Cat Miggs
Forum Replies Created
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Cat Miggs Stacks Intrigue
What I learned doing this assignment is going through each act adding the intrigue layers to help strengthen the turning points.
Most of my turning points remained the same but I’ve added some points to make them stronger and more direct.
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Cat Miggs Open Loops and Mysteries
What I learned doing this assignment is it took me to now, to realize mystery is associated with the past and open loop is associated with the future. I realized how I have built in both, so now going through each act and improving both.
Overall:
Main Mystery: How is Susan the Key to saving the forest?
Sub-Mysteries:
Susan connection to Wilma the Tree
Susan connection to the Shadow
Susan connection to magic
What is Susan real past
Main Open Loop: With Susan new magical abilities will it be enough?
Sub-Open Loops:
Will she be able to control her magic?
Will she use it for good or evil?
Will Susan be responsible with her magic?
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Cat Miggs Layers and Reveals
What I learned doing this assignment is going to each act to add the layers and reveals will create and help build more interesting scenes.
I added to each act a layer and a reveal, most of them related to the magic to set up more of the world and strengthen my characters.
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What I learned doing this assignment is breaking down the essence and turning point highlights the excitement that the pilot will have.
Teaser
Essence: Forest Ranger Susan talks her way out of commitment on the phone while cleaning the park, unaware of the magic dust around her.
Turning Point: The magic dust lands on a flower and the flower dies.
Act 1
Essence: Susan the aunt who is a kid herself uses her Princess Pan techniques to get out of doing a hard task at work.
Turning Point: Some co-workers love her and others don’t. It’s a love/hate relationship.
Act 2
Essence: Susan’s boss agrees to let her go do one of the easiest tasks, pick up trash at the circle of trees.
Turning Point/Midpoint: Circle of Trees vibration is off as if there is a glimpse/glitch of another world with magic doing harm.
Act 3
Essence: Illegal hunters on the ground, one hunter see’s Susan as a deer as if magic was cast on their eyes and shoots but realizes soon it was a human not a deer, runs away.
Turning Point: Susan wakes up to see a bullet sits next to her and trees start talking.
Act 4
Essence: A Shadow is lurking watching Susan off in the distance.
Turning Point: Death seems to be following Susan.
Act 5
Essence: A new forest ranger has just joined the station, after meeting Susan goes off to check out the surroundings, when they suddenly drop dead.
Turning Point: The Shadow drags the forest ranger deep into the forest.
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Cat Miggs Amazing Inciting Incident
What I learned doing this assignment is this one stumped me so I ended up just jotting down but I know I have to come back to really hone in more.
Intriguing Concept: Susan is introduced to another world with talking trees and a magical disease is spreading that is killing everything.
Act 1: Susan is presented as the Princess Pan, she smooches her way out of hard task so she can do the simple easy tasks to keep our parks beautiful
Midpoint: Susan gets shot and wakes up to a bullet sitting next to her and the trees start talking to her
Lock In: Susan owes the trees a favor and now has to help them fight a magical disease that is killing everything in it’s path
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Cat Miggs Big Picture Components
What I learned doing this assignment is outlining helps organize my thoughts and just jotting down something will help me later expand. Especially since I just changed some facts about my main character that I feel will fit better.
Series Info:
World: Bufford National Park
Main Mystery:How and Why the forest is dying from a magical disease that could spread to the human world.
Impossible Goal: Finding a cure to save the forest.
Main Conflict: a human has magic and not everyone is happy about it.
Second Mystery: How is Susan the key?
Season 1 Arc: Susan meets the Shadow who asks her to think about why her magic is both good and bad.
Season 1 Protagonist Internal Journey: Everything Susan thought about herself goes deeper.
Pilot Info:
Pilot Conflict: Wilma the Tree is not happy a human has magical abilities now and more of nature agrees with her.
Characters Introduced: Susan, Wilma the Tree, Mystery Forest Ranger
Inciting Incident of Season 1: Susan gets shot, falls and bleeds out, to the next moment she wakes up, sits up and see the bullet is sitting next to her. A figure steps out of the tree and becomes a shape of the man of her dreams dressed in a forest ranger outfit and the trees start talking to her! What! Susan is introduced to another world.
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Cat Miggs Edited TV Pitch Bible
What I learned doing this assignment is reducing the fluff and adding more white space really helped everything read easier and stand out.
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Cat Miggs Episode Titles
What I learned doing this assignment is coming up with fun titles that really express my show.
1. Green to a New World
2. Shades of Magic
3. Things are about to get Sappy
4. It Leafs an Impression
5. No Way that’s just Nuts
6. Magic Gets Sticky
7. Timber!
8. Move the Needle
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Cat Miggs Presents Non-Stop Intrigue
What I learned doing this assignment is going back and getting more focused.
Pitch Deck- I went over each section and turned bullet points into paragraphs using the setups and payoffs to form them.
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Cat Miggs Intrigue Patterns
What I learned doing this assignment is by just working on one sentence how many ways to expand and make it more intriguing.
Line to fix: A meek Forest Ranger, Susan, has lost custody battle to her ex-husband and has given up on life.
Establish something shocking and point to the terrible things that it could mean.
Susan never wanted to be a mother or wife, she just did it because society said so, however when she loses both her husband and children, she is deeply depressed and lost on her identity and who she should be.
Strong statement; question about something underhanded beneath the surface
Susan, a rule follower, a Girl Scout at heart never thought she could say “no” to what society sets up for her.
Question that points to hidden agendas,hidden identity, conspiracy,ect.
The fact that Susan didn’t fight for her children, does that make her a bad mother, person, human being?
CHaracter 1 is convinced/worried/wondering that Character 2 had done
Since Susan was accepting of losing her children, now that she has to save the forest, Wilma the Tree is not completely sure Susan is up for the job and wonders if Susan will treat the Forest like how she treats her kids and just give up.
But maybe it is all wrong
Susan tried to follow society rules but maybe it is all wrong, it’s time for her to break them.
A pattern that leads to future consequences
Susan is always a rule follower while silently building up her depression and inside anger, when will she snap?
If he does __that means _intrigue_
If she does snap that means society needs to watch out
State the mystery
Is Susan buried emotions the key to saving the forest?
Should be /could be ____ but it is even worse
It should be that being a mother is the best gift in the world but for Susan motherhood leads down a very dark path to salvation.
Intense language
Susan who was not fit for motherhood turns out to be the key to save the forest.
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Cat Miggs TV Pitch Bible Investigation
What I learned doing this assignment is by just starting with one concept it can expand into deeper levels. I will definitely be using these tools to expand more concepts with my show.
Tool 1- Dig- What’s beneath that?
Susan is the key to saving the forest.
Level 1- her ancestry line shows that her soul is from a magical long line of people who worship trees. And when the people die, their souls enter a tree seed and grow to be a tree.
Level 2-Susan comes from the first tree soul making it the Ancient tree. Followed by Wilma the tree and the Other tree who were both high counsel to the Ancient tree.
Level 3-However, the Other tree disagreed with the Ancient tree and got a bunch of trees to fight and kill the Ancient tree. The soul from the Ancient tree after the tree died, turned into a Shadow and became dormant, until Susan’s had access to magic that the shadow was awakened.
Level 4-When the Shadow is awakened it filled with anger, negative and hate energy due to being killed with those energies. The Shadow only remembers revenge.
Tool 2 – Extrapolate: If/Then
If Susan comes from the first tree soul, then the Shadow is her direct ancestor.
If the Shadow is awakened with negative energy, then where is the positive energy?
Tool 3- Wonder: What if
What if the forest is Heaven and Hell?
What if the forest is Heaven in Hell or Hell in Heaven?
What if Susan magic opens a portal?
Tool 4- Backtrack- How could (blank) have happened?
How could Susan being shot in the circle of trees awoke her magic happen?
Tool 5- Forecast: How could this get even worse?
If the Shadow only remembers revenge and is connected to Susan, will Susan be the ultimate weapon of destruction.
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In my pitch bible I’m looking at using tool 3 to go back to fix concept and world. Tool 1, 2, 4 and 5 incorporate into episode and five season descriptions.
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Cat Miggs Show Summary
What I learned doing this assignment is by breaking it down into sections helped me to form my ideas in a concise manner and then I was able to put them together to make it exciting and flow!
(Set up) A meek Forest Ranger (Expertise), Susan, has lost custody battle to her ex-husband and has given up on life (Empathy/Distress). When Susan gets shot, she wakes up to see the bullet is sitting next to her. The trees brought her back to life (Intrigue). (Twist/hook)Why? She is bound to help the forest fight against a magical disease that is killing them.
(Real situation) She is now introduced to a whole new magical world of talking trees (Intriguing World). Wilma the Tree, the leader of the forest, is not happy that Susan, a human, has power but knows she needs her (External Character Conflict). Wilma assigns Mystery Forest Ranger, a spirit, who will help guide Susan to help the fight but, when the two are put together it becomes a comedy of errors (External Character Conflict). As Susan learns to do magic and tries to use it for good, the Shadow uses Susan magic to do bad at the same time (Layer uncovered).
(twist/hook) Why? They are connected.
(Impossible to solve conflict or major mystery) As Susan is trying to understand her magic, past and how she is connected to the forest, Wilma reveals the secret about how Susan’s soul comes from the missing original tree that created Bufford Forest.
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Cat Miggs Episode Description
What I learned doing this assignment is keep an open mind and just put an idea down and not fix it or try to make it perfect.
Episode 1- Susan gains magic!
Hook/Intrigue: Shocking Event: Susan gets shot, falls and bleeds out, to the next moment she wakes up, sits up and see the bullet is sitting next to her. A figure steps out of the tree and becomes a shape of the man of her dreams dressed in a forest ranger outfit.
Main Character journey: Susan learns she now owes the trees a favor and discovers she has magic.
Major Challenge/Conflict: Wilma is not happy that a human has gotten power
Action/Reaction: Susan being introduced to this whole other world that she did not know existed.
Cliffhanger:A Shadow is lurking around and more harm is happening then good, who/what is the Shadow.
Episode 2- After a of a ranger goes missing (he’s dead), Susan gets to step away from working the front desk to join the A-team
Hook/Intrigue: A ranger is dead, the Shadow stands over it and drags it deep into the forest
Main Character journey: Susan gets promoted for the day when a ranger doesn’t show up for work and there is a little girl who is missing, Susan moves from front desk to joining the A-team
Major Challenge/Conflict: Susan is not welcomed by the A-team
Action/Reaction: A little girl is missing as Susan is out searching for her, Susan uses her magic but bad magic is released too.
Cliffhanger: after the little girl is found, the little girl gives Susan a message and then forgets instantly that she gave Susan a message, the message is a warning.
Episode 3- Susan and Mystery Forest Ranger can’t get on the same page and things become worse.
Hook/Intrigue: Mystery Forest Ranger can’t break his habit of trying to find Susan’s soulmate, he attaches himself to a High level Criminal that Susan is suppose to catch but makes Susan fall in love with
Main Character journey: Susan is trying to do her job and Mystery Forest Ranger is suppose to be helping her find a way to save the forest but she gets distracted falling in love with a criminal
Major Challenge/Conflict: miscommunication that leads to worse problems
Action/Reaction: comedy of errors between Susan and Mystery Forest Ranger
Cliffhanger: Criminal escapes with Susan help,the bad magic gets stronger
Episode 4- The shadow says hello to Susan.
Hook/Intrigue: The Shadow sees Susan help the Criminal escape, kills him to retrieve their memories and learns about Susan
Main Character journey: Susan has a pull feeling to the Shadow
Major Challenge/Conflict: Susan is getting more confused with her magic
Action/Reaction: the Shadow follow Susan until they meet face to face
Cliffhanger: the shadow asks Susan to think about why her magic comes out for both good and bad.
Episode 5- Susan is just trying to do her job but can’t win
Hook/Intrigue: A grizzle bear has been taken over by bad magic
Main Character journey: Susan using her magic but its not working for her the way she wants it to work
Major Challenge/Conflict:The A-team is catching on that Susan has something that a human should not have.
Action/Reaction:The more frustrated Susan gets the worse things get
Cliffhanger: Chuck, part of the A-team witnesses Susan using magic and the Shadow takes over his body
Episode 6- Magic is now entering into the human world
Hook/Intrigue: Kids are playing innocently, bad magic enters and the kids are doing magic spells creating harm to the forest, Chuck who is taken over by the Shadow outs Susan in front of everyone
Main Character journey:Susan is finding it hard and hard to explain herself
Major Challenge/Conflict: Magic is becoming more visible in the forest
Action/Reaction: More trees are dying as magic is entering the human world
Cliffhanger: Pine, part of the circle of trees dies
Episode 7- Death is entering the Circle of Trees
Hook/Intrigue: a flashback to Susan ancestry line
Main Character journey: Susan starts having flashbacks to another life
Major Challenge/Conflict: The circle of trees are suppose to be the life source for all trees but when Pine tree dies its like we are entering into a new era
Action/Reaction: the humans are noticing the forest is dying and people are getting sick that they think maybe a disease is spreading of some sort
Cliffhanger: A flashback that shows how history is repeating itself.
Episode 8- Wilma Reveals a secret of Susan’s past.
Hook/Intrigue: A glimpse of how Susan and the Shadow are connected in a dream Susan has and wakes up to find the dead ranger from early on in the season laying at Susan feet
Main Character journey: Susan is starting to connect to a part of herself she did not know existed
Major Challenge/Conflict: Wilma doesn’t want to admit it but if it’s true Susan needs to learn of her past
Action/Reaction: Wilma has to accept that Susan could be the key.
Cliffhanger: Wilma reveals a secret of Susan past.
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Cat Miggs Episode List Rough Draft
What I learned doing this assignment is every step by placing my brainstorm ideas that I know I will come back and fix later is helping me get clear on where I want to go.
Beginning– As Susan is saved from the trees we are introduced to a magical world of the forest that is in trouble and dying.
Ending– Wilma reveals a secret of Susan’s past.
Mystery 1 Set Up- Susan, a human, gains magic to communicate with the trees and see the magical world they live in, after the Trees bring her back to life. How did she get this power?
Mystery 1 Solved – Wilma reveals one secret that could possibly explain that Susan is way more connected to the forest then she and the forest thought she was.
Mystery 2 – Why is Susan the key?
Mystery 3 – When Susan does magic, good and bad happen at the same time.
Susan begins as a divorcee who lost child custody, is given a second chance at life but now indebted to the forest to help them
Susan’s end for this season as she is learning how to control her magic, what is her real connection to the forest?
Layer 1- Mystery- why is Susan the key? Why is she the lucky human to get magical abilities?
Layer 2- Hidden History- how Susan, Wilma and Shadow are connected through the ancestral line.
Layer 3- Hidden Agenda- the real reason Mystery Forest Ranger is assigned to help Susan more than to just find her soulmate.
Layer 4-Major Reveal- how Bufford Park became to be
Main Story Line- The forest is dying and in trouble that will affect human life as well if not saved.
Story line 2- Susan and Mystery Forest Ranger relationship
Story line 3- WIlma, the Shadow and Susan are connected
Episode 1- Susan gains magic!
Shocking Event: Susan gets shot, falls and bleeds out, to the next moment she wakes up, sits up and see the bullet is sitting next to her. A figure steps out of the tree and becomes a shape of the man of her dreams dressed in a forest ranger outfit.
She learns she now owes the trees a favor
She discovers that she has magic. Wilma is not happy that a human has gotten power
A Shadow is lurking around and more harm is happening then good
Episode 2- After a death of a ranger, Susan gets to step away from working the front desk to join the A-team
Susan is not welcomed by the A-team
A little girl is missing.
Susan uses her magic but bad magic is released too.
Episode 3- Susan and Mystery Forest Ranger can’t get on the same page and things become worse.
Mystery Forest Ranger can’t break his habit of trying to find Susan’s soulmate
Comedy of Errors
Lots of miscommunication that leads to worse problems.
Episode 4- The shadow says hello to Susan.
-Susan has a pull feeling to the Shadow
– the shadow asks Susan to think about why her magic comes out for both good and bad.
-Susan is now more confused with her magic.
Episode 5- Susan is just trying to do her job but can’t win
The more frustrated Susan gets the worse things get
The A-team is catching on that Susan has something that a human should not have.
Episode 6- Magic is now entering into the human world
Susan is finding it hard and hard to explain herself
Magic is becoming more visible in the forest
More trees are dying.
Episode 7- Death is entering the Circle of Trees
The circle of trees are suppose to be the life source for all trees
When Pine tree dies its like we are entering into a new era
Episode 8- Wilma Reveals a secret of Susan’s past.
Wilma doesn’t want to admit it but if it’s true Susan needs to learn of her past
WIlma has to accept that Susan could be the key
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Lesson 3
Cat Miggs Five Seasons
What I learned doing this assignment is just filling in the blank is helping me to brainstorm and expand what could be important.
Season 1: Susan is the key
Season 2: Susan and Wilma connection
Season 3: Susan and Shadow connection
Season 4: Human Kind and Forest are connected
Season 5: Susan becomes a Tree
Season 1: The Key
High Concent or Major Hook: Susan gets magic and how to adjust to this new world
Big Picture Arc/Journey: why is the forest in trouble
Main Conflict: Susan and Mystery Forest Ranger need to find a way to work together and not apart
Mystery/ Open Loops: Why is Susan the key
Cliffhanger: Wilma reveals a secret of Susan’s past.
Season 2: Wilma the Tree
High Concent or Major Hook: Wilma has secrets that slowly are revealed throughout that connects to Susan
Big Picture Arc/Journey: How Susan and Wilma the Tree are connected
Main Conflict: Wilma not a fan of Susan having magic
Mystery/ Open Loops: Secrets reveal about Susan past
Cliffhanger: A secret is revealed about Susan is connected to the Shadow
Season 3: Good or Evil
High Concent or Major Hook: Shadow appears when least expected
Big Picture Arc/Journey: How Susan and Shadow are connected
Main Conflict: Susan learning the evilness growing and likes it
Mystery/ Open Loops: Will she destroy the forest or save it?
Cliffhanger: History is repeating itself, Susan has to make a decision.
Season 4: Ancestors
High Concent or Major Hook: What will Susan decide to change history or repeat it?
Big Picture Arc/Journey: Learning how history is repeating itself
Main Conflict: How Susan relates to both Good and Evil
Mystery/ Open Loops: Battle of Good and Evil
Cliffhanger: How Human Kind is connected to the Forest
Season 5: The Tree of Life
High Concent or Major Hook: The Forest is made up of souls.
Big Picture Arc/Journey: How Susan saves the forest for good
Main Conflict: The souls of trees and the decisions they make bring destruction or not
Mystery/ Open Loops: Battle of Good and Evil
Cliffhanger: By Susan saving the forest she must become a tree
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Cat Miggs Character Descriptions
What I learned doing this assignment is by breaking it down, brings out the highlights of the interesting parts I want to share.
Susan–
Role: a meek Forest Ranger gets a second chance at life and now owes the Trees a favor.
Noteworthy traits: magical abilities, helpful and a mess up
Intriguing history: after losing child custody turns out to be the best thing that has happened to her.
Intrigue: discovering she can communicate with the trees and opens a whole new world
Mystery: How is Susan the key to saving the forest?
Drive Conflict: when she uses magic for good, something bad happens too
Irony: She was a bad mother and wife but she’s a hero in the forest.
Intriguing relationships: Mystery Forest Ranger, Wilma the Tree and the Shadow
START: a meek Forest Ranger gets a second chance at life and now owes the Trees a favor.
MIDDLE: She gains magical abilities to communicate with the trees that opens a whole new world. When she performs magic for good, something bad happens too.
ENDING: She’s labeled as a bad mom and wife but in the forest she is the key to saving it all.
Mystery Forest Ranger–
Role: a tree spirit who normally helps humans see their soulmates but when assigned to help Susan save the forest he can’t kick the habit trying to find her soulmate.
Noteworthy Traits: a sucker for love, easily distracted, has a hard time breaking habits
Intriguing history: the forest gave his kind shelter after theirs was destroyed
Intrigue: can he stay on mission.
Mystery: Who is Susan’s soulmate?
Drive Conflict: staying on task, comedy of errors when talking with Susan
Irony: Assigned to be Susan guide but just gets her more deep in the issue at hand
Intriguing relationships: Susan, Wilma the Tree and the Circle of Trees
START: a tree spirit who normally helps humans see their soulmates but when assigned to help Susan save the forest he can’t kick the habit trying to find her soulmate.
MIDDLE: It’s a comedy of errors when it comes to Susan and his relationship all while trying to stay on task.
ENDING: Besides helping Susan save the forest the real question on Mystery Forest Ranger mind is Who is Susan’s soulmate?Wilma The Tree–
Role: a rainbow eucalyptus tree, the only one in the forest and leader of the Circle of the Trees
Noteworthy Traits: Stubborn, Bossy, Controlling
Intriguing history: was once a human many, many years ago
Intrigue: The secrets Wilma has about Susan’s past.
Mystery: How Susan and the Shadow are connected to Wilma?
Drive Conflict: doesn’t like the idea that Susan, a human, has magic but knows she needs Susan’s help and is the key to saving the forest.
Irony: Hate’s humans but need them at the same time.
Intriguing relationships: Susan, Mystery Forest Ranger, the Shadow
START: a rainbow eucalyptus tree, the only one in the forest and leader of the Circle of the Trees. Doesn’t like the idea Susan, a human, has magic but knows she needs Susan’s help and is the key to saving the forest.
MIDDLE: Slowly reveals secrets of Susan’s past that Susan didn’t even know.
ENDING: How Susan, the Shadow and Wilma are all connected. -
Cat Miggs Intriguing Concept and World
What I learned doing this assignment is the more I brainstorm and just put down ideas on paper my show grows and grows.
Presenting my Concept:
Susan, a recent divorcee who also lost child custody is a meek Forest Ranger who is done with life.
However when she is given a second chance at life she owes the trees a favor and is magically bonded to help the forest fight against a magical disease.
She discovers that before when she was following social rules it never worked out for her, now it’s time to make her own rules.
She adventures into the magical side of our national parks.
2. The World of this show:
Unique sub-world– the Magical world of our National Park/Forest
Previously unexplored– the inside thoughts of what nature thinks of humans
The unknown– why is the forest being attacked
The unseen– a presence that the forest feels but can’t see
Unheard of dangers– from wild animals, to crime, to climate change
Reasons to explore it– how to save a forest from the unknown.
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Cat has completed the BW Framework!
What I learned doing this assignment was how putting all the lessons together and seeing how my ideas evolved for my show making it stronger. I do feel I can still make some points stronger but at least it is a start!
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What I learned doing this assignment is how irony helps our writing become more playful.
Assignment 1 – Walking Dead
Irony in the episode:
Merle comes to Daryl in hallucinations teasing him but turns out it’s what saves Daryl’s life.
When everyone is about to stop the search for the little girl, Daryl finds her doll.
Irony throughout the episodes:
Lori goes back to Rick as a good wife to find out she is pregnant.
Before Hershel was saying no walkers came to the farm, it’s been untouched, →to Glenn finding the barn is holding a herd of walkers.
Leaving the campsite to go to the CDC to be a new shelter for everyone →to discover the CDC is shutting down and ready to kill everyone that stays in it.
When Rick, T-Dog, and Daryl get ready to fight the Guillermo’s gang, who appear to be bad people, → to find out as an elderly lady interrupts them all to discover everyone is on the same side and wants to protect humanity and the Guillermo’s gang are mostly caretakers.
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Assignment 2- Tree Whisperer
Irony
Top three so far:
Susan loses child custody and turns out to be the best thing and the path to find happiness in her heart.
The Trees want to help humans but always seem to make more of a mess of things.
Mystery Forest Ranger has the gift to help two people recognize they are each other’s soulmates, but when he is assigned to help Susan save the forest he can’t kick the habit to try and find Susan’s soulmate, only to discover her soulmate is herself.
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What I learned doing this assignment is by adding layers, it’s the start to tying everything together.
Assignment 1: Walking Dead
Plot Surface: A world now filled with zombie.
Layer 1- Survival of the fittest- how far will one go to survive? The decisions to leave someone behind
Layer 2- Mystery- is Fort Bennington the safest place for survivors to go? Will it still be there?
Layer 3- Conspiracy- is there a cure or not?
Rick: Character surface- A born leader
Layer 1- Secret identity- Cowboy vibes
Layer 2- Competition- with Shane on who will be the true leader of group and Lori’s heart
Layer 3- Hidden History- being a Father, seems like he wasn’t really always there for Carl.
Layer 4- Intrigue- Hope to keep going especially as everyone around are starting to give up
Shane Character Surface- a stand up guy and team leader
Layer 1- Hidden Relationship – love for Lori
Layer 2- Hidden Agenda- to leave the group when he no longer is needed
Layer 3- Betrayal- kills Otis to survive
Layer 4- Competition- with Rick on who will be the true leader of group and Lori’s heart
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Assignment 2: Tree Whisperer
(Still exploring but here is one possibility)
Plot Surface- Susan gets a second chance at life she now owes the forest and there is evil coming that she must save it.
Layer 1- Mystery- why is Susan the key? Why is she the lucky human to get magical abilities?
Layer 2- Hidden History- how Susan, Wilma and Shadow are connected through the ancestral line.
Layer 3- Hidden Agenda- the real reason Mystery Forest Ranger is assigned to help Susan more than to just find her soulmate.
Layer 4- Major Reveal- how Bufford Park became to be.
Susan Character Surface- a meek, quirky, recently divorced Forest Ranger who gets a second chance at life.
Layer 1- Wound- feels guilty for failing as wife and mother and shameful for loving her freedom from her society roles.
Layer 2- Hidden Agenda- trying to live two lives by keep separate her co-workers from her forest friends.
Layer 3- Competition- within herself, to love the good just as much as the bad.
Layer 4- Secret Identity- becoming a powerful being
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What I learned doing this assignment is now the mystery of why I get attached to series is being revealed, creating open loops gives me more to play with and sets up my characters and show to explore.
Assignment 1: Walking Dead
Big Picture Open Loops:
Can they survive this zombie apocalypse?
Is there a cure out there?
Are there more survivors?
How far will one go to survive?
Small Picture Open Loops:
Will Rick find out about Shane and Lori relationship?
Will there be more survivors at Fort Bennings?
What happened to the father and son Rick met in the pilot?
Where will a walker appear out from?
Assignment 2: Tree Whisperer
Goals-
Power
Magic
Freedom
Consequences-
Magic used but there is always a opposite reaction to keep it all balance, so if one uses it for good something bad happens too
Solving Problems-
Susan trying to understand why she is the key
Relationships-
Lots of characters wanting control, who will be on top
Danger/Survival/Risks-
Many dangerous events happen in national parks from wild animals, crime, criminals, weather, terrain.
Top 8 Big Picture Open Loops that could be in my pilot:
How is Susan the key to saving the forest?
Who is the shadow and why did it appear now?
Who will Mystery Forest Ranger attach himself too?
How is the forest going to be saved?
Why did Susan get this magic power to be able to communicate to the trees?
Will Susan use her magic to make things better or does it make things worse?
How is Susan connected to Wilma the Tree and the Shadow?
How did this forest get magic?
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What I learned doing this assignment is the over time mystery is the key to keep watching and the shocking event mystery is what gets us glued that I’m rethinking on how I want to open my show.
Assignment 1- Walking Dead
Mystery 1: Walkers
Shocking Event: The opening of Rick having to kill a zombie little girl.
Secret: How did the world become filled with walkers?
Investigation: How many walkers are out there?
What are walkers- people that have been infected and the only way to kill them is in the head.
When did it start– While Rick was in a coma.
Where are survivors–one base camp where Rick’s family is a group of survivors.
Missing:
Why did it happen?
Who is responsible?
Mystery 2: Survivors and a Cure
Cover Up: The CDC is working on a cure and there are survivor groups in Fort Benning that might know more.
Secret: Finding a cure can stop the infection turning people into walkers, if there is one out there somewhere
Reveals: Scene with a doctor/researcher trying a cure method but fails, another scene on the road a car radio makes announcement of where survivors are, the veterinarian talking about how we need to believe there is a cure
What events introduce us to new survivors- Rick going back to his neighborhood, Rick going into city, Carl gets shot in the woods
Where are survivors – at Fort Benning
Why to fight and live another day- Hope
Missing
Who is working on a cure if one is possible?
How many survivors are out there?
When will a cure be discovered?
Assignment 2- The Tree Whisperer
I’m playing around with different ideas, not sure if this one will stick but anyways…
Mystery 1- Magical Forest
Shocking Event- Susan gets shot, falls and bleeds out, to the next moment she wakes up, sits up and see the bullet is sitting next to her. A figure steps out of the tree and becomes a shape of the man of her dreams dressed in a forest ranger outfit.
Secret- Why/How Susan receives the gift of magic to talk to trees?
Investigation- The audience goes on a journey on why this magical forest is under attack.
What is attacking this forest- The Shadow
Who is the leader of this magical forest- Wilma the tree
Where Susan get her gift- Circle of Trees
Why Susan is chosen – she is the key.
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How this magical forest got its magic.
When did this magical forest get its magic?
Mystery 2- Susan the Key
Cover up- Susan always felt a connection to circle of trees but thought it was just because she grew up here and how her, her grandma and mother and past relatives always visit Wilma the tree saying it’s tradition.
Secret- Susan true connection to Wilma and the Shadow
Reveals- Wilma’s, Shadow’s and Susan’s past and how similar they are.
Who is Susan.
What is the key- Susan
Where it happens- Bufford Forest
When does it happen- present time
Part Withheld
Why Susan is the key.
How will Susan save the forest
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What I learned doing this assignment is building worry, which I used to think was a bad thing but now see how great it is to worry for the character, and by doing so it makes the audience care more about my characters.
Assignment 1: Walking Dead
Undeserved misfortune- cared ones die, get lost or turned into walkers on Rick’s watch
External Character conflicts- Rick and Shane’s love for Lori
Plot intruding on life- Keeping everyone safe and alive when they constantly are facing walkers every turn they take
Moral dilemmas- Lori choosing Rick over Shane
Forced decisions they’d never make- Rick making the executive decision to get everyone to go on the road to find other survivors and/or the cure
Assignment 2: Tree Whisperer
Undeserved misfortune- Susan losing custody of her children to her ex husband and how to move on from that
External Character conflicts- Mystery Forest Ranger is assigned to be Susan’s spirit guide but they can never agree on many things, his thinking and her thinking don’t match up, they see the situation from two different points of view.
Plot intruding on life- Susan constantly facing dangers of the forest, examples: bears, fire, escaped dangerous convicts, evil shadow
Moral dilemmas- Susan to do or not to do a favor for the evil shadow in order to save the forest
Forced decisions they’d never make- Susan taking illegal actions in order to save the forest
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What I learned doing this assignment is how the relationship brings out each character’s coloring and how they need each other to really paint them.
Assignment 1- Walking Dead
Rick/Shane:
Surface- co-workers, best friends
Common Ground- cops, leaders
Conflict- who’s in charge
History- many hours on the job together
Subtext- fighting for love for the same girl (Lori)
Arc- best friends to growing apart
Rick/Lori
Surface- wife
Common Ground- child, marriage
Conflict- how to love each other in this new world
History- marriage and becoming parents
Subtext- rebuilding marriage
Arc- Lost to Finding to Rebuilding
Rick/Glen
Surface- Glen is the crazy guy to save/help Rick from walkers
Common Ground- smart, resourceful, work well to accomplish tasks
Conflict- Glen is not as strong as Rick
History- Walkers
Subtext- Reliable
Arc- Glen was savior/hero to Rick to now Glen is only interacted with when needed
Assignment 2
Tree Whisperer
Susan/ Mystery Forest Ranger
Surface- Spirit Guide/Mentee
Common Ground- Both navigating the world, magic
Conflict- agreeing on the same thing
History- MFR saved Susan from an overdose
Subtext- Honest with each other
Arc- MFR starts as Susan spirit guide and then roles switch
Susan/Wilma
Surface- situational relationship to save the forest
Common Ground- saving the forest
Conflict- Wilma can be bossy and demanding, Susan easily irritated
History- First tree to talk back to Susan
Subtext- the key to each other
Arc- Susan owes Wilma a favor to Susan taking charge
Susan/Ramona
Surface- co-workers
Common Ground- front desk, both not part of the A-team
Conflict-Ramona laziness, Susan too organized
History- started job on the same day
Subtext- no sugar coding give it straight
Arc- co-workers to cheerleaders to each other
Wilma/Susan
Surface- Situational
Common Ground- save the forest
Conflict- needs Susan help
History- first human to give magic too
Subtext- the key to each other
Arc- Control to uncontrolled
Wilma/Mystery Forest Ranger
Surface- Boss/Employee
Common Ground- saving forest
Conflict- MFR is unreliable at times for Wilma’s liking
History- Saved his kind from extinction
Subtext- MFR does bidding for Wilma
Arc- MFR is good employee to becomes radical that Wilma can’t control him anymore
Wilma/Oak
Surface- Oak is Wilma’s side advisor
Common Ground- both trees and wise
Conflict- Oak’s wisdom knowledge is too slow for Wilma’s liking
History- Oak became the 2nd tree to grow and grew next to Wilma
Subtext- Reliable
Arc- Oak is Wilma’s trusted advisor to Wilma’s inpatients with Oak
Mystery Forest Ranger/Susan
Surface- Spirit guide /mentee
Common Ground- magic and navigating the world
Conflict- understanding /misunderstanding
History- assigned to Susan and saves her
Subtext- Honesty
Arc- Assigned to Susan to learning from Susan
Mystery Forest Ranger/ Wilma
Surface- Boss/Employee
Common Ground- save the forest
Conflict- to agree or not to agree
History- Wilma saved his kind in the past
Subtext- Wilma expects respect from MRF
Arc- Wilma a great boss/agreeable to saying no to Wilma and finding ones own path
Mystery Forest Ranger/ Juniper
Surface- Friend/Home
Common Ground- home
Conflict- space issue either in too much or not enough at one point or another
History- Juniper opened home for MFR to live in
Subtext- Grateful for each other
Arc- Great home/friendship to wanting so much more to expand
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What I learned doing this assignment
Assignment 1: Walking Dead
Rick:
Hope- finding a cure
Fear- terrified he or his family turning into walkers
Want- happy and safety for his family
Need- food, water and shelter
Public Mask- Strong Leader
Base Negative Emotion- Terrified
Weakness- Humanity
Triggers- Walkers
Coping Mechanism- Fight for survival
Shane:
Hope- survive
Fear- losing more of his people
Want- love
Need- food, water, shelter
Public Mask- stand up guy/ team leader
Base Negative Emotion- hatred
Weakness- needs to be in control
Triggers- stress when things don’t go his way
Coping Mechanism- shuts down and lashes out
Assignment 2: Tree Whisperer
Susan
Hope- Promotion
Fear- becoming forgotten
Want- power
Need- acceptance
Public Mask- helpful
Base Negative Emotion- guilt and shame
Weakness- tries to do everything by oneself/ doesn’t ask for help
Triggers- being cut off when speaking
Coping Mechanism- run and/or hides
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Intriguing Character Layers
What I learned doing this assignment is by adding these layers the characters are becoming a whole person and adds more flavor to the show overall.
Assignment 1-
Character Name: Shane
Role: leader of base camp survivors
Hidden agendas: wants Lori and to be a better father figure to Carl, wants to be the best leader
Competition: internal struggle of being a loyal friend
Conspiracies: Lori and him having a relationship
Secrets: in love with Lori
Deception: sends Rick off to city pretending that he didn’t want him to go
Wound: when Rick came to camp he became second fiddle
Secret Identity: top dog
Character Name: Rick
Role: cop / sheriff
Hidden agendas: getting bag of guns more so to get walkie-talkie back because he doesn’t want to be failure
Competition: within himself to fulfill promises he made
Conspiracies: teams of with Dixon to take down Guillermo and gang to get back Glen
Secrets: he has a God complex
Deception: plays the good guy to his advantage
Wound: realizes the Guillermo is a good guy and almost was ready to kill him
Secret Identity: becomes God when he puts his sheriff hat on<font color=”#888888″>
</font>Assignment 2-
Character Name: Susan
Role: Forest Ranger with gift to talk to trees
Hidden agendas: uses her gift to get promoted at work and accepted from team
Competition: within herself, to be happy at a second chance of life
Conspiracies: teams up with Mystery Forest Ranger to get promoted at work, prove she is good at her job and helps the Forest to payback favor she owes them so after she then can be really free
Secrets: she is not sure she wants this second change of life, that she can actually talk to trees and Mystery Forest Ranger, she is enjoying and glad to be rid of the mother and wife role/title
Deception: lies to go work on her own instead of teams, always leaving partner only to catch up with them in the end so that she can really use her new gifts and use Mystery Forest Ranger help.
Wound: guilt
Secret Identity: a powerful being
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What I learned from doing this assignment: From watching and asking these 6 questions helped me understand why I’m following these characters as for my own show it helped flesh out where I wanted to take my character.
Assignment 1:
The Engaging Character Model
Walking Dead:
A. Role in Show:
Rick: a cop coming out of a coma to navigate the zombie apocalypse
Shane: a second fiddle cop now leader of the base camp of human survivors
B. Unique Purpose/Expertise:
Rick: being a cop with expertise on how to use and where to get weapons so he can save as many humans as he possibly can
Shane: Protector/Leader to keep base camp safe and orderly
C. Intrigue:
Rick: he loves being a hero.
Shane: is in love and probably has always been in love with Rick’s wife, Lori
D. Moral Issues:
Rick: goes back for the walkie-talkie even though he is reconnected with his family
Shane: takes Carl to catch frogs when he knows Lori doesn’t want him near Carl or her.
E. Unpredictable:
Rick: heads back to the city that is filled with geeks.
Shane: beats up Ed more so to take out his own frustrations.
F. Empathetic:
Watching the reconnecting scene of Rick being reunited with his son and wife and then to look over and watch Shane’s reaction. You feel for both men.
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Assignment 2:
Tree Whisperer
A. Role in the show:
Susan: a recent divorcee who also lost child custody and is a below average, meek Forest Ranger, gets a second chance of life thanks to the trees, how will she live this time?
B: Unique Purpose/Expertise:
Susan: she gets the magical ability to talk to trees and is the key to saving them from a magical disease all while she is on a journey to self love.
C: Intrigue:
Susan: she never wanted to be a mom or a wife, she just did it because society said so.
E: Unpredictable:
Susan: As she adjust to her new magical ability to communicate with trees she becomes bolder and takes more risk then she ever did before.
F: Empathetic:
We all have been rock bottom it’s how to climb out.
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Cat Miggs Three Circles of Characters
What I learned doing this assignment is by organizing characters into groups off the main character, especially working on it on my story, gives me more clarity on the relationships.
Assignment 1: Walking Dead
1. Main Characters: Rick, Lori, Shane and Glen
2. Connected Circle: Dale, Andrea, Dixon, Moralas, Merle and T-Dog
3. Environment Circle: Walkers, Base Camp Survivors
Assignment 2: My Show: The Tree Whisperer
1. Main Characters: (I’m still working them all out, but this is what I got so far)
Susan, a forest ranger who can talk to trees and is on a journey to love ( there is more to her, I’m still brainstorming on her)
Wilma the Tree, a rainbow eucalyptus tree, the only one of it’s kind in the forest.
Mystery Forest Ranger, is a spirit who mission is to attach himself to Susan’s real soulmate.
2. Connected Circle: the Circle of Trees, Forest Ranger Team: Chris, Shauna, Chuck, Donna
3. Environment Circle: park tourist, the locals, the Tree that go off the Circle of Trees
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Walking Dead 5 Star Model
What I learned doing this assignment is I got clearer on why I enjoyed watching scene by scene.
1. Hook: Surviving a zombie apocalyptic
2. Intriguing Character: As we follow Rick, his reactions and emotion mirror how I’m feeling watching it.
3. Empathy/Distress: Every new place Rick goes into, will he meet a zombie or a human. Every time Rick kills we know its out of necessity but feels sympathetic for their death.
4. Layers/Open Loops: How to survive? Is there a zombie cure? Will Rick make it to the rufugee group and be reunited with his family? The son and dad that Rick meets will they survive and meet back up with Rick? Lori, Rick’s wife now with Rick’s best friend Shane, how/when and will they stay together?
5. Inviting Obsession: The cliff hanger at the end who is that voice talking to Rick? Curious to see what new situations arise when facing zombies and how to get out of it.
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I’m Cat Miggs. I’m currently working on 3 scripts. I’m hoping to improve all the scripts to be binge worthy. I am a SCAD (Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection) Survivor so I’m here to make the best of my second life! ❤😃
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1. Cat Miggs
2. ” I agree to the terms of this release form”