brutal murder of Triad leader.
Twist: Daughter goes back to bar to seek more info re father but Soldier sees her coming and chases after her, she knows that they know who she is.Twist 10:
Direction: Father/husband, now bloodied and exhausted from being tortured, soldier informs him that daughter got away.
Twist: The Dragon, now orders for soldiers to relocate father/husband to a remote location, where daughter will never find them & he can eventually kill him.Twist 11:
Direction: Daughter goes to warehouse and sees trails of blood, that go outside into street and suddenly stop, she doesn’t know what to do?
Twist: Daughter informs MA/mother where trail of blood was heading, main road, must have escaped via car. MA googles The Dragons real name and searches his family history. She finds the grandfathers home in the mountains.
Twist: Daughter wants MA to stay with her mother, to protect her, that she must do this herselfTwist 12:
Direction: The Dragon fists bloodied, father/husband almost unconscious.Twist: Daughter tracks down home, kills outside guard and the second one inside home before a battle to the death with the Dragon.
Twist 13:
Direction: Family reunited with MA
Twist: father reveals he is a CIA operative and has been working to arrest/destroy the trafficking of Heroin from China into Australia and that years ago in the line of duty shot The Dragons Father. He was also responsible for the seizure of the recent shipment into Melbourne being stopped.Twist: daughter asks MA how she knew so much about the Triads operating in her city. She reveals that she was an informant of her fathers for many years and has been helping him, with his cases.
NEW THRILLER MAP
Act 1. Opening: Daughter gives a Yoga class out on lawn beside beach, in Australia. Later at home she witnesses her mother (who lives in China) being abducted by 3 Asian men whilst on a video chat with her. She tries calling her father, he is not answering his phone.
Life Threatening: Are they going to kill her mother?MYSTERY: Why would these strange men abduct her mother? Where is her father? VILLAINS PLAN: Abduct the wife and torture her for information to the whereabouts of her husband.
Act 2. Inciting Incident: She now has to uncover the truth and rescue her mother. Daughter rings her ex Martial Arts instructor and shows her the picture of man’s dragon tattoo. MA informs her that the men are soldiers of the Chinese Triads, who happen to operate both in Melbourne Australia/Macau China. She says that daughter must find out more information about them from her end.
Daughter realises she needs to go deeper into the criminal underworld to find her parents. She goes undercover to Casino to seek out leads.
Life Threatening: She puts herself at risk should she be discovered by Triads
MYSTERY: Who are these men and what do they want with her mother? Why hasn’t she heard back from her father?
VILLAINS PLAN: Track down John and slowly torture him to death for revenge of his father’s murder.
At the Casino, she finds “The Corporation” have been dealing in shipments of Heroin and a large container was seized a few weeks ago by the Australian authorities. The Corporation are trying to track down their informer and are searching for them both in Australia and China.Act 3. Turning Point: MA instructor with this new information says she must come ASAP to China to further her investigations. Now in China, MA Instructor says, she must train to level up on her fighting skills to be “combat ready” (which is against her mother’s wishes) They train together.
Life Threatening: She feels she is not up for it, ex teacher re assures her, she must dig deep to find her “Fighting Warrior”, fight to survive.
MYSTERY: We find out that the daughter was a champion Martial Arts Practitioner.
VILLAINS PLAN: To find the hiding place of John, abduct and torture him.
Triad Soldiers interrogate mother about the whereabouts of her husband. She doesn’t know anything and says he is away “on business”. Somehow the father is involved with the Triads.Act 4. Midpoint: Her and her ex Martial Arts instructor find a bar where the Triads frequent, where she has to seek out information where they may be holding her mother. Daughter hears of a shabby hotel nearby where they may have her mother held captive.
The father/husband quickly throws some clothes/belongings into a backpack, puts on jacket and cap and escapes through a back alley.
Life Threatening: She is exposing herself once in the company of these underworld soldiers. MYSTERY: Who are these men and what do they want with her mother?
VILLAINS PLAN: Soldiers capture John and take him to the Dragon, in an abandoned warehouse.
The father runs through the streets, he is abducted by Triad Soldiers and thrown into the back of a van.Act 5. Turning Point: MA and daughter track mothers mobile phone to the last pin point before her phone was switched off. Her and MA Instructor find the location of a small hotel where the mother is being held, fight the soldiers who have weapons and rescue her. Fight Sequence. Life Threatening: two women outnumbered by six men.
MYSTERY: Mother explains, they are after information about her husband/father. WHY? What is going on?
VILLAINS PLAN: He is informed that the daughter is after him, he now orders his soldiers to kill her.The Dragon shoots dead an opposing Triad leader, quickly escapes detection. He now gets one of his soldiers (computer tech) to leave “video evidence” that the father/husband was in the location at the time of the shooting. This incriminates John to this murder. The Dragon uses this to manipulate the police and distance himself from the crimes. He establishes false alibis for the Murder of Triad Leader, to put the police off track.
Act 6. Turning Point: Father/husband now held hostage in an abandoned warehouse, is interrogated by The Dragon. The father denies everything, he states he is innocent and they have the wrong man, as he is simply a business man dealing with a very legitimate import/export business.
The Dragon is informed by one of his soldiers that the Daughter/MA rescued the mother, he now instructs his solders to kill them.
Daughter/MA, help mother recoup. They see a NEWS Bulletin, where her father is implicated in the murder of an opposing Triad gang Leader (compromised video from The Dragon) and is in hiding from the Chinese Authorities.
She goes back to bar, before she is able to get of her bike, (just removes helmet) is chased away by Triad on his motor bike. MOTOR BIKE CHASE. He crashes and before he dies she gets the information of the location of her father.
Life Threatening: She now knows the Triads are onto her
MYSTERY: How is she going to rescue her father without the Triads finding her first?
Did her father really commit this recent murder?
VILLAINS PLAN: Soldiers inform The Dragon that the daughter got away. He now decides to take John and moves him to another location, to a very remote location where the daughter will never find them and he can eventually kill father/husband. This is very difficult as John now has severe injuries, leaves a trail of blood.Act 7. Climax: Daughter goes to warehouse and sees her father’s blood, she follows the blood trials that go outside into the street and suddenly stop, she doesn’t know what to do?
The Daughter informs MA/mother where trial of blood was heading on the main road, must have escaped via car.MA googles The Dragons real name and searches his family history. She finds the grandfathers original home up in the mountains.
The Daughter wants MA to stay and protect her mother, that she must do this herself.
The Dragon fists bloodied, father/husband almost unconscious. The daughter travels up into the Mountains, to his grandfather’s home in a small isolated village. She kills the guard outside the home and then kills the second soldier inside the home before she finally confronts the Villain.A fight to the death ensues, he dies. She rescues her father and reunites him with his wife/mother.
Life Threatening: Fight to the death
MYSTERY: Why is the Villain after John?VILLAINS PLAN: Slowly torture John to death as he killed his father.
Act 8. Resolution: The family are reunited with MA.
The Father explains his innocence in the Triad murder and says he was set up by the Dragon. BUT reveals he is an undercover agent (CIA operative) who has been working to arrest/destroy The Corporation with regards to them trafficking Heroin from China into Australia.
That years ago, in the line of duty shot The Dragons father.He also exposed the Heroin shipment to Australia, which is why all of a sudden the Corporation were desperate to find track the informer down.
Daughter asks MA how she knew so much about the Triads operations. MA reveals that many years ago when her father first came to China that she was one of his informants and has been helping him with his cases.The daughter now faces the aftermath of her ordeal and the challenges of rebuilding her life with her family.
MYSTERY: Does the daughter go back to being a Yoga Instructor or does she go on a different path? Join her father in becoming a spy?
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This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by Brenda Clarke.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by
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Barbe’s Twists and Turns
What I learned is that because I am attempting a Comedy Thriller applying the Twist Technique is a great way to find opportunities to inject a bit of humor.
OPENING: Max’s store is broken into
Direction: Max’s store is “robbed.”
Twist: The thief put something into Max’s safe.
Villain’s Plan 1: Get the manuscript that is still in the safe.
Life Threatening 1: Break-in at Max’s store.
Life Threatening 2: Gunshots!
Life Threatening 3: Max finds a body in his office.
Life Threatening 4: Max follows the thief into the alley and shoots him.
Mystery 1: Why did Max shoot the intruder?
CATALYST: Matty Holmes receives a distress call from her friend, Max, who has been arrested for murder.
Direction: Max says he is framed for the murder of the thief in the alley.
Twist: The “thief” is Max’s ex-FBI partner who Max turned into the FBI for wrongdoing.
Villain’s Plan 2: The Mavens come to Max’s aid – but are in the dark about Max’s true background.
Mystery 2: What is Max hiding?
FUN AND GAMES: The investigation begins.
Life Threatening 5: The Mavens start their investigation and are surveilled by Volkov’s thugs.
TWIST #3
Direction: The police interrogate Max about the break-in. Max says nothing about the contents of the safe.
Twist: Devi, one of the Mavens, “gains access” to the store and because of her safe-cracking skills steals the manuscript from the safe.
MIDPOINT: The Mavens come to the attention of the villain – Sergei Volkov
Mystery 3: Who is Volkov?
Villain’s Plan 3: Now the Mavens stand in the way of Volkov.
TWIST #4
Direction: The Mavens are closing in on the truth about the robbery at Max’s store.
Twist: Volkov is closing in on the Mavens.
BAD GUYS CLOSE IN:
Mystery 4: Why does Volkov need the manuscript?
Life Threatening 6: Max lies about who he is, his past, his reason for purchasing the manuscript, his past connection to the dead ex-FBI agent, and his current connection to Volkov.
Villain’s Plan 4: The Mavens are threatened with kidnapping, their vehicles tampered with, and homes broken into.
Life Threatening 7: The thugs threaten the Mavens by chasing them, tampering with their vehicles, trapping them, and threatening their lives.
Life Threatening 8: Volkov is threatened with death by his employer – a powerful and shadowy Russian oligarch.
TWIST #5
Direction: Volkov threatens to kill the Mavens one-by-one.
Twist: Volkov, who has yet to produce the manuscript, is threatened with death by his employer, a powerful, shadowy Russian oligarch.
FINALE:
TWIST #6
Villain’s Plan 5 / Direction: Volkov has the Mavens in his grasp.
Life Threatening 9 / Twist: The Mavens turn the tables and invite Volkov to dinner at Matty’s house.
Life Threatening 10: Volkov attends the dinner but brings his thugs to stand guard outside and inside.
Life Threatening 11: Unknown to the diners inside a police SWAT team swoops in and dispatches the thugs outside.
TWIST #7
Life Threatening 12 / Direction: Just as Volkov, with a twinge of wistful regret, threatens to kill all the Mavens…
Twist: The Mavens have cooked up something special – that puts Volkov and his thugs to sleep. When SWAT charges to the rescue – Volkov is snoring.
Life Threatening 13: Volkov is captured.
RESOLUTION:
TWIST #8
Life Threatening 14: Max’s store and reputation are lost.
Life Threatening 15 / Direction: All this turmoil destroys Max’s relationship with Matty Holmes, one of the Mavens.
Twist: Max was working for the police in order to apprehend Volkov.
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Diane Phelps’ Twists and Turns
What I learned in doing this. That this idea alone will make for more interesting story lines. Can’t wait to explore this more..
There is another layer of backstory I need to weave into this story. Alas, one step at a time. And the ending right now is a little fuzzy. but I’ll get there. speed bumps and all.
Port Paradise Outline
ACT 1: Introduction and Mysterious Beginnings
Step 1 – Introduction to the Characters and Setting
– Twist 1: Something planned for doesn’t happen. The girls’ arrival coincides with a sudden and unexpected storm, disrupting their initial plans for a beach day.
Step 2: Mysterious Occurrences
– Twist 2: Lost their resources. The strange symbols lead the girls to an old cabin, but they realize their phones and supplies have mysteriously disappeared.
– Twist 3: Someone changes sides. Emily, who initially dismissed Oliver as a conspiracy theorist, starts to believe him and secretly joins his cause.
Step 3: Disappearance of the Girls
– Twist 4: A new problem occurs. Mayor Monroe’s agents discover that the girls are asking questions and start tracking their movements, intensifying the danger.
– Twist 5: A lie is uncovered. Lindsay finds out that her sister, Megan, had been secretly communicating with Mayor Monroe before their trip, raising suspicions about Megan’s involvement.
Step 4: Alex’s Investigation into Past Disappearances
– Twist 6: New consequences emerge. Alex’s investigation inadvertently leads to the exposure of a whistleblower within the “Crystal Circle Club,” putting their life in danger.
– Twist 7: New options emerge. Beck, while abducted, manages to send a coded message to Alex, revealing the existence of an underground network of resistance against the mayor.
ACT 2: Uncovering Secrets and Escalating Danger
Step 5: Uncovering Clues and Secrets
– Twist 8: A mistake returns to haunt them. Lindsay, while investigating, accidentally leaves a piece of evidence behind that the villains later find, intensifying the hunt for her.
– Twist 9: A trust is violated. Oliver, whom Alex had begun to trust, disappears suddenly, leaving behind a message that suggests he might have been working for the mayor all along.
Step 6: Mayor Monroe’s Facade
– Twist 10: We see an unexpected side of someone. Mayor Monroe’s right-hand person, Susan, is revealed to have a conscience and secretly assists Alex, providing vital information.
– Twist 11: It just got more dangerous. The “Crystal Circle Club” unveils a hidden weapon that can harness the energy source, making them an even greater threat.
ACT 3: Climactic Resolution and Resolution
Step 7: Escalating Danger
– Twist 12: Secret identity uncovered. Alex discovers that one of the town’s seemingly innocent residents is actually the mastermind behind the energy source extraction.
– Twist 13: The worst thing possible happens. The energy source destabilizes, triggering natural disasters throughout Port Paradise, putting everyone’s lives in immediate danger.
Step 8: Confrontation and Revelation
– Twist 14: The “solution” makes things worse. Alex, Oliver, and the whistleblower successfully confront Mayor Monroe, but shutting down the energy source leads to an even greater catastrophe, endangering the entire town.
ACT 4: Climactic Resolution and Resolution
Step 9: Climactic Resolution
– Resolution: As the town faces devastation, Alex and the whistleblower must work together to find a way to stabilize the energy source and avert complete disaster.
– Resolution: Mayor Monroe is arrested, but the town is left in ruins, forcing the residents to rebuild their lives.
ACT 5: Final Reflection and Closure
– Resolution: In the aftermath, Alex reflects on the consequences of their actions and the sacrifices made for the truth.
– Resolution: The film ends with Port Paradise slowly recovering, but the scars of its dark past remain, serving as a reminder of the price of uncovering its secrets.
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<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Subject: Monica’s Twists and Turns
What I learned doing this assignment is this wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be because I felt I didn’t really understand my story yet.
New version of Thriller Map.
Three Act Structure
OPENING:
· The Hero and the Minister are having sex.
· The Hero takes a shower. The Minister is very much alive.
· The Hero prepares to leave…
Mystery 1: Who killed the council member?
Life Threatening Situation 1: Did the Hero kill the Minister?
Twist – New problem Occurs:
® Twist 1: Direction: Hero takes a shower after sex.
Twist: When she finishes she finds the Minister shot to death.
INCITING INCIDENT:
· The Minister is dead.
· The Hero must inform the public via a meeting in the town square.
Life Threatening Situation 2: Bombs go off, gunfire at the rally, a bullet grazes the Hero’s shoulder.
Twist – The worst thing possible happens.
® Twist 2: Direction: People are scattering trying to escape the gunfire.
Twist: Hero pulls a gun herself and starts shooting at the bad guys.
Mystery 2: How was it done with transparency cameras everywhere?
· The Hero suspects the transparency she helped create and believes so passionately in, is being manipulated.
Twist – A mistake returns to haunt them.
® Twist 3: Direction: The glass society was set up to be transparent and to be a civilized society.
Twist: It’s become the wild, wild, west as someone or someone’s have found a loop hole to cause chaos.
TURNING POINT 1:
Villain’s PLAN 1: The Villain worms his way onto the committee selected to investigate the Minister’s death. As per the rules, the five (Hero, Villain and three other Minister’s) must be temporarily removed from the day-to-day decision making.
Life Threatening Situation 3: After hours, the Hero goes on the hunt for incriminating evidence and finds it. Only it’s sabotaged with poison.
Life Threatening Situation 4: The Villain breaks into her home and tampers with her cameras and her robot so he can watch her.
Twist – Someone changes sides
® Twist 4: Direction: The three other committee members are supposed to be neutral.
Twist: Two of them side with the Villain.
MID-POINT:
Villain’s PLAN 2: Suggests the Hero to step away from the investigation, as she is ill. And that he’s falling for her. He wants to take it to the next level to help her recover. She declines.
Mystery 3: Is the Hero the murderer?
Villain’s PLAN 3: Has a secret team of killers who live outside the glass society.
Life Threatening Situation 5: The Villain has these killers attack her and try to kidnap her.
Twist – We see an unexpected side of someone.
® Twist 5: Direction: The Hero helped build a transparent, safe, civilized society.
Twist: She becomes Black Widow when she’s attacked.
TURNING POINT 2:
The investigating committee confronts a high-ranking official (the red herring) who warns them to stop digging. Their investigation is gaining attention, and they find themselves under increased scrutiny and suggestions the Hero’s the murderer.
Life Threatening Situation 6: Betrayal as she discovers her robot and cameras are compromised.
The Hero turns to an ally living outside the glass society to go undercover for her. He has the antidote for the poison.
Life Threatening Situation 7: His cover is blown and they barely escape with their lives.
Twist – A lie is uncovered.
® Twist 6: Direction: The Hero and her ally did not know who they were fighting.
Twist: They discover it’s the Villain and his plan for world domination.
® Life Threatening Situation 8: They plan to reveal him to the entire society. (NEW)
CLIMAX:
Villain’s PLAN 4: Makes a motion to have the Hero placed on leave and himself deemed Administrator.
The Hero convenes a Minister meeting to unveil the evidence she has collected, naming the Villain as the mastermind. The public watches with anticipation as the truth about the glass societies corruption surfaces. The citizen’s riot.
Life Threatening Situation 9: The Villain pulls a gun and shoots her and several others before he is restrained.
Twist – A trust is violated.
® Twist 7: Direction: The Hero is ready to deliver her report.
Twist: The Villain reveals his true self.
RESOLUTION:
Order is restored and significant changes to the glass society is undertaken.
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Kelly’s Plot Twist and Turns
What I learned…I learned to think in the direction that the character and stoy is taking and then change that direction by adding a twist. Before I would think in moments that I thought would be cool but not thinking about what direction the story or character was going.
Opening: We meet Avery, an agoraphobic hacker who rarely leaves her apartment. She’s introverted and scared of the outside world due to a traumatic past. We see her daily life, focused on her computer and isolated from society.
Villains Plan 1: Use MindHack system to hack partner Connor
Villains Plan 2: Get Connor to identify ordinary social media users who are good citizens.
Villain’s Plan 3: Get Connor to create a terrorist group and lead them.
Villains Plan 4: Unleash mind hacking algorithm
Inciting Incident: Avery’s brother, the only person she cares about, is arrested for attempted murder. She begins doing research.
Mystery 1: Who was her brother talking to online?
Mystery 2 Who is this soccer mom lady?
Direction: Avery’s brother is arrested, and she begins to investigate his case.
Twist: Avery discovers that her brother was communicating online with someone using the alias “Greystorm,” but she can’t decipher their true identity.
Life Threatening 1:She has social anxiety and has to leave the house.
Direction: Avery gathers information about the organization while confronting her agoraphobia to leave her apartment.
Twist: She uncovers a soccer mom, seemingly ordinary, who appears to have a suspiciously close online connection to her brother, creating a mystery about her involvement.
Life Threatening 2: She tries to talk with one of the users’ families but the police come.
Villain’s Plan 5: Have the group commit various terrorist acts.
Act 1 Turning Point: Avery makes the decision to leave her apartment for the first time in years. She ventures into the outside world to gather information
Direction: Avery decides to go off the grid to stay hidden during her investigation.
Twist: As she ventures into the outside world, Avery finds herself targeted by a mysterious figure who seems to be tracking her movements, creating a life-threatening situation.
Mystery 3: Who is this Greystorm character?
Direction: Avery confronts the journalist, believing they have vital information about her brother’s case.
Twist: The journalist initially appears to be a helpful source of information, but Avery later discovers that the journalist has unwittingly become involved with the mind hacking system, putting her at risk.
Mystery 4: What is this group planning?
Life Threatening 3: She tries to talk with one of the users but he tries to kill her.
Life Threatening 4: She tries to talk with one of the users but he tries to kill her.
Life Threatening 5: House broken into and she has to leave her house.
Life Threatening 6: Patrons at the coffee shop turn on her.
Villain’s Plan 6: Kill anyone that gets in the way.
Midpoint: Avery’s investigation uncovers the extent of the mind hacking system’s influence and its connection to a powerful figure, Bennet, who seems to be behind it all. She realizes that her own life is in danger.
Life Threatening 7: Police arrest her.
Mystery 5: Who is unleashing this code?
Mystery 6: Is Connor the leader?RED HERRING
Life Threatening 8: Her mind gets hacked.
Life Threatening 9: She buys an AR 15 and goes to kill a crowd of people at the mall.
Mystery 7: Who is really behind this?
Life Threatening 10: Tight Surveillance
Life Threatening 11:Being chased by Villain’s thugs
Act 2 Turning Point: Avery narrowly escapes an attempt on her life by Bennet’s henchmen, confirming that she’s onto something big. She decides to go off the grid, using her hacking skills to stay hidden while she digs deeper into the conspiracy.
Climax: Avery finally confronts Bennet in a high-stakes showdown, where they engage in a tense battle of wits and technology. As she exposes the mind hacking system’s secrets to the world, she faces her greatest fear head-on, outside her comfort zone.
Direction: Avery’s captivity reveals the organization’s sinister nature.
Twist: She deciphers that her brother was being groomed by the organization to identify ordinary social media users who could be manipulated, adding another layer to the villain’s plan and intensifying the mystery.
Direction: Avery manages to escape from her captors.
Twist: She finds evidence that the mind hacking system, which she initially believed was just used for manipulation, can be weaponized to unleash a devastating algorithm, increasing the stakes and danger.
Act 3: Overcoming Fear for Justice
Direction: Avery joins forces with a hacker group to expose the mind hacking system.
Twist: The leader of the hacker group is revealed to be an undercover operative for the villains, betraying Avery and putting her in a life-threatening situation.
Direction: Avery arranges a meeting with the hackers, believing they have a plan to dismantle the system.
Twist: The meeting is infiltrated by law enforcement, creating a life-threatening standoff that forces Avery to reveal her hacking skills to escape capture.
Direction: Avery discovers that her actions have inadvertently put her loved ones in danger.
Twist: She receives a coded message from her brother, revealing that he had been forced into creating a terrorist group, adding a layer of complexity to the villain’s plan and her mission.
Direction: Avery receives evidence that could expose the masterminds behind the mind hacking system.
Twist: Just as she is about to reveal the evidence, she is confronted by an unexpected ally—a reformed, former antagonist—who provides crucial information to bring the villains to justice.
These adjustments ensure that the journalist’s involvement is not revealed as early, aligning with the progression of the story and the threat posed by the villains.
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Jamie Stegner — Twists
Concept: To compel her runaway brats to return home, nasty Mother dies. And to keep them home forever she hides a fortune in cash for them to fight over – fight to the death.
Structure: 3 Acts. Contained horror/thriller feature
OPENING: Lure us into the story and
introduce the lead character [villain]
in action.
Twist:
Mother dresses for a party. She struts down the stairs to greet her
guests, but the house is empty and dark. She’s alone and no one is coming.MOTHER in red dress and
diamonds. Struts thru the dark
empty house. She speaks to the life-size portrait, declaring her
intentions.
Villain’s plan:
She wants her children home and to stay forever with her in the
house as ghosts.
<b class=””>Twist: Dressed for a party, Mother
lays down on her bed and dies.<b class=””>
INCITING INCIDENT: An event that propels the Hero on
the Journey. Mother dies. Villain’s
plan: She dies – causing the estranged
children to come home for burial and estate closing.Hero’s Life Threatening = After the simple burial, Susan (S) drives to the house, feels ominous. Many warnings: birds, trees, dark clouds swirl.
Mystery: She explains to her husband why she has kept the existence of Mother and Brother (B) secret all these years. And revealed now only because they need any money they can get from the estate.
Life Threatening: Brother is treacherous. Goals: survive the weekend. ‘Don’t let this change us’ = risking her loving family relationships, her life-line to sanity.
Isolated house. Grounds have grown wild. Driveway rutted.
Tall dark weather-beaten house, in disrepair – what hazards?
Over sized chimney up one side. What is that for?
Crows caw a warning.
Twist (surprise): S is relieved that she and her husband arrive at the house first (there is no other car). But B is inside and blocks the door.
Life threatening: Brother blocks the door with his foot. Glares hostility at her. She expects it and pushes back.
Mystery: Dark stain in the floorboards below where chandelier fell. The pulley is still in the second floor ceiling. Brother warns with a grin.
Life Threatening: Many guns in various displays. Other weapons and taxidermized animals.
Life Threatening: S to kitchen. All knives are out and point directly at her. Twist: A minute later her husband goes to kitchen and all knives are in their places. How did (assumed) brother get them put away so fast??
Life Threatening: Wendy comes in from the store and sees ghost of Mother standing over S with the ax from firewood pile poised over S head, ready to strike her dead. Wendy picks up a gun and fires at the ghost, nearly hitting S. Ghost vanishes and W is astonished.
They decide to burn all guns. S & W gather the guns. H builds a fire in LR fireplace.
Life Threatening: S upstairs. B is in his room whittling a sharp tip on a long stick. Refuses to surrender his guns.
At top of stairs, S feels pushed and starts to fall. All guns fall and tumble all the way to the bottom – weird. Cut banister doesn’t give way this time.
Remove ammunition and throw all guns in the fire.
Mystery: S explains to H the violent criminal family history of the people in the portrait above the mantle. She mentions the witchcraft and burning at the stake.
Villain’s Plan: Lunch: all four sit around the table. Friction, life-long hostility between S & B, generated by Mother, is renewed.
TURNING POINT 1: A major twist that locks the
hero into the conflict. Find the $10MM bank papers. S and
husband decide to stay in the house and find the cash. Point of no return: Cancel the motel reservation and stay
in the house. Hero’s big
mistake.Villain’s Plan: Mother created false bank statements indicating 10MM cash was withdrawn. She left this in the house for her children to find.
S goes thru the old, apparently, unopened mail in boxes stuck in corner of dining room.
She remembers sadistic Mother birthday cake scene and moves to another chair.
Mother’s Lure: She finds 10 withdrawals and deposit from life insurance company. MYSTERY: WHERE IS THE CASH??? H comes in she tells him about the bank statements. They will stay in the house and look for the cash.
They cancel the motel = POINT OF NO RETURN. THE BIG MISTAKE.
B overhears ( from kitchen) and feels slighted by S. [be sure rivalry between S& B is well set up] He’s sooo angry!!
(back stairs) B Tells his wife to find the cash and not tell S&H.
From upstairs railing, B eavesdrops on S & H, B imagines he swoops down and rips their throats out – he wants to be a vampire – powerful. He slides down the banister and slips into the basement. Black.
————————- end of Act 1 —————————–
Mystery: Act 2 begins big with Father falling thru the ceiling. – a torment for W perpetrated by Mother. Twist / Surprise: missing Father’s corpse falls thru the ceiling. Shifts focus temporarily away from finding cash. Life insurance is the source of the cash.
Life Threatening: S&B accuse each other of being involved in Father’s death.
B furious about the life insurance. “You weren’t going to tell me!”
S & B screaming fight in dining room.
Life Threatening of Marriage: Spouses H & W retreat outside to the veranda. Wendy entices H. Maybe a chance to get away from B. H is attracted to her. Good conversation.
Mystery: Back inside discuss what to do with Father’s corpse. Burn or Bury? Risky to trust all 4 to not tell police. Not to involve police as will delay settling the estate.
H build cozy fire in LR. All gather. S brings whiskey and 4 glasses.
All four sit quietly after a long day.
Life Threatening Marriage: What S wants most of all is H’s love. S noticed that H is attracted to W; S has tears in the dark.
Mystery: Great Grandmother steps down from portrait – to kitchen – throws knives – S dreams.
Life Threatening: In a.m. S finds knives thrown into the wall. When H to kit knives are all put away – she feels crazy.
Mystery: Closet search uncovers mutilated toys from childhood.
Life Threatening Marriage: H & W rush off to the store leaving S there alone with B.
Villain Plan: Mother torments B and B torments S.
Villain’s Plan: Mother
bought a long (30ft) slim rope and stashed it in the pantry where one of
them would find it. It fits thru the pulley in the hall ceiling. B finds it. It’s colored like a
poisonous snake.S escapes to the attic. Father caught in squirrel trap and froze and dried out. Mother’s ghost laughs – she heard him calling for help but turned down the furnace instead. S releases the corpse from the trap so it continues to fall into the bedroom below.
Villain’s Plan: Mother torments S and encourages rivalry with B.
Twist & Mystery: S finds newspaper article about a kidnapped girl age 4 – it could be her.
S retreats to her bedroom and prepares to leave.
Life Threatening Marriage: H returns from store – they got stuck and walked back in the rain – change clothes. S upset about his attraction to W. Difficult conversation.
Villain’s Plan: B & H to basement in search of cash. Mother’s set up the trap before she died: B finds a small amount $$ on top of a bear trap ready to spring. He’s cautious and leaves it as he finds it – ready to spring on someone else !! He prepares a gag to stifle any calls for help.
Life Threatening Marriage: S & W go thru the kitchen for cash and something for lunch. S warns W to stay away from H. W agrees (lies).
Life Threatening: They discuss how treacherous B is. W knows he’ll kill her someday.
Villain’s Plan: S agrees to help her. “He’s a killer, he needs killing.” S knows it’s risky to trust W.
MIDPOINT: (A major revelation. The opposition
is 10 times worse than thought.)· Lunch: the four sit around the dining room table. Susan and Brian across: bristle with hostility. Villain’s Plan: Life Threatening: Silently S & B Declare war.
· Life Threatening Marriage: Howard and Wendy across regret they didn’t get away; S furious but will deal with that later.
· H & B friendly. Throws S off. She doesn’t protect H from B.
· Villain’s Plan: Life Threatening Marriage: Brian and Howard return to the basement and Brian springs the bear trap on Howard, gagging him. Howard’s arm bleeds badly until he passes out.
· Villain’s Plan: Meanwhile the women have cleaned up the lunch (kitchen ) and started to plan the death of Brian. They go upstairs and in the bedroom notice the oil lamp close to the bed – they see how it could fall in and start a fire killing anyone asleep in the bed. They will help him sleep soundly with Wendy’s pills in the whiskey. Tonight, before he can kill them.
· Brian leaves H unconscious in the basement to bleed out. He burns the gag in the living room fireplace. Mystery and Villain’s Plan: B goes thru the room looking for cash.
· Mystery: Under one rug he uncovers Grandmother’s witches circle and chuckles.
· Mystery, Life Threatening: S & W upstairs: Where would Brian put the cash he found? In the room with Father’s corpse. Susan has the nerve to check, while Wendy watches in the hallway. Life Threatening: Susan is startled by a hangman’s noose in a long slim rope – looks like a poisonous snake. She’s so startled by it she doesn’t think to take it to the fireplace or cut it up into small pieces.
· They rush out of there and retreat downstairs to the kitchen. ‘Just a cup of tea.’
· Villain’s plan: Secretly they crush the pills; Susan delivers to the open bottle of whiskey in the living room. Cautious – leave no evidence for police. “We need to burn that rope.”
· Villain’s plan; Life Threatening: Meanwhile B goes upstairs and sets up his hangman’s noose in the pulley.
· The women take tea into the dining room where the old bank papers are still in piles. Ten million is a ridiculous amount of life insurance. Susan looks carefully at the papers.
· Villain’s Plan: They are forged. All fraud. There’s no money. Typical Mother trick. Susan is furious at herself for falling for it.
· TERROR: Where’s Howard? ! They haven’t seen the men since lunch. Susan runs into the basement calling. She finds Howard almost dead, stops the bleeding and tries to revive him. He’s too heavy for her to move. She needs to get him to medical help.
· Life Threatening: Calling for Wendy to help; none! she gets no reply. Frustrated, Susan goes up stairs to get Wendy.
· TERROR: Wendy is hanging from the hangman’s noose run through the pulley in the ceiling.
· Susan sinks to her knees in despair of helping Howard – the most important thing to her. She cannot lose Howard.
TURNING POINT 2: Major setback. The
lowest of the low. HOWARD BLEEDING OUT. Wendy hanged. ALL
IS LOST. [ “Not Howard. Not
Howard.” [Howard had sympathy and empathy for Brian. Wanted to help heal
the conflict. H was a sincere friend to B. B had pretended to be friends
with H. ] Heart wrenching: S didn’t
protect H from B; she knew better.———————————- end of Act 2 —————————————–
CLIMAX: The ultimate
expression of the main conflict (Mother’s orchestrated hatred between S
& B). Susan races up the stairs to kill Brian – she has no
weapon only her rage and her justification that he needs killing. Brian defends himself with his rifle.· Suddenly Susan is energized. She rises up. Follows the rope to where Brian is standing at the banister upstairs. She charges up the stairs intent on killing him, freeing Wendy, and getting Howard to the car.
· Brian sees her coming and ducks into his room to retrieve the gun over his door. He comes to the top of the stairs just as Susan does and shoots her full in the chest. She flies over backwards and falls and falls until she crashes on the stairs and tumbles to the bottom.
· Villain’s Plan: Brian stands at the top of the stairs and laughs at his victory. He scurries down the back stairs into the living room.
· Life Threatening for Brian: Villain’s Plan: There’s the whiskey left from last night and his glass on the table. He pours the whiskey and gulps. Pours again and collapses into the chair by the fire, drinking. “It’s all mine now.”
Villain’s Plan victorious:
· Mother’s ghost stands at the top of the stairs. She laughs. She shimmies and prances down the stairs. She kicks S.
· Mother dances and laughs. She pours whiskey for the couple in the portrait.
· She kicks B.
· “It’s so nice to have the house full of family again,” as she brings a glass of whiskey upstairs to Father.
· The storm passes. The Sun sets and the full moon rises.
Twist: H lives.
Howard climbs up from the basement – barely alive. He finds Wendy
and Susan dead. Can he get his phone out of his pocket? Call – any power? It’s ringing at 911. He sobs, sitting on the stairs next to
Susan.The End.
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Tim Barley’s Twists and Turns
What I learned form doing this assignment is that I have a lot of twists (and turns) already, but figuring out more has actually led to me streamlining my idea, that in my head had gotten wildly out of control.
Travel By Night new outline
Act I – Setup:
Inciting incident:
THREATS:
– The Courier is given a short-notice, expedited delivery in short timeframe due to other drivers “not being available”
Twist 1 (Lost their resources): The Courier arrives at his base of operations expecting to be on his way immediately, only to find that his transportation has been sabotaged by someone with firsthand knowledge of his life.
– From the very moment he is tasked with the delivery, he has the feeling of being watched as he is being watched
MYSTERY:
– Dispatch casually mentions that The Courier wasn’t the first choice, suggesting it was due to availability or skill set.
Twist 2 (Something planned for doesn’t happen): The Courier expects to pick up a simple package (documents, illicit/stolen goods, etc., but finds only a smooth, steel box with one opening for a key and the number “017” etched on the top.
Twist 3 : He’s also the “standard timeframe to deliver,” but Dispatch informs him it must be cross country in a much shorter time, which may result in his loss of privileges
– The package is a metal box with no markings save the numbers “017” etched into the metal, a triangle key hole.
– False allies in the form of fellow couriers and other “night travelers” who at first appear to be genuinely helpful, but may be trying to hinder or steal the package.
– Where is everyone? Why can’t he contact some of his connections?
Twist 4 (a new problem occurs): He meets Astra, asking for information, and then <font face=”inherit”>he’s forced to take Astra along with him.
VILLAIN’S PLAN:
Sabotage: The courier’s main vehicle is sabotaged that isn’t a quick repair (someone knew how to hamstring his transport run effectively), and he’s forced to use his backup, which is less secure and less well-equipped.
Turning point:
THREATS:
– The Courier’s primary vehicle is damaged/sabotaged, putting him in a less-than-ideal backup vehicle that doesn’t have the known/unseen safety features necessary for a clandestine trip through the Night Authority.
MYSTERY:
– Discovery of sabotage elements (it’s not a regular malfunction). Clues hinting at insider knowledge of the courier’s vehicle – where it was stored and how to disable it.
– Night Authority – may be infiltrated by Nocturne’s influence to stop The Courier (also regular authorities – Highway Patrols, sheriffs, etc. – may be turned as wellTwist 5 (New consequences emerge): He’s expecting to move along quickly and quietly and not attract attention, but with his backup vehicle he is finding it harder to move without proper “identification”
– Denizens – night denizens, creatures of night myth, usually uninterested in the goings-on of the Night World, suddenly come out of the literal dark to try get the package
VILLAIN’S PLAN:
False Allies: Our hero meets a “Fellow Courier” who seems helpful but has been turned by Nocturne to hinder The Courier.
First Run-In with Authorities: Unknown law enforcement tries to pull him over, against “the rules” of the night transport kingdom. He evades, but realizes the forces against him are more organized and potent than he thought.
Act II – Confrontation:
Rising action:
THREATS:
– Additional physical danger is added when he is confronted by thugs and authorities – both real and Night Authority agents
Twist 6: (we see an unexpected side of someone): needing to get off the road and get a fake passport and car sigil, Astra reveals herself to be quite capable of getting to and into Bazaar – the Night Authority market for everything
– Nocturne has hired other couriers that know The Courier to track him and chase him down, including The Night Authority rogue agents that are looking to stop him
– A trip to Bazaar for parts and information leads to trouble
MYSTERY:
– Introduction of seemingly helpful characters Astra, Griffin and other couriers.
– – Inexplicable failures or setbacks while they’re around, especially Griffin, a great mechanic who knows The Courier the longest/most.
– Griffin offers to take the route, noticing The Courier is using his secondary vehicle.
Midpoint:
THREATS:
– A close ally springs a trap on The Courier by Luring The Courier and Astra into a dangerous situation.
Twist 7 (It just got more dangerous): an old close ally springs a trap with the assistance of rogue agents in the Night Authority
MYSTERY:
– Strange encounters with mythic creatures, normally no interaction.
Turning point two
THREATS:
– The Courier is picked up and has to be rescued by an Astra, putting her in Danger, and putting her in a situation where she may be injured or possibly die
Twist 8 (the worst possible thing happens): Seemingly in the clear and making up time, they are suddenly picked up by “regular” law enforcement on a tip from someone
– If he doesn’t complete the task, he becomes an delivery agent that is “less than” and unhireable
MYSTERY:
– The Future Key – presented by Nocturne himself who near the end, while never showing his face to us, alludes that he is the future self, giving The Courier the key to open it and stop what will happen
– The discovery that it’s an aged version of a key the Courier already owns.
– The realization that his own key doesn’t work on the package lock.
VILLAIN’S PLAN:
Mythic Denizens Encounter: Night denizens approach The Courier interested in what he has in his car. This is unusual and can only the work of someone who told them what was in the package.
Act III – Resolution:
Pre climax
THREATS:
– The Courier’s closeness to the villain (the same person, or at least that is what Nocturne says) makes him susceptible to future knowledge that can be used against him.
MYSTERY:
Climax
Twist 9: (new options emerge): the code is you never look in the package, but Nocturne offers up a key that will open the package
Twist 10: (secret identity uncovered): Nocturne is The Courier… or is he?
THREATS:
– The danger that the package presents is a big unknown that has put him into a tough situation, as Nocturne offers up a key that he says can unlock it so he can see why he shouldn’t make the delivery – putting The Courier at odds with The Code.
MYSTERY:
– What’s in the box?
VILLAIN’S PLAN:
Final Confrontation with Nocturne (Climax): An elaborate chase ends in a standoff where Nocturne reveals that he is a future version of the Courier, hinting that delivery of the package is a mistake. Leaving The Courier with doubt.
Conclusion
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This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by Timothy Barley.
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This reply was modified 1 year, 9 months ago by
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MICHAEL L HARRIS’s Twists and Turns
What I learned is that something I didn’t think were twists are and that I didn’t recognize others as being twists. I also learned that more can be added.
List out your structure using whatever structure you are comfortable
with.Opening: A young boy (Simon) asleep behind a sofa tosses as images flash in his mind.
· Life Threatening # 1 – Simon’s dreams or visions are turbulent; he sees his foster mother kill his foster father with a knife.
· Mystery # 1 – Who is this boy?
· Mystery # 2 – Are shades dreams shades of the past, visons of the future or a psychotic episode?
· Mystery # 3 – A button drops at the foot of a casket and a woman’s face. What’s that all about? And who is she?
Inciting Incident: Simon awakens to a heated argument between his foster parents, and believes his vision of an impending murder to be true. On the way to school he calls his case worker and asks to be removed from the home.
· Life Threatening # 2 – Caught in the middle of his foster parents argument he has a plate thrown at him and witnesses a death threat to his foster father.
· Mystery # 4 – Is Simon’s vision real? Will Mrs. Malbree, the foster mother real follow through and kill her husband?
· Mystery # 5 – Why does Simon steal a cell phone on his way out of the house?
· Mystery # 6 – Will Simon be placed in a new home? What will that look like, previous homes have not been good.
· Life Threatening # 3 – Simon steps in front of Elise’s car. She has to break hard to avoid hitting him.
· Mystery # 7 – Why does Simon meet Elise at the cemetery?
· Mystery # 8 – What’s up with the button?
· Twist # 1 – Elise meets Kevin at a restaurant where he has planned an elaborate wedding proposal, but she surprises him first by announcing that she is getting her first foster child, “tomorrow.”
· New Direction: Kevin expects to propose and instead finds himself competing. Elise withdraws even more.
· Mystery # 8a – Will Kevin accept a foster child into his relationship with Elise?
· Twist # 2 – Elise expects to be getting a girl foster child and instead gets Simon.
· New Direction: Elise had expected a girl child, all the preparations were for a girl and most importantly her mindset was for getting a girl.
Turning Point 1: Simon “sees” the man who knows what became of him mother.
· Villain’s Plan # 1 – After losing his wife in a car crash two years ago, Dr. Whitcombe a well-respected expert in organ transplantation vowed to keep his son alive by any means possible, including organ transplants and murder.
· Villain’s Plan # 2 – Whitcombe created a nursing facility for young patients with life threatening conditions. They are also a ready source of organs for his son who has since the accident been presumed dead.
· Villian’s Plan # 3 – Simon’s mother, Debra Daniels worked for Whitcombe prior to the accident. When she bulked at Whitcombe’s proposal to transplant one of Simon’s organs into Tommy (Whitcombe’s son) and threatened to go to the authorities, Whitcombe killed her.
· Villain’s Plan # 4 – Simon was there on the fatal night but escaped. Simon has recently “seen” Whitcombe in vision and knows he knows what happened to his mother.
· Mystery # 9 – Who is this man (Dr. Whitcombe) Simon “sees” in vision?
· Life Threatening # 4 – Does the man pose a danger to Simon?
· Mystery # 10 – Will Elise accept Simon’s visions as real and help him find the man?
· Life Threatening # 5 – Will Elise reject Simon and send him packing?
· Mystery # 11 – Where is the Building Simon saw and what is inside?
· Mystery # 12 – Why are the patients in “Tommy’s Hope” so young?
· Mystery # 13 – Who is Dr. Whitcombe?
· Villain’s Plan # 5 – When Simon shows up asking questions at the nursing home Whitcombe’s plan is threatened.
· Mystery # 14 – Why is Simon’s mother in a picture in Nurse Hanes office?
· Twist # 3 – Simon’s mom worked for Dr. Whitcombe.
· New Direction: Simon and Elise think they will find information about Whitcombe, which they do but it turns on them when they find that Simon’s mother was a part of the operation.
· Mystery # 15 – What secrets does the sub-basement hide?
· Life Threatening # 6 – Do the phantoms of the past pose a threat to Simon and Elise?
· Mystery # 16 – What was in the cooler Dr. Whitcombe passes to the courier?
· Life Threatening # 7 – Whitcombe seems intimidating even he appears to be congenial.
· Mystery # 17 – Why does being around Dr. Whitcombe feel so freaky?
Midpoint: Simon runs away forcing Elise to enter the journey.
· Twist # 5 – Simon runs away.
· New Direction: Having the child run away is totally unexpected and a big turn from the bonding she envisioned with fostering.
· Mystery # 18 – Where is Simon?
· Life Threatening # 7 – Did Simon disappear on his own?
· Life Threatening # 8 – Simon sees a vision of his mother floating underwater.
· Mystery # 19 – What is the mysterious car shaped image that appears in aerial photos of a pond on the Whitcombe property.
Turning Point 2: They get too close to Dr. Whitcombe’s big secret and are locked in a sub-basement to await their fate but instead seek a way out discovering more secrets.
Twist # 6 – Simon and Elise come looking for information about Simon’s mother and get locked in a basement.
New Direction: – From information gatherers and spies to captives.
· Villain’s Plan # 6 – When Simon and Elise return to the facility covertly they are caught and imprisoned in an old subbasement where Simon’s visions reveal the history of the facility and Debra’s fate.
· Life Threatening # 9 – Simon and Elise are locked in the Sub-basement to await their eventual fate. Whitcombe is willing to kill to protect his secret.
· Mystery # 20 – Is there a way out?
· Mystery # 21 – Why is Simon seeing so many dead bodies?
· Life Threatening # 10 – Do the bodies pose a threat to Simon and Elise or are they foreshadowing of things to come?
· Life Threatening # 11 – Simon sees the night his mother was killed.
· Mystery # 22 – Is there any evidence to prove Debra Daniels was there?
· Mystery # 23 – Where does the discovered tunnel lead?
· Life Threatening # 12 – A collapsing tunnel.
· Life Threatening # 13 – Rats
· Mystery # 24 – Will they survive the rats?
· Life Threatening # 14 – A henchman who is chancing them?
· Twist # 7 – It just got more dangerous.
· New Direction: Now not only are they trying to escape, they are trying not to get caught by the henchman.
· Mystery # 25 – Will they survive the henchman chancing after them?
· Twist # 8 – The tunnel leads to a dead end but…
· Twist # 9 – On the other side of the dead end is an operating room.
· New Direction: Now not only is Whitcombe Simon’s mother’s killer, he is also preying on innocent victims who come to him for help.
· Twist # 10 – Dr. Whitcombe’s private office reveals that he is Simon’s father.
· New Direction: Simon who wants to expose his mother’s killer must now find a way to absorb the fact that he is Whitcombe’s son.
· Villain’s Plan # 7 – As they are escaping Simon and Elise find Whitcombe’s private office in an adjoining building and in it news articles of successful and unsuccessful transplants with Whitcombe’s patients and Simon’s birth certificate revealing his real parentage.
· Life Threatening # 15 – Simon’s sense of identity is challenged when he learns who his father is.
· Mystery # 26 – What is the paper Simon finds in Dr. Whitcombe’s private office?
· Twist # 11 – It just got more dangerous.
· New Direction – We have gone from nefarious to black market.
· Villain’s Plan # 8 – Simon and Elise discover a young patient about to go under the knife and learn that Whitcombe’s nursing facility is a ready source of unwitting yet ready organ donors to finance his operation by selling “extra” organs on the black market.
· Life Threatening # 16 – Will Simon and Elise fall prey to the surgeon’s knife?
· Life Threatening # 17 – The knowledge that illegal activity is happening, others are in danger and they are unable to help.
· Mystery # 27 – What is the “operation” Whitcombe’s staff is prepping for in the basement of the mansion?
· Mystery # 28 – Is Tommy still alive?
Climax: The uncover Whitcombe’s final secret, Tommy is still alive, though barely. Caught a second time their fate is sealed. Can they escape? Yes, with a little help from Tommy.
· Twist # 12 – Tommy is still alive.
· New Direction – Whitcombe’s philanthropy is based on treachery.
· Twist # 13 – Dr. Whitcombe is using his nursing facility as an organ farm to keep Tommy alive and finance his efforts.
· Life Threatening # 18 -– Tommy is still alive.
· Villain’s Plan # 9 – Whitcombe’s end came is to keep Tommy alive and his patients are a ready source for needed replacement parts as Tommy’s organs increasingly fail.
· Life Threatening # 19 – Whitcombe’s order to kill them.
· Life Threatening # 20 – The reality of death before their eyes.
· Mystery # 29 – Will they escape from Whitcombe again?
· Twist # 14 – Simon risks his life to save Whitcombe.
· New Direction: Simon who wanted to expose Whitcombe now wants to save his father.
· Life Threatening # 21 – Weapons firing around him… Will the police kill Simon?
· Mystery # 30 – Will the police kill Dr. Whitcombe?
· Mystery # 31 – Will Elise keep Simon? Does he finally have a home?
Resolution: At the cemetery where they first met Simon and Elise stand over his mother’s grave. “We’re both orphans now!”; “Guess we’ll just have to take care of each other.” Kevin proposes and Simon sees another vision… the adventure may not be over yet.
· Life Threatening # 22 – The thought of being alone (Simon)
· Twist # 15 – Simon’s visions are not over… we can spin to the series…
· New Direction: Simon goes from a single visionary pursuing his own interests to a potential sloth, helping the death solve their mysteries.
· Mystery # 32 – What does Simon “see” at Tommy’s grave?
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Gisele Frazeur’s Twists & Turns / Assignment 9
What I learned doing this assignment is: As stated by Hal, I already had some twists and turns in my map. As stated by Hal, it is a natural byproduct of the process we have already done.
Twist 1: Something planned for doesn’t happen:
Direction: Hors d’oeuvres laced with toe is given to Livie by waiter.
Twist: Livie sneezes and puts plate down on adjacent table. Another guest picks up hors d’ oeuvres and commences choking on it.
Twist 2: It just got more dangerous.
Direction: Livie opens the door to let Pookie out to pee.
Twist: Armed assailants emerge from the home – – knocking Darin unconscious and shooting Livie.
Twist 3: A mistake returns to haunt them.
Direction: Darin arrives at her sister’s funeral to find paparazzi.
Twist: They inform her she is suspect – – that her juvie record has been leaked to the press – and ask why she killed her stepfather.
Twist 4: We see an unexpected side of someone.
Direction: Darin has gone to Leff-T’s house – – drunk and brandishing a firearm. She shoots at the exterior of his home and security cameras. She ultimately passes out outside of his house on the sidewalk.
Twist: Leff-T see this on the security camera and tells his security guard he will “take care of it.” He carries her in the house and puts her to bed, tucks her in, and gives Pookie a chew toy.
Twist 5: We see an unexpected side of someone.
Direction: Darin awakens at home after blackout at Leff-T’s the night before. She is in a blind panic. Does not know how she got there. Cup of piping hot coffee on table next to her. Is someone else in her home?
Twist: She finds a note left by Leff-T telling her to watch the news at 11AM. He has also left some dog toys for Pookie.
Direction: Darin puts on a sweater of Livie’s to comfort herself.
Twist: She finds the business card of a divorce attorney in the pocket.
Twist 7: Secret identity uncovered.
Direction: Hank tells his colleague he is going to meet with an informant.
Twist: The man waiting for him in the car is no informant. It is a drug lord. He has been blackmailing Hank.
Twist 8: The worst possible thing happens.
Direction: Darin has been throwing up. She thinks she has been withdrawing from alcohol.
Twist: She finds out she is pregnant with Hank’s child.
Twist 9: A new problem occurs.
Direction: Darin goes to restaurant to meet Dharma. Dharma has summoned her with the promise of useful intel.
Twist: Dharma is being wheeled out on a stretcher to an ambulance upon Darin’s arrival. She is informed Dharma (a recovering addict) has overdosed.
Twist 10: A trust is violated. A lie is uncovered.
Direction: After a falling out – – Darin goes to Hank’s house to make up with him. She brings booze, gets him drunk and snoops around his house.
Twist: He awakens thinking she is back under his control……only to discover there is iced tea in the booze bottle from which she had been drinking. He also discovers she went through his dirty laundry and has discovered the bloody sock.
Twist 11: It just got more dangerous. Secret identity uncovered.
Direction: Darin and Leff-T have agreed to meet at her house to share intel and formulate a gameplan.
Twist: She arrives to find Leff-T being held hostage by a crazed and drunken Hank.
Twist 12: New options emerge.
Direction: Leff-T attends awards ceremony with Darin’s baby girl (Livie) in tow.
Twist: Leff-T and Darin are now a couple. She kept Hank’s baby and is married to Leff-T.
Opening: Renowned perfumer Darin August attends an awards ceremony with her pregnant sister, Livie Sanford. The evening is rife with turmoil. Picketers block the entrance to the ceremonial hall. Darin receives threatening phone calls. At the reception someone chokes on an hors d’ oeuvres laced with a human toe which results in Darin performing an emergency tracheotomy on them. They are harassed again by protestors exiting the evening’s festivities.
Life threatening 1: Phone call to Darin.
Mystery 1: Who is making threats to Darin and why?
Mystery 2: Why are people protesting Darin at the awards?
Life threatening 2: Laced hors d’oeuvres.
Mystery 3: Who wants to harm Livie and why?
Mystery 4: Whose toe is the meatball laced with?
Twist 1: Something planned for doesn’t happen:
Direction: Hors d’oeuvres laced with toe is given to Livie by waiter.
Twist: Livie sneezes and puts plate down on adjacent table. Another guest picks up hors d’ oeuvres and commences choking on it.
Villains plan: To instill fear in Darin. To cast suspicion on Leff-T.
Inciting Incident: Upon returning home from the awards Darin is knocked unconscious and Livie is shot – -outside of Darin’s home.
Twist 2: It just got more dangerous.
Direction: Livie opens the door to let Pookie out to pee.
Twist: Armed assailants emerge from the home – – knocking Darin unconscious and shooting Livie.
Life threatening 3: Physical attack on Darin and Livie.
Mystery 5: Who is responsible for the attack?
Turning Point 1: While being treated at the hospital Darin learns of her pregnant sister’s death.
Mystery 6: Why would someone kill Livie?
Mystery 7: What is Leff-T’s beef with Darin – – and did he do it?
Villain’s plan 2: To send a message to Hank to keep in line and compliant “or else”.
Act 2: Darin investigates Leff-T – – the man she suspects of her sister’s murder. He is a gangster, gone rapper, gone televangelist. She turned down a commission to make a celebrity fragrance for him. He had called upon his followers and parishioners to boycott her fragrances and the perfume house she works for. In a downward spiral she resumes drinking (she is a recovering alcoholic) and begins a sexual relationship with Livie’s husband, Hank Sanford.
Twist 3: A mistake returns to haunt them.
Direction: Darin arrives at her sister’s funeral to find paparazzi.
Twist: They inform her she is suspect – – that her juvie record has been leaked to the press – and ask why she killed her stepfather.
Mystery 8: Darin’s mother makes reference to Darin having killed her husband at the funeral. What is the story here?
Mystery 9: How was Darin’s juvie record unsealed?
Mystery 10: Who leaked her juvie record to the press?
Life Threatening 4: Anonymous death threat mailed to Darin’s home.
Mystery11: Who sent it?
Mystery 12: Who wants her dead.
Mystery 13: Why has Hank really encouraged her to resume drinking – – as he knows she battles with alcoholism?
Mystery14: Why would Hank have sex with his recently deceased, pregnant wife’s sister? Seems ice cold and heartless.
Life threatening 5: Someone is surveilling Darin.
Mystery 15: Who leaked photos of her drunk to the press and her boss?
Villain’s plan 3: To keep Darin off balance – therefore malleable and manipulatable.
Turning Point 2: Leff-T is cleared as a suspect.
Twist 4: We see an unexpected side of someone.
Direction: Darin has gone to Leff-T’s house – – drunk and brandishing a firearm. She shoots at the exterior of his home and security cameras. She ultimately passes out outside of his house on the sidewalk.
Twist: Leff-T see this on the security camera and tells his security guard he will “take care of it.” He carries her in the house and puts her to bed, tucks her in, and gives Pookie a chew toy.
Twist 5: We see an unexpected side of someone.
Direction: Darin awakens at home after blackout at Leff-T’s the night before. She is in a blind panic. Does not know how she got there. Cup of piping hot coffee on table next to her. Is someone else in her home?
Twist: She finds a note left by Leff-T telling her to watch the news at 11AM. He has also left some dog toys for Pookie. She watches the news conference. Leff-T has been cleared as a suspect. He gives a public apology to Darin for the boycott and asks his followers to stand down.
Life threatening 6: the real killer is still out there.
Mystery 16: Who is the real killer?
Act 3: Darin gets back on the wagon. After receiving intel from Leff-T indicating suspicious activity on the part of her narcotics officer brother-in-law, Hank Sanford, she begins investigating Hank. She enlists the aid of her friend, Dharma to aid in the investigation.
Mystery 17: What is Pookie – – Hank’s retired narcotics dog – – attempting to communicate to Darin?
Mystery 18: Why is Hank so vehemently opposed to Darin’s burgeoning friendship with Leff-T – even though Leff-T has been cleared?
Twist 6: A lie is uncovered.
Direction: Darin puts on a sweater of Livie’s to comfort herself.
Twist: She finds the business card of a divorce attorney in the pocket.
Life Threatening 7: Some leaves poison out for Pookie.
Mystery 19: What does Pookie know that has someone gunning for her?
Mystery 20: Who is behind trying to poison Pookie?
Life Threatening 8: Officer who has agreed to meet with Darin and Dharma to discuss circumstances of Pookie’s failed drug bust and subsequent termination – – is murdered.
Mystery 21: Who killed the narcotic’s officer and why?
Mystery 22: What has Pookie so agitated when Darin and Dharma run scenting tests on her?
Twist 7: Secret identity uncovered.
Direction: Hank tells his colleague he is going to meet with an informant.
Twist: The man waiting for him in the car is no informant. It is a drug lord. He has been blackmailing Hank.
Twist 8: The worst possible thing happens.
Direction: Darin has been throwing up. She thinks she has been withdrawing from alcohol.
Twist: She finds out she is pregnant with Hank’s child
Villain’s plan 4: To keep Darin off his scent.
Turning Point 3: Dharma has requested a meet-up with Darin because she has important intel to share. She overdoses at the restaurant while waiting for Darin to show.
Life threatening 9: Dharma being overdosed.
Mystery 23: who overdosed Dharma and why?
Twist 9: A new problem occurs.
Direction: Darin goes to restaurant to meet Dharma. Dharma has summoned her with the promise of useful intel.
Twist: Dharma is being wheeled out on a stretcher to an ambulance upon Darin’s arrival. She is informed Dharma (a recovering addict) has overdosed.
Villain’s plan 6: To keep Darin from learning the truth of his guilt.
Act 4: Darin figures it out.
Mystery 24: Why does Hank sleep with his socks on?
Mystery 25: What is it about violets that makes Pookie go Berserk?
Twist 10: A trust is violated. A lie is uncovered.
Direction: After a falling out – – Darin goes to Hank’s house to make up with him. She brings booze, gets him drunk and snoops around his house.
Twist: He awakens thinking she is back under his control……only to discover there is iced tea in the booze bottle from which she had been drinking. He also discovers she went through his dirty laundry and has discovered the bloody sock.
Climax: Darin confronts Hank with what she knows about him using scientific information he has been gleaning from her to make his narcotics dog fail to scent contraband at potential drug busts. Leff-T has been kidnapped by Hank. Darin buys them time by confessing she is pregnant with Hank’s child. Hank confesses everything. A shoot out ensues. Hank is shot by Leff-T.
Life threatening 10: Hank’s new dog scents drugs at a bust. The fake deterrent Darin fed him didn’t work. The drug lord will kill him now. He prepares to go on the run. First, he must take Darin out.
Life threatening 11: Hank finds Leff-T at Darin’s house. Holds him hostage. Uses him as bait to get Darin.
Mystery 26: What was Hanks role in Livie’s death?
Life threatening 11: Hank prepares to kill Darin.
Life threatening 12: Hank pushes Leff-t – – who is tied to a chair – – in the pool to drown.
Twist 11: It just got more dangerous. Secret identity uncovered.
Direction: Darin and Leff-T have agreed to meet at her house to share intel and formulate a gameplan.
Twist: She arrives to find Leff-T being held hostage by a crazed and drunken Hank.
Villain’s plan 7: To escape the drug lords coming to kill him. To tie up loose ends.
Resolution: Leff-T, Darin’s baby, and Dharma attend the FiFi Awards (perfume industry) with Darin. She dedicates her award to her deceased sister and informs the audience of newest release: a fragrance created for Leff-T’s non-for-profit benefiting reformed gang members and their families.
Direction: Leff-T attends awards ceremony with Darin’s baby girl (Livie) in tow.
Twist: Leff-T and Darin are now a couple. She kept Hank’s baby and is married to Leff-T.
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Existing and new Plot twists identified/added in bold
Title: Neural Nemesis
Act 1: The Set Up
Introduction:
We meet David Stratton, on his last assignment before retirement, showcasing his extraordinary combat abilities, sharp reflexes, and covert actions.
After a successful operation, he has a small celebration of his retirement with colleagues and friends where he goes drinking for the first time in years.
Inciting Incident:
Stratton wakes up in the morning, feeling different. He tries to perform some combat moves he’s known for years but fumbles (plot twist).
He discovers a scar on the back of his neck – indicating that something has been done to him while he was asleep (plot twist).
He notices the date, realizes that he has been unconscious for two days. He calls a colleague to confirm it has been two days since they last spoke at the party (plot twist).
Tech Mystery: He discovers a discarded part of the memory extraction device tech under his bed (although he doesn’t know what it is yet). It’s intricate and obviously a part of a more significant apparatus.
Act 1 Turning Point 1:
Tech Mystery: Determined, Stratton starts his search for answers. He breaks into a former agency contact and traces the equipment to Dr. Verne, a neuroscientist known for his cutting-edge research on memory and muscle reflexes, had disappeared months ago. Rumors had surfaced that he was working on a revolutionary project, but details were scarce. This device appears to be able to transfer skills from one person to another.
The Big Secret: Stratton believes the culprit is stealing abilities for wealth and power.
Stratton decides he needs his abilities back and returns to the spy agency.
Act 2
The Financier (Red Herring): A mysterious billionaire suspected of financing the evil organization. He has been funding several covert projects and is very secretive about them. David uncovers monetary ties between the Financier and Dr Verne believed to be behind the technology.
Stratton begins assembling a team of old friends and allies, each with their own set of skills. They devise a plan to recover the device from the Financier but must first trace his steps.
Suspense: Unreliable Allies: Not everyone in his inner circle believes he can overcome this setback. Doubts, internal conflicts, and reluctance to help come from superiors he once trusted.
Intrigue: They follow the breadcrumbs to elite individuals & prodigies who have disappeared. Fake reports and social media postings are published to justify their disappearance.
Red Herring: They infiltrating secretive high-profile event hosted by the Financier. It’s a black market event where illegal and experimental high tech is for sale. There is also a cage fight showcasing the newly acquired skills of the rogue Agent (Alex) where he easily kills other fighters (plot twist).
Suspense: Lured into a Dangerous Situation: A deceptive invite promises a way to restore lost abilities, leading him into a trap where he narrowly escapes. The Villain orchestrates a direct confrontation by putting him in the cage fight with the rogue agent in order to gloat and showcase the rogue agent’s skills, and demoralize the protagonist further (plot twist).
We discover that Stratton had once trained Alex and he was presumed dead (plot twist) after a botched operation years ago (Plot twist).
Red Herring: Evidence found in the Financier’s office seems to hint at knowledge of the extraction plots. The Financier is discovered to have been present where the extraction incidents occurred.
Intrigue: Other elites are involved in accidents and their sustained injuries are being treated at a fake rehabilitation centre for elites funded by the Financier. The fake rehabilitation centre, becomes the new obsession among the elites.
They go to interview a potential witness to one of the elite disappearing.
Suspense: They encounter rogue agents enhanced with stolen abilities led by Alex (the rogue agent) who worked closely with David who has been sent to deal with the witness.
Suspense: Technological Manipulation: As he relies more on technology to compensate for his lost skills, the Villain hacks or tampers with his equipment.
Suspense: Memory Lapses: Stratton starts experiencing sudden and unexpected memory lapses at the worst time (plot twist). Names, places, even faces – essential details vanish, making his mission incredibly challenging.
Suspense: Without his elite skills, even average thugs or lower-level agents can give him a hard time. This becomes evident when he barely escapes from a pursuit, which would have been easy for him previously
Professional Humiliation: As he stumbles and fumbles due to his lost skills he thereby loses a key potential witness who dies because he could not protect them (plot twist). He is reprimanded by his own superiors in his spy organization. His once legendary reputation is tarnished.
Suspense: Demand to Stop Pursuing the Mystery: He’s detained by local authorities, while trying to get away from the rogue agent. His former agency, seeing his compromised state, demands he stop the investigation, declaring it ‘above his current pay grade’ (plot twist).
The Tech Mystery: Stratton, utilizing his connections and skills, finds that Dr. Verne might be held in a secret facility underneath the rehabilitation centre. A high-risk mission ensues to locate and hopefully rescue him.
Suspense: Stratton has a direct run in with Alex who uses Stratton’s own moves against him and is vastly outmatched. Stratton gets away by the skin of his teeth.
Suspense: Stratton, with his diminished skills, struggles with self-doubt.
The Tech Mystery: Once rescued, Dr. Verne is initially reluctant to speak, traumatized by his abduction and forced work. However, with time, he reveals the magnitude of his findings. He had been working on a way to transfer muscle memory to help patients with muscle degradation diseases or paralysis. But the tech was weaponised by the Villain.
Suspense: Talking about the danger: Verne explains the extraction process isn’t perfect, and if he doesn’t recover his abilities soon, he might lose them permanently. Furthermore, he will slowly lose his mind if his abilities are not restored within four weeks (plot twists). Symptoms include dizziness, memory lapses and onset dementia.
Midpoint:
Intrigue: They are drawn to a government database cyber attack that steals the sensitive government secrets. The authorities believe a rival country is behind the attack.
The Financier (Red Herring): Infiltrating secretive high-profile events hosted by the Financier. Finding covert project details in the Financier’s assets, leading to a false climax – The Financier is being blackmailed because his daughter has been held hostage (plot twist). He is a victim not the culprit. As the Hero is about to expose the Financier, it’s revealed that the billionaire’s interest was in a completely different illicit tech venture and not the extraction process.
The Financier, offers to assist Stratton covertly as a double agent if he can assure the rescue and safety of his daughter (Plot twist).
They mount a rescue mission successfully, retrieving the daughter, only to discover she is actually an agent for the Villain (plot twist) sent to destroy an evidence they have gathered so far that would expose the Villain’s plans. The Financier’s real daughter is returned safely to him for his co-operation in fooling David.
Mystery Hidden Training Facilities: Surveillance captures training sessions of agents showcasing abilities not their own. This location is where agents with stolen abilities are trained, but for what purpose?
Intrigue: The rogue agent begins taking out threats, but it’s disguised as unrelated incidents or accidents.
Intrigue: The rogue agent starts taking out high level government agents and frames the protagonist based on his telltale combat abilities. He is now being hunted by government officials as a person of interest.
Suspense: Government law enforcement, pursue the protagonist for the framed crimes of the Villain, complicating his efforts.
David decodes a secret communication between rogue agents about a big upcoming event.
Targeting Mystery: David recollects a past mission where he crossed the now-Villain, hinting at the personal vendetta (plot twist).
Suspense: The Unknown: He experiences episodes where he cannot differentiate between reality and illusion, likely a side effect of the extraction procedure.
Suspense: Danger to Someone They Know: In an attempt to demoralize him further, a close friend is severely harmed by the rogue agent, with hints that it’s only the beginning.
Suspense: Betrayal from Someone Close: An ally, out of fear and coercion, betrays his trust, by turning over documents related to the spy organisation’s other elite members to the villain, as possible extraction targets (plot twist).
The team discovers the organization’s plan is nearing fruition. They have a list of elite targets and are set to extract abilities from a key military general that would allow the coup to proceed.
Intrigue: Bomb threats start emerging, taking the attention away from the extraction process and the upcoming coup.
Hidden Facility mystery: Unearthing blueprints of a fortified base, suggesting preparations for a significant assault – the military coup.
Intrigue: As the climax approaches, irrefutable evidence of the muscle memory extraction is exposed, but by then, the villain’s army is ready (plot twist).
David reveals a failed mission, a betrayal, and the Villain swearing revenge.
Plot twist: Someone changes sides: One of Stratton’s team members defects to the villain’s side, seeking the promise of enhanced abilities.
Other Parties Want the Villain Dead: Rival factions or organizations, seeing an opportunity, wish to take down the Villain, but their methods are extreme, forcing the protagonist to navigate a delicate balance as he needs the rogue agent alive to regain his abilities.
Intrigue: The military coup begins, with a now clear and present threat to the government, culminating in a massive battle between the protagonist, his spy agency and the unstoppable army.
Plot twist: Lost Backup: Just when Stratton believes he has backup, he discovers that a majority of his spy agency has been compromised at the highest level, and they’re not coming to assist.
3. Turning Point Act 2:
The team infiltrates the organization’s main facility. They recover the device, but not without costs – members of Stratton’s team are captured (suspense).
Act 3: Resolution
1. Climax:
Suspense: Betrayed by Their Own Abilities: In a climactic confrontation, the rogue agent uses the protagonist’s own fighting style against him, turning his strengths into his greatest weakness.
Suspense: Just as things look bleak, Stratton taps into his years of experience and cunning, using the environment and Alex’s overconfidence against him. The fight is brutal, but Stratton manages to outwit the younger agent.
Plot twist: Before he can activate the device, he has another memory lapse and can’t figure it out. Dr Verne, shows up just in time as he starts to seize up.
With help from Verne using the device, Stratton reclaims his abilities.
With his abilities back and the device in hand, Stratton and his remaining team disrupt the organization’s plans and rescue their friends.
3. Ending:
Stratton destroys the device, ensuring no one can misuse it again. He returns to retirement, but now with a renewed sense of purpose, mentoring young agents and emphasizing the value of experience over raw skills.
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Miller’s Twists and Turns <div>
<div>
What I learned doing this assignment is that adding a twist is easily achieved two ways; starting with the current direction and then adding a twist or beginning with the twist. This one blocked me – probably because I was tired and getting bogged down after putting it all together – whoa! That was heavy lifting, but now that I have gone through I found the process fun and fairly easy, just needed some time to think and make choices.
This is an unedited document/map and it has many places that repeat. But here it is in all it’s glory : P
OPENING: Mother and daughter are climbing. Introduce Dr. Hazel Ferguson, a former child psychologist turned bookstore owner, and her strained relationship with her college freshman daughter, Emily, because Hazel can tell she is keeping a secret from her. Mother and daughter are being watched.
***PAST Planning BEFORE THE MOVIE BEGAN:
Intrigue: Jessica meticulously profiles Hazel and Emily, identifying their vulnerabilities and psychological triggers.
Intrigue: Leveraging her charismatic online persona, Jessica befriends Emily through their internship at the dating app, Love Clicks, cultivating trust.
Mystery: Who is watching them? Why? Are they targeting Hazel? Emily? Both?
Life Threatening: Surveillance / watched – mother daughter go on a climbing adventure Echo Peak, Emily has a secret, Hazel can tell. They are watched by an unseen WATCHER.
TWIST:A new problem occurs.
CAR: return to car to find tire violently slashed. Hazel pretends that she ran over nail, all the construction they passed – yeah right — Emily saw the tire, she knows it was not a nail, but she lets it slide, and decides to lighten the mood. While changing the tire Emily convinces mom to try the dating app, support her interests, and make her empty nest as love nest, and she creates a dating profile for mom. WATCHER’S phone is notified, connected to Emily’s dating app/phone, when Hazel’s profile is created.
Life Threatening: Physical danger / Threats / Surveillance / watched – return to car to find tire violently slashed. Hazel pretends that she ran over nail, all the construction they passed – yeah right — Emily saw the tire, she knows it was not a nail, but she lets it slide, and decides to lighten the mood. While changing the tire Emily convinces mom to try the dating app, support her interests, and make her empty nest as love nest, and she creates a dating profile for mom. WATCHER’S phone is notified, connected to Emily’s dating app/phone, when Hazel’s profile is created.
TWIST: It just got more dangerous.
UNI – Emily’s DATING APP goes off, she beams when she sees
the profile user, tries to play it off but Hazel saw the
excitement and warns her to be careful. Emily turns it back
on her – she’s the one who needs to watch out, saw the tire.
Hazel is a controversial figure, some say hero, some say no
– not the first time targeted. Don’t worry, Trevor there –
we keep a close watch on our interns.
TWIST: A lie is uncovered.Life Threatening: Talking about the danger – At the university, Hazel drops off Emily, warns her to be careful. Surveillance / watched – who is being targeted Hazel or Emily, or both? Hazel has enemies as she has been an outspoken opponent of certain pharmaceutical drugs used to treat minors. ***Perhaps SET UP TREVOR, Jealous/Ex.
INCITING INCIDENT: Daughter goes missing.
Intrigue: Jessica executes her abduction plan, forcefully taking Emily away and making it appear as though Liam Harding, the dating app’s creator, is involved in Emily’s disappearance.
Intrigue: Jessica deletes Emily’s dating profile, making it appear as though Liam Harding, the dating app’s creator, is involved in Emily’s disappearance.
Mystery: Who took Emily?
TWIST: The worst thing possible happens.
DEBATE: All signs point to she took time, but no, no, Hazel knows her daughter, yes, sure Hazel can be overprotective, she understands the dark side of human nature, but Emily would never just leave, never. She is not that kind of kid.
Secret: Jessica kidnaps Emily after a date with Liam.
Cover Up: Emily vanishes mysteriously after a secret rendezvous with Liam.
Life Threatening: Trapped / Abducted / Arrested; Betrayal from someone close; Someone operating covertly around them – Emily is taken by Jessica.
Roommate, did not spend night there, not first time, didn’t
look dressed for working? Hazel goes to her dorm room and discovers
Emily did not sleep there. Her roommate tells Hazel she looked all dressed up for
a date, she is always going out, but Emily told Hazel she had to work late at the
dating app.
TWIST: We see an unexpected side of someone.Life Threatening: Someone operating covertly around them – Jessica deletes Emily’s dating profile, tells Hazel Emily didn’t work late at the internship, she had a date from the app.
TWIST: A lie is uncovered.
Talks to Valerie and Liam – Hazel and begins to suspect their
involvement in Emily’s disappearance when she learns her dating profile has been
deleted. The Hardings are secretive, and want to protect their business and
reputation.
TWIST: A new problem occurs.TURNING POINT 1: Her car is found abandoned.
TWIST:The worst thing possible happens.
***Is the knife still there? FINGER PRINT – and that finger print belongs to MICHEAL DUNE. Could open with HIM and then play it back – see him at home, KNIVES, weapons, sad lonely life he leads, photo of his kids, torn, wife out of pic. Do we see him murdered, or do we see the knives? She kills him and BUT then wouldn’t he be the frame, not Liam???
TWIST: It just got more dangerous.
Car GPS leads her to DAVID. Hazel teams up with investigative
journalist David Remmington, who is there doing an expose on the enigmatic
Harding twins, to uncover the truth.
Mystery: What is Liam hiding?Secret: Jessica pins the crime on Liam, uses crime to increase social media followers.
Cover Up:
A) Jessica deletes Emily’s dating profile.
B) Jessica knows from Emily that Liam used fake profiles to ask her out on the app.
C) She discreetly informs Hazel about Emily’s connection to Liam.Intrigue: Playing the role of the concerned friend, Jessica hints to Hazel that Liam might have had a role in Emily’s vanishing, diverting attention and raising doubt.
Intrigue: Jessica exploits (HAZEL’S) Emily’s dating app profile to intensify the danger and connects it to Hazel’s past experiences as a child psychologist. Meanwhile, Trevor, who works at the dating app, becomes increasingly uneasy about Jessica’s involvement. He accidentally stumbles upon a crucial piece of information that could potentially unravel Jessica’s plan. Trevor finds evidence linking Jessica to the abduction and realizes the danger he poses. Just as he’s about to share the information with Hazel, Jessica kills Trevor.
TWIST: New options emerge. (Trevor and fake accounts)
TWIST: Secret identity uncovered.
TWIST: It just got more dangerous.Life Threatening: The unknown – Emily’s car found and GPS leads Hazel to David, journalist covering the Harding Twins, violent gamer, the most violent, leaves behind blood and guts to take on the most violent game, love. WHY was Emily at his home? He wasn’t there, but he has a good guess – he saw an intimate moment between Liam and Emily.
Life Threatening: The unknown – Emily’s car found and GPS leads Hazel to David, journalist covering the Harding Twins, violent gamer, the most violent, leaves behind blood and guts to take on the most violent game, love. WHY was Emily at his home? He wasn’t there, but he has a good guess – he saw an intimate moment between Liam and Emily.
TWIST:Secret identity uncovered. And lie is uncovered.
Life Threatening: Something that damages their reputation – When Hazel confronts Liam and Valerie, she is informed that Emily asked for a couple of days off. Trevor she said it was for personal reasons. App about to launch nationally and they do not believe their app has anything to do with Emily. But her dating profile has been deleted.
Life Threatening: Talking about the danger – Turns out that Liam was last person to see Emily, and a known gamer who created violent, psychological games.
Life Threatening: The unknown – Emily her daughter lied to her, and all those dates, and she knew Emily was keeping something from her.
Life Threatening: The threat that their own secret could be revealed – Liam does not reveal to Hazel anything about his relationship with Emily, professional capacity is all he discusses. And, he isn’t concerned at all. He believes Emily, surprised by his proposal, turned him down and then asked Trevor for time off. Thinks she is thinking. She asked him for time.
Life Threatening: Public humiliation – Jessica via social media. Liam exposed using fake dating profiles, met with Emily numerous times.
MIDPOINT: Liam’s alibi clears him, but Hazel is convinced he took her daughter because she begins receiving disturbing matches from the dating app that are images and names of her past patients.
TWIST: New consequences emerge.
TWIST: A mistake returns to haunt them.
Scenes: Hazel’s investigation intensifies, and she grows convinced of Liam’s involvement. LIAM (DAVID) proposes an alternative theory tied to Hazel’s past patients and her contentious essays against certain pharmaceuticals. But, Hazel uncovers discrepancies in Liam’s story with Jessica and Trevor’s help and learns about the fake profile user who went on a date with Emily. Jessica “helps” Hazel uncover that the user is actually Liam. This revelation deepens Hazel’s suspicions about Liam’s role.
TWIST: Someone changes sides. TREVOR
Mystery: Who is Mandy Dune?
TWIST: Secret identity uncovered.
Secret: Jessica recovers Emily’s dating profile.
Cover Up: She discreetly shares it with TREVOR to pinpoint Emily’s location, fully aware that Trevor will trace the fabricated online interactions back to Liam.Intrigue: As details come to light about Liam and Emily’s secret relationship, and that the fake profiles were created by him on Emily’s account. Using her social media prowess, Jessica orchestrates a comprehensive online campaign that paints Liam as suspicious. She exposes Liam’s actions concerning Emily, his hidden connections, and his manipulation of dating profiles. Just as Hazel becomes convinced that Liam is behind her daughter’s disappearance, Jessica manipulates Hazel’s dating app profile sending matches from fake accounts with pictures of her past patients. This makes Hazel doubt her suspicions about Liam and keeps her torn between her intuition and the unsettling coincidences.
TWIST: A lie is uncovered.
Secret: Jessica is Mandy Dune.
Cover Up: Trevor launches an investigation into the dating app, specifically scrutinizing Emily’s online presence. He uncovers a fabricated profile that had communicated with both Emily and Hazel, utilizing images and names from Hazel’s past clients. However, the mastermind behind this account was none other than MANDY Dune, aka Jessica, not Liam. Tragically, Trevor meets a grim fate. Leaves behind Liam’s hospital file, she stole to frame him.Intrigue: Jessica uses Emily’s phone to text Liam, lure him to her old home, there disables him and carefully orchestrates a scenario that frames him for Emily’s disappearance. She leaves behind subtle evidence that points toward his involvement (GAMING, violent past).
Life Threatening: Public humiliation – Jessica via social media. Liam exposed using fake dating profiles, met with Emily numerous times.
Life Threatening: Other parties who need to solve the mystery first. Liam, suspect number one, and he really does love Emily, needs to find her and clear his name. Interrogating Liam, he tells her he knows all about her and her past – don’t try to pin this on me or my company, as you have plenty of people who seem to want you dead – Emily told me about the tire, no NAIL. Knifed.
Life Threatening: Talking about the danger – David tells Hazel that Liam is either a devious lover or she is being targeted by a past patient, a psychotic killer.
Life Threatening: The threat that their own secret could be revealed – Trevor discovers Liam behind the fake profiles from Emily’s deleted dating app, showing he and Emily were constantly corresponding and dating.
Life Threatening: Other parties who need to solve the mystery first / Threat – Liam fights back against Hazel’s accusations. Hazel believes Liam has her daughter now convinced and she has been harassed through the app — believes he is playing a game with her. But he says he loves Emily, he bought the house – he is being followed. He now believes Emily is in danger. She asked him for a few days, he popped the question to her and scared her, thought she needed time and she told me how protective you are of her, she’s your whole life. Liam calls Trevor and tells him he was not the only fake profile that reached out to Emily, there was another and he thinks they have been harassing Hazel, sending her profile matches that are old patients she failed to help/save. Are you a hero? What does your journey really say about the fruits of your labor? What about the lives of the innocents?
Life Threatening: Trapped / Abducted: Jessica takes Liam.
Life Threatening: Arrested Police arrive to arrest Liam ???
TURNING POINT 2: Trevor is dead and Liam is missing and all signs point to Hazel’s past as a child psychologist.
TWIST: It just got more dangerous.
Mystery: Is Jessica the killer?
TWIST: A mistake returns to haunt them. We see an unexpected side of someone. It just got more dangerous.
Secret: Jessica is an ex-patient of Hazel’s and she is out for revenge
Cover Up:
A) Jessica changed her name to hide something. Her real name is Mandy Dune.
B) Trevor was investigating Emily’s dating profile, tracks down a fake profile that contacted both Emily and Hazel. He tracks those to an account M. Dune. He searches and finds that M. Dune is none other than Jessica Burnside. This revelation terrifies Trevor,And, he is murdered, making it look as though Liam did it.
Secret: Jessica, a former patient of Hazel, seeks vengeance.
Cover Up:
A) She kidnaps Liam, leaves evidence that he killed Trevor.
B) Frustrated by Hazel’s perceived hero status, Jessica meticulously devised her escape plan and adopted a new identity as Jessica.Intrigue: In a high-stakes confrontation, Jessica reveals her true identity to Hazel, exposes the depths of her revenge plan, and unravels the connection between their pasts, all while Emily’s life hangs in the balance.
Life Threatening: Physical Harm: Jessica discovers Trevor has put it together that there was another fake profile, but he did not create it, leading her to target Trevor.
TWIST: It just got more dangerous. We see an unexpected side of someone. A mistake returns to haunt them. New consequences emerge.
Life Threatening:Physical Harm: Hazel told by Trevor he may have something for her, they plan to meet, but he is killed.
CLIMAX: Hazel breaks into Mandy Dune’s childhood home and battles her past to save the future.
Life Threatening:Physical harm / Arrested: Turns out that Jessica is actually Mandy Dune. Hazel goes to Mandy’s old house. They battle and David is wounded, but Hazel stops Jessica before she can hurt anyone else when the police arrive. Jessica is taken into custody.
RESOLUTION: Hazel reunites with Emily.
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