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Post Day 4 Assignment Here
Post Day 4 Assignment Here
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30 Replies
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Meg Stout’s Intriguing Character Layers
What I learned doing this assignment is the need to explore the layers for my “good” characters. My morally suspect characters already have many layers… 🙂
Assignment #1 for Thirteen Reasons Why (focusing on Hannah because I don’t know enough about Clay yet)
Hannah
Role: High School friend who committed suicide
Hidden agendas: Wants those who drove her to suicide to know their guilt
Competition: Telling her truth to combat the lies that were told about her in life
Conspiracies: In cahoots with Mustang guy, who is enforcing her will after her death
Secrets: The rest of what is on the tapes and what would happen if the listeners don’t do as she requests.
Deception: Not yet clear if she is a trustworthy narrator – certainly some think she isn’t
Wound: Abuse she has suffered at the hands of her peers
Secret Identity: Seeking vengeance from the grave?
Assignment #2 for Children of Heaven for just the first season/novel (Bennett and Annie)
Dr. John C. Bennett
Role: Savvy political operator come to protect the Mormons from mob violence
Hidden agendas: Gain fame and a name in Illinois and the nation
Competition: Competes against Joseph Smith, who is the Mormon leader. Also competes against the editor of the Warsaw newspaper, who wants Warsaw to best Nauvoo. Also competes against his baser nature
Conspiracies: Conspires to make himself important in the Mormon city of Nauvoo and help Nauvoo become the largest city in Illinois, and build on that to become Governor of the state or even President of the Nation
Secrets: He is still married and his wife won’t grant him a divorce. And a lot of people from his past feel he has played fast and loose with his university schemes
Deception: He practices deception in every situation where truth doesn’t suit his agenda
Wound: He was sexually abused as a child. He is wounded by all instances where people have not supported his image of himself, such as his wife leaving him, former university partners backing out, Annie (eventually) leaving him, Joseph Smith “withdrawing the hand of fellowship”
Secret Identity: President Bennett, possessor of Annie Cowles, and filthy rich
Annie Cowles
Role: Governess to the Smith children, Treasurer of the Church’s Women’s Organization, friend to Emma Smith
Hidden agendas: Overcome her fears and become a loving wife and good mother
Competition: Once she begins opening herself to being loved, she feels herself in competition with both the living single women who surround her and even the dead
Conspiracies: Once exposed to the secret that Joseph Smith will be restoring biblical marriage practices, she is conspiring to keep that secret. She is also conspiring with her victimized friend to minimize the nature of the gang rape, though it traumatizes them both
Secrets: She is the keeper of many other people’s secrets, as well as her own trauma
Deception: In order to keep the secrets of others, she is at times required to deceive, though she rarely deceives except to protect secrets or deny her fears
Wound: She was deeply traumatized by the violence that occurred in Missouri, wounded by the way her stepmother treated her, and frightened by the way families were torn apart by the apostasies that occurred in the wake of the 1837 financial panic and the violent way the Mormons were “exterminated” from Missouri
Secret Identity: Early on Annie feels prompted that she “will become Joseph’s wife.” Later she does enter into covenant with Joseph Smith.
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Ben’s Intriguing Character Layers
What I learned doing this assignment is … that characters are more interesting when their traits lay in morally grey areas rather than being simply good or bad. By having hidden agendas, competition, being part of conspiracies, possessing secrets, involved in deception, harbour wounds, and having secret identities they become more layered and the audience begins to ask questions about them which propel the audience to continue watching until they get the answers or more questions are asked.
For your Inner Circle characters, fill in any of the Intrigue items that apply.
Character Name: Jack Friedman; <div>
Role: Investigative journalist looking into the disappearance of government employees;
Hidden agendas: Uncover a government conspiracy about UFOs; show his rivals and doubters that he’s not crazy for pursuing this but that he is the only one who could do it;
Competition: contemporary and peer journalists who want Jack’s fame and notoriety, personified in rival journalist Sarah Stafford at the same newspaper who has sought to take Jack’s place for years;
Conspiracies: Assisting a government fugitive to escape the law; uncover a government conspiracy about UFOs;
Secrets: an affair with his editor and boss Margaret Le Mer; informers within government and other organisations; he knows where Gina is; that his investigation has something to do with UFOs;
Deception: needs to deceive the government about his involvement in the story at all; needs to deceive the government into thinking he’s not investigating them; needs to deceive the editor and newspaper owner that the story isn’t about UFOs and aliens;
Wound: Always felt he was an outsider who had to prove himself;
Secret: Despite the accolades, he didn’t come through the Ivy League system and/or prestige media system like his contemporaries and rivals, and so he feels like a fraud.
Character Name: Gina Lang;
Role: abductee, whistle blower, physicist;
Hidden agendas: she worked on alien aircraft at a secret location for the government;
Competition: alien conspiracy theorists who want to be more renowned than her, taking critical attention away from the facts, and who are muddying the waters for those who are telling the truth;
Conspiracies: she was involved in a government conspiracy to conceal their possession of alien technology; and she is now involved in a conspiracy to make it all public;
Secrets: discovered how the alien aircraft worked;
Deception: she didn’t just blow the whistle to protect herself, she wanted to blow the whistle on the secret government operation;
Wound: doubted her entire life;
Secret Identity: Patriot despite being the whistle blower.
</div>
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This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by Ben Tannous. Reason: Update answers
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This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by
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Lesson 3, Assignment 1:
Watchmen Engaging Main Characters
Character: Angela Abar
No, not a lot of screen time for Angela Abar in Episode 3 (interesting choice to focus episode on FBI agent Laurie Blake, Veidt, and Senator Keene)…but I’ve chosen to focus on Angela, the lead character I’ve been identifying with so far.
Role in
the show:Masked detective working undercover for Tulsa Police to defeat the Seventh Kavalry and solve the murder of Chief Judd Crawford.
Unique
Purpose / Expertise:Unique Purpose: she has a close relationship with Judd Crawford, and mysterious connection with her grandfather, the man in the wheelchair.
Expertise: Smart, strong instincts, physical abilities.
Flaw: she can lose her cool.
Diamond: the mystery of her connections to Judd and Will are very intriguing.
Intrigue:
What is the secret beneath the surface?What was her relationship with Judd? Why is she protecting him (hiding the KKK cloak she found hidden in his closet)? And what does she know about her heritage, her connection with grandfather Will Reeves? It’s a bigger secret she may not know.
Moral
Issue: What moral boundaries are they crossing?As a private detective, she’ll break police protocol to break her witness and get her lead.
Unpredictable:
What will they do next?She reacts to a world that continues to expose more unpredictable events. Her moral compass on family and Cal is strong.
Again, that flaw… she can lose her cool.
Empathetic:
Why do we care?Loving wife and mother and she senses the larger impact on the black community in Tulsa. She was a victim of the White Night. Crawford supported her during her recovery.
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MODULE 1 LESSON 4 ASSIGNMENT 1 LAYERS OF CHARACTER INTRIGUE BIG LITTLE LIES
Main Circle
Madeline Martha Mackenzie
Role – leader of Team madeline, play producer
Hidden agendas- be recognized as leader over Renata, better mother than Bonnie
Competition for power and position with Renatta, and with Bonnie over Ed and the kids.
Conspiracy – defending Jane with Celeste and Ave Q with her director
Secrets – whatever her real feelings are for Ed, her regrets about her early marriage and motherhood
Deception – deceiving Ed about Nathan, the town about Ave Q
Wound – betrayed by Ed
Secret Identity – driven powerhungry “career” woman using the play to carve out a career.
Celeste Wright
Role- powerful woman/abused wife
Hidden agendas to escape perry and protect her kids
Competition with perry over control of her life
Conspiracy with Madeline to work for Jane
Secrets that she is an abused wife
Deception fooling Perry, maybe, about how strong and powerful she really is
Wound- she chose love over power
Secret Identity – she is a masochist
Jane Chapman
Role – rape survivor and single mom
Hidden agendas either to protect herself and Ziggy with the gun, or exact vengeance
Competition with Renata about Ziggy and Amabella, albeit unwillingly
Conspiracy – with Celeste and Madeline to defend Ziggy, with Madeline to find her rapist
Secrets – that Ziggy is the child of a rape. Whatever is happening that led her to move to town.
Deception – that she is just a single mom, with no gun or agenda.
Wound – that she was raped. That she chose to keep Ziggy
Secret Identity – rape victim
Renata Klein
Role leader of team Renata, powerful alpha woman
Hidden agendas to be liked and desired by her husband as sexy, not just powerful,
Competition – to win about Ziggy, about Ave Q, basically about anything that beats Madeline
Conspiracy – she is conspiring with her husband to beat Madeline, and maybe Bonnie to block AVe Q.
Secrets – that she loses control during sex
Deception – that she is cold, that she is trying to make peace with madeline, when she wants to trash her
Wound – that she chose control over feeling, that she can’t relax and enjoy life
Secret Identity – sexually uncontrollable
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Emmanuel Sullivan’s Intriguing Character Layers
What I learned doing this assignment is good characters, including the hero or protagonist can have traits normally associated with the antagonist.
Assignment #1
Show – The Americans
Character Name: Philip Jennings
Role: Father, Husband, KGB Agent
Hidden agendas: To secure American political intelligence to send back to Russia
Competition: FBI agent and neighbor
Deception: Acting a colleague from another agency, he interviews an FBI staff secretary and makes her believe they have a personal relationship.
Wound: Leaving behind the love of his life in Russia.
Secret Identity: Travel agent
Assignment #2
Character Name: Mark Cason
Role: Co-founder, co-chairman, former president
Hidden agendas: Wants to run for US president again
Competition: Andrew Brice, republican party
Conspiracies: Worked with the DNC though his staff to derail his opponent’s campaign
Secrets: Has a child in another town
Deception: Uses his adult children to further his political agenda
Wound: The voting public did not select him for another 4 years
Secret Identity: Father to a younger family
Character Name: Andrew Brice
Role: Co-founder, co-chairman, former president
Hidden agendas: Wants to destroy the democrat party
Competition: Mark Cason, democrat party
Conspiracies: Working with the press to expose the opposing party
Secrets: Has a gambling vice
Deception: Uses the secret police to manipulate opponents
Wound: Told he could never reach the highest office in the country
Secret Identity: NASCAR driver
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Assignment 1: Supernatural—Sam and Dean Winchester
Sam
Role:
The straight-laced younger brother who wants to find the thing that killed
his mother and his girlfriend, so that he can get closure and move on to a
normal life
Hidden
agendas: Sam has a hidden agenda in whatever town he visits to uncover
supernatural occurrences and kill the monsters responsible.
Competition:
He is in constant competition with his brother, Dean for the best move
going forward: Whether to keep looking for their dad, or to hunt monsters
on their way. He also tries to get away from his brother and his dad and
leave the family business behind.
Conspiracies:
With Dean to pose as marshals or wildlife rangers in order to uncovers
various mysteries.
Secrets:
He and his brother are not the ordinary citizens they pretend to be.
Deception:
Sam poses as various authority figures throughout the episodes in order to
get information from the locals on various supernatural occurrences.
Wound:
He watched his mother die in a mysterious supernatural event when he was
an infant.
Secret
Identity: Monster-hunterDean
Role:
The wise-cracking, devil-may-care older brother with the drive to hunt
down any monster in his path.
Hidden
agendas: Dean has an ever-present agenda to kill monsters, which he has to
hide from most or all the people he interacts with.
Competition:
Dean competes with his younger brother Sam, trying to prove himself as the
son who stuck by their father when Sam left them in the lurch to go to college.
Conspiracies:
With Sam to hoodwink local authorities so that they can solve the
mysteries they are either ignorant of or trying to keep hidden.
Secrets:
He and his brother are not the ordinary citizens they pretend to be.
Deception:
Dean poses as other people, including authority figures to gain the trust
of locals in the towns he visits.
Wound:
He watched his mother die when he was a child.
Secret
Identity: Monster-hunter -
What I learned by this assignment is these intriguing layer are definitely underneath all the characters. For instance, secret identity seemed like it wouldn’t work except in a spy thriller, but it was under so many characters here.
Assignment 1:
Mare of Easttown
1.) Mare, lead detective of the town, has a wound: when her son, Kevin committed suicide; it absolutely haunts her to the core. Mare is competitive with her boss, in fact all males: her ex, Frank, Zable: she has to be as tough as a male. Mare has big secret: that she feels she wasn’t a good mother, and may feel responsible for her son’s suicide. Her hidden agenda: she feels defeated, even says that she’s never going to find Katie, the kidnapped girl. Deception: She doesn’t use much deception; what you see is what you get. Secret identity: she feels she’s not worthy of being “Lady Hawke.” And is embarrassed and guilty about it.
Helen, Mare’s mother: has a wound that she messed up as a mother with Mare. She competitive with Mare all the time. Her big secret was having an affair with a townsperson. Her hidden agenda: she’s not against Frank, Mare’s ex, and while being supportive, she’s critical of Mare’s behavior. She uses deception by sneaking ice cream. Her secret identity, is wanting to be a drunk, maybe have wild sex, or a power ranger when she’s gaming!
2.) In Episode 4, it’s intriguing that Mare has been crying (for being suspended) for such a tough lady cop.
She uses deception by not telling her family. In scene with Lori, she identifies Mare’s wound that she’s not talking and holding everything inside; you wonder if she might alienate her loyal friend, then she puts her head on Lori’s shoulder.
Zable has a secret that he can’t utter: he hates Hauser, the older cop that replaces Mare.
The writers create intrigue by having the Chief report that neither Dylan or Frank are Erin’s baby’s father. When Dylan finds out he’s not the father, he orders his parents and the baby out of his hospital room.
Dawn gets a call that her daughter’s alive, and to come up with 5K. We’re intrigued to find out.
Mare calls a family meeting and admits that she was suspended. Her mother chews her out. Their competition comes to the surface. She gets a bottle of booze; a secret might be that she’s an alcoholic.
When Mare shows up, with the police psychologist, she doesn’t want her to get discouraged; it’s almost like she’s got a hidden agenda that she won’t allow her therapy to work.
Zable confront Deacon Mark about the circumstances of his transfer (that a parent said he was having a sexual relationship with a 14 year old girl). We’re intrigued to find out if his secret identity is the killer.
With Richard, Mare admits the secret that her talk with Carrie was a car wreck.
Dawn counting $ in the convenience store. We wonder if her hidden agenda is to steal from her employer.
Dawn heard that Mare had a breakdown of some kind. This is an artful dodge that other characters in the community don’t know about her deception stealing drugs and planting them on Carrie.
Carrie bringing Drew to the new apartment, and you can feel the wound in her that she won’t be a good mother.
Mare looking at a video of Erin, who said she wrote everything down in a journal. We want to know if Mare will find them. When Mare goes back to find out where the journals are, Jesse lies. She uses deception to mislead Mare.
Baby screaming in Dylan’s hospital room. He’s losing it, bring a pillow toward the playpen like he’s going to suffocate it, them picks it up. His mother observes this: it this his secret identity?
Zable’s mother clearly has a competition with Mare, and that comes out when she says, “She was a little over her head.”
We find out Erin’s hidden agenda when Jesse admits that she created a sexy page for Erin to work as a prostitute temporarily to raise money for her baby’s ear surgery.
Deacon Dan thinks Deacon Mark is using deception when he won’t talk about what happened with the 14 year old girl.
Siobhan using deception to hide her new relationship with black DJ.
The two girls are in deception Siobhan’s affection.
Helen using deception to hide her ice cream in a frozen veggie bag.
Lori and John watching the news of the missing girl, when Ryan walks in and he looks troubled, but there’s something eerie about him, as if he has a secret identity.
Dawn uses deception to put fake money in her purse, so when the kidnapper jumps her, he steals cut-up paper. We (and Dawn) see it’s Freddie, Bethy’s drug addict brother. His secret identity was the kidnapper in this episode.
When Dawn comes back with her face bloodied, she tells Bethy that she took a spill outside the store. This is a deception.
The man who begins to choke the prostitute’s neck has a secret identity since we can’t see him, and hidden agenda when he drags into a room over a bar, and a big wound of the entire series is unearthed when the girl hears a voice and it’s the missing girl Katie Bailey.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by Joseph Eastburn.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by
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What I learned from this assignment:
I need to spend more time to build out all of my main characters and their layers. I’ll continue to build out the layers of my main character, Jess, but some may evolve.
ASSIGNMENT 1: A list of the places you’ve already seen Character Intrigue in the previous episodes so Big Little Lies
School Principals Office, The Bar, the Beach, the Classroom, The School Theatre.
ASSIGNMENT 2: For the Inner Circle characters, fill in any of the Intrigue items that apply.
Big Little Lies
Character: Madeline Mackenzie
Hidden Agenda: Revenge on her ex-husband and Bonnie
Oppose everything that Renata Klein is for (but we don’t know why)
Competition: Everyone except Jane Chapman, Celeste Wright, Ed and her 2 children. Competing against Bonnie Carlson and Nathan Carlson (ex-husband).
Conspiracy: She’s conspiring with the Play’s Director to oppose Renata’s petition against Madeline’s play
Secrets: Hasn’t gotton over her ex-husband
Some unrevealed secret is the source of her opposition to Renata Klein
Deception: She set up a trip for her daughter and her friends the same date as Amabella’s Birthday Party to try and ruin Amaella’s bthd party
Wound: She didn’t go to college and doesn’t have the career she dreamed of
Hasn’t forgiven her ex-husband Nathan for leaving her with the two kids
Secret Identity: Woman of the Year
Character: Jane Chapman
Hidden Agenda: Trying to find her son’s father perhaps for revenge
Competition: Herself
Conspiracy: Has told Madeline about the rape it’s possible that Jane will seek revenge
Secrets: Was raped by Ziggy’s father
Deception: She’s gotten over the night of the rape
Wound: The rape
Secret Identity: Wants her son to have a good life
Character: Celeste Wright
Hidden Agenda: To be free and get her old life back
Competition: Unsure
Conspiracy: To leave her husband or kill him
Secrets: Her husband is violent towards her
Deception: She sets up family time but excludes her husband
Wound: She left her family and her career (as an accomplished attorney) for the husband who is violent towards her
Secret Identity: Attorney of the Year
My Show (Green Lake)
Character: Jess Pearson
Hidden Agenda: To solve the mystery of her brother’s disappearance
Competition: Sheriff Linda Moore
Conspiracy: unsure
Secrets: She was let go from her previous role because she broke the law
She knows more about her brother’s disappearance than she told at the time
Deception: Upholds the law but also breaks it
Wound: As a Big City Detective her ambitions were thwarted
Secret Identity: Sheriff Jess Pearson
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(Patricia’s) Intriguing Character Layers
<font face=”verdana, sans-serif”>What I learned doing these assignment is—</font>
<font face=”verdana, sans-serif”>I–</font>
<font face=”verdana, sans-serif”>–Why I subconsciously and now consciously want to watch Gossip Girl, to binge watch it: I want to see how the secrets and reveals intertwine and play out.</font>
<font face=”verdana, sans-serif”>II–</font>
<font face=”verdana, sans-serif”>–I need to elevate the intrigue in my script, specifically and as a whole. That’s the most pressing task at hand now.</font>
ASSIGNMENT 1
Role: Serena, the “ultimate insider”
Hidden agendas: Protect her brother from others knowing he is in a mental institution.
Competition: With Blair, for top spot in the Eastsider hierarchy.
Conspiracy:
Secrets: Her affair past affair with Blair’s boyfriend Nate, what made her leave for boarding school, yet to be explicitly disclosed.
Deception: Tries to pick up where she left off with Blair, her best friend, until Blair lets her know she knows in front of others, including Dan.
Wound: She betrays her best friend. She tries to change her ways but loses her place at the top is lost, anyway.
Secret identity: Good girl.
Role: Blair, rival of Sere
Hidden agendas: Her boyfriend Nate remains indifferent to her, so she goes to great lengths to be with him; she wants to take revenge on Serena for betraying her with Nate; she wants to reel in Dan’s sister to manipulate her to be used.
Competition: With Blair, for top spot in the hierarchy.
Conspiracy: With Chuck, to ruin Serena.
Secrets: Her very bad year—losing her mother to an affair.
Deception: Sets Blair up to fail at the Ivy League mixer.
Wound: She no longer has a father close by, and her cold mother just wants to use her to promote her fashion line..
Secret Identity: Nate’s true love.
2. Watch the next episode and see how Character Intrigue is being used to create the need to see more episodes. Very skillfully done.
Deadline: 24 hours
ASSIGNMENT 2
1. For your Inner Circle characters, fill in any of the Intrigue items that apply.
Character Name: Caren Cay
Role: Wife of Fred Oscar Boomer and mother of ok, the twins.
Hidden agendas: To break out of Boomertown, to see the world, to find her soul mate, dead or alive.
Competition: With FO!, who resents yet tries to hijack her star appeal to enhance his political ambitions.
Conspiracy: With her psychiatrist, to figure out a way out.
Secrets: Her flirtation with Imaginary Lover #2, the man she met at Babbel Land in Manhattan and who hasn’t given up on her; her contempt for the Good Boomer Life; her contemplation of paying for “instruction,” as a thoroughly modern, feminist woman could and should, in her mind; her chronic psychotic breaks, which are the only times she can be her true self—one with her soul mate, dead or alive.
Deception: She plans her escape years in advance; she learns French, takes photography lessons; signs up to leave for Paris each year but loses the nerve; wins contest to go.
Wound: FO! looks down on her; she feels in adequate due to her age; people have begun to call her a has-been from a has-been time.
Secret Identity: Free spirit.
Character Name: FO! (Fred Oscar)
Role: Husband of Fred Oscar Boomer and father of ok, the twins.
Hidden agendas: To break out of Boomertown, too; to be a man of power and prestige.
Competition: With Caren Cay, as he lacks her star power and talent to win a wider audience.
Conspiracies: With Candi, the governor, to make sure the media attends the festival, where he knows Caren Cay will make a spectacle of herself, just to get the name recognition it will give him.
Secrets: He rolls with high-rollers, faking it to make it, to make their coveted reality come to pass for him, too. Their savings dwindle, as a result.
Deception: This family man has a weakness, other women, one woman, who can sponsor his rise to power.
Wound: He turns down an invitation to dinner the night his parents die in a car crash.
Secret Identity: Free man.
2. Answer the question, “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.
3. Post your assignment in the forums at https://www.screenwritingclasses.com/forums/
Subject line: (Your Name’s) Intriguing Character Layers (place in first line)
Deadline: 3 Days (24 hours for Assignment 1, 48
hours for Assignment 2) -
Assignment 2: Athens, MN—Tom, Mark, and Miguel
What I learned doing this assignment is the value of treating your characters like suspects, who are hiding things, not just from each other in the context of the story, but who are hiding things from me as the writer in the context of the story being written.
Tom
Role:
Tom is the directionless dreamer. He moves from job to job, looking for purpose, but doesn’t find it until he realizes that he is under a fairy curse, and begins to learn magic.
Hidden
agendas: Tom knows that Mark has access to more magical knowledge than he
lets on, and pretends to go along with Mark’s rules, but plans to get
access to his books without Mark’s knowing. He wants to find out how to
circumvent Lizzie’s curse, but pretends to want only what she wants.
Competition:
Tom competes with Mark for the best way to perform magic.
Conspiracies:
Tom conspires with Mark to learn more about what is going on inside
Everlasting Summer.
Secrets:
A few years before the story starts, Tom introduced his sister to a friend
of his, who date-raped her.
Deception:
Tom deceives Lizzie, and makes her think he is on her side, all while
plotting to uncover the mysteries in her kingdom.
Wound:
Tom is still guilty about how he failed to see the danger in his friend and
protect his sister.
Secret
Identity: Tom is a magician.Mark
Role:
Mark is a more experienced, self-taught magician, who has new ideas for
magic’s purpose in the world.
Hidden
agendas: Mark wants to become the pre-eminent magician of the age, and
wants to hoard as much knowledge for himself as possible.
Competition:
He competes with Tom on the best way to perform magic.
Conspiracies:
He conspires with Robby to hide information from Tom on magic.
Secrets:
Mark has a secret library full of dangerous books of magic.
Deception:
He keeps Tom in the dark about the location of his library and his use of
a fairy familiar who assists him.
Wound:
Mark’s wife cheated on him and divorced him.
Secret
Identity: Mark is a magician.Miguel
Role:
Miguel is a very successful contractor who is very skeptical of magic’s
existence, let alone usefulness.
Hidden
agendas: Miguel wants to sleep with an old flame of his.
Competition:
He competes Tom on the best way to be in a relationship and have a family.
Conspiracies:
He conspires with his lover to keep their relationship secret from his fiancé.
Secrets:
He is sleeping with an old one-night stand.
Deception:
He lies to his fiancé about his love life.
Wound:
He found out when he was young that the man who raised him was not his real
father.
Secret
Identity: philanderer -
Sherri D. Coffee Lesson 4 Assignment 1: Intriguing Characters
1. Places I have already seen character intrigue:
Madeleine – Hidden agenda – why does she befriend and defend Jane so quickly?
Competition – with her ex-husband and his wife
Secrets – what happened with her ex?
Wound – abandonment
Celeste – Secrets – being abused by her husband and having sex afterwards.
Agenda – wants to have a loving relationship with her husband.
Wound – violated physically and verbally to reinforce she is not good enough.
Jane – Role – fish out of water – tries to belong.
Secrets -Ziggys’ father and events surrounding his conception.
Wound – Rape
2. Character intrigue being used to create the need to see more from episode 4
Madeleine – Hidden agenda – wants to punish her ex-husband.
Secrets- why does she want to punish her ex-husband? Affair with the Theatre Director. She tells Celeste the story, but not the whole story. And she confides to Celeste that she is looking for Jane’s rapist.
Competition – with her ex-husbands wife Bonnie and Renata.
Wound – abandoned by Nathan and her father.
Celeste – Deception: 6 years trying to be the perfect Mother and discovers it is not enough for her.
Secret identity is revealed- she is an amazing attorney, competent and competitive.
Conspiracies – represents the theatre to support Madeleine against Renata.
Wound – self esteem beaten down by the physical and verbal abuse coupled with shame of “dirty sex” afterwards.
Jane – Hidden agenda – to find Ziggy’s father. Remembering what happened that night in small flashbacks.
Secrets – what did happen the night of the rape?
Deception – cannot tell her son the truth.
Wound – Rape.
I learned to create intrigue by asking the questions.
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Sherri D. Coffee Module 1 Lesson 4 Intriguing Characters Assignment 2
Grace
Role: Successful 50 year old in relationship with Sam.
Hidden Agenda: Do the right thing and secure her financial future
Competition: Competes for Sam’s affection with his 3 estranged children but especially his son Carlton.
Conspiracy: With Harmony to find out more about Sam and his family.
Secrets: She had an affair with another man before Sam.
Deception: She will not tell Sam about the other guy.
Wound: Abandonment, Betrayal, and not-good-enough.
Secret identity: Past life wife of Sam.
Sam
Role: 70 year old retired physician dying of cancer in relationship with Grace.
Hidden Agenda: Wants to take care of Grace and reconcile with his children before he dies.
Competition: Jealous of every man who pays attention to Grace.
Conspiracy: With Housekeeper.
Secrets: Bailed son out after he defrauded investors; helped son hide money offshore from his ex-wife; paid attorneys to hide daughters participation in drug ring; paid attorneys to prevent daughter expulsion from college for bullying. His children are sociopaths.
Deception: Lies to himself and others about his children to protect his image.
Wound: Abandonment, humiliation, and shame.
Secret Identify: Past life husband of Grace.
Carlton:
Role: 45 year hedge fund manager son of Sam.
Hidden agenda: Wants to see his father abandoned as he abandoned him as a child.
Competition: Grace.
Conspiracy: With his sisters to separate Grace and Sam.
Secrets: Sam bailed out his hedge fund and helped him hide money from his ex-wife.
Deception: Only Sam and Carlton know the secrets.
Wound: Abandonment, shame, and not-good-enough.
Secret identity: Past life bastard son of Sam.
Harmony
Role: Psychic and past life meditation journeys.
Hidden Agenda: She wants to protect Grace from repeating her past life wound.
Competition: With Sam.
Conspiracy: With Grace.
Secrets: She knows that Grace is in danger.
Deception: She can’t tell Grace who she was in her past life.
Wound: Fear of Failure and Injustice.
Secret Identity: Past life Mother of Grace.
I learned to peel back the layers of each character using the intriguing character framework. Asking the questions of each character helped me to develop more depth and substance to my story.
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Sean’s Intriguing Character Layers
What I learned doing this assignment:
1. This assignment is crucial in discovering who your characters are and are not for your own sake as well as anyone that reads your story and the audience.
2. This assignment helps you pinpoint your character’s layers and display them for future reference when you are choosing the webs you weave when you write. You are now in better control of what, when, how much, and for what purpose you reveal the layers etc.
3. You can see the set-ups and payoffs more clearly from beginning to end, so you will have more success writing dialogue, scenes, beginnings, and endings. You know what you are writing and why you are writing it with a clear counter of when to begin, continue and end.
4. Most importantly, your characters become their own through this assignment and you will feel as if you a discovering these individuals and all they are as an observer, not the writer. These are no longer characters you made up for the story. They are characters you are reading about as you write, because you already know their destination…just like a sensational news story with a telling headline. You read it because you already know what happened from the headline and hooked, you need to know how and why it happened. Example. I already know the end for Cian Shea, these character layers help me see the journey and how they affect other character’s journeys to the same end. It is like I am reading the story because of the headline now, not writing it, because it is already written. The character layers are going to dictate what, when, how, etc.
Assignment 1
Sam Winchester
Role: To hunt down and destroy the evil that killed his mother and girlfriend and as a hunter to destroy every evil he and his brother encounter until they do.
Dean Winchester
Role: To hunt down and destroy the evil that killed his mother and Sam’s girlfriend and as a hunter to destroy every evil he and his brother encounter until they do.
Dean was exposed as having a hidden agenda when he went to Sam and asked for help to find their father. Dean showed he secretly wanted to get Sam back to help him hunt evil and help people.
There is the competition between the boys and the evil demons, ghosts, monsters, etc. as well as competition with law enforcement ‘that does not have a clue’ or do not believe.
Dean may have already known their father wanted to pass on the hunting to his sons before he disappeared.
You can see that they both have secrets that they are not revealing.
They both use deception to pose as law enforcement to gain access to crime scenes and interview witnesses. They both lie to relatives of victims to find out answers, clues and what happened.
They both have the wounds of losing their mother and their normal lives being taken by their father training them to be hunters. Sam has the wound of losing his girlfriend the same way as losing his mother and by the same evil.
The next episode of SUPERNATURAL revealed Sam was having nightmares of Jessica dying days before she died and well before Dean asked him to help find their father. He was holding on to the secrets, fears and guilt the whole time.
Assignment 2
1. For your Inner Circle characters, fill in any of the Intrigue items that apply…
Cian Shea
Role: Thinking, seeing, and believing past the impossibility of the Devil’s challenge to rid the world of him and making it happen.
Competition: Competes with those having no intention to do what it will take to rid the world of evil, churches, religious leaders, and politicians for example.
Conspiracies: He is aware and part of secret societies with world agendas and knows to accomplish his dream he will have to remove every government in the world and all the corrupt people.
Secrets: He wants to give up his impossible dream and enjoy a normal life. He hunts and kills more serial killers than he catches through case files.
Deception: He is an FBI profiler to gain access to serial killers, he will decide which ones to capture and which ones to kill. He is an entertainer to influence the world to his dream of a world with no currency, no governments, and no Devil.
Wound: Lost his mother and father as well as his youth and future to his older brother Mitchell, now the world’s most known, prolific, brutal, and elusive serial killer as well as the Devil. God allowing it.
Secret Identity: Cian Shea’s real name is ooooo Dawe.
Bridget McCabe
Role: To help Cian achieve his impossible task or dream.
Hidden Agendas: Bridget will have the same hidden agendas as Cian in time, but before she believes he can truly accomplish his dream, Bridget is playing along and trying to help Cian let go of his impossible and crazy mission.
Competition: None.
Conspiracies: Bridget becomes the key conspirator with Cian to achieve his dreams.
Secrets: Bridget is keeping the same kind of secrets from Cian that he is keeping from her, only to a much lesser degree and the circumstances are different. She masks why she is such a great FBI profiler, what happened when she was a little girl,
Deception: Deceives her Director the whole time she is with Cian to cover up his plans and their relationship.
Wound: When she was a little girl, she found out her neighbor was a serial killer through her special gifts, dreams, and intuitions. Only, she knew of what he was from a child’s perspective and still innocent. Having intuitions of his own, he threatened to hurt his wife and daughter if she told anyone. She did not tell anyone and even believed him when he said he sent his wife and daughter to live with her sister for a whole year. He disappeared and left clues that he killed them because she knew what he was. If Bridget would have told right away, he still would have killed them and fled but she still wonders if she could have saved her friend and her mother.
Secret Identity: Bridget comes from a long line of witches and is the one they have foreseen for ages as accomplishing the task Cian is set on. Bridget does not know who she is and won’t realize until she needs help when the Devil becomes more aggressive and desparate to stop her.
The Devil
Role: To keep Cian Shea and God from meeting his challenge to the fullest implication.
Hidden Agendas: Wants to pay God and heaven back when he hurts humans. So, the more brutal and eviler he is, the better chance at getting an audience with God.
Competition: On occasion, there are battles between the Devil and other fallen angels, as well as evil humans.
Conspiracies: The Devil is always conspiring to destroy the heavens and God even though he knows he never will, and he can be behind countless conspiracies throughout the world to pay God back.
Secrets: The Devil helps human beings sometimes because he genuinely wants to and when he does, God fills him with so much love and desire to help more people that he gets sick as punishment.
Deception: The Devil is prone to any and every deception to get what he needs, wants or for the sheer pleasure of deceiving.
Wound: Being cast out of heaven and threatened with eternal hell according to God’s divine plan compounded with knowing God’s love and protection for humanity despite his impending doom.
Secret Identity: Takes the form of an angel of light sometimes as well as a human being or animal.
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Anyone else having trouble keeping up with 3-day assignments when lessons are being emailed every 2 days?
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Ha Ha! Totally! But I am limping along. My quest to be perfect must be set aside, (luckily I only struggle with this when it comes to actually finishing/starting assignments.) I have decided to not look to deeply into it (the confusion can get me off track) and follow Meg’s lead. Hope this helps!
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I’ve reposted with both part of the assignment:
Stuart’s Intriguing Character Layers
Lesson 4, Assignment 1
Watchmen’s Intriguing Character Layers: Angela Abar
Detective Angela Abar
For each of the possible Intrigue categories, I’ve listed the big picture items based on Ep 1-3, and then added Ep 4 revelations.
Role: Vigilante detective determined to defeat the Seventh Kavalry
Hidden agendas: serving for Tulsa PD as a vigilante; investigating Chief Crawford’s murder to protect him; investigating Will Reeves, her grandfather; (Ep 4 withholding information from FBI Agent Laurie Blake)
Competition: with Wade/Looking Glass, Red Scare (Tulsa PD); FBI Agent Laurie Blake; Will Reeves (Ep 4 FBI Agent Laurie Blake elevated to primary competition; revealed to audience, greater competition may be Will Reeves and his obligation to Lady Trieu)
Conspiracies: Tulsa’s masked law to protect identity of police/families; Seventh Kavalry; Tulsa PD’s conspiracy to use Angela/Sister Night as vigilante detective; (Ep 4 Angela conspires with Wade to withhold evidence from FBI Agent Laurie Blake; Angela conspires with Cal to protect family secrets from Blake)
Secrets: Wears a mask to protect family and self; vigilante detective working outside Tulsa Police Department; Angela’s relationship with Judd Crawford; granddaughter of Will Reeves (suspect for Crawford’s hanging) (Ep 4 secret of how Angela and Cal met in Vietnam, and Cal’s accident, and the death of Angela’s parents)
Deception: hides Crawford’s KKK cloak and hood; withholding information she was first on the crime scene of Crawford’s hanging and confronting suspect Will Reeves (Ep 4 Angela gives Crawford’s cloak to Wade to hide, and gives him Will’s medicine for analysis)
Wound: victim of The White Night; Crawford was her mentor and friend
Secret Identity: Sister Night; the mask protects Angela as mother/wife
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Lesson 4, Assignment 2
What I learned doing this assignment is that my main characters have been withholding information from me! It’s been valuable reviewing the creative processes and allowing myself to be open to any of these Intrigue Items, whether I believe they apply or not. I just let the creative exploration, brainstorming, and fill in the blanks take over.
Here’s where my Inner Circle is heading at this stage of development:
Character: Hop-Frog
Role: King Goplik’s fool, his toy, and the ministers’ frog, serving their entertainment.
Hidden agendas: The Hidden Agenda transforms during the course of the season as Hop-Frog deals with the trauma of initial events. Hidden agenda goes from need to kill himself to survive for Trippetta to sacrifice for her safety to take revenge on King Goplik and his ministers.
Competition: With Trippetta, with King Goplik, with Trippetta’s love (Prince Brann), with the Ministers, with Lord Krapp, with rival country Balog’s prince who has his eye on Trippetta. Competition for King’s trust, competition for Trippetta’s heart, competition with King’s daughter (for King’s allegiance and Trippetta’s love?)
Conspiracies: Conspires with ministers to win allegiance to King Goplik; conspires with King Goplik to usurp the rival country, Balog; conspires with Trippetta; conspires with Lord Krapp; conspires with rival country’s court; conspires with servants within the King’s court
Secrets: Was he cursed as a babe? The mystery of his parents (both dead to him). His guardian (“mother”) is not his birth mother, but she is the only person to accept and love Hop-Frog as a “son”. He didn’t sacrifice himself to protect Trippetta’s betrothed, Prince Brann.
Deception: Plays the fool to King and Ministers, plays the minister to earn the trust of the king.
Wound: he’s physically disabled and is continually ridiculed – especially by King Goplik and his ministers. Emotional wound is the massacre of his mother. And his failure to defend and protect Trippetta’s betrothed.
Secret Identity: the fool/clown, to be the hero for Trippetta, he’s hiding his fear of being revealed as an imposter.
Character: Trippetta
Role: Enslaved as the court dancer to serve the pleasures of the king and his ministers.
Hidden agendas: Like Hop-Frog Trippetta’s hidden agenda transforms from to survive to find acceptance/love to get revenge to take the throne.
Competition: With Hop-Frog (to please the king and ministers, or be punished/executed), with Lord Krapp, with King Goplik’s daughter for the hand of King Queeg’s son.
Conspiracies: With Hop-Frog, with King Goplik’s daughter, with Lord Krapp, with King Queeg’s son, with servants within the Court of Brattvia.
Secrets: Does she want the throne? Her feelings for Hop-Frog.
Deception: She plays the dancer, entertainer for pleasure and fantasy. She hides her need for escape, vengeance, and power.
Wound: Her family and her love were massacred.
Secret Identity: A warrior in need of her cause and battlefield.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by Stuart Voytilla.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by
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Jane’s Intriguing Character Layers – What I learned doing this assignment is to not over-think things. What helped me most with this assignment was to give each of my characters a secret. I’m finding that it is the secret they each have which is their underlying drive for what they do. This was super helpful and really facilitated fleshing out (at least in my mind) Susie and Lucas who were both fairly flat. I knew they needed work but in giving them each a secret that drives them allowed me to set up some pretty interesting character layers that I’m excited to work with.
Also, I’ve always thought about this project at a mini-series rather than an on-going series. Through these character layers I can see how another season or two of shows could develop.
ASSIGNMENT 1: – Riverdale, Intriguing Characters Layers
1. Hidden agendas: Cheryl to blame Polly for Jason’s death;
2. Competition: Between Cheryl and Veronica for high school queen bee;
3. Conspiracies: Archie and Miss Grundy conspire to hold back information; Archie asks Jughead not to tell about him and Miss Grundy; Veronica, Betty and other HS girls conspire to get back at boys who lie about them.
4. Secrets: Archie’s affair with Miss Grundy;
5. Deception: Archie lies to his dad;
6. Wound: Betty and Betty’s mother for Polly’s breakdown; girls who are lied about by boys.
7. Secret Identity: Betty’s alter ego vixen;
Episode 4 – Layers revealed.
1. Hidden agendas: Betty’s mission to find out who Miss Grundy really is; Jughead to save the drive-in because it is where he lives; Hermione Lodge to launder her husband’s money.
2. Competition: Betty with Miss Grundy for Archie’s affection;
3. Conspiracies: Veronica’s mother and her “business” with the bike gang; Betty and Jughead to find out what happened to Jason.
4. Secrets: Archie’s secret affair with Miss Grundy; Hermione Lodge’s duffle bag of cash; boy scouts cover up of the shot.
5. Deception: Archie lies to his dad; Hermione lies to Veronica.
6. Wound: Betty’s loss of her sister Polly; Cheryl’s loss of Jason; Betty’s mother’s inconsolable hate for everyone.
7. Secret Identity: Jughead is the son of the bike gang leader who is blackmailing Veronica’s mom; Miss Grundy is not Miss Grundy; scout leader is actually a whacked out survivalist.
ASSIGNMENT 2 – 13 Weeks Intriguing Character Layers
Character Name: Jodie
Role: Daughter sent on a mission to save family financially
Hidden agendas: To replace her mother in the eyes of her younger, blind sister
Competition: With her mother for her sister’s affection.
Conspiracies: Manipulates her dad into helping her with her kidnap plan
Secrets: She caused her sister’s blindness
Deception: Lies about her purpose for finding her dad and lies to her dad about his role in kidnapping her sister.
Wound: During her parent’s last epic argument, overheard her dad say that he wished she had never been born.
Secret Identity: none
Character Name: Lucas
Role: Gang member in hiding
Hidden agendas: To save his mother and sisters from the gang he belongs to.
Competition: none
Conspiracies: Conspires with Miguel in order to expose gang mole.
Secrets: He has been studying law online and has been accepted to Stanford. Under his “white” persona, he has a philosophy degree.
Deception: He lies about his intelligence
Wound: He watched his father die in a gang fight.
Secret Identity: He poses online as a 20 year old white college student.
Character Name: Miguel
Role: Brother looking for older brother who disappeared 5 years ago
Hidden agendas: To rise up in the eyes of the drug lord who he works for
Competition: none
Conspiracies: Conspires with Lucas in order to find brother.
Secrets: He does not want to kill his brother.
Deception: He lies about his family and about his reasons for being at the lodge.
Wound: His brother left him when he should have protected him.
Secret Identity: He is part of the drug cartel his brother fled from.
Character Name: Susie
Role: Girl hiding from an abusive boyfriend
Hidden agendas: To get enough money to buy back her baby.
Competition: none
Conspiracies: Conspires with Jodie to blackmail the boyfriend’s parents
Secrets: She had a baby in high school and has found the baby’s adopted family.
Deception: She lies about the boyfriend’s abuse and sets him up “Gone Girl” style
Wound: Her baby was taken from her without her consent.
Secret Identity: none
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John Anderson’s Intriguing Character Layers
Lesson 4 Hidden Agendas
What I learned doing this assignment is: The more intrigue, the better.
My example show has it everywhere. I realize that many of these driving wounds are there and a huge part of what drives these characters but the audience (me , at least) is only aware in a glancing way. I have never pondered some of this as I should to really GET the piece. In my best work, I’ve always used the WOUND as my guide in everything I have the character do. The wound is really the heart of the character. Sometimes, I didn’t name the wound but I knew it. Better to name it in the future.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
1. Think about your Example Show. Make a list of the places you’ve already seen Character
Intrigue in the previous episodes… The Americans
Hidden agendas –
Phillip – Tries to keep friend alive over mission, Care about wife over mission, Wants real relationship and family life, May defect,
Elizabeth – having affair with black panther, wants to kill her rapist, wants to be loved
FBI Agent Stan Beeman – doesn’t trust neighbors, trying to keep team as focus when praised to keep them as a team
Competition –
Phillip and Elizabeth compete (when she beat up the defector by herself), outsmarts American agents
FBI Agent Stan Beeman – against other agents he is obviously keeping his past greatness from seeping in as they are all competitive
Conspiracy –
Phillips – He keeps his options open on defection, his whole life is conspiracy
Elizabeth – Affair was a conspiracy, – the two conspire as to the real reason they killed the defector
They both pretend to run a travel agency
Secrets –
Phillips – Wanting to defect, going after the guy who hit on his daughter, killing defector,
Elizabeth – affair, feelings for Phillip grew, Talking in Russian and talking about their past lives.
FBI Agent Stan Beeman – something is up from his undercover work, He makes the KGB lady do his dirty work, he isn’t above doing things “off the books” – ie. at stereo store
Deception
Phillips – Great disguises (like the way he dupes the FBI lady with interviews)
Elizabeth – lied about affair – lies to kids constantly
FBI Agent Stan Beeman – past secretes in FBI coming
Wound-
Phillip – old girlfriend left behind,
Elizabeth – love with Black Panther, looking for true love
FBI Agent Stan Beeman – something in the White Supremacist pat
Secret Identity
All have secret identities but….
Phillip has many but from Elizabeth he was hiding desire to defect. He has a mean streak that is psychopathic – no problem killing
Elizabeth – biggest is from the kids POV Also a killer.
2. Watch the next episode and see how Character Intrigue is being used to create the need to see
more episodes.
Hidden agendas
– The female double agent (secretary in Russian Embassy) – will she survive now they now about her
– Phillips new love for Elizabeth will it push Elizabeth’s dislike of being “fathered”
– KGB Agents sexual desire for secretary – what will it cost?
Competition–
– Racketball heating up
– Phillip and Eliz heating up over her well being
Conspiracy
– FBI agent and secretary’s conspiracy is exciting
– What’s going on with Phillip at FBI lady’s house?
Secrets
– Secretary is playing a dangerous game
– FBI secretary is playing a foolish game
Deception
– Phillip deceiving FBI lady and FBI agent
– Both deceiving America
– Secretary deceiving bosses at Embassy
– The head of embassy deceiving his older KGB guy (killed his source)
Wound
– Something about Elizabeth’s father
– KGB guy had friendship with his source and they deceived and killed him
– FBI agent and wife are struggling with past
Secret Identity
– Who will get caught? All have secret identity.
ASSIGNMENT 2:
1. For your Inner Circle characters, fill in any of the Intrigue items that apply.
Character Name: Belenko
Role: MiG Pilot who defects with the plane to the west
Hidden agendas: To get out of USSR with the plane. To get even with his superiors, wife and others. To find true freedom and honesty.
Competition: He wants to be the best pilot (and a famous defector?) Loves to outsmart others.
Conspiracies: Defection is a huge conspiracy from early in his planning. (The Soviet State conspirers to it’s citizens as well.)
Secrets: All have secrets in a totalitarian system and Belenko has them throughout the story
Deception: He leaves pretending to go on the days mission – tells NO ONE
Wound: Lack of love and lack of freedom. BIGGEST WOUND? —The ZUKs life stays with him forever (that utter distain for a person’s humanity!)
Secret Identity: he is betraying them all. He outsmarts everyone
Character Name: None yet Female CIA Agent
Role: Female CIA Agent
Hidden agendas: Love
Competition:
Conspiracies: affair?
Secrets: either form CIA or from Belenko or both?
Deception: yes – cant reveal her plans (whatever they are)
Wound: ?
Secret Identity: ?
Character Name: Male CIA Agent
Role: male CIA Agent
Hidden agendas: Pretend to be friend
Competition: Against the KGB agent
Conspiracies: maybe – regarding “affair”
Secrets: many
Deception: many
Wound:?
Secret Identity:?
Character Name: KGB Agent ??
Role: KGB Agent
Hidden agendas: perhaps double agent
Competition: with US CIA?
Conspiracies: Against KGB?
Secrets: willing to defect? Lies to Belenko and CIA
Deception: Tries to trick Belenko
Wound: ??
Secret
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Example Show: Jessica Jones – list of the places Character Intrigue in episode 1:
Character Name: Jessica Jones
Role: PI/Superhero
Hidden agendas: find ex-boyfriend
Competition: ex-boyfriend, herself trying to control PTSD and drinking
Conspiracies: with DA, DA’s office, ex-boyfriend’s agenda, Trish
Secrets: super strength, drinking,
Deception: using DA’s client to find ex-boyfriend,
Wound: PTSD, self control, wishes she had a boyfriend but doesn’t chance it
Secret Identity: super strength, past roommate Trish knowsASSIGNMENT 2
Subject line: Donna Stockwell’s Intriguing Character Layers
1. What I learned about this assignment, is that I need more time to build my characters, which I will do with each assignment. I’m missing a lot of layers for my overall concept.1. Character Name: Ben
Role: father/husband/ hardworking man in security sales,
Hidden agendas: soothe the pain of wife leaving
Competition: boyfriend
Conspiracies: with brother to bury bodies
Secrets: kills for revenge and control over life
Deception: living double life, keeps upper chin in front of children
Wound: broken marriage, satisfied in traditional marriage, opposed to divorce
Secret Identity: serial killer2. Character Name: Petrina
Role: mother/wife – narcissistic wife in loveless marriage
Hidden agendas: leave marriage
Competition: daughter
Conspiracies: with daughter’s boyfriend
Secrets: dating daughter’s boyfriend
Deception: happy wife planning new life in another home
Wound: bad marriage
Secret Identity: strong woman3. Character Name: Celeste
Role: daughter
Hidden agendas: trying to start adult life
Competition: mother
Conspiracies:
Secrets:
Deception: not a good relationship with mother
Wound: betrayed by mother, hurt by boyfriend
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Lesson 4 – Assignment #1
Character Intrigue: Revenge
1. Character Intrigue from Previous Episodes:
Emily Thorne
Role: Heiress who seeks revenge
Hidden agendas: Befriends each target before springing the trap.
Competition: She is dating Daniel Grayson, despite his protective mother’s objections.
Conspiracy: Conspires with Nolan to pull off acts of vengeance.
Secrets: She remembers her father’s affair with Victoria, how he was dragged away by the FBI, and each person’s part in the betrayal of him at his trial.
Deception: She lies and befriends each episode’s “target” under false pretenses.
Wound: Her father was wrongfully accused, sent to prison, and was ultimately killed.
Secret Identity: She is really Amanda Clarke.
Victoria Grayson
Role: Matriarch of the wealthy Grayson family
Hidden agendas: To remain the most powerful person in the Hamptons
Competition: Emily’s recent arrival is a threat.
Conspiracy: She is asking the family security agent to thoroughly investigate Emily to look for dirt.
Secrets: She desires to undermine Emily since her son is dating her. She still longs for her lost love, David Clarke.
Deception: She holds parties and enjoys to social scene, but she distrusts everybody.
Wound: Her love interest was framed for a crime and sent to prison, where he died.
Secret Identity: She is as cold-blooded as Emily.
Nolan Ross
Role: Accomplice to Emily
Hidden agendas: Will do anything for Emily’s approval or to have anyone befriend him
Competition: Jack is the object of Emily’s deep love.
Conspiracy: Conspires with Emily to pull off acts of vengeance.
Secrets: He seems to be in love with Emily.
Deception: Will lie to anyone as dictated by Emily
Wound: Outcast
Secret Identity: Alias of Amanda Clarke posing as a philanthropist
2. Character Intrigue in Episode 4
Emily Thorne
Secrets: She is posting as a patient of a mental health doctor to get revenge for how she was treated as a child.
Deception: She cleverly includes her own session in a leaked counseling video to avoid any incrimination.
Wound: In flashbacks, she is seen being locked up in an institution and being denied access to her father by the mental health doctor.
Nolan Ross
Deception: For some unknown reason, he is referring Jack Porter to the website of the leaked video to make him think Emily is into him. He is almost playing matchmaker, perhaps to keep her away from Daniel Grayson.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by Marcus Armstrong.
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Lesson 4 – Assignment #2
Marc Armstrong’s Character Intriguing Character Layers
What I learned doing this assignment is how each person is complex, whether ourselves, family members, coworkers or even our characters. The seven layers of intrigue help transform our characters into complex, intriguing characters.
Show – Catch and Release
Nikolas Sutton
Role: Vigilante
Hidden agendas: He wants vengeance at all costs.
Competition: Not applicable (at this time)
Conspiracy: Relies on Brandon to help set up the targets through diversion
Secrets: Has kept his vigilante life from his girlfriend Sabrina and her family.
Deception: Although contradictory to his Christian values, he lies to Charlie to manipulate him.
Wound: The sudden death of his parents and siblings
Secret Identity: Maintains a Christian facade, but becomes addicted to life as a vigilante.
Brandon Leek
Role: Nik’s best friend
Hidden agendas: While he will not engage in the killing itself, he is certainly willing to help trap the targets.
Competition: Nik’s girlfriend accuses Brandon of being the reason that Nik is gone so much.
Conspiracy: He is basically Nik’s second set of eyes.
Secrets: Brandon is addicted to prescription pain medication.
Deception: He manipulates the targets to set them up for Nik.
Wound: His dad committed suicide last summer.
Secret Identity: He is a certified genius, but has shared this with nobody.
Charlie Anderson
Role: Former high school outcast who wants to emulate Nik
Hidden agendas: Not interested in the sport of it, he just wants to kill anyone who even appears guilty of a serious crime.
Competition: He is jealous of Brandon, Nik’s best friend.
Conspiracy: Not applicable (at this time)
Secrets: He adores Nik
Deception: He tells Sabrina that Nik is cheating on her
Wound: Due to his social awkwardness, he was repeatedly bullied in high school.
Secret Identity: Since high school, he has become a black belt in Jiu Jitsu
Bryson Volgard
Role: Brother of Nik’s first vigilante target; an enemy of Nik
Hidden agendas: To kill Nikolas Sutton
Competition: Not applicable (at this time)
Conspiracy: Has enlisted the help of a fellow Ranger
Secrets: He has promised his wife that he left his violent ways of his military life in the past.
Deception: He befriends Nik’s girlfriend, Sabrina, to gather intel on how to find Nik.
Wound: His brother was killed by Nik
Secret Identity: To his wife, he is a fishing guide.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by Marcus Armstrong.
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This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by
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This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by
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Molly McNeal’s Intriguing Character Layers
What I learned during this assignment is to really look beyond the “good” qualities of my characters. I want her so badly to be nice but in order to make a fantastic show I need to dive beneath the surface. All those layers play an important key for not only the character but the whole show.
Assignment #1 For Supergirl Because it is family friendly and my girls are in LOVE with it now.
Character Name: Kara
Role: To come to the planet to help superman
Hidden Agendas: Wants to use her superpowers but can’t, is supergirl but wants a normal life too.
Competition: Against Superman to be a better superhero and Lucy Lane to compete for the affection of James, and any alien that is bad.
Conspiracies: She is knows Hanks true identity, she encourages Lucy taking the job with James even though she has feelings for him
Secrets: She is in love with James, She had super powers she was hiding, she is doing good for Cat Grant behind her back, she works with the DEO, Cat Grant no longer thinks she is SG.
Deception: Her aunt (who is her mom’s twin) deceives her and puts her in a place where she has to choose to believe her or her mother. She has to save her boss by giving up her aunt back to the evil aliens. She is pretending to not like James.
Wound: She is mad that her mom chose to send her back while she stayed behind to be destroyed.
Secret identity: Supergirl
Assignment #2 for Carrington Manor
Character Name: Gwenn
Role: To save all the patients at Carrington Manor, and her mother
Hidden agendas: To move in with her mother so she can help out financially, to keep her job no matter how much lying she has to do.
Competition: Against Abigail to be a better therapist
Conspiracies: She is in love with the married Dr, she finds she has a key that can get her to different parts of the building including the security camera room,
Secrets:
Deception:She is participating in Medicare fraud, Involved with married man, harbors a fugitive patient
Wound:She wants her mom’s love and approval and her mom is too mentally ill to give it to her
Secret Identity: Administrator at Carrington Manor
Character name: Terry
Role: Fearless Leader, cheer leader and do gooder for Superior Care Services
Hidden agendas: Has a crush on Gwenn, wants to promote her so they can work together
Competition: Abigail, is always putting her in her place and pointing out failings.
Conspiracies: She is working with HR to promote herself through the company
Secrets: She is a lesbian but is lying to herself about it
Deception: She is married to a man or woman no one knows? She is mentally ill
Wound: Her mother died when she was young and blames her sexual identity crisis on her dad.
Secret Identity: To get rich through inheritance of a patient
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Cooper James – Intriguing Character Layers
What I learned is you gotta dig deep into the private spaces to create characters that will hold an audience and keep them watching. We all have secrets and it’s safer to watch others reveal, discover and engage in the outcomes of intrigue.
Example show: Handmaid’s Tale – Offred
Role: to give birth to a child for Mrs. Waterford who is unable to bear children
Hidden agendas: to survive and find her daughter
Competition: With Mrs. Waterford
Conspiracy: With other Handmaids
Secrets: building a close relationship with Commander Waterford and Nick, the driver.
Deception: Hiding that she’s becoming a part of the resistance.
Wound: Her husband was killed and she lost her daughter.
Secret Identity: She’s a fighter.
My show: Edgemont
Character Name: Simone
Role: mother of twin sons and faithful daughter
Hidden Agendas: to destroy the Senator
Competition:
Conspiracies: With her son Remy to take down Region 26. With Owens to get financial backing.
Secrets: the father of her twin sons.
Deception: that she is faithful to her father
Wound: Choose love over power.
Secret Identity: trained assassin
Character Name: KIng
Role: family patriarch, father of Simone, and owner of the Edgemont.
Hidden Agendas: sell the hotel
Competition: With Owens to influence his daughter, Simone.
Conspiracies: With his grandson, Roman.
Secrets: What happened to Simone’s mother.
Deception: That he cares about the kids living at the Edgemont.
Wound: His father didn’t love him.
Secret Identity: rapist
Character Name: Roman
Role: Son and grandfather’s favorite
Hidden Agendas: Prevent his mother and brother, Remy, from taking down the Senator.
Competition: his mother and brother, Remy.
Conspiracies: With his grandfather, King, and Mrs. Conners
Secrets: His affair with Mrs. Conners
Deception: Deceiving his mother, brother, and his grandfather, King.
Wound: that he’s not his mother’s favorite child.
Secret Identity: Con man
Character Name: Remy
Role: Son and mother’s favorite
Hidden Agendas: kidnap the Senator’s wife
Competition: his grandfather and brother, Roman.
Conspiracies: With Michael and several kids
Secrets: his love affair with a woman in Region 26
Deception: that he has never killed anyone.
Wound: not knowing his father.
Secret Identity: rescuing disconnects from Region 26
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Lesson 4
Subject line: Renee Brown’s Intriguing Character Layers
What I learned doing this assignment is… If I get stuck on filling in the blanks, I just skip around and before I know it, one decision leads to the next and the blanks start filling in. Also, I know anything can change at any point so there is less stress to get it right, right now.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
1. Think about The 100. Make a list of the places you’ve already seen Character Intrigue in the previous episodes.
Why is Cain trying to take over? What did Abby’s husband do to get killed? What did Clark do to be in lock up? Why did the Canceler condemn his son?
2. Watch the next episode and see how Character Intrigue is being used to create the need to see more episodes.
The little girl kills the guy in order to slay her nightmare demons. She learned the technique from Cain.
ASSIGNMENT 2
1. For your Inner Circle characters, fill in any of the Intrigue items that apply.
Character Name and Role in series: (changing a character here….)
Tallas: Young (600 yr. old) longhead who is the blood line and leader of the original, underground alien species on earth.
Anauk: Leader of the sky– dwelling alien species who controls access for all aliens on earth to the dark side of the moon where the UN of Alien species lays in shadow.
Saltar: Reptilian / Salamander like leader of the water dwelling (Deepers) alien nation who is playing both sides with the Longheads and the Skyfliers.
Mark Steelman: 5-star general who mediates top secret relations with the alien factions on earth.
Rollin (changed name and gender): The One, who the longheads are training, underground, to bring peace to earth.
Hidden agendas:
Tallas: Make sure Rollin succeeds as “the one” although some things are not lining up with prophecies. He does not have all the bloodlines in his veins
Anauk: provide Deepers with access to Dark Side of Moon (DSOM) even though they are currently ban from the AUN (Alien United Nations)
Saltar: Works with Anauk to gain access to DSOM while trying to find out who the “one” is from the longheads.
Steelman: Keep humanity from destroying DSOM and try to reunite with lover/child though longheads
Rollin: Train his little sister Maryum to be the one.
Competition:
Tallas: Rollins/ Tallas / the prophecy seekers
Anauk: The Skyfliers who can fly.
Saltar: Her daughter
Steelman: Tallas
Rollin: Maryum
Conspiracies:
Tallas: “Finds” (creates) new prophecy texts that support Rollin being “The one”
Anauk: Lies to his father about his relationship to Saltar.
Saltar: Conspires with Anauk for DSOM access and to create tech for him to fly again.
Steelman: Reports false intel to military complex to keep Longheads safe.
Rollin: He is acting like he is the one in order to gain knowledge to train his little sister Maryum.
Secrets:
Tallas: He is forging prophecy. And Seelman’s lover is his ex-partner.
Anauk: He is in love with Saltar’s daughter
Saltar: In love with Anauk and wants the Longheads to succeed.
Steelman: His secret lover / child on DSOM and his loyalty to Longheads because of it.
Rollin: Knows his little sister Maryum is from a different father thus giving her the full bloodline instead of him. Also, Maryum has a twin and this is Steelman’s child with Tallas’ ex.
Deception:
Tallas: Wants Rollin to fail because he does not want unification. Still holds ancestorial grudge from when the Deepers destroyed the Longhead ship 150,000 years ago.
Anauk: Lies to his family about his feelings about Deepers and DSOM access rules.
Saltar: Keeps her feelings for Anauk from her daughter. Uses her daughter as a bargaining chip to achieve her goals.
Steelman: Reports false intel to military complex to keep Longheads safe.
Rollin: Does not tell anyone he is training Mayrum to be “the one”
Wound:
Tallas: The loss of his ansestors. The long heads are telepathic and their memories are ancestorial. He “remembers” his ancestors loosing thier family when the Deepers destroyed the ship.
Anauk: He is a Flier who can not fly.
Saltar: Unrequited love.
Steelman: Loss of his love and child
Rollin: does not believe in himself.
Secret Identity
Tallas: Key to healing his nation (must heal his grief first) . Also, he unwittingly introduced Steelman to his ex, so he is in a way responsible for producing the true “one”
Anauk: Savior to humanity.
Saltar: Assassin to the twin sister
Steelman: The human seed to “the one” s bloodline
Rollin: Doesn’t know it yet, but he and his twin sisters: “They”. Are “The One.” (the trifecta)
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Hidden Agenda
Ruby Kane, Detective in a small-town police department: Under pressure from many different sides, when Ruby’s husband cheats on her, she decided she’s going to get him back using a hidden agenda. She’s going to murder cheating husbands in their small city and the murders will haunt him because of his behavior.
Brian ‘Thor’ Vinter, her husband and the Police Chief. His hidden agenda is to escape the pain of his daughter’s illness and other problems by cheating on his wife with younger women.
Rebecca Kane, their daughter, who suffers from bipolar daughter who also has mild autism and auditory hallucinations. She has a hidden agenda to kill herself so she can end her pain. She also wants to get out of the house and be free, which means she ends up on the street.
Lula Kane, Ruby’s eccentric mother. She has a hidden agenda to find out what her daughter is doing; when she finds out, she has to help her, which makes her an accessory to murder.
Curtis, Ruby’s Police partner: he has a hidden agenda to investigate the murders secretly so that Ruby won’t know what he’s investigating; because he suspects her.
Myra, the lead reporter: her husband is also cheating on her, so she loves it when Ruby feeds her information about Thor’s cheating, which she hints at obliquely, then blatantly in her blog.
Jody, the senior criminalist: her hidden agenda is to make Ruby her lover, and do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Competition
Ruby Kane: she’s obviously in secret competition with her husband, and her mother over their family secrets.
Brian ‘Thor’ Vinter: he’s in competition with all the other men in the office to see who can fuck the prettiest girls in town, and inside the department; in fact, they have financial pool to vote who is the most fuckable in the department, and whoever fucks her wins. (Like the New Orleans Saints who had a bounty on injuring other players).
Rebecca Kane: she in competition with her parent over not taking her meds, about not having to go see a therapist; with the therapist over what her illnesses really are. (Is there a therapist who sees the problem and gives Rebecca free sessions but wants something and Ruby can’t figure out what it is—endlessly intriguing; does it turn out he wants sex with Ruby?
Lula Kane: is she in competition with her daughter, the way they were in competition for her husband’s affections? Is she in competition now trying to control the other?
Curtis, Ruby’s Police partner: is he in competition with other detectives to keep Ruby his partner because he suspects her; he’s in competition with Ruby because he thinks she’s a murderess.
Myra, the lead reporter: she’s in competition with her husband for cheating on her and she’s going to use an indirect way to shame him into coming back to her for sex.
Jody, the senior criminalist: she’s in competition with all the other women in the office because she wants to be the most desirable to Ruby.
Conspiracies:
Ruby Kane: she has a conspiracy to avenge her sexual anger by killing cheating men, and as lead detective on the case, covering it up and distracting everyone by creating other possibilities.
Brian ‘Thor’ Vinter: he has a conspiracy to fuck younger women and not lose his marriage.
Rebecca Kane: she has a conspiracy not to get treatment for her problems, and heal herself through other new-age methods.
Lula Kane: she has a conspiracy to hide her husband’s and Ruby’s father’s history as a spy from the world.
Curtis, Ruby’s Police partner: he has a conspiracy going to investigate his partner completely off the record because he sees her husband’s behavior, and he suspects her of committing murder to get back at him.
Myra, the lead reporter/blogger: her husband is cheating on her too, so she has a conspiracy with Ruby to expose them in her blog.
Jody, the senior criminalist: she has a conspiracy to turn Ruby gay, have her leave her husband and move in with her.
Secrets
Ruby Kane: that her father molested her, that he was a Russian spy, and his former life kept intruding on his family; that Viva didn’t die or a cyanide capsule, but Ruby killed her father when he was trying again to sexually assault her, and she administered the capsule so it looked like he took his life as part of his former job.
Brian ‘Thor’ Vinter: That he started a pool to bed hot women in the department; that he seduces and beds younger women in town. That he has trouble getting it up.
Rebecca Kane: That she’s not taking her medication. That she’s trying to use alternative means to medicate herself.
Lula Kane: That she’s in love with a younger man in town.
Curtis, Ruby’s Police partner: That he’s also murdered someone, which no one knows about, and which he got away with.
Myra, the lead reporter/blogger: That she has faked sources in the past, and desperately wants to try to get away with it again.
Jody, the senior criminalist: Is she a trans woman, but nobody knows?
Deception:
Ruby Kane: she has the biggest reason to use deception; she’s murdering the victims who’s murders she’s also investigating. (But is this all part of an elaborate deception where she’s using her father’s spy skills to kill men opposed to a corporate facility?)
Brian ‘Thor’ Vinter: he’s afraid he’s gay, so he’s on a campaign to prove he’s a ladies man.
Rebecca Kane: she pretends she’s been hurt climbing when she in fact is cutting herself.
Lula Kane: she pretends to be much older that she is while being sharp as a tack and aware of everyone’s moves
Curtis, Ruby’s Police partner: he continues to make sure his murder goes unsolved; whenever anything about it resurfaces, he rushes to put out the fire.
Myra, the lead reporter/blogger: she has to continue hiding that she once faked sources.
Jody, the senior criminalist: Acting like a gay woman when she’s a trans woman (or, maybe that’s what they all do).
Wound:
Ruby Kane: that he father sexually assaulted her and she killed him during one of the assaults.
Brian ‘Thor’ Vinter: That he’s afraid he might be gay.
Rebecca Kane: That’s she bipolar, and will never have a normal mind.
Lula Kane: that she allowed her husband to molest her daughter because she was more focused on competing with her daughter for his affections and as a result did not notice.
Curtis, Ruby’s Police partner: That he’s a murderer and no one knows.
Myra, the lead reporter/blogger: That her character is not what she presents; she’s also a kind of cheater
Jody, the senior criminalist: That she has to hide who she really is.
Secret identity:
Ruby Kane: she’s actually an industrial spy posing as a cop and using murder as a distraction from getting a gigantic warehouse fulfillment center up here in gold country where no one wants it, for which she’ll get a percentage worth billions of dollars.
Brian ‘Thor’ Vinter: He pretends he’s a woman during sex; he imagines himself to being a cheerleader getting raped in a locker room.
Rebecca Kane: she pretends to have a substance abuse problem so she can get treatment, because they IS no mental health treatment.
Lula Kane: she was the wife of a spy and now has to act like that never happened.
Curtis, Ruby’s Police partner: he’s a secret murderer
Myra, the lead reporter/blogger: a secret cheater
Jody, the senior criminalist: a secret sexual identity
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Whew. Gone for a week, time to play catch-up.
<b style=””>Jason’s Intriguing Character Layers
What I learned doing this assignment is that while I’m still developing the ‘villain’, the foibles/secrets of the current characters are enough to raise conflict/stakes and interest in the opening episodes.
Gina Semple
Role: Hyperintelligent dreamer, reclusive author exposed to the world.
Hidden agendas: Wants to keep her reality safe and in control
Competition: People who want more of her are unsafe
Conspiracies: None as of yet
Secrets: Deeply wounded by her past, sees herself as unable to identify with anyone for any length of time
Deception: Gina is straightforward and cannot abide liars
Wound: Her intelligence has been lifelong alienation, setting her apart from others, and set her up to be manipulated in the past
Secret Identity: Her journaling affords a much more vibrant, epic life, and the only place she feels truly safe
Maggie Ketchum
Role: Gina’s friend/employer, lives vicariously through Gina’s writing
Hidden agendas: Wants to see Gina blossom. Wants her own life to do so.
Competition: Mark, her husband, believes she’s interfering.
Conspiracies: Enlists Parker to be her proxy while in the hospital
Secrets: Her life has lost its color, wants to start over—with her husband, but doesn’t believe he’ll go for it. She’s wistful and sad with responsibility. She reads Gina’s journal to escape.
Deception: Maggie shares Gina’s journal with a news affiliate on the downlow thinking the attention will help her.
Wound: Maggie used to be a dreamer as well, now is resigned to ‘normal life’ and misses wonder and joy
Secret Identity: Maggie wants to be Gina, not knowing anything about her except through her writing—she idealizes her, not knowing her pain
Mark Ketchum
Role: Gina’s employer/Maggie’s Husband
Hidden agendas: Will do anything for his wife, hides his fear of losing her
Competition: Gina prompts Maggie to be reckless, occupies much of her attention
Conspiracies: None as of yet
Secrets: Doesn’t like himself and his weight gain due to building and maintaining a business, is ashamed of who he is
Deception: Mark hides his feelings from his wife for fear of her disappointment and losing her
Wound: Mark would have rather been an artist but wanted to please and impress Maggie, so he gave up his passion
Secret Identity: Mark would rather throw everything away and spend his days exploring the world with Maggie
Chris McAllister
Role: Broadway star/Actor-Producer
Hidden agendas: Wants to know more about Gina, inspired by her writing
Competition: Parker, who believes he’s leading Gina on to capitalize on her
Conspiracies: None as of yet
Secrets: Loves Gina but not romantically, has been HIV positive for 10 years
Deception: Chris believes Gina knows he’s gay and doesn’t want anything else but friendship; when he realizes that isn’t the case he avoids the subject until he can’t anymore
Wound: Chris is terribly afraid of hurting people, and is extremely self-deprecating if he believes he’s done so
Secret Identity: Chris is a Broadway star, he lives his identities onstage
Parker Lang
Role: Bartender, Maggie’s proxy, Gina’s newest friend
Hidden agendas: Becomes protective of Gina in her newfound fame
Competition: Chris, who monopolizes Gina’s interest
Conspiracies: Works with Maggie to “help” Gina navigate the new state of her life, becomes tired of reporting to her
Secrets: Came to Point North to start over after serving jail time, lost his wife in a tragic accident and won’t speak of his past
Deception: Parker is surface level out of self-preservation
Wound: He carries deep guilt for his past and refuses to get close to people
Secret Identity: Parker would love to be free of his ghosts, and free to love and be loved again
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Jónelle Berment’s Intriguing Character Layers
What I learned in doing this assignment was that it is crucial to create layers for your main characters and even let the “good” characters do some bad things.
Assignment #1 REVENGE
Emily Thorne/Amanda Clarke
Role – Hamptons NewcomerHidden Agenda – Destroy the lives of the people who framed and killed her DadCompetition – with Victoria GraysonConspiracy – With Nolan Ross to bring her fathers killers to justiceSecrets – She created an entire alter egoDeception – She must protect her alter ego if she wants to see her plan come to fruitionWound – Losing her father to a lie and never seeing him againSecret Identity – she is Amanda Clarke
Assignment #2 The Commission
Character Name: Michaela
Role: Leader of the group of women plotting revenge
Hidden agendas: Secretly wants to eliminate Oksana and their business
Competition: Oksana
Conspiracies: Works with Gianna to push the Russians out and claim their business
Secrets: She had a child at 14 that she never told anyone about, nor did she tell who the father of that baby was.
Deception: Deceiving the other ladies except Gianna on working to steal the Russians business
Wound: Witnessing the death of her husband
Secret Identity: Queen Pin
Character Name: Gianna
Role: Confidant and defense attorney for Michaela
Hidden agendas: Secretly wants to eliminate Oksana and their business
Competition: Oksana, and the other ladies
Conspiracies: Works with Michaela to push the Russians out and claim their business
Secrets: She wants to reveal that she is bi-sexual and attracted to Valentina
Deception: Deceiving the other ladies about her sexuality.
Wound: Witnessing the death of her husband and rejection from Valentina.
Secret Identity: Swinger
Character Name: Oksana
Role: Rogue Member
Hidden agendas: Wants to take Michaela out and run the conglomerate business.
Competition: Michaela
Conspiracies: Works with former associates of her husband to plot on Michaela
Secrets: She was having an affair with Michaela’s husband.
Deception: Deceiving everyone due to affair and plot to get rid of Michaela
Wound: Witnessing the death of her husband and her lover
Secret Identity: Gambling Addict
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Norene Smiley Lesson 4 Assignment – Layers of Character Intrigue
What I learned about the assignment – this is helping me to dive deeper into the characters and question why I have them in their roles and if they are interesting enough. No they are not, so I have to work at fixing this. Some of the brainstorming has resulted in me rethinking plot points and hopefully strengthening the logic of the story.
ASSIGNMENT 1:
JESSICA JONES – Instances of CHARACTER INTRIGUE
Hidden agenda/secret identity – Jessica is detective but also has super powers and fighting to defeat Kilgrave and others like him to protect others.
Her secret, besides the super powers, is that she was under Kilgrave’s control in the past and killed Luke’s wife
is there a conspiracy against those with super powers?
Jessica lies and deceives all the time to get what she wants but there is an ethical code under it all – stealing drugs to fight Kilgrave, using Malcom
She is a walking wound – drinking, drugs, sex – guilt over what Kilgrave made her do
Luke secretly has super power too
Trish has some kind of secret plan – the relentless self-defence, the fortress-like apartment
why is Kilgrave obsessed with Jessica?SHADOW AND BONE – CHARACTER INTRIGUE
Alina is cartographer in 1st Army but even though she doesn’t know it, a Grisha, Sun Summoner
She wants to be with Mal at all times and does unethical things and puts herself and others in danger to make that happen; wounded by losing her parents as a child. Mal is her family
as a child she hid rather than be Grisha-tested rather than be separated from Mal
she is secretly in love with him and always has been
Mal fights to compensate for the wound of being an orphan and helpless, and soft hearted
Kaz is in competition with Pekka for control of the underworld
Kay loves Inej
Inej is a hired assassin who refuses to kill anyone. it goes against her secret beliefs. Wounded by losing her brother when they were smuggled into the country.
Everyone deceives everyone else to get what they want. and to subvert or defeat others. General Kirigin has the biggest secret – plans to use Alina’s power to increase the power of the fold rather than destroy it. He was the original creator of the fold – ageless – and how her has remained ageless.
what is The Conductor’s secret? he has a way across the foldASSIGNMENT 2: TROUBLE
CHARACTER NAME: Scrap
ROLE: orphan, assisting Ruby and Bardo to maintain The Keep
HIDDEN AGENDAS: she wants control and independence and struggles against The Keep’s restrictions. She subverts some of the precautions resulting in danger to the status quo.
COMPETITION: she fights against Agrippa’s plan to control the world. She fights against herself and the curse. She contrives to go against the superstitions of Ruby and Bardo.
CONSPIRACY: unknowingly and reluctantly part of what has been foretold about the Curse. She secretly is working against Agrippa’s big plans with the help of others. She purposefully brake or damages some of the wards of the Keep in rebellion against restrictions. It may be that The Curse is the only way to defeat the Machines overtaking the Natural World – the last stand.
SECRETS: really searching for her family
DECEPTION: she lies and distracts to get what she wants and to protect others
WOUND: abandonment; always searching for ‘family’ and sense of belonging
SECRET IDENTITY: she has a curse which when matured will threaten humankind
……………………………..
CHARACTER NAME: Ruby & Bardo Hoag
ROLE: guardians of the Keep, last stronghold of the natural world
HIDDEN AGENDAS: to contain the curse that Scrap embodies
COMPETITION: on-going fight to maintain the survival of bits of natural world against the encroaching machines
CONSPIRACY: actively have to outwit and hide the truth from Scrap but it is getting harder as she gets older; who has assigned this role for them?
SECRETS: they know the secret of the curse and keep it from Scrap
DECEPTION: they mostly use slight of hand and avoidance techniques to deceive Scrap. In the Outside they transform themselves to blend in, depending on the environment.
WOUND: ? maybe they have failed in the past and they sure don’t want to fail this time
SECRET IDENTITY: shape-shifters
…………………………….
CHARACTER NAME: Agrippa Chafe
ROLE: Matron of the Institute of Child Protection
HIDDEN AGENDAS: defeat her competition and take over leadership of the country
COMPETITION: other rivals for power including the sitting Regulator.
CONSPIRACY: wants to use Scarp’s power to get control
SECRETS: she is using the children to power the underworking of the city; she has a weakness for her pet boa constrictor, Cupcake
DECEPTION: she pretends to be a loving, motherly figure but is really quite ruthless and will do unspeakable things, even to her own son and the weakest elements in the city
WOUND: she was betrayed in the past and is now out for revenge, trusting no one
SECRET IDENTITY: aspires to be Supreme Regulator
……………………………………
CHARACTER NAME: Fidget
ROLE: pet, companion of Scrap
HIDDEN AGENDAS: programmed to stop the curse at all cost; wants Scrap to rely on him, trust him
COMPETITION: jealous of Ruby and Bardo for Scrap’s attention
CONSPIRACY: becomes part of Scrap’s efforts to defeat the curse
SECRETS: if push came to shove, Fidget would choose Scrap of his assignment
DECEPTION: he is a wily fellow. can charm and bewitch to distort, distract and misdirect enemies and friends alike. To the point that we might question his loyalty.
WOUND: he suffers being a flawed half cricket/half mechanism, straddling machine and natural worlds. Accepted by no one (except Scrap), beneath everyone’s feet, literally
SECRET IDENTITY: 3rd guardian
…………………………………..
CHARACTER NAME: Toodie
ROLE: underling waif, one of the hundreds of children who keep the machines working, often sacrificed for the smooth running of the city
HIDDEN AGENDAS: in Agrippa’s control and has betrayed her friends in the past.
COMPETITION: she has to fight to survive in her harsh world where children are not valued.
CONSPIRACY: part of the revolt of the underlings, working to put a wrench in the underpinnings of the machines
SECRETS: uses others to hide behind and then leaves them to be sacrificed
DECEPTION: she is stronger than she looks
WOUND: taken for parents, taken from security, trusts no one,
SECRET IDENTITY: snitch; user
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Lesson 4, Assignment 1:
Layers of Character Intrigue: Big Little Lies
A. Hidden Agendas:
Madeline: Assuage her feelings of jealousy and abandonment
Celeste: To be free of Perry’s abuse
Jane: Revenge against her rapist
Renata: Unsure – She seems to make her agendas very clear
B. Competition
Madeline: Constantly comparing herself to Bonnie, who seems perfect
Celeste: With Perry for kids’ love and loyalty
Jane: With other school moms to stand her ground with Ziggy
Renata: To be the fiercest mom
C. Conspiracy:
Madeline: Recruits whoever will listen to support her cause
Celeste: Sees counselor behind Perry’s back to discuss escape
Jane: With Madeline to confront her rapist in San Luis Obispo
Renata: Unsure – She seems more like a lone crusader
D. Secrets
Madeline: Did/will she have an affair with the theater director?
Celeste: The abuse she suffers
Jane: She wants to escape Ziggy and her pain, suicidal
Renata: Don’t see one yet
E. Deception
Madeline: Unhealthy feelings for other men she keeps from Ed
Celeste: Presents image of perfect life despite dark truths
Jane: Conceal’s the truth about Ziggy’s dad from him
Renata: She is not a stone cold bitch at heart
F. Wound
Madeline: Divorce, Regret about her life choices/path
Celeste: Abuse, compromise
Jane: Rape
Renata: Wants to be liked/desired
G. Secret Identity
Madeline: Unsure
Celeste: Badass lawyer
Jane: Unsure
Renata: Fun/spontaneous person
Lesson 4, Assignment 2:
Layers of Character Intrigue: Tin Men
A. Hidden Agendas:
John, Dana, Gary, Chick: To pull off an elaborate crime and get rich
Keira: To be a hero
B. Competition:
John: With rich boss and other parents who give their kids better lives
Dana: With John & Keira for Ivy’s adoration
Gary: Jealous of people who followed artistic pursuits
Chick: To outdo himself and others with his daredevil stunts
C. Conspiracy:
John, Dana, Gary, Chick: With the crew to pull off the crime
Keira: Negotiating National Park job that would require relocating
D. Secrets:
John: They’re broke
Dana: Who/whatever she’s running/hiding from
Gary: Wife has racked up crippling gambling debt
Chick: Has a secret family
E. Deception:
John: Hiding financial and criminal activity from family
Dana: Must lie to family to protect herself
Gary: Uses his students to do his dirty work
Chick: Every action is a reaction to his deep fears
Keira: Sets up crimes to thwart them
F. Wound:
John: Feels he missed out on the best years of his life caring for parents
Dana: Toxic relationship with mother who died young
Gary: Gave up his dreams
Chick: Abandoned his wife and kids due to fears
Keira: Never got her due and now pursues recognition
G. Secret Identity:
John: Reckless side dreams of being like Chick
Dana: Nurturer
Gary: Artist
Chick: Family man dreams of being like John
Keira: Pyromaniac
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Lisa Mangan’s Intriguing Character Layers Assignment 2
What I learned doing this assignment is the depth that my characters are forming already and how this plays into their relationships and creates opportunities for greater intrigue throughout the series.
Character Name: Alice Nichols
Role: Juvenile Probation Officer
Hidden Agendas: Uncovering an underground system that exploits youth
Competition: She is in competition with those in the underground system
Conspiracies: Alice uses Patricia to identify the illegal system exploiting probationers
Secrets: Alice was assaulted when she worked for a treatment center
Deception: Lying about her secret mission
Wound: Assault as a treatment center staff and current sexual harassment by her supervisor
Secret Identity: Rogue investigator of crimes against youth
Character Name: Mike Peterson
Role: Alice’s direct supervisor
Hidden Agendas: Part of the underground system that funnels youth to abusers
Competition: Competition with those higher up in the system
Conspiracies: Works with judges, treatment center execs, and probation officers to manipulate teens
Secrets: He is attempting to sabotage the person running the organization
Deception: Deceiving the main juvenile justice system and community into thinking he is working for them
Wound: He felt powerless in his youth
Secret Identity: Narcissist
Character Name: Patricia Thompson
Role: Alice’s best friend and renown attorney
Hidden Agendas: She wants to become A.G.
Competition: With Alice’s job as it increasingly takes more of her time away from Patricia
Conspiracies: She is working with political figures to become A.G.
Secrets: She has had romantic feelings for Alice since college
Deception: She remains closeted
Wound: She saw her brother get disowned by her family for coming out as a teenager
Secret Identity: Sexually Promiscuous with those in power to become A.G.
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