Post Day 6 Assignment Here

[jaye Blohm]

JAYE’S TRANSFORMATIONAL EVENTS

What I learned is that mapping these techniques prior to writing keep me focused and organized, while stimulating ideas. While my changes are specific, my steps are mostly vague (similar) as I am still working out specifics.

Start with the Character Arc and the list of Old Ways and New Ways.
Old Ways: privileged, arrogant, narrow world view, thinks he fights for truth, but actually fights for glory.
New Ways: humbled, gains a new respect for all mankind, even his enemy.
Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).
1. He will recognize that people only love him for what he gave them as a hero.
2. He loses things that he thought were grounded in reality.
3. He resents what his stature has come to represent.
4. He forms a temporary alliance with the bad guy.
5. He gets a taste for the other side, and he doesn’t hate it.
6. He must ultimately decide to be the good guy because it’s right, not because it comes with glory.
Sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult. This will imply the journey the character takes.
1. He will lose his superpowers in a freak accident.
2. He will lose the side effects that came with those powers: unnatural luck, stunning good looks.
3. He will simultaneously gain powers he’s not used to and the side effects that come with those.
4. He will lose his girlfriend.
5. He loses the respect of the citizens.
6. He will have to work with his antagonist to find the solution.
7. He will question everything he’s ever believed.
Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character.
Add these transformational events to your four act structure.
1. He loses his powers and gains new ones that he doesn’t know how to use.
2. He bungles efforts to be a hero when needed.
3. Citizens laugh at him.
4. His girlfriend dumps him.
5. His mortal enemy comes to him for help.
6. Drastic attempts to restore powers fail.
7. He nearly kills a man he’s trying to help (and struggles with the feeling it brings).
8. The villain discovers the true reason behind the switch, and it is unsavory.
9. I’m thinking of making the mayor or the scientist a bad guy that the villain and hero defeat together.
10. Powers are restored.

UPDATED 4 ACT STRUCTURE:

Act 1:
Opening A battle. Good v. Evil. Building are destroyed. Superpowers are displayed
Inciting Incident Mid-grapple, lightning strikes the two Supers. Their powers are switched and they don’t know how to fight.
Turning Point They flee to their hideouts and try to figure out what’s happened. Try to work with their new powers. Failure abounds. Hero loses his girlfriend and respect of the citizens.
Tail between his legs, the Villain shows up to ask the Hero for help.

Act 2:
New plan Call a truce and work together to revert powers or train each other
Plan in action Temporarily works with the Villain to try and restore old powers and master newly acquired ones. Villain sabotaging hero.
Midpoint Turning Point Hero doesn’t even know if he wants to be the Hero anymore. Starts to resent the citizens he once loved and protected. Maybe even the mayor or scientist turn out to be bad (working together?)

Act 3:
Rethink everything The Villain and the Hero start to form an unlikely friendship
New plan The Villain finds the solution. It wasn’t the lightning at all… well not entirely. They discover the additional thing that caused the switch.
Turning Point They have destroyed the common enemy and also restored their powers to original.

Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict Hero refuses to be bad, Villain refuses to be good. Played out in a vivid and ruthless physical, emotional, and superpower battle.
Resolution They continue as mortal enemies. Agree to disagree. Each with a different respect for the other and a new perspective on their own lives and purpose.

[Kim Michael]

Kim Michael
McCarthy Lesson 6: Transformational Events

“What
I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your
work.

I initially thought
this lesson would be easy to do. I am glad that I had to think about what the
chronical transformational events of my screenplay / story are. Using Hal’s
examples, and knowing in screenplay writing that LESS IS MORE (clear and
concise). Therefore, one sentence transformational event statements are the
best, and then build from there. I’ll have to go back sooner than later then pair them down to make them short concise, easily understandable and dramatic,
in an UP or DOWN emotional way for WILLIAM, so that my audience gets its money’s
worth for their price of admission… an entertaining story filled with thrills and spills
while the eating their popcorn.

1. Listen to the Empowerment Audio. DONE / CHECK

2. Start with the Character Arc and the list of Old Ways and New Ways.

WILLIAM starts out shy, unsure, isolated, and solitary, and ends up as the HERO, love by all, while bravely saving GOLD MOUNTAIN from being destroyed by METALBAUM’S unscrupulous and greedy mining company.

OLD WAYS:

WILLIAM starts the movie in his old ways.

· Self-conscience of being “different”.

· Shy and insecure with his special gift.

· Unsure.

· Does not stand up for himself.

· Retreats to isolation.

NEW WAYS

In the end WILLIAM becomes “Everyone’s Hero”.

· Believes in himself.

· Realizes that he is SPECIAL.

· Brave and fearless.

· Gives his ALL to save everything from being destroyed.

3. Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).

Protagonist: WILLIAM, a young adventures mountain goat with a forward-facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds.

1) WILLIAM is tease by his playmates for his appearance (a forward-facing head horn that make trumpet sounds) while playing a game of tag with them.

2) WILLIAM runs away from home feeling sad and worthless because he feels that he failed finishing a chore his mother asked him to do, get a stack of hay for dinner from the tall grass plateau of GOLD MOUNTAIN.

3) WILLIAM sees his beloved mother, the love of his life, get killed, while she was searching for him, near the river head tail of GOLD MOUNTAIN. She was worried for him because he did not come home from doing his chore before dark.

4) WILLIAM tries but fails to act on his wanting revenge from MR. METALBAUM (Antagonist) for his mother being killed when METALBAUM ordered the sacred GOLD MOUNTAIN dynamited to destroy GOLD MOUNTAIN and steal all the gold.

5) WILLIAM hiding at METALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT, looks to get revenge for his mother being killed by METALBAUM. WILLIAM is shot in the leg by a ricochet bullet, meant for dangerous and hungry mountain lion pride, who are prowling around METABAUMS’ mining encampment.

6) WILLIAM is hurt from the gun shot. He retreats to the desert sacred, lonely, and defeated.

7) WILLIAM meets the SCOPION MOM and her TWINS when he retreats to the desert. The SCOPION mom nurses WILLIAM back to health. A love interest ensures. WILLIAM gains strength and confidence.

8) WILLIAM get “comfortable” in his new desert home and life. He loses interest in revenge. The SCOPION mom and her TWINS become WILLIAM’S new family.

9) WILLIAM makes new best friends easily at the desert oasis with every creature in the pond. (beavers, fish, turtles, ducks, and cranes) All of WILLIAM’S new desert oasis friends think that he is so cool, when his head horn makes trumpet sounds. WILLIAM’S new life is easy and fun.

10) METALBAUM dams the sacred mountain river head. Water stops flowing down the mountain to the desert oasis. All are in peril of dying without water.

11) Everyone on the desert oasis pond look to WILLIAM to do something, since he knows the mountain so well. WILLIAM bravely and smartly leads a ‘WAR PARTY’ of pond creatures to get MEATLBAUM’S crew from destroying the desert and the sacred mountain.

12) A fierce battle ensues, WILLAIM spear heads the charge, gets captured by METALBAUMS’S crew and is scheduled to be killed and cooked for crew grub. WILLIAM frees himself, as all seems to be lost. WIILIAM strategically sets the encampment supply wagons a blaze. The dynamite charges are pushed into the dammed water by WILLIAM, ruining them. The NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE join in the battle. Victory is secured and METALBAUM’S crew retreats off the mountain to parts unknown. WILLIAM’S heroics save the ancient sacred mountain and the desert oasis. WILLIAM is the HERO. Everyone loves WILLAIM.

4. Sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult. This will imply the journey the character takes. DONE / CHECK

5. Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character. DONE / CHECK

6. Add these transformational events to your four act structure. Will do asap.

[Tyberius Asante]

Tyberius Asante Transformational Events

What I learned doing this assignment is to begin to brainstorm different transformational events that will take the character through their character arc.

2. Start with the Character Arc and the list of Old Ways and New Ways.

Old Ways

* Loving, attentive wife, idealistic

* Romantic, strong desire to please her husband

* Sense of humor

* Shy and lighthearted

* Unsure of herself

New Ways

– Broken and disillusioned

– Realist, strong desire to survive and salvage some semblance of life as he knew it

– Traumatized

– Outspoken, willing to stand up for herself.

– Fearless will fight to survive.

3. Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are at the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).

· She hears Tiffany discussing how dangerous motorcycling can be and feels apprehensive about Dante continuing to race. Margot had not to full considered the possibility of Dante getting hurt and how that would change their lives.

· Dante’s Accident forces her to accept a new version of her family. She goes from being taken care of to caretaker overnight.

· Margot fails at trying to physically care for Dante.

· Margot is beaten and raped.

· Margot hires a caretaker to assist with Dante.

· Margot is assaulted again and is nearly drowned.

· Attempting to flee the home he finds the caretaker’s mutilated body and the bodies of two other people in her basement.

· Dante is removed from the home, but the cleaning people are found dead. Now for the first time she fights back unrestrained by sympathy, she would have for her husband.

4. Sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult. This will imply the journey the character takes. DONE

5. Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character. DONE

6. Add these transformational events to your four-act structure. DONE

[Kim Michael]

Kim Michael McCarthy Lesson 6: Transformational Events

“What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.

I initially thought this lesson would be easy to do. I am glad that I had to think about what the chronical transformational events of my screenplay / story are. Using Hal’s examples, and knowing in screenplay writing that LESS IS MORE (clear and concise). Therefore, one sentence transformational event statements are the best, and then build from there. I’ll have to go back sooner than later the pair them down to make them short concise, easily understandable and dramatic, in an UP or DOWN emotional way for WILLIAM, so that my audience gets its money’s worth for their admission… an entertaining story filled with thrills and spills while the eating their popcorn.

1. Listen to the Empowerment Audio. DONE / CHECK

2. Start with the Character Arc and the list of Old Ways and New Ways.

WILLIAM starts out shy, unsure, isolated, and solitary, and ends up as the HERO, love by all, while bravely saving GOLD MOUNTAIN from being destroyed by METALBAUM’S unscrupulous and greedy mining company.

OLD WAYS:

WILLIAM starts the movie in his old ways.

· Self-conscience of being “different”.

· Shy and insecure with his special gift.

· Unsure.

· Does not stand up for himself.

· Retreats to isolation.

NEW WAYS

In the end WILLIAM becomes “Everyone’s Hero”.

· Believes in himself.

· Realizes that he is SPECIAL.

· Brave and fearless.

· Gives his ALL to save everything from being destroyed.

3. Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).

Protagonist: WILLIAM, a young adventures mountain goat with a forward-facing head horn that makes trumpet sounds.

1) WILLIAM is tease by his playmates for his appearance (a forward-facing head horn that make trumpet sounds) while playing a game of tag with them.

2) WILLIAM runs away from home feeling sad and worthless because he feels that he failed finishing a chore his mother asked him to do, get a stack of hay for dinner from the tall grass plateau of GOLD MOUNTAIN.

3) WILLIAM sees his beloved mother, the love of his life, get killed, while she was searching for him, near the river head tail of GOLD MOUNTAIN. She was worried for him because he did not come home from doing his chore before dark.

4) WILLIAM tries but fails to act on his wanting revenge from MR. METALBAUM (Antagonist) for his mother being killed when METALBAUM ordered the sacred GOLD MOUNTAIN dynamited to destroy GOLD MOUNTAIN and steal all the gold.

5) WILLIAM hiding at METALBAUM’S ENCAMPMENT, looks to get revenge for his mother being killed by METALBAUM. WILLIAM is shot in the leg by a ricochet bullet, meant for dangerous and hungry mountain lion pride, who are prowling around METABAUMS’ mining encampment.

6) WILLIAM is hurt from the gun shot. He retreats to the desert sacred, lonely, and defeated.

7) WILLIAM meets the SCOPION MOM and her TWINS when he retreats to the desert. The SCOPION mom nurses WILLIAM back to health. A love interest ensures. WILLIAM gains strength and confidence.

8) WILLIAM get “comfortable” in his new desert home and life. He loses interest in revenge. The SCOPION mom and her TWINS become WILLIAM’S new family.

9) WILLIAM make best friends easily at the desert oasis with every creature in the pond. All think WILLIAM is so cool when his head horn makes trumpet sounds. WILLIAM’S new life is easy and fun.

10) METALBAUM dams the sacred mountain river head. Water stops flowing down the mountain to the desert oasis. All are in peril of dying without water.

11) Everyone on the desert oasis pond looks to WILLIAM to do something, since he knows the mountain so well. WILLIAM bravely and smartly leads a ‘WAR PARTY’ of pond creatures to get MEATLBAUM’S crew from destroying the desert and the sacred mountain.

12) A fierce battle ensues, WILLAIM spear heads the charge, get captured by METALBAUMS’S crew and is scheduled to be killed and cooked for crew grub. WILLIAM frees himself as all seems to be lost. WIILIAM strategically sets the encampment supply wagons a blaze. The dynamite charges are pushed into the dammed water by WILLIAM, ruining them. The NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBE join in the battle. Victory is secured and METALBAUM’S crew retreat off the mountain to parts unknown. WILLIAM’S heroics save the ancient sacred mountain and the desert oasis. WILLIAM is the HERO. Everyone loves WILLAIM.

4. Sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult. This will imply the journey the character takes.

5. Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character.

6. Add these transformational events to your four-act structure.

**** Still to be done asap ****

[Byrne]

Bernadette Wilson Lesson 6 – Deeper transformation

What I learned from this exercise is that there are new ways of telling this. The bare bones of the plot are coming out. It got me carried away a little so I just decided to go with it and write down what was there today.

Start with the Character Arc and the list of Old Ways and New Ways.

Brinda’s Character arc – With her expertise, she convinces the NY Police Detectives that the killer is not a Drag Queen but an actual woman.

Old Ways:

1. Strictly By the book, but bohemian.

2. Conformed to academia as it is for survival reasons.

3. Comfortable within the confines of the contained, controlled psychology world.

4. She does not trust too many people, especially men.

5. Does not like leaving Greenwich Village too often.

6. Doesn’t open herself to love, except for her misfit patients.

7. She thinks she knows what happened to her parents.

8. She was a troubled youth because her mother abandoned her.

9. Her father put her away, but she escaped a lobotomy by playing by the rules of Dr. Sonya.

10. Hanging with societal misfits is safe for her.

11. Doesn’t date. Hangs out with gay people. Afraid of authority and straight white men who are like her father.

New Ways:

1. She gains the respect of the Male Dominated NY Police Department and Detective Division for her keen eye for human psychology.

2. She begins to trust certain men within the Police department.

3. She begins to distrust her psychology professor (Dr. Sonya), who might be part of a Neo-Nazi plot. and psychology community.

4. She begins to question and distrust her role in society.

5. She finds out she’s not alone in the world.

6. She finds out about what really happened to both her parents.

7. She helps find the killer of her gay fiancée.

8. She maintains her bohemian roots but grows up at the end.

9. She reconciles her lost life of her youth.

3. Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).

Changes of Old Ways and New Ways:

1. She has her therapy sessions with mostly gay men, and some women.

2. Although she’s brilliant she is having trouble finishing her thesis. There’s a missing link that she does not understand about human nature.

3. She’s terrified of public speaking but she has to get up and rehearse it incessantly in the mirror at home. She attempts to do it in front of her gay pals, but they bust her choice of clothes instead.

4. On some days she helps her fiancée with photoshoots for cover art. Jesse has a space on Bond street in NYC. Brinda and Jesse share their apartment on MacDougall but Jesse has his loft to go to. Brinda is not sure where Jesse goes at night sometimes. Sometimes he never came home.

5. She works at a bookstore and café to make ends meet, but soon she will be able to accomplish her dream of becoming a doctor of psychology.

6. One of the gay models calls Brinda and tells her that Jesse has not shown up for his photo shoot. That he’s running over time and the rest of the girls need to go uptown for a party.

7. Whe Brinda gets to open the studio the bed looks unkept and there’s shot film in camera, but it’s not developed.

8. She’s got to go outside of the academic experience to have a better sense of life. She never has any fun. Her sense of fun is staying home and reading more psychological case studies.

9. After Jesse is killed, she’s no longer protected by having a fiancé and she is seen as a woman alone in NY and therefore more vulnerable. So she’s very guarded.

10. Some of the people at the police station recognize Brinda because she used to be a troubled kid. They knew that her father put her away, just like he did with her mother.

11. Jesse’s parents are furious with Brinda that she told the police that Jesse was gay. They refuse to believe it.

12. There’s one good man on the force that is willing to help her – Cal Pratner – who was her father’s partner and was there when her father was shot.

13. The police detectives like taking their shots at her – asking her if she is gay, which she is not. I happen to have empathy, which is something you could use.

14. She has to learn trust from a system that took her father emotionally and physically. She has to let go of the abuse she endured by her father.

15. She can earn the trust of the police dept through her ability to read people well

16. She has to come out of her shell by standing up to the police. Telling them they’re wrong about the killer.

17. She realizes that the Police have to change because their strategy is not working.

18. She uses her own techniques of psychology to calm her anxiety down.

19. She uses her psychology on a reluctant police detective to convince him about the killer.

20. She’s willing to go undercover and help the police find the killer, after another murder happens.

21. She’s able to change the mind of the police in terms of psychology and pathology of the killer.

22. She realizes that she has the best shot in the regiment at the police detective agency.

23. Although uncomfortable, she wears a skimpy dress as a cigarette girl to lay a trap for maybe where the killer might be. This is the plan of the police but it fails miserably.

24. Someone keeps calling and hanging up on her answering service. It’s someone crying on the phone.

25. Something is off in her apartment. It seems as if someone has been there.

26. There is another man killed with his eye torn out in the same way as Jesse. Now the police know that it is a serial killer but they don’t know it yet.

27. The police start busting up gay meeting places, Gay Balls, the pier.

28. Brinda stands up to the police telling them that what they’re doing is wrong. That Gay is not deviant.

29. The next thing to do is put some of the police officers in drag to see if they can find the killer. That goes horribly wrong. Brinda keeps telling them they’re in the wrong place.

30. There’s a show of all Marilyn Monroe Drag Queens one night where the police thinks this is where we can find the killer.

31. The next person who Brinda is closed to is almost killed. Dr. Sonya. In the hospital room Dr. Sonya tries to tell Brinda and warn her about the killer who she thinks she knows.

32. If the victims are being drugged where is the killer getting the drugs?

33. Is the killer a patient of Dr. Sonya’s?

34. The police did interview a Dr. Feelgood of the East Side. Was the killer getting them from him? And isn’t he a friend of Dr. Sonya’s?

35. They have to get to Dr. Feelgood but it’s too late. He’s dead in his office and the drugs that are there are stolen.

36. They have to get out to the public that there is a murderer on the loose. What with the Genovese murder and the Harlem riots. But the police are reluctant to do that.

37. Brinda realizes the police are pretty corrupt and crazy. That they were spying on Jesse and she the whole time paid for by Jesse’s parents.

38. Brinda gets a phone call again from the mystery person. Brinda tries to talk to the person. The person is crying. Is it a woman or a man. Is it a man who wants to be a woman or vice versa. Brinda tries to get to her, tell her to reveal who she is, she’ll meet her somewhere. The person hangs up. The police cannot trace the call. It’s from a phonebooth.

39. She gets a message from her answering service that she was to meet at the Met Museum. Brinda asks where at the Met? The answering service did not say.

40. Brinda shows up at the museum without telling the cops.

41. The cops find out and are running for a way there.

42. At some exhibit maybe the roman exhibition or part of the permanent exhibition at the Met, probably of the roman sculptures where Persephone and her daughter are. Significant to the myth of the mother/daughter relationship.

43. In the museum, Brinda finds a woman trying to kill Cal. He’s already out of it by being drugged. Brinda catches her and stops her from taking his eye out.

44. She stops her from doing it. Mimi the killer tries to persuade Brinda to let her kill Cal.

45. Mimi starts singing a song to Brinda like when she was little and Brinda starts freaking out. Shut the fuck up. “Get away from him.” Mimi keeps singing. Brinda holds the gun on her and says stop it. Stop it.

46. Mimi stops and then talks to calm Brinda saying she’s her mommie. Brinda really starts losing her shit. Her gun shakes in her hand. “I’m protecting you sweetie. He’s the one who killed your daddy. I’m just doing the right thing as your mother.

47. “You’re not my mother!”

48. I am sweetie I am. I’m not dead. They all tried to take you away from me, but they didn’t. They’re the evil ones honey. Not me. I was protecting you. Those men were bad for you. And some got a little too fresh so I had to sweetie.

49. Brinda can’t believe her mother is there and alive. She pleads with Mimi to put the knife down. Mimi comes closer, Brinda gets scared and shoots. It does not hit Mimi. Mimi shoots back and wounds her leg. Mimi escapes.

50. Brinda crawls over to Cal. He’s not dead just out cold from whatever drug he’s on.

51. The last scene is Brinda in a hospital bed waking up to the police detective. Brinda is out of it. She is stone cold. She can no longer trust anyone any longer. There’s a change. Her gay friends come in to see her. He helps her a little. She’s not the same.

52. Last scene is Brinda in therapy, trying to figure out what just happened to her.

5. Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character.

[Karin Hallen]

Karin Hallén’s Transformational Events

What I learned from doing this assignment is that you need many of these transformational events to “hang the story up on” and that I haven’t in any way nailed them yet. I have never worked this way before, and I can see how useful it will be. And I can tell that I need to continue brainstorming on this and try to find more powerful Transformational Events for this story. I have also learned (well, am trying to learn) to not strive for perfection in the first pass, because then I’d never get beyond Act 1 today. This is very uncomfortable – to move on despite knowing it could be much better – but it’s a good exercise for me. I can tell it’s something I need to learn if I want to learn how to create and write fast.

2.

Character Arch.

From a weak, fearful, self serving and needy prisoner of his own mind focused on external validation to strong, self reliant, authentic and service minded speaker, focused on a greater cause.

Old Ways

– Whining about circumstances and life and everything that goes wrong.

– Feeling sorry for himself.

– Selfish

– Using arrogance to hide that he’s feeling insecure.

– Blaming others and everything around him for failures.

– Refusal to see and confront his own shortcomings.

– Putting up a fake facade and hiding behind a mask.

– Constantly comparing himself to others.

– Afraid to be honest, with himself and others.

– Focused primarily on receiving external validation and on being seen as successful.

– Takes his frustration out on those he has power over.
Bullies Geena.

New ways

– Having the courage to trust that things can work out.

– Courage to be and act honestly.

– Stands up for others – and himself.

– Faith in his message

– Focus on contribution and what he can give, rather on what he can get.

– Confident and feeling worthy.

– Unselfish choices

– Generous

– Easygoing and understanding of others.

– Cares about people for real

– Goes on his mission for a greater cause than himself, beyond external validation – a human cause.

– Respects and appreciates Geena

3. and 4. List of steps and changes that need to happen for George to go from who he is in the beginning to who he needs to become at the end of the journey.

He needs to learn to listen.

He has to stop his self-pity.

Stop judging everyone, including himself.

He needs to stop blaming everyone else and start taking responsibility for his own mistakes.

He needs to get the courage to drop his facade and be real and authentic.

He has to rise above his fear of being ridiculed and seen as a loser if he shows who he really is.

He has to evolve and become more generous both emotionally and in his actions.

He has to change his focus from what he can get to what he can give and contribute with.

He needs to open his eyes and see and appreciate the bigger picture that he is part of and work selflessly for a greater cause than himself, a human cause.

5. and 6.

Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character. Add these transformational events to your four-act structure. See below. Transformational Events in bold.

Act 1:

Opening.

Introduces us to George and his personality as he embarks on a book tour, arrives at the hotel, where they forgot that he was coming in the excitement of his competition, Brad Brightly’s arrival. George holds his first, awful and dull lecture in front of a sparse audience that leaves before he’s done. He blames Brad.

Inciting Incident.

On the way back from the lecture George stops at a yard sale where he buys the lamp containing Geena the genie. Geena emerges and George, to his astonishment, stands eye to eye with a real genie, who is obliged to grant him three wishes. This opens a whole new door for him!!

Introduces us to Geena and who she is.

Transformational Event 1.

George meeting Geena and learning that he is the last person she needs to help after 3000 years imprisonment in the lamp gives him the opportunity to selflessly help her by asking for three quick wishes. Instead, he displays his old ways and thinks only of what he can get instead of what he can give.

Transformational Event 2.

On the tennis court, George has a chance to help and encourage Geena but uses her obvious struggles on the court as an opportunity to make himself look better. He is still in the grip of old ways.

Turning point.

George realizes the power he has in Geena having to stay around for as long as it takes until he’s asked for his three wishes. He also realizes he’s less lonely with her around. After his first wish being that she plays tennis with any time he wants, he refuses to ask for more wishes.

Geena realizes that George doesn’t want to ask for his wishes and that he might never set her free. She gets furious and makes secret plans as to how she will “make” George hurry up and ask for his wishes.

Act 2.

New plan

George realizes that he looks successful with an assistant (Geena) by his side, prompting him to ask for his second wish, for Geena to be by his side and help him anytime he demands.

Plan in action

George uses Geena to sit in as a sidekick at lectures and to take payment for book sales, to appear rich and successful. Geena very reluctantly obeys and in order to wear George out, deliberately sabotages more than she helps.

Transformational Event 3

Geena confronts George about his flaws verbally and points them out to him bluntly. Shows him examples and challenges him. He is in denial and makes excuses. Old ways still have a strong hold on him.

Transformational Event 4.

A sincerely interested audience member (The therapist, potential love interest) asks George genuine questions and wants to discuss his theories in depth, sensing something therein that she might be able to use to help her clients. He blows her off in some way or blows it by playing superior. Old ways still rule him.

Midpoint

George gets an upset stomach at a lecture and has to run to the bathroom. The audience turns to Geena to ask questions and with her natural wisdom and common sense, her answers and insights are a huge success. The audience loves her. For the first time, a few books sell. And word gets out that these lectures are worth checking out.

Transformational Event 5

The Midpoint is a Transformational Event. George gets an upset stomach, runs to the bathroom and when he comes back he sees how successful Geena is on stage. This is an opportunity for him for an aha moment, to see listen to her and internalize and learn New Ways. He is not quite ready for that yet, but it starts brewing somewhere inside him.

Act 3.

Rethink everything

George sees Geena’s charisma on stage and changes his strategy, to use her in different ways. At the same time, he realizes that Geena has the power now, after the audience loving her and that he needs to change his manners towards her to coax her into giving it all she’s got without him having to ask for his last wish. Geena realizes and enjoys her newfound power and decides to use it to make things even more difficult for George so that he’ll get tired of her and finally ask for his last wish.

Transformational Event 6

Somewhere in Act 3 George and Geena encounter the sincere audience woman again. It turns out she is a therapist and she ends up giving Geena and George an impromptu free session over lunch, thinking they are a couple. This session turns into a Transformational Event where a lot about George’s selfish ways, cowardly behaviors, and denials are brought forth. He is still resisting new ways, but in some areas, he is starting to crack. Later he apologizes to Geena for the first time.

New Plan

George gives Geena more visibility and time on stage. But Geena is not interested in going any further than the wishes have obliged her to and she gives blunt, often rude answers to the audience’s questions. (Which backfires, as the audience often loves them, as they are brimming with truth) Geena realizes that golf at resorts costs a lot of money. Suddenly success becomes important to her as well. Now George has the power. She makes a deal with him to get a percentage of sales.

Turning point: Huge failure / major shift

The success is there. The money. The audience. The recognition. But George has become completely invisible behind Geena. She has taken over and has become the real success. There are rumors that she ghostwrote the book with George’s name on it. Oprah calls her. Someone mistakes George for being Geena’s assistant. He is completely broken.

Geena is getting cockier by the minute. She loves her newfound fame. At the same time, she can only come out to enjoy it when George calls her out of the lamp. Which he hates to do, but he needs her. The conflict is at its worst in a horrible co-dependent relationship. They have a huge fight and by mistake, George blurts out: “I wish I never had to see you again!” Geena grants him his wish and disappears.

Act 4.

Climax

George is left on his own. He has to finds his way at lectures by himself. He doesn’t do well. He feels more like a failure than ever. The audience keeps asking for Geena. He is lonelier than ever. He misses Geena despite their conflicts. He has to play tennis against a wall, with her not there. He feels bad that he treated her badly. He realizes his errors and flawed ways. He undergoes a change and becomes an authentic speaker. He stops pretending to be perfect to his audience and speaks from his heart and truth. He genuinely wants to help people. People start listening. He becomes increasingly popular, but he is not driven by that anymore. Geena on her end is free and in Florida where she enjoys golf but misses George. She feels bad that she wasn’t very nice to him, either.

Transformational Event 7

George is left on his own after Geena leaves. Everything is gone. He is all alone again and doesn’t have Geena to rely on at lectures. He is forced to take the stage at a lecture all alone and is faced with an expectant audience. He has tried every one of his old ways repeatedly before and they have all failed. The only thing left to do is to dare trying New Ways and put them to the test in order for him to “survive.” It’s swim or die. He overcomes his fears and does this. Grows as a person and becomes “the new George.”

Resolution

At a big convention which George and Geena were booked to speak at together since before they parted ways, George shows up and says that he’ll be doing it alone. Just then Geena shows up. When George says he thought he’d never see her again, she says that his wish was that “ he’d never HAVE to see her again”, but she knows that he silently WANTED to see her at the convention, which is not the same as “HAVING TO” so her showing up is unrelated to his last wish. So, she decided to come. Because she wanted to see him, as well. They realize they are friends. For real. This is their last lecture together and it’s a huge success.

A year later, George is on the cover of a magazine and Geena sips a Tom Collins at a Florida golf resort course, while she calls to congratulate him.

Transformational Event 8

George and Geena meet up again at the last convention. This is the moment of opportunity for them to make amends, put their competition against each other aside and genuinely express mutual respect and affection for each other. Have the courage and vulnerability to admit that they are real friends.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by  Karin Hallen.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by  Karin Hallen. Reason: typos

[Mary Chamberlin]

Mary and Rich’s Transformational Events

What I learned doing this assignment is that this twist in design is new to us and very clever. The ideas generated really helped close some of the gaps in our concept. Love this process.

Character Arc –

Morty

Old: Discarded, lonely, desperate, stubbornly brave

New: Learns skills anew, Welcomes new love, unconditionally brave, collaborative

Jax

Old: Dismissed, unmotivated, introverted, a bit desperate

New: Self worthy, talent shining, independent, collaborative

Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen:

Morty:

Resists input from someone else on his magnum opus screenplay

Forced to back down, he tries to sneak his idea in, fails

Starts to see his partner not as an obstacle but a collaborator

In being helped (caring) and helping his partner, he helps the screenplay progress

As the screenplay progresses, he finds the pressure to succeed lower, can take chances (mirror – dating) (mirror – tech)

When finishing is in sight, he releases on it, which in turn allows them to revise and empower the screenplay

Jax:

Jax thinks its a game, at first plays along but knows Morty’s idea is out of date, so he pushes back

When Morty tries to weasel old hackneyed idea in, he catches him and flips it on him (sabotage date and not helping w date)

Feels for Morty at last, helps him with dating, bringing in new ideas. Then finds out his date is Melanie’s Mom

As he becomes more like a team (family) he starts to care about making the screenplay be both their ideas

Tells Dad off, commits to Melanie that he’ll keep helping her. (self worth & independent, and now responsible)

Respects Morty’s pride at accepting charity so really pushes for another alternative – he applies for a job at Mortys

old employer and gets it, which proves the age discrimination, so Morty can let go, he is worthy, cant control his age.

Start competitor business in this area that M&J own and revel in, but write screenplays at night.

Idea brainstorm:

What if switch from movies to Graphic Novels and Jax is an amazing talented illustrator.

After class over, Morty now dates teacher, who joins the business.

Add these transformational events to your four act structure.

Act 1:

Opening – What’s that old guy doing in school? Morty starts the semester with a wild class and an unusual teacher – who he hits on and is rebuffed.

Inciting Incident – He’s paired with Jax on the first and biggest assignment. Morty is serious, but Jax acts like its a game and plays along. They are linked now, pass or fail together.

Turning Point – The two can’t even agree on whose place to start working together at. They settle for a nearby diner and have their waitress judge whose idea they should develop. Jax wins, but pays for dinner.

Act 2:

New plan – Next day before class, Morty takes his idea to the teacher in office hour, but she said Jax turned theirs in already (the space saga). Jax, still disinterested, starts to open up in class to Morty. Rest of class continue to snub the two.

Plan in action: Finally, the two start to outline, dismally. Jax has to keep explaining things to Morty. In discussion, Jax finds out Morty likes Bella Bustamante the teacher. He proceeds to help him “get with the tech-stuff” by learning texting, etc. Morty flubs the text message to Bella so its an insulting typo. Jax lies to his Dad, says Melanie/Kyle left, and he’s working hard with Morty –

the Dad smirks and forks over cash.

Midpoint Turning Point – Morty rebuffed, he turns to the dating site Jax recommended, scores a date. Jax helps him prep, then they finally find some shaky common ground for their screenplay, agree to proceed. When Morty leaves for date, Jax continues to work – telling Melanie all about it.

Act 3:

Rethink everything – Morty beams after his date, which was fancy dress with Dollar Menu at Mickey D’s and a Redbox rental. Next day, he texts well, things good with this mysytery woman. Morty finds out Jax’s secret, that he’s helping his old work-mate, Melanie and her young son, Kyle. That’s where his money goes, because even though Jax hates his Dad and his money, he has to take it to help out. Now writing the actual script, and it’s starting to be a collaboration between the two.

New plan – Morty tries to find Jax’s Dad and get him to “show up” for his son. Melanie mentions her Mom has a new beau, that he’s older but “a catch.” They plan a joint party to celebrate all their good news.

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – His dad finds out and shows up at party at Morty’s house, see’s Melanie and Kyle. Plus teacher Bella gets Kyle to do push-ups and he likes military discipline – Jax goes wild, shades of his Dad’s stern ways. Finally, Mortys new date is Melanies Mom! It’s a complete failure. Jax now refuses to work with Morty anymore. Morty almost relapses to despair, but realizes he’s gotta right things, to help Jax and be the father he no longer has.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – Work has stopped, they will fail. Jax realizes Dad’s money has stopped, and Melanie panics, when her Mom says shes breaking up with Morty and hitting the road. So Jax promises support, don’t worry. Feeling the responsibility, his only recourse is to win the contest. He rethinks his situation and convinces Morty to restart work with him, after Morty says Melanies Mom dumped him. They pull it together and finish, entering the contest. Morty is too nervous to see the results. Jax does and tells Morty they won, and now he can get his car fixed and Jax is not a loser anymore.

One Last Twist – Wrong! In truth, they lost. The $500 winnings are actually a loan from the payday loan place. “Both Shakespeare and Hitler almost went broke, y’know!” Morty refuses the money. Refuses to fix Mabel. He is a failure, going back to his old life.

Resolution – Jax applies for a job at Mortys old business and gets one – proving age discrimination. Tells Morty and asks to start their own business. Jax is aa natural, and they have billables very quickly. With the class over Bella Bustamante can start to date Morty, and things are looking up as they complete the rewrites on the screenplay and get notes from Bella who is fantastic. They submit to a huge screenplay contest, this time not relying on winning but hopeful.

[Daisy Khalifa]

Subject line: Daisy Ridgway’s Transformational Events

What I learned doing this assignment: I learned that I am stalled on figuring out the sequence of dramatic events and need to work on it.

-Character ARC: Mia Pauley

Beginning: Mia is moderately happy in life and haunted by a cosmic encounter with Charles; she judges herself and her family

Ending: Mia is a bold decision maker; and she has good intentions even if she has to sacrifice certain things she wants, she does it for a better place in life, the universe

In Between: Mia, as a child and then as an adult, has a series of experiences that inform and transform her life and the lives of those around her and change her view of her present world, from the dissolution of her family, the loss of Tina and the chance encounter with Charles to being able to endure and navigate an alternate reality.

-Steps [6-8] of changes that need to happen for character to go from who they are in the beginning to the ending. Steps should be sequenced from easiest to most difficult.

-Mia is certain she met Charles Laughton in the garden of her home when she was a little girl. As Little Mia, the child is traumatized after saying goodbye to her caretaker Tina and flees to her garden after the final farewell, where she first meets Charles

-Mia accepts this seemingly-impossible reality and is drawn to finding out why it happened

-Mia has other smaller psychic moments, such as talking to the host of romper room—is she dreaming, or is it real?

-Mia decides to confide in her friend Ian Gardner about her “supernatural” moments as a child

-Ian helps Mia explore the life of Charles and understand why it happened

-Mia’s family life is falling apart when she is the little girl; and as an adult, her family is unstable

-Mia learns all about Charles’ life

-We go to Charles’ life in 1940s Hollywood; his readings; his plays; his movies; his life with Elsa; and that they suffered a mudslide at the house and are being told to move

-Mia returns to the house, now abandoned since the earthquake

-Mia, an adult, encounters Charles again and has to explain who she is and explain that thee are no earthquakes until the mid-1990s that threaten their house.

-Charles decides he won’t move, even though Mia tells him about some of the great things he achieved

-Because of Charles decision, Mia is in a new reality, alone, without Ian, and her new world is a better reality for her family. She finds out Ian’s father is not dead.

-Charles’ life took a different, more precarious, turn

Brainstorm dramatic events that forced the growth process. [Add these events to the four act structure*]:

-Major earthquake in 1994 (Northridge Quake) causes Mia’s childhood home, Pinecliff, to get severely damaged

-Mia, 7, and Charles, 47, meet in the garden of the oceanfront home, where they both live, but at different points in time; Mia talks as if it is her house, which catches the non-believing Charles by surprise

-Both Mia and Charles are distraught because they are being forced to leave their beloved home, but for different reasons: Mia’s family life is shattering around her, her parents are divorcing; and, Charles’ insurers will not cover his valuable art and sculpture collection as long as he lives in the house on the cliff (Pinecliff)

-Mia meets Charles as an adult and their encounter changes fate

-Mia is seeing a whole new existence for herself but is aware of her previous life; she must manage it with composure

-Mia learns things that are good and bad about the new life; about Ian’s life; about Charles’ life

-Mia never lived in the oceanfront house in the new reality; how will she correct things and ever find Charles?

-Mia really likes her new world. Certain historic people are actually alive and well. Should Mia just stay in her new world, or try to reverse what happened?

-Dilemma: Mia returns to the house again but it is different; no Charles, or so she thinks. How will they meet again?

-Mia must find out what Charles new life was like; and she must figure out how to encounter him. He did do a number of things, I.e. Ed Sullivan sub-host, his reading tour; Don Juan in Hell, but then never did other things, like direct night of the Hunter and act in Advise and Consent

[Deleted User]

Judith Abingdon Transformational Events

What I learned in this assignment: step by step I am learning more about building my story, don’t be critical, don’t over think, just write!

Character Arc:

Juliet is like any other teenager, trying to fit in but also curious of cultural changes happening around her and beginning to think how they may affect her life,

the more new types of friends she meets and new experiences she has , she sees a new path, she does not want to follow the prescribed formula most people pursue, school, job, marriage, baby, the end.

She finds her way and goes after her desires and leaves the place of her youth and joins the world at large.

OLD Ways:

passive, polite, obedient

NEW Ways:

Curious, devious, headstrong

6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from (Old Ways) to (New Ways).

1.) become aware of cultural changes happening around her

2.) becomes aware and critical of her parents racial and conservative views

3.) seek out new experiences that will put her in her element

4.) become more confident with her talents

5.) find a life path different from her parents

6.) accept that she has the power to make these changes

7.) Go out on her own

BRAINSTORM dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character.

Hanging out with friends as they listen to new music and discuss popular tv and political events, they see the world changing

When her mother finds the photo of her and Grace the racial prejudice is revealed an juliet is confused with the lessons she thought she was supposed to be learing.

When she gets caught with pot there is a big meeting with the neighbor parents , so hypocritical, as they sit there drinking telling them ( the girls ) not to smoke pot, this really shifts Juliets opinion

She meets new friends while going out with her friends much older brother, they go to NYC and he introduces her to art house films and concerts, museums, ethnic foods, a real eye opener.

She tries to change her circumstances by moving in with her Godmother and meets some obstacles

Meeting more creative types she flexes her creative muscle and starts jamming and singing with people, coffee house, small gatherings and such

this new activity spurrs her on to make a move as soon as she turns 18

6. Add these transformational events to your four act structure

<hr>

[Gregory Fitzgerald]

Gregory’s Transformational Events

What I learned doing this assignment is… defining those specific events that must occur for the main character to transform truly helps further shape the story and plot.

Spud’s Old Ways – Works the traffic beat, does what he’s told, doesn’t speak up for himself to his boss, avoids confrontation, afraid to pursue what he really wants

Spud’s New Ways – Investigative reporter, dictates what stories he does, speaks up for himself, not afraid of a fight, confident to pursue what he wants

Changes or Steps Spud has to take to transform from the old ways to the new ways:

Take on an investigative story without the boss’ permission

Disobey the boss’ orders

Learn to speak up for himself

Learn to face adversity head-on

Find his own confidence

Tell the DOT press rep how he really feels about her

Transformation Events for Spud:

Spud stumbles upon a story involving corruption in the DOT and governor’s office and pursues it despite the News Director telling him to stick to his own beat.

After the News Director busts him and tells him directly not to pursue the story, Spud decides to defy his boss and pursue it anyway.

Spud’s field producer dictates every move until her plan about how to get a certain bit of information regarding the bridge project makes Spud speak up and point out a serious flaw in her plan.

Spud comes face-to-face with the Lt. Governor and tells him that he knows what he and the DOT are up to and that he’s going to expose them.

Spud puts his own life at risk to stop their plan to blow up the bridge and rescue the DOT press rep from the bad guys.

Spud, having just saved the DOT press rep, tells her he really likes her and would like to take her out sometime.

Act 1:

Opening – Spud is on location doing yet another report about a bad pothole in a city street that a viewer has complained about. He acts like he cares about the story, but he’s so over this beat.

Inciting Incident – Spud overhears a couple DOT officials talking about an embezzlement scheme. He runs back to the station to pitch the story to the News Director, but she rejects the idea.

Turning Point – Spud decides to look into the matter unofficially in between shooting his segments.

Act 2:

New plan – Spud is tired of not getting the opportunity to do some real investigative reporting. He visits the DOT press rep, whom he has a crush.

Plan in action – Spud’s field producer gets fed up with him going missing constantly and when she finds him hanging out at the DOT, she reports it to the News Director.

Midpoint Turning Point – The News Director instructs Spud to drop the story or he’ll be fired.

Act 3:

After the News Director busts him and tells him directly not to pursue the story, Spud decides to defy his boss and pursue it anyway.

Rethink everything – Spud realizes that he must risk his job to prove his worth as an investigative reporter. And he’ll need some help doing so.

New plan – Spud recruits his field producer to help him along with the DOT press rep.

Spud’s field producer dictates every move until her plan about how to get a certain bit of information regarding the bridge project makes Spud speak up and point out a serious flaw in her plan.

Spud comes face-to-face with the Lt. Governor and tells him that he knows what he and the DOT are up to and that he’s going to expose them.

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – Spud’s digging around gets the attention of the corrupt DOT officials and Lt. Governor who have guys kidnap the DOT press rep and attempt to kill Spud.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – Spud exposes the corruption at a press conference and saves the DOT press rep from being blown up.

Spud, having just saved the DOT press rep, tells her he really likes her and would like to take her out sometime.

Resolution – Spud gets the job with the I-team and a date with the DOT press rep.

[Donna Rankin]

Four Act Transformational Structure

What I learned from this assignment:

This assignment showed me what I have to work on within my story.

100 Miles

Kendra must travel one hundred miles to reunite with her family before a global alien invasion.

Act I

Opening: An impending alien attack causes a global panic.

Inciting Incident:

With her survival in jeopardy Kendra decides to leave New York city and go to her brother house in Philadelphia. Kendra’s brothers tell her he will wait for twenty-four hours any longer he will be putting his family in danger.

Kendra tries to leave the city, but she is detained by the police. While in detention Kendra is visited by and Army General. He tells her that the army is recruiting her for the fight yet to come.

Turning point

Kendra escapes from the army and starts her journey to her family.

Act 2

Reaction.

Since Kendra cannot leave the city by normal means. She must rely on her hidden resources. She makes preparation to go to her safe house when her neighbor tells her ex-husband broke into their building and kidnapped her daughter and Kendra’s dog. The neighbor has an ideal where her ex is going, Kendra has no other choice but to go after the ex-husband.

The Plan:

Kendra and her neighbor head uptown to find the dog and the girl. The neighbor tells Kendra that her husband is a notorious drug dealer.

Old Ways:

Kendra would have taken this mission alone.

New ways:

Kendra let’s her neighbor see how dangerous side.

Act three

The neighbor and Kendra find the men who kidnapped the child and the dog. After a bloody battle that leave Kendra injured and her neighbor dead. Kendra gets back her dog and rescues that little girl.

Injured Kendra takes the little girl to the bus station, but the army is there, and Kendra has to keep the little girl with her. The two of them make their way to Kendra’s co-worker house.

Kendra’s friend gives her medical attention, and the alien invasion begins.

Act 4:

Kendra’s brother sends his family away and decides to stay behind and wait for Kendra.

Kendra battles her way through New Jersey and ends up at her new jersey safe house. The owner of the house is Kendra’s mother.

Climax:

Kendra fights with the rough army officer for the last time. She wins the battle but loses the war her mother is killed by the aliens. Kendra kills one of the aliens. For the first time in an along time Kendra feels a sense of hope for the future.

[mickey Gonzo]

Mickey Gonzalez Transformational Events

What I learned doing this assignment is I’ll do the adding on to the four act structure with the new transformation events in the assignment a little later. There is more to a story but it must work together.

Character Arc

· Mark starts out as a young remarkable writer really good

· Mark ends up really bad after he becomes sought out for his entire Vast collection of writings.

Mark is a writer’s genius. He wants to have his work, a vast collection of writings to be read and published. It is worth millions. This has an effect on everyone he encounters.

Old ways: He turns out to be a remarkable writer. The first thing he does is seeks out Universities. At no avail, he does not get anyone to hear him out. He at his lone place of writing, word gets out and his vast collection is stolen.

New Ways: Seymour is a hostile man. He has a woman telephone Mark to gain access to his writings. Then his vast collection gets stolen. A murdered woman, killing of a cop, and break-in at his apartment ensue. Seymour is behind all this.

6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).

Old ways

· He Believes in himself

· Wants his work to be read and sold/ to gain a fortune

· Doors are slammed shut

· A few girls try to be around.

· The collection is stolen

· No police help

New ways

· Understanding there is a violent, corrupt world outside waiting for him

· Give up or continue to pursue

· Being beaten up by Seymour’s group

· Overpowered by a burglar

· he endures a bloodied fight

· meets a prostitute

Sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult. This will imply the journey the character takes. Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character.

· The telephone call from a woman asking for one of Mark’s great work a manuscript he manifested

· Mark gets Raquel a dating tour around downtown or else.

· A woman is murdered by a copywriter lawyer’s office who Mark was trying to hire is on the news. He wanted to see if he can leave his vast collection in a safe place.

· Mark is being warned by Seymour’s thugs “Not to call police they are going to do that”

· Taking to the streets to find his Vast collection and manuscript, about a local girl being abducted by a man who is her neighbor

· His ability to fight off a few bad men in pursuit.

· Breaking off his antenna and destroying his car

· Surprises a woman burglar at his apartment who steps over his bloodied body with his second manuscript in her grasp

· From his POV looks like the commander from the police building

· Visiting a Royal castle restaurant for 10 cent burgers an off-duty cop is killed accidently by another cop responding to a trump up robbery

· Raquel comes to him at apartment, and they try to make sense of it

[Mary Chamberlin]

Mary and Rich’s High Speed Beat Sheet

What I learned doing this assignment is this. We really took this to heart. Our objective was to write this within a half hour and really push the speed writing to the test. We did this mainly because we really are very short on time trying to cram this into a very busy schedule. But, it also was a very exciting lesson to do. It is great to speed along and it is great to just put ideas in placeholders. It is like molding a sculpture little by little.

Act 1:

INT.-SCHOOL-DAY

Opening – What’s that old guy doing in school? Morty starts the semester with a wild class and an unusual teacher – who he hits on and is rebuffed.

Inciting Incident – He’s paired with Jax on the first and biggest assignment. Morty is serious, but Jax acts like its a game and plays along. They are linked now, pass or fail together.

INT.- DINER- NIGHT

Turning Point – The two can’t even agree on whose place to start working together at. They settle for a nearby diner and have their waitress judge whose idea they should develop. Jax wins, but pays for dinner.

TE J1 – Jax thinks its a game, at first plays along but knows Morty’s idea is out of date, so he pushes back

TE M1 – Resists input from someone else on his magnum opus screenplay

Act 2:

INT.-SCHOOL -DAY

New plan – Next day before class, Morty takes his idea to the teacher in office hour, but she said Jax turned theirs in already (the space saga). Jax, still disinterested, starts to open up in class to Morty. Rest of class continue to snub the two.

TE M2 – Forced to back down, he tries to sneak his idea in, fails

TE J2 – When Morty tries to weasel old hackneyed idea in, he catches him and flips it on him (sabotage date and not helping w date)

INT. – DINER – NIGHT

Plan in action: Finally, the two start to outline, dismally. Jax has to keep explaining things to Morty.

INT. – JAX’S APARTMENT – DAY

PLACEHOLDER – Morty asks Jax details about his apartment. Finds out about his Dad, maybe, etc.

INT.-MORTY’S HOUSE – DAY

PLACEHOLDER – Jax questions Morty about his place. Sees picture of Morty’s wife and child. Finds out about being killed.

TE J3 – Feels for Morty at last, helps him with dating, bringing in new ideas.

TE M3 – Starts to see his partner not as an obstacle but a collaborator

INT. -DINER – NIGHT

In discussion, Jax finds out Morty likes Bella Bustamante the teacher. He proceeds to help him “get with the tech-stuff” by learning texting, etc.

INT. MORTY’S HOUSE – DAY

Morty flubs the text message to Bella so its an insulting typo. Jax lies to his Dad, says Melanie/Kyle left, and he’s working hard with Morty –

the Dad smirks and forks over cash. PLACEHOLDER—-PERHAPS HIS DAD CALLS ON JAX’S CELL PHONE AND JAX LIES AND THEN HIS DAD STILL GIVES HIM THE CASH BY SENDING IT.

TE J4 – As he becomes more like a team (family) he starts to care about making the screenplay be both their ideas

INT. JAX’S APARTMENT – DAY

Midpoint Turning Point – Morty rebuffed, he turns to the dating site Jax recommended, scores a date. Jax helps him prep, then they finally find some shaky common ground for their screenplay, agree to proceed. When Morty leaves for date, Jax continues to work – telling Melanie all about it.

Act 3:

INT.- JAX’S APARTMENT – DAY

Rethink everything – Morty beams after his date, which was fancy dress with Dollar Menu at Mickey D’s and a Redbox rental. Next day, he texts well, things good with this mysytery woman. Morty finds out Jax’s secret, that he’s helping his old work-mate, Melanie and her young son, Kyle. That’s where his money goes, because even though Jax hates his Dad and his money, he has to take it to help out. Now writing the actual script, and it’s starting to be a collaboration between the two.

TE M4 – In being helped (caring) and helping his partner, he helps the screenplay progress

INT. JAX’S APARTMENT – DAY

New plan – Morty tries to find Jax’s Dad and get him to “show up” for his son. Melanie mentions her Mom has a new beau, that he’s older but “a catch.” They plan a joint party to celebrate all their good news. Jax finds out his date is Melanie’s Mom

TE M5 – As the screenplay progresses, he finds the pressure to succeed lower, can take chances (mirror – dating) (mirror – tech)

EXT. MORTY’S BACKYARD – DAY

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – His dad finds out and shows up at party at Morty’s house, see’s Melanie and Kyle.

TE J5 – Tells Dad off, commits to Melanie that he’ll keep helping her. (self worth & independent, and now responsible)

PLACEHOLDER: MAYBE DO THIS BECAUSE ABOVE WE MAY HAVE THE TEACHER SAY SHE CAN’T DATE A STUDENT: Plus teacher Bella gets Kyle to do push-ups and he likes military discipline – Jax goes wild, shades of his Dad’s stern ways.

PLACEHOLDER: THIS MAY BE THE ONE WE USE. MORTY DATING MELANIE’S MOM.—–Finally, Mortys new date is Melanies Mom! It’s a complete failure. Jax now refuses to work with Morty anymore.

INT.-MORTY’S HOUSE – THE NEXT DAY

Morty almost relapses to despair, but realizes he’s gotta right things, to help Jax and be the father he no longer has.

Act 4:

INT – JAX’S APARTMENT – DAY

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – Work has stopped, they will fail. Jax realizes Dad’s money has stopped, and Melanie panics, when her Mom says shes breaking up with Morty and hitting the road. So Jax promises support, don’t worry. Feeling the responsibility, his only recourse is to win the contest.

EXT. – MORTY’S HOUSE – DAY

He rethinks his situation and convinces Morty to restart work with him, after Morty says Melanies Mom dumped him. They pull it together and work.

PLACEHOLDER MONTAGE – INTERIORS OF BOTH MORTY’S AND JAX’S PLACE AND THE DINER PERHAPS

TE M6 – When finishing is in sight, he releases on it, which in turn allows them to revise and empower the screenplay

They finish, entering the contest.

EXT. OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL/YARD – DAY

Morty is too nervous to see the results. He waits in the schoolyard.

Jax does and approachesd Morty and tells Morty they won, and now he can get his car fixed and Jax is not a loser anymore. He hands him the $250. His share.

One Last Twist – Wrong! In truth, they lost. The $500 winnings are actually a loan from the payday loan place. “Both Shakespeare and Hitler almost went broke, y’know!” Morty refuses the money. Refuses to fix Mabel. He is a failure, going back to his old life.

EXT. MORTY’S HOUSE DAY

Resolution – Jax applies for a job at Mortys old business and gets one – proving age discrimination. Tells Morty and asks to start their own business. Jax is aa natural, and they have billables very quickly. With the class over Bella Bustamante can start to date Morty, and things are looking up as they complete the rewrites on the screenplay and get notes from Bella who is fantastic. They submit to a huge screenplay contest, this time not relying on winning but hopeful.

TE J6 – Respects Morty’s pride at accepting charity so really pushes for another alternative – he applies for a job at Mortys old employer and gets it, which proves the age discrimination, so Morty can let go, he is worthy, cant control his age.

TE J7 – Start competitor business in this area that M&J own and revel in, but write screenplays at night.

PLACEHOLDER: OR INSTEAD—-JAX GETS MORTY TO SIGN UP FOR SCREENWRITING TWO.—THERE IS MORE WORK TO BE DONE WITH A GOOD PARTNER. MORTY: “I THINK THIS IS GOING

TO BE THE START OF A GOOD FRIENDSHIP.” JAX: THEY ALREADY USED THAT LINE IN CASABLANCA.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 11 months ago by  Mary Chamberlin.

[James Clark]

James E. Clark Transformational Events

What I learned from this Assignment: Filling in the transformation events helps to give me more creative ideas for the story.

1. Character Arc, Old Ways & New Ways

Carrie Waters Character Arc that represents “Transformation”.

a. Internal Journey: From a cynical concept of civilian life to enjoying the freedom

b. External Journey: From a tough Navy NCO POV to civilian life

Old Ways and New Ways

c. Old Ways: Rigid schedule, gives/takes orders, cynical of civilians, lived in nice Navy housing, if it ain’t Navy it’s nothing. Gave up on love

d. New Ways: Sets own schedule, gives/takes suggestions, civilians are great, lives in a van, civilian life is worth living. Finds love again at the end of her life.

2. & 3. Six – eight changes or steps that need to happen for the character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways) Then sequence for easiest to most difficult.

A. Learn that Civilian life requires a different set of management skills.

B. Learn to lead teams from a civilian perspective

C. Reconnect with her former love.

D. Learn to enjoy the daily freedom she has to make choice for her own life

E. Accept that she won’t be able to make Master Chief

F. Learn to accept God’s timing for her life

G. Learn to love again

H. Accept her fate of a terminal diagnosis

3. Brainstorm Dramatic Events that could cause theses changes

A. Barking orders at volunteers and having them rebel

B. Being told by her Commanding Officer that she must retire after 23 years and she will not be able to make Master Chief.

C. Accepted as volunteer help at a Christian camp. When she arrives the former Camp Director is gone and the new Director is her prior love from a decade earlier – Navy SEAL

D. Rather than standing morning Formation, she’s watching the sunrise at Bryce Canyon

E. She continues her Physical Training by running.

F. She get’s angry at God for her life being shortened. But then finds peace in His authority over her life.

G. Her story gets out and she’s interviewed on TBN.

H. She begins losing mobility.

I. She makes it to her fiftieth state

J. She returns to the camp where she and the SEAL get married

K. He carries her to his truck. They drive to an overlook of a lake. She dies in his arms.

1. Act 1: 25-30 pages Set up and see old ways

Opening: Sr. Chief Waters is berating a young sailor for not remember how to operate the heavy earth mover. She does it nicely but firmly.

Sr. Chief Waters I at a Women’s Bible study on the Navy base. The younger women gravitate to her for advice.

She is at a dojo wearing a 3^rd degree Black Belt. She’s teaching children the art of Tai Kwon Do.

Inciting Incident: Carrie is in the doctor’s office on base. She’s been given the news of a terminal diagnosis. We don’t hear what it is, but we see her reaction.

Her Commanding Officer and the Battalion Command Master Chief instruct her that she is going into forced retirement. She has 60 days.

She tries to convince them that she can continue to do the job for more years. The Command Master Chief sets her straight

Turning Point: Carrie purchases an old school bus and builds it out into her own custom RV. She starts planning her trip round the country. She goes on websites and offers her services to churches, schools and camps.

The bus buildout is complete. She has a plan. Navy friends throw her a party and wish her well.

She finally learns to accept that she won’t make Master Chief.

2. Act 2: 20-30 pages – challenge the old ways

Carrie rankles people in an RV caravan by giving orders when she thinks she’s suggesting. She can’t understand why people dislike her.

Barking orders.

There’s a problem with her solar electrical system and she can’t figure it out. She asks for help from the group. Everyone turns her down except for one person.

She tries to be nice by sharing food. Not working there either.

She starts manifesting physical ailments that hinder her – slight, but there.

She’s feeling hurt, she leaves the caravan group and goes off on her own.

After her morning Bible study, she watches the sunrise over Bryce Canyon Utah

She has a gig at a church camp. She does not charge for her work. It’s her way of serving. The Camp Director turns out to be the Navy SEAL she almost married. She doesn’t know how to react. He understand her and is kind. She responds with kindness. He never married either.

Now she had to deal with feelings that she has suppressed for twelve years.

Turning Mid Point 2:

Carrie runs into a county bureaucrat who makes her life miserable in trying to get permits for work to be done for the camp. She starts by giving him “orders” but realizes that is not working in civilian life. She goes back with honey rather than vinegar. He’s still a jerk. She enlists the camp director who resolves the whole thing.

Barking orders.

A fire starts in the forest near the camp. She jumps on the skip loader and tries to create a fire break. The skip loader breaks down and she doesn’t have the tools to fix it. Fortunately the fire was extinguished.

Feels inept.

She’s frustrated that being a civilian is tougher than she thought and tougher than the Navy.

Learns that civilian life takes a different skill set to navigate day to day activities.

3. Act 3: 20 – 30 pages – With Mid Point Change Profound moments give us New Ways

Carrie is beginning to see that even in civilian life, she needs to rely on teams to accomplish large tasks.

She goes back to her NCO training for getting the task done, but now treats the volunteers as her equal.

She realizes she needs to move on to accomplish her travelling goal. She finishes the project. BUT…

She and the SEAL have fallen back in love. He agrees to support her travel goal. She agrees to return when she’s facing imminent death.

Carrie is on the road.

She’s interviewed on TBN

Carrie is working at a Christian school.

Carrie now has six states left to see. Her map indicates the 44 states she has been in.

She tells God she’s still angry. But thanks Him for the life she has had.

Carrie is on an island in Maine.

She’s beginning to have mobility issues

She marks off Maine on her map as the 50^th state. She made her goal.

4. Act 4: 25 pages – Test the change in this character! Prove the New Ways.

Carrie is starting to enjoy life as a civilian while her physical capabilities are slowly declining.

She’s working her way back to the Camp.

She spends more time getting to know the locals than she does working on projects – although she still does that too.

She takes candid photos of people in their everyday life.

She starts a blog about her travels and her predicament.

She phones SEAL weekly. He gives her regular encouragement.

She finds herself able to accomplish tough projects because she trusts civilians to be team players.

It’s Christmas Eve. Back at the camp, she declines quickly. He carries her to his truck. They drive to an overlook to watch the moon rise over the lake. She dies in his arms.

[Stafford Echols]

Stafford’s Transformational Events

What I learned from this assignment was how to formulate a natural journey for my protagonist. Pretty much taking he/she on a roller-coaster with my audience; my beat-sheet/outline is writing itself.

Mateo Vargas

Old Ways

– Jokester

– Nice

– Easy-going

– Sneaking around

– Cheats w/ Glorivette

New Ways

– Cautious

– Serious

– Frustrated

– Survival Mode

– Faithful

1.) Mateo is well-liked around the office; kids with co-workers.

2.) Meets Glorivette, and there’s an instant attraction, but remembers he’s in a relationship.

3.) Jokes around with Ricky about how hot Glorivette is.

4.) Hides his affair from everyone.

5.) Feeling guilty, tries to break things off with Glorivette to save his relationship and job.

6.) Becomes frightened when Glorivette threatens him.

7.) Grows frustrated when he can’t prove any of Glorivette’s wrongdoings.

8.) Forced to come clean with Marisol about the affair after Glorivette exposes him.

9.) Full of rage — threatens to kill Glorivette if she comes near him again.

10.) Works to pick up the pieces with his broken relationship with Glorivette.

11.) Has a final showdown with Glorivette once and for all to save he and Marisol’s life.

[Donna Rankin]

Lesson 6 Transformation Events

What I learned from doing this assignment: I do not want to over analyze my characters journey. The journey is not complicated. The complication comes from the world around her.

Kendra; Old ways

Avoids connection with others.

Hides her true nature.

Fights alone

Unable to love.

New Ways

Helps people

Accepts her place in the world.

Unleashes her true nature.

Finds love

List of Changes:

Never helps anyone.

Keeps a low profile.

Feels everyone is the enemy.

Keeps her past hidden.

Helps her neighbor find her missing child

Works with authority

Reveals her past life to others.

Fights for a cause

Reconciles with her family.

[Lora]

Lora’s Transformational Events

What I learned doing this assignment is there are many ways to transform your character physically, mentally and emotionally.

Internal Journey: Trying not to
lose herself in heartbreak. Needs to learn that not everyone is in her
life forever; some are there just to teach a lesson or as a temporary
placeholder.
External Journey: She will
learn her own strength, even when she thinks she has none.

Old Ways: Naïve, people-pleaser, will take what she can get.

New Ways: Jaded, independent, strong, knows her worth.

Changes that need to happen for character to transform from old ways to new ways:

1. Realize her own self-worth.

2. Know what she wants.

3. Stop being a people pleaser.

4. Stand up for herself and demand to be treated fairly.

5. Walk away from toxic people.

6. Learn to be independent and stand on her own.

7. Surround herself with good people.

8. Not settle.

Dramatic Events or Tests: Finding a worthy ally that helps open her eyes, So many different kinds and levels of betrayal that she goes through from friends and lovers, surviving her darkness moment alone, learning to be independent and stand on her own.

[Nancy Lucas]

Assignment 6 The 30 Day Script

N. Lucas

What I learned in this lesson is that – I am literally building my story from scratch! I love this class! I just cant keep up! This is like putting the bricks in place to tell the story—love it.

2. Start with the Character Arc and the list of Old Ways and New Ways.

Concept : ‘Hallmark’ type romance set in tropical location Main Conflict: Main Character, who does not like weddings, dating, or being impulsive is named Best Man for his (best) friend’s elopement in just a matter of days. He has also been tasked to find the hotel rooms, wedding planner, cake, etc. En route, he finds himself falling for the hotel manager/wedding planner and the tropical sun.Old Ways: loves structure, following a charted path, success, planning well in advance, loves Chicago, all the seasonsNew Ways: finding himself becoming more spontaneous, outside forces make him think for the ‘now’ and forced to make decisions that could affect him for the rest of his life. In this story he will see a few other people make big decisions (that will affect their life) spontaneously and with ease and he is now forced to do the same.

3. Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).

Changes/Steps:

Realize Daphne, the co-worker that is after him, is not the type of ‘successful woman’ he wants.

Realize his helpfulness and skills are life changing to Isabella- who just needed help.

Realize being impulsive isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Realize he is attracted to Isabella – has a lot of respect for her- she is a self starter and not afraid to try new things—and work to make her dreams come true

Realize the most expensive things aren’t necessarily the best. The simple hotel, the simple yet beautiful wedding, the singular care they give to their customers, getting chocolates and flowers. Are all very special.

Realizes Isabella is very happy because she is close to friends and family- together they help each other. He has never felt that kind of support.

4. Sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult. This will imply the journey the character takes. — I need to do this—but I also need a few more steps to add.

5. Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character.

Dramatic event would be if one of the partners of the company offers Peter a more prominent position in the company in Chicago. But Peter finds out that he is also planning on opening an office in Sarasota. Finds himself thinking he would rather take the opportunity to build the legal namebrand here than take a more prominent position.

6. Add these transformational events to your four act structure. (need to do this)

7. Answer the question “What I learned doing this assignment is…?” and put it at the top of your work.

[Nancy Lucas]

Assignment 6 The 30 Day Script

N. Lucas

What I learned in this lesson is that – I am literally building my story from scratch! I love this class! I just cant keep up! This is like putting the bricks in place to tell the story—love it.

2. Start with the Character Arc and the list of Old Ways and New Ways.

Concept : ‘Hallmark’ type romance set in tropical location Main Conflict: Main Character, who does not like weddings, dating, or being impulsive is named Best Man for his (best) friend’s elopement in just a matter of days. He has also been tasked to find the hotel rooms, wedding planner, cake, etc. En route, he finds himself falling for the hotel manager/wedding planner and the tropical sun.Old Ways: loves structure, following a charted path, success, planning well in advance, loves Chicago, all the seasonsNew Ways: finding himself becoming more spontaneous, outside forces make him think for the ‘now’ and forced to make decisions that could affect him for the rest of his life. In this story he will see a few other people make big decisions (that will affect their life) spontaneously and with ease and he is now forced to do the same.

3. Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).

Changes/Steps:

Realize Daphne, the co-worker that is after him, is not the type of ‘successful woman’ he wants.

Realize his helpfulness and skills are life changing to Isabella- who just needed help.

Realize being impulsive isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Realize he is attracted to Isabella – has a lot of respect for her- she is a self starter and not afraid to try new things—and work to make her dreams come true

Realize the most expensive things aren’t necessarily the best. The simple hotel, the simple yet beautiful wedding, the care they give to their customers, getting chocolates and flowers. Are all very special.

Realizes Isabella is very happy because she is close to friends and family- together they help each other. He has never felt that kind of support.

4. Sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult. This will imply the journey the character takes. — I need to do this—but I also need a few more steps to add.

5. Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character.

Dramatic event would be if one of the partners of the company offers Peter a more prominent position in the company in Chicago. But Peter finds out that he is also planning on opening an office in Sarasota. Finds himself thinking he would rather take the opportunity to build the legal namebrand here than take a more prominent position.

6. Add these transformational events to your four act structure. ( I need to do this)

[Kay HUNDLEY]

Character Arc (Old Ways and New Ways)

Old Ways: E is set in the ways of the clan

New Ways: E accepting those outside the clan

6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).

1. She will be upset that the raptor found her in the forest and that she shouldn’t be there.

2. She will take responsibility for removing the raptor from the forest – per order of her mother.

3. She will learn about the raptor and come to like her

4. She will see how unfairly they both are being treated by the other clan dragons

5. She will see the cleverness of the raptor, still willing to help the dragon clan after being shunned

6. They will work together to remove themselves from a dangerous situation

7. She will stand against her mother and the clan to protect the raptor and keep her around

Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character.

<In each encounter what is something they want to be accepted for but aren’t in the way they are not accepting the raptor>

Violet gets frightened by a creature of the Sheltered Forest. She backs away, but stumbles over a rock, landing her in the Fanzia area of the forest, home of the Tree Chest, where the dragon horde is stored. This area is forbidden to young dragons, and most other non-elder tree dragons, or anyone without a business reason to be there. It is well gaurded by the Hoard Gaurd. E has to talk her way out of trouble and defends the raptor seeing it was an honest mistake. He will take it up with her mother and a mark against her in the council. This does not bode well for E one day being on the council. She apologizes and resolves to get rid of the ‘intruder’.

E takes her through her favorite place in the forest, the watering hole, a small lagoon to the southeast of the forest. Out of excitement, Violet jumps in the water to splash around. They start to bond and learn about each other, until they are bullied out of the lagoon by the brutes. Once again, E has to protect and stand up to their bullying and non-dragon like behavior.

The brutes decide to go to E’s mother to inform her that they weren’t just leaving, they were at the lagoon

The pair have a misunderstanding making Violet question E’s committment. She runs off. Violet realizes she should go after her – as she did make a promise.

E’s mother finds V alone thinking she already escorted the raptor out, she reminds her she is obligated to attend her brother’s showing in the Challenges. She follows her brothers towards the arena

<Mother tries to push for new with the council -a new subject for her youngest sun or to get him in the challenges, but they aren’t accepting her arguments.>

E’s sprite (pet) comes and merps in her ear. R mimicks this sound. She makes it throughout their journey. When they part and E heads to the Challenges with her brothers, her sprite appears again. Makes the same sound which reminds her of her friend.

E and R come across a nest of TD eggs at the bottom of a tree. R investigates and accidentally hits one with her tail sending it rolling down a hill out of the forest.

As the hunters reel TD in and try to gather her and the egg, one of the hunters feels a bite on his bottom. He yells and R rowrs. The other hunter is frightened, but he grabs a spike and hurls it at R. Hunters grab R in a trap. E coughs fire at the hunter but he ducks away, letting go of R. R knocks them down with her tail, grabs the netting that holds E and disappears back into the forest.

The pair are caught again and must confront the clan to regain Es standing and to allow the friendship.

——-

ACT 1:

Opening: Morning, E wakes and discovers a visitor a young raptor who seems familiar to her

Inciting Incident: She tries to hide her while going about her dragon duties but others discover the visitor and reveal her location to the elders.

Turning Point: Elders allow E to escort the visitor out of the forest, but secretly instruct her brothers to look out for her.

ACT 2:

New plan: Agree to send her away and make sure she leaves

Plan in action: Violet doesn’t make it so easy, causing trouble along the way, but the two have fun learning about each other on the way.

Midpoint Turning Point: V gets E in trouble with the Brutes. E has had it, and sends R away with the Brutes to escort her, as E has to go with brothers to the ‘Challenges’

ACT 3:

Rethink everything: Realizes she misses her new friend.

New plan: Finds a trinket she needs to return to violet as a ruse to get back to her friend, Goes to find V and apologize for sending her away.

V wanders aimlessly out of the forest, kicking pebbles, dragging her tail, and brushes a dragon nest, knocking an egg out of it.

E approaches as she witnesses V sends the egg out of the forest. E goes after the egg to save it. The egg rolls out of the forest, and both E and the egg are caught by hunters in a trap/netting. Once again V has got her in trouble.

Turning Point: V emerges from the forest to see her friend in trouble. E hands her back the trinket and apologizes. Meanwhile the hunter stuns E in the trap and pockets the egg in a satchel.

V witnessing her friend hurt, cleverly attacks the hunters and snatches the netted bundle containing her friend and bolts back into the forest.

ACT 4:

New plan: V accepts the Raptor and plans to challenge the elders to allow Violet to stay.

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: The elders and several members of the clan have been alerted to what happened with the egg, including the distraught mother of the egg. They all converge on the two friends to see E still in the trap as Violet chews them out.

Hgielyak confronts the two as they return, hearing what happened. Other elders are aware and want the R banned. H considers this but doesn’t want break her daughters heart.

Resolution: As the elders and H are discussing, R (hiding back under the protective wing of E) produces a prize to the camp that she secretly had hidden away in her tail since leaving the hunters – the runaway egg. E stands up to clan in support of V and claims her as subject.

[Leo Sopicki]

Leo’s Transformational Events

What I learned doing this assignment is to define the transformational events. I had never done that before.

CONCEPT AND CHARACTER ARC

Martin, a young man who believes his movie star mother abandoned him, attempts to find her, only to discover that he was adopted and that he has a brother who is trying to kill his real mother. Martin, his newly discovered relatives, his girlfriend, and his adopted family are trapped in a creepy old house and Martin must figure out who to save before they are all killed by his chainsaw wielding brother.

· Internal Journey: From not taking anything seriously, to realizing the importance of family and commitment.

· External Journey: From the handyman that no one respects, to the savior of a family he didn’t know he had.

Martin’s Old Ways

Jokes about everything
Won’t make a commitment
Believes a lie about his family

Martin’s New Ways

Fights for his friends
Declares his love for his girlfriend
Learns the true meaning of family

Changes that need to happen – sequenced easy to hard

Find out that the lady in the picture is not his real mother

Take responsibility for himself

Reach out to his girlfriend before he loses her

Needs to stand up to threatening people

Make a spiritual leap

Forgive his stepdad for lying to him

Take the leadership of the “family”

Be willing to risk everything for those that he values

Transformational Events

Gets rejected when confronting the lady he thought was his mother

Confronts stepdad about lies and decides to move out

Peaches blames him for an accident that almost kills Nunu

Sees what can only be explained as a supernatural event

Hounded by Francis’ henchmen

Confronts Francis face-to-face

Trapped by Francis and must come up with a plan

Revised Outline

Act 1:

· Opening – Martin obsesses about his missing Mom and why he was abandoned.

· Inciting Incident – Martin helps Nunu discover a magical amulet that her deceased husband, Brock, had hidden from her, releasing supernatural forces into the house.

· Turning Point – Martin meets the lady he thought was his mom. He is rejected, discovering that she was his brother Billy’s mom, but not his. Confronts stepdad about lies and decides to move out. He leaves his stepfather and stepbrother.

Act 2:

· New plan – Martin moves into room in garage of his employers estate.

· Plan in action – Jokes begin to fall flat, especially with the maid, Peaches, upon whom he has a crush. Tries to help everyone, but begins to suspect that Francis is up to no good. Peaches blames him for an accident that almost kills Nunu. Hounded by Francis’ henchmen.

· Midpoint Turning Point – A birthday party for Nunu turns into an attempt by Francis to kill her. Martin, Nunu, and Peaches are trapped inside the main house of the estate as Francis goes mad and tries to kill them all.

Act 3:

· Rethink everything – Accepts Peaches friendship and vows to save her and Nunu. Tries to get message to his stepfather and stepbrother. Sees what can only be explained as a supernatural event. Trapped by Francis and must come up with a plan

· New plan – Trick Francis into thinking his deceased father, Brock, has returned from the dead and has a message for him, so he will give up the fight.

· Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift – Because of Nunu’s magical amulet, Brock’s ghost really does return, bringing spirits with him. Now Martin must fight Francis and ghosts.

Act 4:

· Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict – Martin’s relationship to Nunu, Francis and Brock is revealed. Martin risks his life to save everyone else. He faces Francis directly, and hands him over to the police.

· Resolution. Martin and Peaches get married in the restored estate. His real family and his adoptive family are united as one.

[Christi Falk]

Christi’s Transformational Events

I learned from mapping the character journey in this unique way helped me to understand the three dimensional cats cradle that is the story. I was so focused on characters servicing the mystery I forgot to give them their own worlds. I created two for my dueling protagonists but it helped my understand the nuts and bolts of character direction going forward.

All jotted in my notebook as there’s no feedback here. 🙂

Cheers.

[Christopher Sequeira]

Subject line: Christopher Sequeira’s Transformational Events

“What I learned doing this assignment is…this is a significant way to find solutions to the previous stage of the rough laying out of the 4-act structure; this has helped me understand there are very simple over-arching insights to be gleaned.”

Key learnings: Ned is really not a franchise hero or superhero in this story, until mid- Act 2, even though he’s a seeming courageous outlaw free spirit; the truth is he’s only ever gone up against a corrupt and inept and not as smart as he is local authorities WHO ARE BEING UNDERMINED BY LOCALS TOWNSPEOPLE WHO HATE THEM AS MUCH AS NED! But, once the Comte comes in he will face FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS LIFE, A SERIOUS AND EXISTENTIAL THREAT.

He will need to transform from ‘live social outcast thief-performer / Robin Hood/ public magician’ to LEADER OF AN ARMY FIGHTING FOR MORE THAN HIS FREEDOM, BUT FOR PERHAPS ALL THE SOULS OF HIS TOWN.

The evil ones will tempt him for his compliance! Offer him his family, whatever they think he wants. And threaten him a with brutal personal fate.

3. Make a list of 6 – 8 changes or steps that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (New Ways).

1. Determined to bedevil authority, and remain at liberty.

2. Outwits authority and drinks up local hero-worship of him.

3. Angry at resistance of new villain – flees and licks wounds!

4. Drumming up followers but failing to convince them!

5. Crushed by his new enemy! Failure as a leader of his own gang!

6. Defeated, dejected!

7. Given up safety and leading a revolution – now is prepared to give all to end an existential threat to people who don’t even like him, who’ve betrayed him!

4. Sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult. This will imply the journey the character takes.

1. Dancing rings around authorities, encouraging townspeople to trick and rip off the authorities by pretending to be informants

2. Rescues members a of his gang from authorities with ease

3. Gets stopped cold by Comte – tables have turned

4. Can’t help his friends – now they are DYING! Townspeople turned against him. Woman he loves spurns him!

5. Tries to rally an army of townspeople they have turned against him –

6. Tries to rally the true spirited fighters in the towns – they have become demons.

7. Throws away his freedom and his safety to lead the all or nothing raid on the monsters. Even needs help from an authority figure – symbolic surrender – to save townspeople who now don’t even like him.

5. Brainstorm dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character:-

1. Goes for easy attack on mayor’s house – turns into a disaster as Comte attacks and reveals his dark power!

2. Gathers a crowd of townspeople to fught the foe – they turn on him, kill one friend and nearly take the rest

3. Fiance angrily warned him – he doesn’t listen

4. Fiance shows him up as a coward and only prepared to fight on a winning turf.

5.

6. Finds the Comte’s hideout in the bush and prepares for a show down – Comte a surprise – he wants to bargain more than kill Ned, he makes Ned and offer.

7. Death of old Ned with ultimate clever, heroic, self sacrificing act.

6. Add these transformational events to your four-act structure:-

Concept: In 1880 regional Australia, outlaw Ned Kelly (with his gang) is a fugitive but also local hero who taunts corrupt authorities, until those authorities mistakenly bring in a man – the Comte – to hunt Kelly with horrific supernatural powers that won’t just net Kelly but will unleash a mystic plague upon the earth.

Main Conflict: Authorities want Kelly caught, convicted and executed at any cost, and hire the malevolent Comte to do so. The Comte uses this permission to unleash widening horrific supernatural activity.

Ned Kelly Old Ways:

Old Identity: Clever, chip on shoulder, fugitive
outlaw gang-leader / local Robin Hood. Something of a ‘performance artiste
bandit’, public profile important.
Claims he wants to destroy structure of society,
must keep the cause alive, but really enjoying life as Robin Hood, looked
up to by locals and creates cottage industry of informant money in the
town as he drives local officials crazy trying to hunt him.
Has secret,
serious relationship with Mei – claims it has to be secret to protect her.

Ned Kelly NEW Ways:

New Identity: Not a benevolent devil-may-care, hidden-away
Robin Hood chased by ineffectual police and cheered on by locals but despised
bringer of darkness to the town. But a man now forced to the brink,
terrified not a laughing rascal, realises he’s condemned those he loves, becoming
an icon of man’s fury at evil, not a merry teaser of authority but
a leader of a human army of righteous defence; now prepared to sacrifice
himself, genuinely.
Will preserve society (even corrupt society) to
destroy supernatural evil. Knows if he kills enemy and his so-called ‘cause’
dies with him it’s the right price to pay.
In the face of the far greater danger realises Mei
can look after herself (but he’ll still stand shoulder to shoulder with her)
and deserves the respect of being known as his wife.

Act 1: 25 to 30 pages — Set up
and see Old Ways.

Opening: 1880. After a weird supernatural flashback teaser showing a sadistic Australian military man (the Major) in the battlefields of Turkey having a bloody vision compelling him to head back to his home country where he’ll encounter his destiny in the form of a bearded 25-year-old man, who is…

…Ned Kelly, outlaw… wee then see Ned and his gang pull off a brilliantly clever, audacious raid on a bank, tweak the authorities and make off with a chest of goods belonging to the soon-to-arrive new local authority (The Major). In the chest is a strange golden antique goblet, that Ned drinks from that night…

…not realising that gesture triggers the supernatural manifestation within the vicinity of a debonair old man known as the Comte who can appear near where the goblet is and has great supernatural evil powers. The Comte summons monsters from the Australian earth and has them hide outside town. The Comte then presents himself to the Major as strategic military expert here to advise on how to capture Ned Kelly. An evil bargain is struck empowering the Comte in frightening ways. The Comte’s price is the soul of Ned Kelly, to use in an occult ritual that will grant him a secret desire (the death of God).

Inciting Incident: Ned is targeted for destruction by both the Major and the Comte.

Turning Point: Ned conducts a daring raid on the Major’s own home as a fancy dinner is prepared. Ned and his men make a bold challenge get the drop on all police and soldiers but then are shattered as the Major introduces the elderly Comte who murders a townswoman and is mystically de-aged to a powerful young man. He shows strength and reveals he has supernatural powers. Ned’s bullets bounce off him and with horror Ned realises a monster is now going to hunt him and demand his submission and ritual surrender (and the apparently the spilling of a little of his own blood voluntarily into the goblet). Ned is now the mouse being tortured – and his brother, his lover and all his friends are in deadly danger.

Act 2: 20 to 30 pages — Challenge
the Old Ways.

New plan: As horrific attacks begin on townspeople Ned and his gang try to help but start seeing their efforts are useless. Supernatural attacks and powers are aiding the Major as he clamps down on things. The townspeople hide behind closed doors terrified, OR WORSE STILL THEY BETRAY NED!.

Turning Point/Midpoint: Mei tells Ned he’s mistaken, the townspeople won’t lie down and die for him, or anyone, they have children to protect – they’ll flee, if they’re not struck down while they try and run.

Ned wants to lead people against the bad guys but he’s powerless. Anyone known to be his friend is slaughtered. His role as Robin Hood / local hero is revealed to be hollow, it was never real.

The army he needs to fight the horror doesn’t exist. HE DOESN’T HAVE TOOLS TO FIGHT, HE NEEDS TO GET THEM.

Act 3: 20 to 30 pages — With
Midpoint change, Profound moments that give us new ways.

New Plan: Ned realises he was fooling himself he was a leader, he was just a financial convenience for the people to use against the authorities. He had never earned these people’s true trust – he was a crazy, live for himself outlaw. There are people who would follow him, Mei, her family, Jindara. The people he’d taken for granted. The people outside his ‘cause’.

New Insights: Ned goes to Mei and her father’s workshop. Time to get the suits of armour ready…

The Comte and the Major are wreaking havoc. When armoured Kelly Gang shows up!

Turning Point 3: The Comte defeats the armored figure and plucks off the helmet – it’s not Ned – It’s Mei! The Comte is amused and plans to use her as a hostage to taunt Ned, but the major shoots her! She’s seriously wounded as a lesson for Ned. He arrives in time to see the attack and is broken. His gang want to fight back, but he’s distraught they barely get away as dawn breaks and the villains retire to the shadows.

The Major and the Comte are going to destroy all, in their own sweet time, the following night.

Act 4: 25 pages — Test the change
in this character! Prove New Ways!

New Plan: Ned goes to Mei’s father and Father Carrigan and pleads with them to fix the armour. Ned admits he was wrong, he needs to be part of a community not a figure outside it. A battle group is formed, with silver-plated, blessed armour! They start fighting their way through the monsters to the throne of blood where the Comte is in control, sending monsterised citizens into the night to spread more darkness.

Climax: The Major steals the goblet, and drinks from it and has the Comte’s power (the Comte becomes a smouldering ruin) and his hellish servants at his command. Ned and his crew battle them – two forces of outsiders vying for the town – and the world’s future. All seems lost though because the major has issued a magical spell and contaminated the entire town, they are all becoming monsters! The contagion will spread and strike down the world… until Mei appears – she’s hurt badly but still just has strength enough to join the crisis – and revives the deadly Comte, even as she collapses at death’s door. The Comte stands with Ned. They beat the Major. The Comte forms an occult link with Ned; they must perform a ritual. They both will die – but both be eternal. They do it and drink each others’ blood from the goblet. There’s a mystic explosion and all the monsters are killed and the townsfolk returned to normal. The Major becomes an insane wreck, locked in the local asylum.

Resolution: The Comte, an old man again, bids farewell. He tells Ned is told one day he’ll be caught, he’ll be defeated, he’ll be tried, he’ll be executed. Ned says yes, but I’ll be a man. Such is life.

[K-onna Mason]

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”><font size=”3″>K-onna’s Transformational Events</font></font></font>

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”><font size=”3″>What I learned doing this assignment is I needed to add some more old ways and it was useful to think in terms of what dramatic event will spur a specific change in the character. It’s also interesting to see how each new assignment helps the story develop (though it’s hard not going back to rework stuff!)</font></font></font>

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”>Old: </font></font>

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”>no relationships; afraid of everything; always prepared to run; she feels powerless; she hates who she is; </font></font>

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”><font size=”3″>New: </font></font></font>

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”><font size=”3″>friends, boyfriend, family; no longer afraid; settles in</font></font></font>

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”><font size=”3″>6 – 8 dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character, in order</font></font></font>

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”><font size=”3″>not be so easily manipulated = betrayed by Vickie</font></font></font>

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”><font size=”3″>be proactive instead of reactive = agreeing to meet John</font></font></font>

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”><font size=”3″>stop avoiding life = accepts John’s invite to the big event</font></font></font>

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”><font size=”3″>trust her own judgement = “discussing weather” with John</font></font></font>

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”><font size=”3″>stop letting fear rule her = sees John with the murderer</font></font></font>

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”><font size=”3″>take control of her situation = John at motel</font></font></font>

<font color=”#000000″><font face=”Delius”><font size=”3″>stop hiding = She tells John who she is</font></font></font>

[Meg Stout]

Meg Stout’s Transformational Events for Sundered (Mormon bombings of 1985)

What I learned doing this assignment is some additional twists to put into my screenplay… 🙂

0) Steve Christensen starts as a mid-twenties new husband, wet behind the ears

1) Married and with a child on the way, Steve accepts an unofficial assignment to help the Church by acquiring emerging historical documents

2) Steve and his wife, Terri, become friends with a range of people associated with the New Mormon History movement

3) Though Steve is not directly involved, he sees his new friends come into conflict with the Church

4) Steve experiences Terri’s growing distress as the Church’s truth claims are challenged

5) Steve’s own finances are severely tapped, contributing to the failure of an investment business he is involved with

6) Steve is pushed to the brink by a pending document acquisition, which will require everything he has to pull off, the reported contents of which distresses Terri greatly

7) Steve threatens the person promising to sell (Hofmann) with exposure, as many damning documents have passed through Hofmann’s hands

8) Steve promises Terri that he will withdraw from involvement in the New Mormon History movement after this last deal is complete

0) Hofmann learns as a pre-teen he has a talent for conning gullible friends and even experts

1) Hofmann’s ability to con others leads him to consider religion to be a fraud

2) The conflict between the Mormon Church and the New Mormon History movement provides a ripe environment for selling historical documents related to the Mormon movement

3) Hofmann’s forgery of rare coins gives him confidence to forge historical documents

4) Hofmann’s “aw shucks” approach allows him to evade suspicion as early forgeries are discovered to be fraudulent

5) Hofmann begins to create documents that are considered genuine by experts, both experts in history and experts in historical documents

6) Hofmann creates forgeries that align with Hofmann’s view that the Mormon religion is fraudulent

7) Hofmann, pressured to produce a promised cache of damaging documents, decides he must kill to take the pressure and focus off himself

8) Hofmann begins by setting bombs for two rich men who have been acquiring Hofmann’s forgeries

9) Hofmann’s planned string of bombings is interrupted when one of his bombs goes off, nearly killing Hofmann