[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Scene Requirements!

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

WHAT I LEARNED: Just do it.

1. INT. HOSPITAL TREATMENT ROOM – NIGHT

A woman is being given shock treatments. She frees herself from restraints and kills the doctor. REVEAL: They are actors in a movie.

Scene Arc: Patient is being treated to patient murders doctor to this is a movie

Essence: A patient goes crazy and kills her doctor, then we learn it is a movie

Conflict: patient/doctor – the patient does not want the treatment

Subtext: what is going on with the treatment?

Hope/fear: we hope the patient will be okay to she murders the doctor

2. INT. CAR (MOVING) – NIGHT

Maeve argues on the phone, says she will be there in five minutes. Maeve sees a woman break down on the road. She stops

3. EXT. DESERTED ROAD – NIGHT

Maeve sees that the woman has a flat. She takes off her jacket.

Scene Arc: being scolded by Sybil and promising to be there soon, to stopping to help.

Essence: Trouble in Maeve and Sybil’s marriage

Conflict: Sybil disapproves of Maeve’s behavior

Subtext: Maeve is not telling her something.

Hope/fear: We hope Maeve arrives soon, we fear she won’t when the accident occurs.

4. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Sybil, the director, tells a reporter that she is creating a docudrama investigating the murder of a psychiatrist by her patient in 1954.

SCENES WITH OTHER CHARACTERS TO INTRODUCE THEM AND THEIR RELATIONSHIPS.

5. EXT. ROADSIDE – NIGHT

The woman tells Maeve not to go to the abandoned mental hospital, it’s haunted and there was a murder/suicide in 1980.

Scene Arc: From the woman thanking Maeve for her help to warning her of danger.

Essence: Warn Maeve of danger

Conflict: woman/Maeve, don’t go there

Subtext:

Hope/fear: feels good about helping the woman, feels fear about the warning

6. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

The reporter tells Sybil locals believe the hospital is haunted. Sybil laughs.

Scene Arc: from announcing her project to being warned of danger to laughter.

Essence: reporter warns Sybil of danger

Conflict: over the truth of the warning

Subtext: Sybil thinks she is above everything

Hope/fear: congratulations on project, warning, to laughing at warning.

7. EXT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Maeve exits her car smiling. She suddenly stumbles back and it seems disoriented.

Scene Arc: from calm to attacked

Essence: Maeve feels something is wrong

Conflict: Maeve with dark energy on set

Subtext: something is wrong at the site

Hope/fear: She seems happy to arrive and then is seemingly attacked.

8. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Sybil and Maeve argue. Maeve feels dark energy and faints.

Scene Arc: Arguing to fainting

Essence: Something is attacking Maeve

Conflict: Sybil and Maeve

Subtext: What is attacking Maeve?

Hope/fear:

9. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL/DIANE’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Maeve tells Diana and Zora she is a psychic and she senses a dark energy. They tell her to tell Sybil. She says she did, and Sybil ignored her.

Scene Arc: Looking for help to not getting help.

Essence: Maeve reveals what is going on inside her

Conflict: Tell Sybil there is a dark energy

Subtext: Trouble in Maeve and Sybil’s relationship

Hope/fear: She hopes they understand. They tell her to tell Sybil. Sybil rebuffed her.

10. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Strange things happen. Power out. No cell reception. No wifi. Animals act strange. Maeve is afraid.

Scene Arc: from normal to suddenly things are weird

Essence: Maeve is frightened by the weird things happening

Conflict: Humans and whatever force is present

Subtext: Something is going on here

Hope/fear:

11. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL/DIANE’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Maeve almost faints. Zora encourages Maeve to tell Sybil they should leave.

Scene Arc: Maeve feels weak. Zora tells her to be strong and talk to Sybil.

Essence: Zora pushes Maeve to confront Sybil

Conflict: Zora and Maeve

Subtext: Maeve is afraid of Sybil

Hope/fear:

12. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL/SYBIL’S OFFICE – NIGHT

Maeve tells Sybil there is a dark energy and they should all leave. Sybil scoffs.

Scene Arc: Maeve feels trepidation. Maeve feels humiliated

Essence: Sybil and Maeve have an unequal relationship

Conflict: Sybil and Maeve in a power struggle

Subtext: Sybil thinks she is superior to Maeve

Hope/fear: Hope Sybil listens, humiliation when Sybil scoffs

13. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL/MAIN SET – NIGHT

Sybil humiliates Maeve by mockingly telling everyone Maeve thinks she is a psychic.

Scene Arc: Maeve is distressed over arguing with Sybil then humiliated by Sybil

Essence: Sybil publicly humiliates Maeve as a power move

Conflict: Sybil and Maeve

Subtext: Sybil is pulling a power move on Maeve

Hope/fear:

14. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL/DIANA’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Diana comforts Maeve. Audrey, a psychiatrist, acts like she cares about Maeve, but she talks to her as if she is a mental patient.

Scene Arc: from comfort to being treating like an insane person.

Essence: Audrey joins Sybil in belittling Maeve

Conflict: Maeve and Audrey

Subtext: Audrey is also belittling Maeve.

Hope/fear: Maeve gets support after Sybil’s humiliation, then Audrey attacks.

15. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL/SYBIL’S OFFICE – NIGHT

Zora scolds Sybil for humiliating Maeve. Sybil says Maeve is jealous of her success.

Scene Arc: Sybil is scolded and responds by attacking

Essence: Sybil is confronted for her cruelty and blames is on Maeve.

Conflict: Zora and Sybil

Subtext: Sybil views Maeve as a problem

Hope/fear: Hope Zora will be able to reach Sybil, Sybil is a bitch

16. EXT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Maeve leaves Diana’s trailer and Libby and Regina call her over to their trailer.

17. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL/REGINA’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Libby supports Maeve. Regina asks about the dark energy. They hear screams.

Scene Arc: from support to screams

Essence: Libby and Regina are on Maeve’s side in her conflict with Sybil

Conflict:

Subtext: Regina is afraid

Hope/fear: safety in finding support then another scream

18. EXT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Zora laughs maniacally as she stabs her wife Diana. Maeve tries to stop her but fails. Zora collapses. Maeve rushes to Diana. She is dead. Maeve calls out for help.

Scene Arc: Zora stabbing Diana to Zora is unconscious and Diana is dead

Essence: Something horrible has happened

Conflict: Zora and Diana/Maeve

Subtext: No one helps Maeve

Hope/fear: When Zora faints, maybe Maeve can now help Diana, Diana is dead

19. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL/REGINA’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Libby hides. Regina watches from the window then tells Libby they must leave.

20. EXT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Zora wakes. She sees Diana dead and remembers she killed her. She screams in agony.

Scene Arc: waking to realizing she killed her wife

Essence: Zora did not realize she killed Diana

Conflict: Zora’s internal conflict

Subtext: Why did Zora kill Diana?

Hope/fear: waking up from a nightmare. The nightmare is still happening.

21. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL/SYBIL’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Sybil suggests Audrey help Zora since she is a doctor. Audrey refuses.

Scene Arc: Sybil asks Audrey for help; she refuses.

Essence: Audrey does not take her Hippocratic oath seriously

Conflict: Sybil and Audrey

Subtext: Audrey is not the nice person she wants you to think she is.

Hope/fear: help for Zora, no help for Zora

22. EXT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Zora is bereft. Maeve comforts her. Regina, Libby and Alison join them. Regina wants to leave.

Scene Arc: Zora’s grief to there is danger to us all.

Essence: There is a deep sense of danger now

Conflict:

Subtext: Something caused Zora to kill Diana

Hope/fear: Hoping to comfort Zora, to let’s get the #$%&out of here

23. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL/SYBIL’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Sybil sees Maeve addressing the group. She leaves the trailer. Audrey follows.

24. EXT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Maeve thinks Zora was possessed. They should leave. Sybil says she is full of shit. Not leaving.

Scene Arc: Danger. Could get worse. Let’s leave to WE are not leaving.

Essence: Sybil sees Maeve’s analysis as an attack on herself.

Conflict: Maeve and Sybil.

Subtext: Sybil is trying to keep control of the group.

Hope/fear: They will leave/ they will not leave.

25. INT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL/DIANA’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Sybil accuses Maeve of trying to sabotage her movie. Maeve begs her to leave. Audrey says no one is possessed. It’s a mental/emotional issue. Maeve leaves.

Scene Arc: from fighting off Sybil’s attacks, to Audrey attacking her as well

Essence: Maeve wants them to leave and Sybil and Audrey are united against that

Conflict: Sybil/Audrey and Maeve

Subtext: Sybil and Audrey are a united team

Hope/fear: Maeve begs her to leave, Audrey says she is crazy

26. EXT. ABANDONED MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Maeve, Regina and Libby get into Maeve’s car.

27. INT. CAR – NIGHT

The drawbridge is up. They are stuck on the island. Maeve is hysterical. She tells them she was possessed as a child.

Scene Arc: hope of escaping to they are stuck

Essence: the realize they are stuck on the island

Conflict: the women and the force on the island

Subtext: What the hell is going on? All scared.

Hope/fear: hope of escaping to they are stuck

28. EXT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Maeve, Regina and Libby exit the car. It’s quiet. Maeve goes to Zora’s trailer.

29. INT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL/ZORA’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Zora hangs. Maeve screams and cuts her down. Zora survives.

Scene Arc: Zora is hanged to Zora is alive

Essence: Zora is so distraught she tried to kill herself

Conflict: Zora’s internal conflict – Maeve not letting Zora die

Subtext: Something is still troubling Zora

Hope/fear: fear Zora is dead. Zora is alive.

30. EXT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Alison says in 1980 a lesbian killed her lover and herself. Maeve says whatever possessed Zora possessed that woman in 1980. She suggests a séance. Sybil and Audrey dismiss her.

Scene Arc: Learning that this happened before then cutting down idea to solve mystery.

Essence: Maeve takes a step to lead the group and Sybil and Audrey dismiss her.

Conflict: Maeve vs. Sybil/Audrey

Subtext: Sybil and Audrey are acting like a team.

Hope/fear: hope with idea of a seance, fear with them staying.

31. INT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL/ZORA’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Maeve and Alison guard Zora who is sleeping. They hear screams. Maeve runs out.

Scene Arc: Zora is calm to another scream

Essence: Just when they think they are safe, another scream!

Conflict: Women and the ghost

Subtext: Maeve is increasingly taking the lead.

Hope/fear: We are safe. We are not safe.

32. EXT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Regina is possessed and stabs Libby. Maeve intervenes but Regina stops her. Regina comes out of possession and is hysterical because she stabbed Libby. Maeve checks. Libby is dead.

Scene Arc: Regina gleefully stabs Libby to Regina is horrified that she murdered Libby

Essence: Another woman murders her wife and then is horrified

Conflict: Women and the ghost. Regina and Libby/Maeve

Subtext: Something is causing women to kill their wives

Hope/fear: Regina stabs Libby. Maeve tries to help. Regina stops her. Libby is dead.

33. INT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL/REGINA’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Maeve settles Regina down. Maeve wants to have a séance. Audrey says Maeve is delusional. Sybil agrees. Alison says Audrey and Sybil are having an affair. Audrey and Alison fight. Sybil leaves.

Scene Arc: from calming down Regina to learning her wife is having an affair

Essence: Reveal that Audrey and Sybil are having an affair.

Conflict: Maeve/Alison against Sybil/Audrey

Subtext: The reason Sybil and Audrey have seemed like a team is now clear

Hope/fear: hopefully things will calm down now, to learning of the affair

34. INT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL/SYBIL’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Maeve confronts and breaks up with Sybil. Sybil is indignant. They hear screams.

Scene Arc: argument escalates to break up then more screams

Essence: things are deteriorating rapidly

Conflict: Maeve and Sybil

Subtext: Maeve has challenged Sybils power by initiating the breakup

Hope/fear: Hope that by breaking up with Sybil things will get better. More screams.

35. EXT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Audrey is possessed and stabs Alison. Regina urges Maeve to exorcise the spirit from Audrey, but Maeve is frightened. Alison is dead.

Scene Arc: from stabbing to dead

Essence: yet a third woman murders her wife

Conflict: Ghost and the women

Subtext: Maeve is afraid and does not believe in her own power

Hope/fear: Audrey stabs Alison. Maybe Maeve can stop her. No she can’t.

36. INT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL/REGINA’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Maeve has a séance and learns the truth. The psychiatrist tortured her patient as a treatment for being queer. The patient killed the doctor because she was tortured. The evil ghost of the doctor is possessing each woman and forcing her to kill her wife. Sybil is possessed and tries to kill Maeve.

Scene Arc: Finally understanding what is going on to Sybil is possessed.

Essence: the doctor’s ghost, not the murderer’s ghost, is possessing and murdering the women

Conflict: Women and the ghost

Subtext: Maeve is taking leadership now.

Hope/fear: Maybe we can stop the ghost to Sybil is possessed.

37. EXT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Maeve escapes Sybil. She remembers her own exorcism. Love drove the spirit out of Maeve. She showers Sybil with loving energy and the ghost leaves Sybil. The power and WiFi come back.

Scene Arc: from escaping death to all clear

Essence: Maeve saves the day

Conflict: The ghost and Maeve

Subtext: Sybil mocked Maeve’s psychic power and Maeve used her power to save Sybil.

Hope/fear: Sybil will kill me, try love, the ghost leaves and all is well

38. INT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL/SYBIL’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Sybil asks Maeve to forgive her. Maeve forgives her but does not want to get back together. The power goes out again. Maeve and Sybil exit trailer.

Scene Arc: It seems that all is well to the power is out again.

Essence: All is not well

Conflict: Sybil and Maeve – Women and ghost

Subtext: Tables are turned between Sybil and Maeve

Hope/fear: Maeve forgives Sybil, but does not want to get ack together

39. EXT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Regina, Audrey, and Zora join Maeve and Sybil. Maeve screams. Her body jolts. The ghost is trying to possess her. She tries exorcising it from herself but fails. She asks the others to circle her with love and together they exorcise the ghost. The power comes back on.

Scene Arc: from Maeve is possessed to Maeve is free

Essence: Maeve has defeated the ghost and all is well

Conflict: women and the ghost

Subtext: working together they defeated the ghost.

Hope/fear: she is possessed, can she stop it, no, can the women stop it, yes

40. INT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL/SYBIL’S TRAILER – NIGHT

Sybil packs. Maeve thanks her for her help. She says she is sorry her documentary didn’t work out as she planned. Sybil says she got a much better story. They exit.

Scene Arc: Their relationship is tentative to they seem to have found a new equilibrium

Essence: Maeve has found a new equilibrium with Sybil

Conflict: none

Subtext: Maeve is not the frightened little wife she was at the start.

Hope/fear:

41. EXT. ABANDON MENTAL HOSPITAL – NIGHT

Zora, Regina, Audrey and Maeve pile into Maeve’s car. Sybil looks around and gives an evil grin. She is possessed. She gets in the car. They drive off.

Scene Arc: Leaving to get to safety. The monster is going with them.

Essence: They are not escaping. The evil ghost is leaving with them.

Conflict: Ghost and women

Subtext: Sybil is possessed.

Hope/fear: hope that they are finally safe. Fear that the ghost is going with them.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Intriguing Moments!

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

WHAT I LEARNED: I had quite a bit of intrigue in these scripts already.

HORROR SCRIPT

ACT 1

MYSTERY: Why did a female patient kill her doctor in 1954?

MYSTERY: What happened to cause a murder/suicide in 1980?

INTRIGUE: What is it that Maeve senses and causes her to faint?

SECRET: What is Maeve hiding?

HIDDEN IDENTITY: Maeve is a psychic.

INTRIGUE: What is the dark energy that Maeve sense?

COVERT AGENDA: What is up with Audrey? She seems to be against Maeve.

MYSTERY: Why did Zora kill her wife?

ACT 2:

CONSPIRACY: Sybil and Audrey seem teamed up against Maeve.

SECRET: Maeve was possessed as a child.

INTRIGUE: Something is going on here. Is the murder/suicide in 1980 linked to Zora killing her wife?

MYSTERY: Why did Regina kill her wife, Libby?

ACT 3:

INTRIGUE: Maeve believes the women were possessed and caused to kill their spouses. She thinks that’s what happened in 1980.

COVERT AGENDA: Audrey says there is something wrong with Maeve. She’s delusional. Sybil agrees and says Maeve wants attention. Why are they ganging up against Maeve?

COVERT AGENDA REVEALED: Audrey and Sybil are having an affair.

INTRIGUE: Audrey kills Alison. What is going on here?

MYSTERY REVEALED: The psychiatrist is an evil doctor who tortures gay people in the name of treatment.

INTRIGUE REVEALED: The ghost of the evil psychiatrist has been possessing the women and forcing them to kill their own wives. It’s double horror for the women and double pleasure for the evil doctor.

INTRIGUE: Sybil is possessed. Will she kill Maeve?

ACT 4:

INTRIGUE: Maeve is possessed. Will she kill Sybil? Will Sybil kill her?

INTRIGUE: What will the tell the authorities? How will they explain the murders of three women?

THRILLER SCRIPT

ACT 1:

SECRET: Eve is hiding something about her family and/or her past.

INTRIGUE: Someone is watching them. Who? Why?

HIDDEN IDENTITY: Eve is hiding that she is a CIA agent.

INTRIGUE: Someone is watching Eve in her home from the street. Shoots a dart gun at her through the window. Who is doing this and why?

MYSTERY: Eve wakes, feel groggy and realizes she slept a long time. What happened?

MYSTERY: Eve notices texts she does not remember sending. What happened last night?

CONSPIRACY: Debbie has been kidnapped.

ACT 2:

CONSPIRACY: Patty, Debbie’s widowed mother, cries on TV, begging the kidnappers to release her daughter. She is the kidnapper.

MYSTERY: Debbie is in a small room. Where is she, who is holding her and why?

SECRET: Eve is hiding something that happened in the past. What happened?

COVERT AGENDA: Eve wants to search Debbie’s apartment herself but FBI Agent Marra won’t allow it. She disguises herself as an FBI agent and goes in and searches.

MYSTERY: She can’t find the pictures of Debbie and herself that were in Debbie’s apartment. Who took the pictures and why?

INTRIGUE: Debbie’s ex says he was protecting Debbie from Eve. Protecting?

COVERT AGENDA: Eve plans on investigating Debbie’s disappearance herself. She steals some files from the FBI to do so.

CONSPIRACY: Patty tells FBI that Debbie and Eve were not lovers. Eve was stalking Debbie. She was dating a man.

MYSTERY: Debbie is forced to watch heterosexual porn and throws up. Who is holding her and why are they showing her porn?

INTRIGUE/CONSPIRACY: Eve says she can prove she and Debbie were lovers and looks through her phone but can’t find any pictures with her and Debbie. She does not understand what is happening.

CONSPIRACY: Wilson shows Eve text messages that Eve sent to Debbie last night. Some of these texts make it appear that Eve was stalking Debbie. Eve recognizes some texts but says she did not send others.

PJ: She says she has a witness, a co-worker. Wilson says she would lie for you. A waitress at a diner she and Debbie frequent.

CONSPIRACY: The FBI take Eve to the waitress from previous evening. Waitress says she never saw Debbie and Eve together, but in the past, they were at the diner at the same time at separate tables. Eve says someone is framing her. Who and why?

Midpoint:

CONSPIRACY: FBI arrest Eve for kidnapping Debbie. Who is framing her and why?

ACT 3:

INTRIGUE: A man watches a TV report about Eve’s arrest. Who is he?

Mystery: Debbie is shocked while being shown lesbian porn movies. Who is holding her and why are they showing her lesbian porn and shocking her?

CONSPIRACY: FBI show Eve that her GPS indicates the previous night she drove to Debbie’s home and then to isolated woods. Who is framing her?

COVER UP: Eve freaks out because they think she killed Debbie and are no longer looking for her.

INTRIGUE: Eve’s father comes to the FBI office. He is a famous psychiatrist who promotes using conversion therapy to “cure” queer people. He believes she has mental and emotional problems. Why has he come? Is he going to help Eve or help the FBI convict her?

MYSTERY: Debbie is shocked while being shown pictures of herself kissing Eve. The voltage increases and Debbie screams. Who has her and why are they torturing her?

INTRIGUE: Roger says there is a group that kidnaps queer people and puts them through forced conversion therapy. Do these people have Debbie?

MYSTERY: TJ: Debbie is forced to watch porn again. This time is switches from heterosexual to lesbian. During heterosexual porn she is given soothing music and messages. During lesbian porn she is shocked. Who has her and why are they torturing her?

COVER UP: Agent Marra won’t investigate the blood test or the pictures. Why? Is it simply his prejudice or is he part of the conspiracy?

CONSPIRACY: is Patty part of the conspiracy to kidnap Debbie?

ACT 4

COVERT AGENDA: Wilson wants agents to follow her, but not apprehend her. HE hopes she will lead them to Debbie.

CONSPIRACY: Wilson confronts Marra about the results of the blood test. Marra argues that Eve could still have kidnapped Debbie.

INTRIGUE: Will Eve get away and rescue Debbie or will she be captured?

CONSPIRACY: Revealed that Marra held even more information from Wilson. Wilson suspects that he may be involved somehow.

CONSPIRACY: Agent Marra is part of the kidnapping conspiracy. Who are the others?

CONSPIRACY: Patty is part of the kidnapping conspiracy.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Emotional Moments!

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

WHAT I LEARNED: I am good at emotional moments and have them throughout the story.

HORROR SCRIPT

Act 1

AJ: In a hospital operating room, a large black woman in a hospital gown, frees herself from restraints and attacks a white female doctor. She strangles her. The doctor fights back. The patient grabs scissors from a table and stabs her to death. A nurse in the room screams.

DISTRESS: A patient kills her doctor.

REVEAL: Reveals a scene from a TV series. They are at an abandoned mental hospital that is on an isolated island accessible only by a drawbridge. SYBIL is the director of the project and plays the role of the murdered doctor.

PJ: Maeve, Sybil’s wife, in car talking on the phone with Sybil, who is angry that Maeve is still not there. Maeve is apologetic and timid. Promises to get there asap.

DISTRESS: Sybil abusing Maeve.

The car in front of her gets a blow out and almost crashes. She swerves to get out of the way but then stops and goes back and see if the driver is okay.

PJ: Maeve The woman driver has a young child. Tire blew. Does not have road service. Couldn’t afford. Cries. Maeve changes the tire for her.

REVEAL: The woman tells her not to go to the abandoned mental hospital. It is haunted. There was a murder suicide there in 1980.

DISTRESS: Maeve warned of danger at her destination.

REVEAL: Sybil, the director has an interview with an entertainment news show and reveals she is investigating the murder of a psychiatrist by her patient in 1954. The patient, a black woman, was portrayed as a vicious killer, but her family said she was a kind and gentle woman. Something at the hospital made her kill.

News reporter repeats that locals believe the abandoned hospital is haunted and may have caused a murder/suicide in 1980. She asks Sybil: Are you sure you want to stay? Sybil laughs and says she does not believe any of that.

PJ: Maeve arrives on the set. She seems a bit uncomfortable. Regina and Libby are happy to see her. Maeve is timid and deferential to Regina and Libby. Zora and Diana are thrilled to see her. Maeve is warm and affectionate with them, but still holds back.

She wants to kiss Sybil, but she immediately scolds her for being late. Maeve apologizes and tries to explain about the woman with car trouble, but Sybil is angry and won’t listen.

DISTRESS: Continued abuse by Sybil.

AJ: Maeve begins to feel uncomfortable. People ask her what is wrong. Sybil rolls her eyes. Maeve just wants attention. The discomfort grows until Maeve is overcome and faints. When she recovers, she says she is okay but clearly she is hiding something. Sybil tells her fainting is not a way out off their argument.

AJ: Maeve continues to be uncomfortable. Strange things happen on the set. Animals act funny. No cell phone reception. No wifi. Power goes out. Maeve is afraid.

DISTRESS: Unexplained bizarre occurrences.

PJ: The dark energy overwhelms Maeve again. Diana encourages Maeve to say what’s really going on.

REVEAL: Maeve tells Diana and Zora she senses a dark energy and wants to leave. Zora tells her to tell Sybil. She says Sybil won’t believe her and will only lead to a fight. Diana says tell her anyway. You have to stand up to her.

PJ: Maeve tells Sybil about the dark energy and suggests everyone leave.

COURAGE: Maeve tells her abusive wife Sybil how she honestly feels.

Sybil argues with her and mockingly tells people that Maeve is a psychic. Sybil dismisses Maeve and her concerns. Zora encourages Sybil to listen to Maeve.

DISTRESS: Sybil’s continued abuse.

Maeve goes into Diana’s trailer. Diana comforts her. Audrey comes in. She acts like she cares about Maeve but talks to her as if what she is experiencing is a sign of a mental or emotional problem.

Women return to their trailers.

Turning Point: Zora goes crazy and kills her wife, Diana.

DISTRESS: Diana is murdered.

BETRAYAL: Diana is killed by her own wife.

Act 2:

PJ: Maeve believes the dark energy caused the death and suggests they all leave.

Sybil scoffs, says ridiculous, this is a mental/emotional issue. Audrey smiles. That was her idea.

PJ: Maeve gets Sybil alone and tries to get her to leave. Pleads with her. Tells her she has a very bad feeling about this.

COURAGE: Maeve again tells Sybil she thinks they should all leave because it is dangerous.

Sybil is recalcitrant. She accuses Maeve of using her pretend psychic abilities to prevent Sybil from getting her movie made. Maeve begs her. No. Maeve decides to leave herself.

PJ: Maeve, Libby and Regina get in Maeve’s car to leave.

COURAGE/BONDING. Maeve leaves with out her disapproving wife and two frinds who unlike Sybil, respect her.

The drawbridge is up and is now inoperable because the power is out. Maeve tries to figure out how to operate it without power. She fails. She tries to see if they can get over the bridge with it still open. Regina and Libby stop her too dangerous, and suggest they go back.

REVEAL: they are stuck

REVEAL: Maeve is hysterical at the thought of going back. Regina and Libby ask her why. Maeve tells them she was possessed as a child. Regina asks how she got free of it.

Flashback: A group of women surround young Maeve with loving energy. One of the women exorcises the spirit from Maeve.

WOUND: Maeve revels her childhood possession.

Maeve, Regina and Libby go back.

AJ: Zora tries to kill herself. She seems possessed again.

COURAGE/SUCCESS: Maeve stops Zora from killing herself and calms her down.

PJ: Maeve asks Sybil about the murder suicide in 1980. She says she doesn’t know or care because it has nothing to do with the 1954 murder or with what’s happening now. Maeve presses her and Sybil explodes.

COURAGE: Maeve is not intimidated by Sybil at this point. Her need to survive overcomes her fear of rocking the boat with her dominating wife.

REVEAL: Regina remembers what happened. A lesbian couple was investigating the murder of the psychiatrist by her patient in 1954. One of them went nuts and killed her lover and then committed suicide.

PJ: Maeve restates that there is a dark energy and perhaps it possessed that couple in 1980 and is possessed Zora. She suggests they have a séance. Sybil and Audrey dismiss her.

Midpoint Turning Point: Regina is possessed and murders her wife, Libby.

DISTRESS: Another murder, Regina kills Libby.

Act 3:

PJ: Maeve tells everyone that she believes the women were possessed and caused to kill their spouses. She thinks that’s what happened in 1980.

Audrey says there is something wrong with Maeve. She’s delusional. Sybil agrees and says Maeve wants attention.

Distress/Wound: Audrey uses Maeve’s past to abuse her.

REVEAL: Alison, Audrey’s wife, tells everyone that Audrey and Sybil are having and affair and that’s why Audrey is saying there is something wrong with Maeve.

BETRAYAL: Sybil is cheating on Maeve.

Audrey and Alison fight.

PJ: Maeve confronts Sybil about their relationship. They fight and Maeve breaks up with Sybil. Sybil is indignant. You’re breaking up with me?

BETRAYLA/COURAGE: Maeve turns the tables on the dominating Sybil and breaks up with her.

AJ: Audrey is possessed and kills her wife Alison. Regina encouraged Maeve to stop her, to exorcise the spirit from Audrey, but Maeve could not do it. Was afraid. The only couple left is Maeve and Sybil. Will one of them get possessed and kill the other?

PJ: Maeve has a séance. She wants to reach the spirit of the patient who murdered her doctor. She believes she may be possessing the women and forcing them to kill.

COURAGE: Maeve takes a big step to solve their problem.

AJ: Maeve has trouble reaching the patient/murderer. She feels the dark energy come between them.

PJ: Maeve sends loving energy to the spirit of the patient/murderer, and she comes through and tells Maeve the truth.

Flashback to what really happened. The evil psychiatrist is using electric shock therapy on her patient. The woman is screaming in pain. The doctor laughs and says horrible things to her about being queer. The nurse tries to stop it. The doctor pushes her away. The patient’s hair gives off smoke. The nurse sets her free. The patient stabs the doctor to death and then thanks the nurse for saving her.

REVEAL: The psychiatrist is an evil doctor who tortures gay people in the name of treatment.

REVEAL: The patient killed the doctor because she was torturing her.

REVEAL: The ghost of the evil psychiatrist has been possessing the women and forcing them to kill their own wives. It’s double horror for the women and double pleasure for the evil doctor.

Turning Point:

AJ: Sybil is possessed and tries to kill Maeve.

DISTRESS/BETRAYAL: Sybil tries to kill Maeve.

Act 4:

PJ: Sybil goes completely nuts. Maeve fights her off and runs. But she realizes that she needs to exorcise the demon out of Sybil or Sybil will eventually kill her. She remembers her own exorcism.

REVEAL: Love drove the spirit out of Maeve as a child. She drops her fear and meats the ghost with love. The ghost leaves Sybil. Amazing. She is awesome.

COURAGE/LOVE: Her desire to survive and love for Sybil cause her to exorcise the spirit from Sybil.

The power comes back on. They get WiFi signals. Their environment returns to being peaceful and normal. Maeve is triumphant.

AJ: The power goes off again. Maeve looks around, frightened. Who is being possessed now?

The ghost of the evil psychiatrist tries to possess Maeve.

DISTRESS/WOUND: Maeve is being possessed like the other women, and like she was as a child.

The ghost shows itself. It is ugly and angry. Maeve struggles to prevent it from entering her. She asks the survivors to help her by sending her loving energy. She drops her fear and is in love and joy.

Climax

PJ: Maeve, Zora, Regina and Audrey surround Sybil with loving energy. Maeve exorcises the spirit from herself. It is gone.

COURAGE/BONDING: All the women unite to help Maeve exorcise the ghost for good.

Resolution:

The power comes back on.

Maeve gets the survivors together, Sybil, Zora, Regina and Audrey, and gets them off the island.

Sybil got her story

Sybil apologizes and asks Maeve to forgive her.

Maeve forgives her but does not want to get back together. She is no longer under Sybil’s thumb.

What are we going to tell the authorities? Don’t know.

THRILLER SCRIPT

Act 1:

PJ: A scene with Eve doing CIA agent stuff. Let’s see her escape from somewhere and also fight. [This scene introduces Eve and sets up that she is a badass.]

PJ: Eve and Debbie are at a diner on a date. They are clearly in love.

LOVE: Between Eve and Debbie.

Debbie asks Eve why can’t she meet her family. Eve says she doesn’t see them. Debbie asks why? Eve changes the subject with I’ve never met your family. Debbie says she has to prepare her mother for her dating a woman. A waitress who obviously knows them makes a joke about how in love they are. Eve is kind to the waitress.

AJ: Someone is watching them. Who? Why?

PJ: Eve and Debbie are dancing together on the street. They seem delighted with each other. Debbie asks what are you not telling me? Eve evades her again.

HIDDEN WEAKNESS: Eve is hiding something.

AJ: Debbie’s ex-husband attacks Debbie. Eve fights him off and rescues Debbie.

DISTRESS: Debbie is attacked.

Inciting Incident:

Debbie asks who are you that you can fight like that? Debbie and Eve fight because Eve is secretive. She never talks about her job, her family, her childhood, etc. Debbie breaks up with Eve.

BETRAYAL/DISTRESS: Debbie breaks up with Eve.

PJ: At home, Eve sends Debbie texts and vms to reconcile. She apologizes for being secretive and promises to be more open. Difficult for her. She will explain when they get together. Her texts go unanswered.

DISTRESS: Eve is heartbroken and desperate from Debbie breaking up with her.

AJ: Someone is watching Eve in her home from the street. Shoots a dart gun at her through the window.

PJ: Eve feels groggy and collapses.

DISTRESS: Something has clearly happened to Eve. But what?

AJ: Eve wakes, feel groggy and realizes she slept a long time. What happened?

PJ: Eve checks her phone. Debbie has not responded to her messages. Eve makes a call to say she’ll be late.

AJ: Eve notices texts she does not remember sending. What happened last night?

REVEAL: Eve goes to her office. She is a CIA agent.

PJ: Eve tells her co-worker, Julie, that Debbie broke up with her. Julie is supportive. Eve tells her she thinks she was drugged. Julie tells her to get a blood test.

TP 1

AJ: While getting blood drawn, Eve sees a TV news report: Debbie’s been kidnapped.

DISTRESS: Eve is horrified to learn Debbie has been kidnapped.

ACT 2:

AJ: At FBI headquarters, Patty, Debbie’s widowed mother, cries on TV, begging the kidnappers to release her daughter.

DISTRESS: A mother heartbroken over her daughter’s disappearance.

AJ: The lead FBI agent, Dirk Wilson, interviews Patty in the FBI office. She gives background on Debbie, 32, kindergarten teacher, good Christian, divorced, loves children. Patty seems fragile and helpless. She is overwhelmed with grief.

DISTRESS: Patty’s continued grief.

AJ: Debbie is in a small room. She wakes and is groggy. A man wearing a mask enters and tells her she is safe and everything will be fine.

DISTRESS: Debbie is held captive. Where? By whom?

PJ: Eve talks to Julie about Debbie’s kidnapping. Do you think it’s my fault? Could it be someone I investigated? Julie says that was in the past. This is different. Eve wants to go find Debbie herself. Julie suggests she work with the FBI. Eve says they are too slow and bound by red tape. Julie says you must go to them first. Eve agrees.

DISTRESS/WOUND: Eve’s continued distress over Debbie’s disappearance and there is something from the past that haunts her.

PJ: Eve goes to Debbie’s house, meets Agent Marra. She tells him she is a CIA agent, she and Debbie are lovers, and last night Debbie’s ex tried to abduct Debbie. He thanks her and says he will investigate the ex-husband. She wants to search Debbie’s house herself. He won’t allow it.

PJ: Eve puts on [crime scene coverup gear] and sneaks back into Debbie’s house and searches it. Can’t find pictures of herself and Debbie.

AJ: Agent Marra brings in Debbie’s ex for questioning. He does not have an alibi. He says he was protecting Debbie from Eve. Protecting?

PJ: Eve comes into the FBI office at their request. She thinks they have info on Debbie. Instead, she meets Agent Wilson who asks her to clear up some confusion. [while she is waiting she steals something to use later].

REVEAL: Agent Wilson says Patty told them Debbie was dating a man. Eve says Debbie didn’t tell her mother about their relationship.

AJ: Agent Wilson tells Eve Debbie’s ex said he was protecting Debbie from Eve. Eve does not understand. Agent Wilson shows her a video of Patty’s interview:

REVEAL: On the tape, Agent Wilson tells Patty that Eve said she and Debbie were lovers. Patty covers her mouth with her hand and through tears, says that is not true. Eve was stalking Debbie, but Debbie was not interested in a romantic relationship with Eve. She is not homosexual. She’s a normal woman. She was dating a man.

TJ: Debbie is forced to watch heterosexual porn and throws up.

PJ: Eve is stunned and says Patty is lying. She can prove she and Debbie were involved. She looks through her phone but can’t find any pictures with her and Debbie. She does not understand what is happening.

DISTRESS: She is being accused of hurting the woman she loves. She cannot find the evidence that will clear her.

AJ: Agent Wilson shows Eve text messages that Eve sent to Debbie last night. Some of these texts make it appear that Eve was stalking Debbie. Eve recognizes some texts but says she did not send others.

MORE DISTRESS: Evidence that suggests she may have killed the woman she loves.

PJ: She says she has a witness, a co-worker. Wilson says she would lie for you. A waitress at a diner she and Debbie frequent.

AJ: The FBI take Eve to the waitress from previous evening. Waitress says she never saw Debbie and Eve together, but in the past, they were at the diner at the same time at separate tables. Eve is devastated. Asks her why are you doing this? Who told you to lie? Agent Wilson pushes her away, but she gets away from him and runs to waitress. They think I killed Debbie. You know I couldn’t hurt her. You know I loved her. Waitress says I’m sorry.

DISTRESS/BETRAYAL: Waitress lies. FBI believe she kidnapped Debbie.

Agent Wilson pulls her away and she says I am being framed. Who is behind this? They have Debbie. Why aren’t you looking for her? Marra says she’s crazy.

Midpoint:

FBI arrest Eve for kidnapping Debbie

DISTRESS/BETRAYAL: She is kidnapped by the FBI agents who she believed were helping her find Debbie.

Act 3:

Deeper level: A man watches a TV report about Eve’s arrest. Who is he?

Eve’s co-worker, Julie, sees the same news report.

Debbie is shocked while being shown lesbian porn movies. The voltage increases and Debbie screams.

DISTRESS: Physical and emotional torture.

AJ: FBI interrogate Eve. Her GPS shows the previous night she drove to Debbie’s home and then to isolated woods. Did she kill Debbie and dump her body?

PJ: Eve freaks out. She did not kidnap or kill Debbie. She is a CIA agent. If she wanted to kidnap and kill someone, she’d know how to cover her tracks. Obviously, she’s been set up. You’re wasting time. Where is Debbie? Why aren’t you looking for her?

DISTRESS: More fake evidence suggesting that she kidnapped Debbie. And now no one is looking for Debbie!

PJ: Eve tells the agent that she believed she was drugged last night so she had a blood test at the CIA office. If she was drugged, she could not have kidnapped Debbie last night. Agent Wilson tells Agent Marra to investigate the blood test.

AJ: Agent Wilson enters the interview room where Patty sits and asks her why Debbie didn’t report the stalking. Patty cries and says oh my God, this is all my fault. Wilson asks her what she means. Patty says she urged Debbie not to report it because she believed Eve was sick and needed help. She encouraged Debbie to pray for Eve instead. She didn’t want her to go to jail. She cries, and says she thought she was doing the right thing. Wilson comforts her.

DISTRESS: Patty’s continued fear and grief over her daughter’s disappearance.

Major Reveal: The man who was watching news report of Eve’s arrest comes into the FBI office. He is Eve’s father. He is a famous psychiatrist who promotes using conversion therapy to “cure” queer people.

He tells Wilson and Marra, that when Eve was a teen he forced her into conversion therapy, but she ran away and joined the military. He believes she has mental and emotional problems.

WOUND/BETRAYAL: Her own father forced Eve into conversion therapy when she was a vulnerable teen.

Major Reveal: Agent Wilson tells Roger five years ago a woman Eve was involved with was murdered. They never found the killer. Roger is stunned. He asks to see Eve.

WOUND: Eve’s girlfriend was killed five years ago.

Debbie is shocked while being shown pictures of herself kissing Eve. The voltage increases and Debbie screams.

Outside of the room with Eve’s father, Agent Wilson asks Marra about the blood test. Marra says he has not yet heard back. Then says I know how you feel about women like her. You can’t believe she had nothing to do with Debbie’s kidnapping. Wilson says my feelings about women like her have nothing to do with this investigation. We will follow all leads.

PJ: Roger enters the interrogation room. Eve is stunned. She has not seen him in years. He is perfunctory and dominant. He asks her if she kidnapped and killed Debbie. She says no. She loves her and wants to get out of here to find her. He asks about the woman who was murdered five years ago. She is surprised and upset. She had nothing to do with her murder. She loved her. She thinks the people she was investigating killed her. He says the world is a dangerous place for women you love.

WOUND/DISTRESS/BETRAYAL: Her father comes and rather than helping her in her time of need, he reopens her old wounds from childhood and he is siding with the FBI agents.

She is angry. She accuses him of still hating her for being gay and is happy to see her behind bars. She asks: Did you come here to finish what you started when she was 17?

No. I put you into conversion therapy because I was trying to help you. Homosexuality is a mental disorder.

Is that why you came here? To tell me you still think I’m crazy.

He says No. I came to tell you I don’t think you kidnapped Debbie but I think I know who did.

SURPRISE/LOVE: Her father believes her! He wants to help her.

REVEAL: Roger says there is a group that kidnaps queer people and puts them through forced conversion therapy. He thinks these people might have kidnapped Debbie. She fits the profile from an ultra-religious family.

TJ: Debbie is forced to watch porn again. This time is switches from heterosexual to lesbian. During heterosexual porn she is given soothing music and messages. During lesbian porn she is shocked.

DISTRESS: Continued physical and emotional abuse of Debbie.

PJ: Eve is stunned. (Roger told her about the group that kidnaps queer people and forces conversion therapy on them). She asks why would they kidnap Debbie? Roger says the family usually asks that the person be kidnapped. Her family?

PJ: Julie arrives and is met by Agent Marra. She asks why didn’t he return her calls or answer her emails? She has the results of a blood test that shows Eve was drugged last night and could not have kidnapped Debbie. Marra says the lab would lie for her. She shows him pictures of herself and Eve and Debbie. She could have photoshopped. Julie asks to see Wilson. Marra refuses. She storms out.

BETRAYAL: Agent Marra will not help her.

PJ: Eve tells Agent Wilson she wants to confront Patty. She thinks Patty is behind the kidnapping. Wilson says Patty is a sweet old Christian lady. Wilson gets a text from a CIA big shot with the results of Eve’s blood test. She was drugged. Eve says this proves she could not have kidnapped Debbie. He says you still could have done it. Eve asks again could they go to talk to Patty. He agrees but says she is still under arrest.

AJ: Eve talks sweetly to Patty, acting very nice, but tries to get her to admit she is lying. It does not work. Patty acts like she is a sweet victim. But at one point she looks Eve dead in the eye and Eve knows it is all an act. She accuses Patty of kidnapping Debbie and forcing her into heterosexual conversion. Wilson doesn’t believe Eve. Patty cries at the idea of kidnapping Debbie.

DISTRESS: Patty for being accused of kidnapping her daughter, and Eve for not finding out what she wanted to learn.

They drag Eve out of Patty’s house in handcuffs to take her back to jail.

DISTRESS: She did not get what she wanted and is going back to jail.

Turning Point: As they are taking Eve back to jail, she escapes.

EXCITEMENT/WINNING: Eve escapes!

Act 4

AJ: Eve takes an FBI car and runs. Wilson sends officers to follow her, but not apprehend her. Let’s see where she goes. She might lead us to Debbie.

Wilson gets a call from an irate Supervisor at the CIA. Why is he still holding Eve? Her blood test proves she could not have kidnapped Debbie the night before.

Wilson confronts Marra. He says he did not think it was important. She still could have kidnapped Debbie. He tells him that was not your call to make. Meet me back at the office. In the car ride he calls someone and tells them to bring in the guy who was dating Debbie and the waitress.

Eve loses the FBI guys following her, and steals another car. She realizes someone is following her but not the FBI. She abandons a car and hides in plain sight. She runs into a group of trees. She rubs her arms and face with dirt she so is less conspicuous. She quickly climbs up into a tree and cannot be seen.

EXCITEMENT: On the run!

Debbie’s boyfriend is at the FBI office. He was dating Debbie, but she wasn’t into him. He felt there was someone else. He told Agent Marra. Wilson looks surprised. He asks for Marra but he has not come back yet.

The people chasing her come out. One of them is agent Marra but the two others are not FBI men. They approach her tree and she can hear their conversation. One says we have to get back and move Debbie. The location is no longer safe. Eve realizes they are the kidnappers. Marra says let’s try to find Eve.

BETRAYAL: Marra is one of the kidnappers!

They split up and run deeper into the woods. As they look for her in the woods, she gets in their trunk and hides. They come back and drive away.

EXCITEMENT: she outwits them and they drive her to Debbie!

TJ: Debbie is distraught. A man chastises her for not accepting her treatment and taking the next step in her recovery. He shows her lingerie. She shakes her head no.

DISTRESS: Continued abuse of Debbie.

Julie arrives at FBI headquarters to pick up Eve. Wilson tells her she escaped. Julie asks what’s the matter with you people? I told you she was drugged. Wilson says she escaped before he found that out. Julie says I told Marra hours ago, and I showed him pcitres of me, Eve and Debbie. I met Debbie. They were definitely dating. He believes Eve is innocent.

WINNING: Agent Wilson finally sees that Eve is innocent!

PJ: Agent Marra and the two men stop at an old house in the woods and get out. When she can no longer hear them, she gets out and sneaks around the house. She sees Debbie in a window, crying. A man stands over her talking to her. He moves close to her and she slaps him. He punches her face and knocks her down. Eve breaks into the window and fights him and wins.

LOVE/WINNING: Eve rescues Debbie!

Debbie is freaked out by the fight. At first when she sees Eve she is frightened from the shock treatments. Eve stays at a distance and talks calmly to her. She tells her we have to leave now before the other men come in.

The door opens and one of the non-FBI guys enters. He screams and attacks Eve. Debbie screams. Eve beats the guy up and knocks him out.

Eve tries to get Debbie to leave but she is too freaked out. Another guy comes in and pulls a gun on Eve. Debbie freaks out and distracts the guy and Eve disarms him and knocks him out. She turns to Debbie. Debbie smiles and says “You came for me.” Eve smiles and they hug and Eve helps her out the window.

They run toward the woods but Agent Marra stops them. Eve stands in front of Debbie. He has two guns. He will kill them both and say he found their bodies. Murder suicide by Eve.

Eve quickly slips behind Debbie and begs Marra not to kill her. She is a fellow officer. She won’t report him if he just kills Debbie.

BETRAYAL: Eve will throw Debbie under the bus!

Debbie is stunned. Marra laughs hysterically saying I thought you loved her. Eve slips out from behind Debbie with a pistol and shoots Marra and says, I do love Debbie.

LOVE/EXCITEMENT/WINNING: Eve outwits Marra and rescues Debbie.

Marra shoots Eve in the shoulder. She falls, but gets off another shot and kills Marra.

DISTRESS: Eve is shot.

Eve takes Marra’s phone and calls Wilson.

Wilson arrives and takes Debbie and Eve to the hospital. Debbie is treated for shock and emotional distress. Eve is treated for her injuries.

Climax:

PJ: Patty arrives at the hospital and acts innocent and happy to see Debbie. Eve tricks her Patty into confessing. [HOW DOES SHE TRICK HER?]

WINNING: Eve finds the real kidnapper, Debbie’s mother.

Resolution:

Eve and Debbie share a hospital room. Eve asks Debbie to marry her.

LOVE.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Reveals!

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

WHAT I LEARNED: I am good at reveals. I know what and when to show them. I just need to make sure they are set up correctly.

HORROR SCRIPT

Act 1

AJ: In a hospital operating room, a large black woman in a hospital gown, frees herself from restraints and attacks a white female doctor. She strangles her. The doctor fights back. The patient grabs scissors from a table and stabs her to death. A nurse in the room screams.

REVEAL: Reveals a scene from a TV series. They are at an abandoned mental hospital that is on an isolated island accessible only by a drawbridge.

PJ: Maeve, Sybil’s wife, in car talking on the phone with Sybil, who is angry that Maeve is still not there. Maeve is apologetic and timid. Promises to get there asap. The car in front of her gets a blow out and almost crashes. She swerves to get out of the way but then stops and goes back and see if the driver is okay.

PJ: Maeve The woman driver has a young child. Tire blew. Does not have road service. Couldn’t afford. Cries. Maeve changes the tire for her.

REVEAL: The woman tells her not to go to the abandoned mental hospital. It is haunted. There was a murder suicide there in 1980.

REVEAL: Sybil, the director has an interview with an entertainment news show and reveals she is investigating the murder of a psychiatrist by her patient in 1954. The patient, a black woman, was portrayed as a vicious killer, but her family said she was a kind and gentle woman. Something at the hospital made her kill.

News reporter repeats that locals believe the abandoned hospital is haunted and may have caused a murder/suicide in 1980. She asks Sybil: Are you sure you want to stay? Sybil laughs and says she does not believe any of that.

PJ: Maeve arrives on the set. She seems a bit uncomfortable. Regina and Libby are happy to see her. Maeve is timid and deferential to Regina and Libby. Zora and Diana are thrilled to see her. Maeve is warm and affectionate with them, but still holds back.

She wants to kiss Sybil, but she immediately scolds her for being late. Maeve apologizes and tries to explain about the woman with car trouble, but Sybil is angry and won’t listen.

AJ: Maeve begins to feel uncomfortable. People ask her what is wrong. Sybil rolls her eyes. Maeve just wants attention. The discomfort grows until Maeve is overcome and faints. When she recovers, she says she is okay but clearly she is hiding something. Sybil tells her fainting is not a way out off teir argument.

AJ: Maeve continues to be uncomfortable. Strange things happen on the set. Animals act funny. No cell phone reception. No wifi. Power goes out. Maeve is afraid.

PJ: The dark energy overwhelms Maeve again. Diana encourages Maeve to say what’s really going on.

REVEAL: Maeve tells Diana and Zora she senses a dark energy and wants to leave. Zora tells her to tell Sybil. She says Sybil won’t believe her and will only lead to a fight. Diana says tell her anyway. You have to stand up to her.

PJ: Maeve tells Sybil about the dark energy and suggests everyone leave. Sybil argues with her and mockingly tells people that Maeve is a psychic. Sybil dismisses Maeve and her concerns. Zora encourages Sybil to listen to Maeve.

Maeve goes into Diana’s trailer. Diana comforts her. Audrey comes in. She acts like she cares about Maeve but talks to her as if what she is experiencing is a sign of a mental or emotional problem.

Women return to their trailers.

Turning Point: Zora goes crazy and kills her wife, Diana.

Act 2:

PJ: Maeve believes the dark energy caused the death and suggests they all leave.

Sybil scoffs, says ridiculous, this is a mental/emotional issue. Audrey smiles. That was her idea.

PJ: Maeve gets Sybil alone and tries to get her to leave. Pleads with her. Tells her she has a very bad feeling about this. Sybil is recalcitrant. She accuses Maeve of using her pretend psychic abilities to prevent Sybil from getting her movie made. Maeve begs her. No. Maeve decides to leave herself.

PJ: Maeve, Libby and Regina get in Maeve’s car to leave. The drawbridge is up and is now inoperable because the power is out. Maeve tries to figure out how to operate it without power. She fails. She tries to see if they can get over the bridge with it still open. Regina and Libby stop her too dangerous, and suggest they go back.

REVEAL: they are stuck

REVEAL: Maeve is hysterical at the thought of going back. Regina and Libby ask her why. Maeve tells them she was possessed as a child. Regina asks how she got free of it.

Flashback: A group of women surround young Maeve with loving energy. One of the women exorcises the spirit from Maeve.

Maeve, Regina and Libby go back.

AJ: Zora tries to kill herself. She seems possessed again. Maeve stops her and calms her down. Audrey gives her a sedative.

PJ: Maeve asks Sybil about the murder suicide in 1980. She says she doesn’t know or care because it has nothing to do with the 1954 murder or with what’s happening now. Maeve presses her and Sybil explodes.

REVEAL: Regina remembers what happened. A lesbian couple was investigating the murder of the psychiatrist by her patient in 1954. One of them went nuts and killed her lover and then committed suicide.

PJ: Maeve restates that there is a dark energy and perhaps it possessed that couple in 1980 and is possessed Zora. She suggests they have a séance. Sybil and Audrey dismiss her.

Midpoint Turning Point: Regina is possessed and murders her wife, Libby.

Act 3:

PJ: Maeve tells everyone that she believes the women were possessed and caused to kill their spouses. She thinks that’s what happened in 1980.

Audrey says there is something wrong with Maeve. She’s delusional. Sybil agrees and says Maeve wants attention.

REVEAL: Alison, Audrey’s wife, tells everyone that Audrey and Sybil are having and affair and that’s why Audrey is saying there is something wrong with Maeve.

Audrey and Alison fight.

PJ: Maeve confronts Sybil about their relationship. They fight and Maeve breaks up with Sybil. Sybil is indignant. You’re breaking up with me?

AJ: Audrey is possessed and kills her wife Alison. Regina encouraged Maeve to stop her, to exorcise the spirit from Audrey, but Maeve could not do it. Was afraid. The only couple left is Maeve and Sybil. Will one of them get possessed and kill the other?

PJ: Maeve has a séance. She wants to reach the spirit of the patient who murdered her doctor. She believes she may be possessing the women and forcing them to kill.

AJ: Maeve has trouble reaching the patient/murderer. She feels the dark energy come between them.

PJ: Maeve sends loving energy to the spirit of the patient/murderer, and she comes through and tells Maeve the truth.

Flashback to what really happened. The evil psychiatrist is using electric shock therapy on her patient. The woman is screaming in pain. The doctor laughs and says horrible things to her about being queer. The nurse tries to stop it. The doctor pushes her away. The patient’s hair gives off smoke. The nurse sets her free. The patient stabs the doctor to death and then thanks the nurse for saving her.

REVEAL: The psychiatrist is an evil doctor who tortures gay people in the name of treatment.

REVEAL: The patient killed the doctor because she was torturing her.

REVEAL: The ghost of the evil psychiatrist has been possessing the women and forcing them to kill their own wives. It’s double horror for the women and double pleasure for the evil doctor.

Turning Point:

AJ: Sybil is possessed and tries to kill Maeve.

Act 4:

PJ: Sybil goes completely nuts. Maeve fights her off and runs. But she realizes that she needs to exorcise the demon out of Sybil or Sybil will eventually kill her. She remembers her own exorcism.

REVEAL: Love drove the spirit out of Maeve as a child. She drops her fear and meats the ghost with love. The ghost leaves Sybil. Amazing. She is awesome.

The power comes back on. They get WiFi signals. Their environment returns to being peaceful and normal. Maeve is triumphant.

AJ: The power goes off again. Maeve looks around, frightened. Who is being possessed now?

The ghost of the evil psychiatrist tries to possess Maeve. It shows itself. It is ugly and angry. Maeve struggles to prevent it from entering her. She asks the survivors to help her by sending her loving energy. She drops her fear and is in love and joy.

Climax

PJ: Maeve, Zora, Regina and Audrey surround Sybil with loving energy. Maeve exorcises the spirit from herself. It is gone.

Resolution:

The power comes back on.

Maeve gets the survivors together, Sybil, Zora, Regina and Audrey, and gets them off the island.

Sybil got her story

Sybil apologizes and asks Maeve to forgive her.

Maeve forgives her but does not want to get back together. She is no longer under Sybil’s thumb.

What are we going to tell the authorities? Don’t know.

THRILLER SCRIPT

Act 1:

PJ: A scene with Eve doing CIA agent stuff. Let’s see her escape from somewhere and also fight. [This scene introduces Eve and sets up that she is a badass.]

PJ: Eve and Debbie are at a diner on a date. They are clearly in love. Debbie asks Eve why can’t she meet her family. Eve says she doesn’t see them. Debbie asks why? Eve changes the subject with I’ve never met your family. Debbie says she has to prepare her mother for her dating a woman. A waitress who obviously knows them makes a joke about how in love they are. Eve is kind to the waitress.

AJ: Someone is watching them. Who? Why?

PJ: Eve and Debbie are dancing together on the street. They seem delighted with each other. Debbie asks what are you not telling me? Eve evades her again.

AJ: Debbie’s ex-husband attacks Debbie. Eve fights him off and rescues Debbie.

Inciting Incident:

Debbie asks who are you that you can fight like that? Debbie and Eve fight because Eve is secretive. She never talks about her job, her family, her childhood, etc. Debbie breaks up with Eve

PJ: At home, Eve sends Debbie texts and vms to reconcile. She apologizes for being secretive and promises to be more open. Difficult for her. She will explain when they get together. Her texts go unanswered.

AJ: Someone is watching Eve in her home from the street. Shoots a dart gun at her through the window.

PJ: Eve feels groggy and collapses.

AJ: Eve wakes, feel groggy and realizes she slept a long time. What happened?

PJ: Eve checks her phone. Debbie has not responded to her messages. Eve makes a call to say she’ll be late.

AJ: Eve notices texts she does not remember sending. What happened last night?

REVEAL: Eve goes to her office. She is a CIA agent.

PJ: Eve tells her co-worker, Julie, that Debbie broke up with her. Julie is supportive. Eve tells her she thinks she was drugged. Julie tells her to get a blood test.

TP 1

AJ: While getting blood drawn, Eve sees a TV news report: Debbie’s been kidnapped.

ACT 2:

AJ: At FBI headquarters, Patty, Debbie’s widowed mother, cries on TV, begging the kidnappers to release her daughter.

AJ: AJ: The lead FBI agent, Dirk Wilson, interviews Patty in the FBI office. She gives background on Debbie, 32, kindergarten teacher, good Christian, divorced, loves children. Patty seems fragile and helpless. She is overwhelmed with grief.

AJ: Debbie is in a small room. She wakes and is groggy. A man wearing a mask enters and tells her she is safe and everything will be fine.

PJ: Eve talks to Julie about Debbie’s kidnapping. Do you think it’s my fault? Could it be someone I investigated? Julie says that was in the past. This is different. Eve wants to go find Debbie herself. Julie suggests she work with the FBI. Eve says they are too slow and bound by red tape. Julie says you must go to them first. Eve agrees.

PJ: Eve goes to Debbie’s house, meets Agent Marra. She tells him she is a CIA agent, she and Debbie are lovers, and last night Debbie’s ex tried to abduct Debbie. He thanks her and says he will investigate the ex-husband. She wants to search Debbie’s house herself. He won’t allow it.

PJ: Eve puts on [crime scene coverup gear] and sneaks back into Debbie’s house and searches it. Can’t find pictures of herself and Debbie.

AJ: Agent Marra brings in Debbie’s ex for questioning. He does not have an alibi. He says he was protecting Debbie from Eve. Protecting?

PJ: Eve comes into the FBI office at their request. She thinks they have info on Debbie. Instead, she meets Agent Wilson who asks her to clear up some confusion. [while she is waiting she steals something to use later].

REVEAL: Agent Wilson says Patty told them Debbie was dating a man. Eve says Debbie didn’t tell her mother about their relationship.

AJ: Agent Wilson tells Eve Debbie’s ex said he was protecting Debbie from Eve. Eve does not understand. Agent Wilson shows her a video of Patty’s interview:

REVEAL: On the tape, Agent Wilson tells Patty that Eve said she and Debbie were lovers. Patty covers her mouth with her hand and through tears, says that is not true. Eve was stalking Debbie, but Debbie was not interested in a romantic relationship with Eve. She is not homosexual. She’s a normal woman. She was dating a man.

TJ: Debbie is forced to watch heterosexual porn and throws up.

PJ: Eve is stunned and says Patty is lying. She can prove she and Debbie were involved. She looks through her phone but can’t find any pictures with her and Debbie. She does not understand what is happening.

AJ: Agent Wilson shows Eve text messages that Eve sent to Debbie last night. Some of these texts make it appear that Eve was stalking Debbie. Eve recognizes some texts but says she did not send others.

PJ: She says she has a witness, a co-worker. Wilson says she would lie for you. A waitress at a diner she and Debbie frequent.

AJ: The FBI take Eve to the waitress from previous evening. Waitress says she never saw Debbie and Eve together, but in the past, they were at the diner at the same time at separate tables. Eve is devastated. Asks her why are you doing this? Who told you to lie? Agent Wilson pushes her away, but she gets away from him and runs to waitress. They think I killed Debbie. You know I couldn’t hurt her. You know I loved her. Waitress says I’m sorry.

Agent Wilson pulls her away and she says I am being framed. Who is behind this? They have Debbie. Why aren’t you looking for her? Marra says she’s crazy.

Midpoint:

FBI arrest Eve for kidnapping Debbie

Act 3:

Deeper level: A man watches a TV report about Eve’s arrest. Who is he?

Eve’s co-worker, Julie, sees the same news report.

Debbie is shocked while being shown lesbian porn movies. The voltage increases and Debbie screams.

AJ: FBI interrogate Eve. Her GPS shows the previous night she drove to Debbie’s home and then to isolated woods. Did she kill Debbie and dump her body?

PJ: Eve freaks out. She did not kidnap or kill Debbie. She is a CIA agent. If she wanted to kidnap and kill someone, she’d know how to cover her tracks. Obviously, she’s been set up. You’re wasting time. Where is Debbie? Why aren’t you looking for her?

PJ: Eve tells the agent that she believed she was drugged last night so she had a blood test at the CIA office. If she was drugged, she could not have kidnapped Debbie last night. Agent Wilson tells Agent Marra to investigate the blood test.

AJ: Agent Wilson enters the interview room where Patty sits and asks her why Debbie didn’t report the stalking. Patty cries and says oh my God, this is all my fault. Wilson asks her what she means. Patty says she urged Debbie not to report it because she believed Eve was sick and needed help. She encouraged Debbie to pray for Eve instead. She didn’t want her to go to jail. She cries, and says she thought she was doing the right thing. Wilson comforts her.

Major Reveal: The man who was watching news report of Eve’s arrest comes into the FBI office. He is Eve’s father. He is a famous psychiatrist who promotes using conversion therapy to “cure” queer people.

He tells Wilson and Marra, that when Eve was a teen he forced her into conversion therapy, but she ran away and joined the military. He believes she has mental and emotional problems.

Major Reveal: Agent Wilson tells Roger five years ago a woman Eve was involved with was murdered. They never found the killer. Roger is stunned. He asks to see Eve.

Debbie is shocked while being shown pictures of herself kissing Eve. The voltage increases and Debbie screams.

Outside of the room with Eve’s father, Agent Wilson asks Marra about the blood test. Marra says he has not yet heard back. Then says I know how you feel about women like her. You can’t believe she had nothing to do with Debbie’s kidnapping. Wilson says my feelings about women like her have nothing to do with this investigation. We will follow all leads.

PJ: Roger enters the interrogation room. Eve is stunned. She has not seen him in years. He is perfunctory and dominant. He asks her if she kidnapped and killed Debbie. She says no. She loves her and wants to get out of here to find her. He asks about the woman who was murdered five years ago. She is surprised and upset. She had nothing to do with her murder. She loved her. She thinks the people she was investigating killed her. He says the world is a dangerous place for women you love.

She is angry. She accuses him of still hating her for being gay and is happy to see her behind bars. She asks: Did you come here to finish what you started when she was 17?

No. I put you into conversion therapy because I was trying to help you. Homosexuality is a mental disorder.

Is that why you came here? To tell me you still think I’m crazy.

He says No. I came to tell you I don’t think you kidnapped Debbie but I think I know who did.

REVEAL: Roger says there is a group that kidnaps queer people and puts them through forced conversion therapy. He thinks these people might have kidnapped Debbie. She fits the profile from an ultra-religious family.

TJ: Debbie is forced to watch porn again. This time is switches from heterosexual to lesbian. During heterosexual porn she is given soothing music and messages. During lesbian porn she is shocked.

PJ: Eve is stunned. (Roger told her about the group that kidnaps queer people and forces conversion therapy on them). She asks why would they kidnap Debbie? Roger says the family usually asks that the person be kidnapped. Her family?

PJ: Julie arrives and is met by Agent Marra. She asks why didn’t he return her calls or answer her emails? She has the results of a blood test that shows Eve was drugged last night and could not have kidnapped Debbie. Marra says the lab would lie for her. She shows him pictures of herself and Eve and Debbie. She could have photoshopped. Julie asks to see Wilson. Marra refuses. She storms out.

PJ: Eve tells Agent Wilson she wants to confront Patty. She thinks Patty is behind the kidnapping. Wilson says Patty is a sweet old Christian lady. Wilson gets a text from a CIA big shot with the results of Eve’s blood test. She was drugged. Eve says this proves she could not have kidnapped Debbie. He says you still could have done it. Eve asks again could they go to talk to Patty. He agrees but says she is still under arrest.

AJ: Eve talks sweetly to Patty, acting very nice, but tries to get her to admit she is lying. It does not work. Patty acts like she is a sweet victim. But at one point she looks Eve dead in the eye and Eve knows it is all an act. She accuses Patty of kidnapping Debbie and forcing her into heterosexual conversion. Wilson doesn’t believe Eve. Patty cries at the idea of kidnapping Debbie.

They drag Eve out of Patty’s house in handcuffs to take her back to jail.

Turning Point: As they are taking Eve back to jail, she escapes.

Act 4

AJ: Eve takes an FBI car and runs. Wilson sends officers to follow her, but not apprehend her. Let’s see where she goes. She might lead us to Debbie.

Wilson gets a call from an irate Supervisor at the CIA. Why is he still holding Eve? Her blood test proves she could not have kidnapped Debbie the night before.

Wilson confronts Marra. He says he did not think it was important. She still could have kidnapped Debbie. He tells him that was not your call to make. Meet me back at the office. In the car ride he calls someone and tells them to bring in the guy who was dating Debbie and the waitress.

Eve loses the FBI guys following her, and steals another car. She realizes someone is following her but not the FBI. She abandons a car and hides in plain sight. She runs into a group of trees. She rubs her arms and face with dirt she so is less conspicuous. She quickly climbs up into a tree and cannot be seen.

Debbie’s boyfriend is at the FBI office. He was dating Debbie, but she wasn’t into him. He felt there was someone else. He told Agent Marra. Wilson looks surprised. He ask for Marra but he has not come back yet.

The people chasing her come out. One of them is agent Marra but the two others are not FBI men. They approach her tree and she can hear their conversation. One says we have to get back and move Debbie. The location is no longer safe. Eve realizes they are the kidnappers. Marra says let’s try to find Eve.

They split up and run deeper into the woods. As they look for her in the woods, she gets in their trunk and hides. They come back and drive away.

TJ: Debbie is distraught. A man chastises her for not accepting her treatment and taking the next step in her recovery. He shows her lingerie. She shakes her head no.

Julie arrives at FBI headquarters to pick up Eve. Wilson tells her she escaped. Julie asks what’s the matter with you people? I told you she was drugged. Wilson says she escaped before he found that out. Julie says I told Marra hours ago, and I showed him pcitres of me, Eve and Debbie. I met Debbie. They were definitely dating. He believes Eve is innocent.

PJ: Agent Marra and the two men stop at an old house in the woods and get out. When she can no longer hear them, she gets out and sneaks around the house. She sees Debbie in a window, crying. A man stands over her talking to her. He moves close to her and she slaps him. He punches her face and knocks her down. Eve breaks into the window and fights him and wins.

Debbie is freaked out by the fight. At first when she sees Eve she is frightened from the shock treatments. Eve stays at a distance and talks calmly to her. She tells her we have to leave now before the other men come in.

The door opens and one of the non-FBI guys enters. He screams and attacks Eve. Debbie screams. Eve beats the guy up and knocks him out.

Eve tries to get Debbie to leave but she is too freaked out. Another guy comes in and pulls a gun on Eve. Debbie freaks out and distracts the guy and Eve disarms him and knocks him out. She turns to Debbie. Debbie smiles and says “You came for me.” Eve smiles and they hug and Eve helps her out the window.

They run toward the woods but Agent Marra stops them. Eve stands in front of Debbie. He has two guns. He will kill them both and say he found their bodies. Murder suicide by Eve.

Eve quickly slips behind Debbie and begs Marra not to kill her. She is a fellow officer. She won’t report him if he just kills Debbie.

Debbie is stunned. Marra laughs hysterically saying I thought you loved her. Eve slips out from behind Debbie with a pistol and shoots Marra and says, I do love Debbie.

Eve gives him first air and cuffs him. She takes his phone and calls Wilson.

Wilson arrives and Marra says she shot me. Wilson figures out Marra shot first and arrests Marra

PJ: Wilson takes Debbie and Eve to the hospital. Debbie is treated for shock and emotional distress. Eve is treated for her injuries.

Climax:

PJ: Patty arrives at the hospital and acts innocent and happy to see Debbie. Eve tricks her Patty into confessing. [HOW DOES SHE TRICK HER?]

Resolution:

Eve and Debbie share a hospital room. Eve asks Debbie to marry her.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Character Action Tracks

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

WHAT I LEARNED: Just take the next right action and trust it will all come together. It is a total mess right now, but this is what it looks like when everything is coming together.

HORROR SCRIPT

Act 1

AJ: In a hospital operating room, a large black woman in a hospital gown, frees herself from restraints and attacks a white female doctor. She strangles her. The doctor fights back. The patient grabs scissors from a table and stabs her to death. A nurse in the room screams.

Deeper Level: Reveals a scene from a TV series. They are at an abandoned mental hospital that is on an isolated island accessible only by a drawbridge.

PJ: Maeve, Sybil’s wife, in car talking on the phone with Sybil, who is angry that Maeve is still not there. Maeve is apologetic and timid. Promises to get there asap. The car in front of her gets a blow out and almost crashes. She swerves to get out of the way but then stops and goes back and see if the driver is okay.

PJ: Maeve The woman driver has a young child. Tire blew. Does not have road service. Couldn’t afford. Cries. Maeve changes the tire for her. The woman tells her not to go to the abandoned mental hospital. It is haunted. There was a murder suicide there in 1980.

Sybil, the director has an interview with an entertainment news show and reveals she is investigating the murder of a psychiatrist by her patient in 1954. The patient, a black woman, was portrayed as a vicious killer, but her family said she was a kind and gentle woman. Something at the hospital made her kill.

News reporter repeats that locals believe the abandoned hospital is haunted and may have caused a murder/suicide in 1980. She asks Sybil: Are you sure you want to stay? Sybil laughs and says she does not believe any of that.

PJ: Maeve arrives on the set. She seems a bit uncomfortable. Regina and Libby are happy to see her. Maeve is timid and deferential to Regina and Libby. Zora and Diana are thrilled to see her. Maeve is warm and affectionate with them, but still holds back.

She wants to kiss Sybil, but she immediately scolds her for being late. Maeve apologizes and tries to explain about the woman with car trouble, but Sybil is angry and won’t listen.

AJ: Maeve begins to feel uncomfortable. People ask her what is wrong. Sybil rolls her eyes. Maeve just wants attention. The discomfort grows until Maeve is overcome and faints. When she recovers, she says she is okay but clearly she is hiding something. Sybil tells her fainting is not a way out off teir argument.

AJ: Maeve continues to be uncomfortable. Strange things happen on the set. Animals act funny. No cell phone reception. No wifi. Power goes out. Maeve is afraid.

PJ: The dark energy overwhelms Maeve again. Diana encourages Maeve to say what’s really going on. Maeve tells Diana and Zora she senses a dark energy and wants to leave. Zora tells her to tell Sybil. She says Sybil won’t believe her and will only lead to a fight. Diana says tell her anyway. You have to stand up to her.

PJ: Maeve tells Sybil about the dark energy and suggests everyone leave. Sybil argues with her and mockingly tells people that Maeve is a psychic. Sybil dismisses Maeve and her concerns. Zora encourages Sybil to listen to Maeve.

Maeve goes into Diana’s trailer. Diana comforts her. Audrey comes in. She acts like she cares about Maeve but talks to her as if what she is experiencing is a sign of a mental or emotional problem.

Women return to their trailers.

Turning Point: Zora goes crazy and kills her wife, Diana.

Act 2:

PJ: Maeve believes the dark energy caused the death and suggests they all leave.

Sybil scoffs, says ridiculous, this is a mental/emotional issue. Audrey smiles. That was her idea.

PJ: Maeve gets Sybil alone and tries to get her to leave. Pleads with her. Tells her she has a very bad feeling about this. Sybil is recalcitrant. She accuses Maeve of using her pretend psychic abilities to prevent Sybil from getting her movie made. Maeve begs her. No. Maeve decides to leave herself.

PJ: Maeve, Libby and Regina get in Maeve’s car to leave. The drawbridge is up and is now inoperable because the power is out. Maeve tries to figure out how to operate it without power. She fails. She tries to see if they can get over the bridge with it still open. Regina and Libby stop her too dangerous, and suggest they go back.

Major Reveal: Maeve is hysterical at the thought of going back. Regina and Libby ask her why. Maeve tells them she was possessed as a child. Regina asks how she got free of it.

Flashback: A group of women surround young Maeve with loving energy. One of the women exorcises the spirit from Maeve.

Maeve, Regina and Libby go back.

AJ: Zora tries to kill herself. She seems possessed again. Maeve stops her and calms her down. Audrey gives her a sedative.

PJ: Maeve asks Sybil about the murder suicide in 1980. She says she doesn’t know or care because it has nothing to do with the 1954 murder or with what’s happening now. Maeve presses her and Sybil explodes.

Deep Level: Regina remembers what happened. A lesbian couple were investigating the murder of the psychiatrist by her patient in 1954. One of them went nuts and killed her lover and then committed suicide.

PJ: Maeve restates that there is a dark energy and perhaps it possessed that couple in 1980 and is possessed Zora. She suggests they have a séance. Sybil and Audrey dismiss her.

Midpoint Turning Point: Regina is possessed and murders her wife, Libby.

Act 3:

PJ: Maeve tells everyone that she believes the women were possessed and caused to kill their spouses. She thinks that’s what happened in 1980.

Audrey says there is something wrong with Maeve. She’s delusional. Sybil agrees and says Maeve wants attention.

Deep Reveal: Alison, Audrey’s wife, tells everyone that Audrey and Sybil are having and affair and that’s why Audrey is saying there is something wrong with Maeve.

Audrey and Alison fight.

PJ: Maeve confronts Sybil about their relationship. They fight and Maeve breaks up with Sybil. Sybil is indignant. You’re breaking up with me?

AJ: Audrey is possessed and kills her wife Alison. Maeve is unable to stop her. The only couple left is Maeve and Sybil. Will one of them get possessed and kill the other?

PJ: Maeve has a séance. She wants to reach the spirit of the patient who murdered her doctor. She believes she may be possessing the women and forcing them to kill.

AJ: Maeve has trouble reaching the patient/murderer. She feels the dark energy come between them.

PJ: Maeve sends loving energy to the spirit of the patient/murderer, and she comes through and tells Maeve the truth.

Flashback to what really happened. The evil psychiatrist is using electric shock therapy on her patient. The woman is screaming in pain. The doctor laughs and says horrible things to her about being queer. The nurse tries to stop it. The doctor pushes her away. The patient’s hair gives off smoke. The nurse sets her free. The patient stabs the doctor to death and then thanks the nurse for saving her.

[A doctor tortures a patient in a mental hospital with electrotherapy. The patient begs her to stop. The doctor just chuckles. She enjoys torturing her. The patient screams even louder. The attending nurse begs the doctor to stop. The doctor pushes her aside. The nurse turns the machine off and unstraps one of the patient’s hands and one leg. The doctor throws the nurse against a wall screaming at her. The patient frees her self with her free hand. She comes up behind the doctor and grabs her by the throat. She stabs her repeatedly while screaming.]

Deep Layer: The woman murdered her doctor because the doctor was “treating” her for being queer, but was really torturing her. She hates lesbians. And she, not the patient, has been possessing the women and forcing them to kill their own wives. It’s double horror for the women and double pleasure for her.

Turning Point:

AJ: Sybil is possessed and tries to kill Maeve.

Act 4:

PJ: Sybil goes completely nuts. Maeve fights her off and runs. But she realizes that she needs to exorcise the demon out of Sybil or Sybil will eventually kill her. She remembers her own exorcism. She connects with the patient who tells her to drop the fear. She drops the fear and exorcises the ghost out of Sybil. Amazing. She is awesome.

The power comes back on. They get WiFi signals. Their environment returns to being peaceful and normal. Maeve is triumphant.

AJ: The power goes off again. Maeve looks around, frightened. Who is being possessed now?

The ghost of the evil psychiatrist tries to possess Maeve. It shows itself. It is ugly and angry. Maeve struggles to prevent it from entering her. She asks the survivors to help her by sending her loving energy. She drops her fear and is in love and joy.

Climax

PJ: Maeve, Zora, Regina and Audrey surround Sybil with loving energy. Maeve exorcises the spirit from herself. It is gone.

Resolution:

The power comes back on.

Maeve gets the survivors together, Sybil, Zora, Regina and Audrey, and gets them off the island.

Sybil got her story

Sybil apologizes and asks Maeve to forgive her.

Maeve forgives her but does not want to get back together. She is no longer under Sybil’s thumb.

What are we going to tell the authorities? Don’t know.

[Sybil smiles. She is still possessed.]

THRILLER SCRIPT

Act 1:

PJ: A scene with Eve doing CIA agent stuff. Let’s see her escape from somewhere and also fight. [This scene introduces Eve and sets up that she is a badass.]

PJ: Eve and Debbie are at a diner on a date. They are clearly in love. Debbie asks Eve a question that she evades. Debbie notes she evaded the question. A waitress who obviously knows them makes a joke about how in love they are. Eve is kind to the waitress.

AJ: Someone is watching them. Who? Why?

PJ: Eve and Debbie are dancing together on the street. They seem delighted with each other. Debbie asks what are you not telling me? Eve evades her again.

AJ: Debbie’s ex-husband attacks Debbie. Eve fights him off and rescues Debbie.

Inciting Incident:

Debbie asks who are you that you can fight like that? Debbie and Eve fight because Eve is secretive. Debbie breaks up with Eve

PJ: At home, Eve sends Debbie texts and vms to reconcile. She apologizes for being secretive and promises to be more open. Difficult for her. She will explain when they get together. Her texts go unanswered.

AJ: Someone is watching Eve in her home from the street. Shoots a dart gun at her through the window.

PJ: Eve feels groggy and collapses.

AJ: Eve wakes, feel groggy and realizes she slept a long time. What happened?

PJ: Eve checks her phone. Debbie has not responded to her messages. Eve makes a call to say she’ll be late.

AJ: Eve notices texts she does not remember sending. What happened last night?

Deeper Level: Eve goes to her office. She is a CIA agent.

PJ: Eve tells her co-worker, Julie, that Debbie broke up with her. Julie is supportive. Eve tells her she thinks she was drugged. Julie tells her to get a blood test.

TP 1

AJ: While getting blood drawn, Eve sees a TV news report: Debbie’s been kidnapped.

Act 2:

AJ: At FBI headquarters, Patty, Debbie’s widowed mother, cries on TV, begging the kidnappers to release her daughter.

AJ: AJ: The lead FBI agent, Dirk Wilson, interviews Patty in the FBI office. She gives background on Debbie, 32, kindergarten teacher, good Christian, divorced, loves children. Patty seems fragile and helpless. She is overwhelmed with grief.

AJ: Debbie is in a small room. She wakes and is groggy. A man wearing a mask enters and tells her she is safe and everything will be fine.

PJ: Eve talks to Julie about Debbie’s kidnapping. Do you think it’s my fault? Could it be someone I investigated? Julie says that was in the past. This is different. Eve wants to go find Debbie herself. Julie suggests she work with the FBI. Eve says they are too slow and bound by red tape. Julie says you must go to them first. Eve agrees.

PJ: Eve goes to Debbie’s house, meets Agent Marra. She tells him she is a CIA agent, she and Debbie are lovers, and last night Debbie’s ex tried to abduct Debbie. He thanks her and says he will investigate the ex-husband. She wants to search Debbie’s house herself. He won’t allow it.

PJ: Eve puts on [crime scene coverup gear] and sneaks back into Debbie’s house and searches it. Can’t find pictures of herself and Debbie.

AJ: Agent Marra brings in Debbie’s ex for questioning. He does not have an alibi. He says he was protecting Debbie from Eve. Protecting?

PJ: Eve comes into the FBI office at their request. She thinks they have info on Debbie. Instead, she meets Agent Wilson who asks her to clear up some confusion. [while she is waiting she steals something to use later].

Deeper layer: Agent Wilson says Patty told them Debbie was dating a man. Eve says Debbie didn’t tell her mother about their relationship. She wouldn’t approve.

AJ: Agent Wilson tells Eve Debbie’s ex said he was protecting Debbie from Eve. Eve does not understand. Agent Wilson shows her a video of Patty’s interview:

Deeper Level: On the tape, Agent Wilson tells Patty that Eve said she and Debbie were lovers. Patty covers her mouth with her hand and through tears, says that is not true. Eve was stalking Debbie, but Debbie was not interested in a romantic relationship with Eve. She is not homosexual. She’s a normal woman.

TJ: Debbie is forced to watch heterosexual porn and throws up.

PJ: Eve is stunned and says Patty is lying. She can prove she and Debbie were involved. She looks through her phone but can’t find any pictures with her and Debbie. She does not understand what is happening.

AJ: Agent Wilson shows Eve text messages that Eve sent to Debbie last night. Some of these texts make it appear that Eve was stalking Debbie. Eve recognizes some texts but says she did not send others.

PJ: She says she has a witness, a co-worker. Wilson says she would lie for you. A waitress at a diner she and Debbie frequent.

AJ: The FBI take Eve to the waitress from previous evening. Waitress says she never saw Debbie and Eve together, but in the past, they were at the diner at the same time at separate tables. Eve is devastated. Asks her why are you doing this? Who told you to lie? Agent Wilson pushes her away, but she gets away from him and runs to waitress. They think I killed Debbie. You know I couldn’t hurt her. You know I loved her.

Agent Wilson pulls her away and she says I am being framed. Who is behind this? Find that person, they have Debbie. Why aren’t you looking for her? Marra says she is crazy.

Midpoint:

FBI arrest Eve for kidnapping Debbie

Act 3:

Deeper level: A man watches a TV report about Eve’s arrest. Who is he?

Eve’s co-worker, Julie, sees the same news report.

Debbie is shocked while being shown lesbian porn movies. The voltage increases and Debbie screams.

AJ: FBI interrogate Eve. Her GPS shows the previous night she drove to Debbie’s home and then to isolated woods. Did she kill Debbie and dump her body?

PJ: Eve freaks out. She did not kidnap or kill Debbie. She is a CIA agent. If she wanted to kidnap and kill someone, she’d know how to cover her tracks. Obviously, she’s been set up. You’re wasting time. Where is Debbie? Why aren’t you looking for her?

AJ: A man comes to the FBI and says he is Debbie’s boyfriend and she told him a woman was stalking her. He picks Eve out of a lineup.

PJ: Eve tells the agent that she believed she was drugged last night so she had a blood test at the CIA office. If she was drugged, she could not have kidnapped Debbie last night. Agent Wilson tells Agent Marra to investigate the blood test.

AJ: Agent Wilson enters the interview room where Patty sits and asks her why Debbie didn’t report the stalking. Patty cries and says oh my God, this is all my fault. Wilson asks her what she means. Patty says she urged Debbie not to report it because she believed Eve was sick and needed help. She encouraged Debbie to pray for Eve instead. She didn’t want her to go to jail. She cries, and says she thought she was doing the right thing. Wilson comforts her.

Major Reveal: The man who was watching news report of Eve’s arrest comes into the FBI office. He is Eve’s father. He is a famous psychiatrist who promotes using conversion therapy to “cure” queer people.

He tells Wilson and Marra, that when Eve was a teen he forced her into conversion therapy, but she ran away and joined the military. He believes she has mental and emotional problems, but he does not think she could have kidnapped Debbie. She was never violent toward women, but he might knows who kidnapped Debbie.

Major Reveal: Roger says there is a group that kidnaps queer people and puts them through forced conversion therapy. He thinks these people might have kidnapped Debbie. She fits the profile from an ultra-religious family. He thinks they should investigate this group. He gives them information on the group.

Debbie is shocked while being shown pictures of herself kissing Eve. The voltage increases and Debbie screams.

Major Reveal: Agent Wilson tells Roger five years ago a woman Eve was involved with was murdered. They never found the killer. Roger is stunned. He asks to see Eve.

Outside of the room with Eve’s father, Agent Wilson tells Marra to look into this group that forced conversion therapy on queer people. Marra says, you’re not serious. I know how you feel about women like her. Wilson says my feelings about women like her have nothing to do with this investigation. We will follow all leads.

PJ: Roger enters the interrogation room. Eve is stunned. She has not seen him in years. He asks her if she kidnapped and killed Debbie. She says no. She loves her and wants to get out of here to find her. He asks about the woman who was murdered five years ago. She is surprised and upset. She had nothing to do with her murder. She loved her. She thinks that people she was investigating in [Bosnia] killed her. He says the world is a dangerous place for women you love.

She is angry. She accuses him of still hating her for being gay and is happy to see her behind bars. She asks: Did you come here to finish what you started when she was 17?

No. He apologizes to her for the past. He still believes that homosexuality is a mental disorder and can be cured by therapy, but only if the person wants to be cured.

Is that why you came here? To tell me you still think I’m crazy.

He says know. I came to tell you I don’t think you kidnapped Debbie but I think I know who did.

TJ: Debbie is forced to watch porn again. This time is switches from heterosexual to lesbian. During heterosexual porn she is given soothing music and messages. During lesbian porn she is shocked.

PJ: Julie arrives and is met by Agent Marra. She has the results of a blood test that shows Eve was drugged last night and could not have kidnapped Debbie. Marra says the lab would lie for her. She shows him pictures of herself and Eve and Debbie. She could have photoshopped. Julie asks to see Wilson. Marra refuses. She storms out.

PJ: Eve is stunned. (Roger told her about the group that kidnaps queer people and forces conversion therapy on them). She asks why would they kidnap Debbie? Roger says the family usually asks that the person be kidnapped. Her family?

PJ: Eve tells Agent Wilson she wants to confront Patty. She thinks Patty is behind the kidnapping. Wilson says Patty is a sweet old Christian lady. Wilson gets a text from a CIA big shot with the results of Eve’s blood test. She was drugged. Eve says this proves she could not have kidnapped Debbie. He says you still could have done it. Eve asks again could they go to talk to Patty. He agrees but says she is still under arrest.

AJ: Eve talks sweetly to Patty, acting very nice, but tries to get her to admit she is lying. It does not work. Patty acts like she is a sweet victim. But at one point she looks Eve dead in the eye and Eve knows it is all an act. She accuses Patty of kidnapping Debbie and forcing her into heterosexual conversion. Wilson doesn’t believe Eve. Patty cries at the idea of kidnapping Debbie.

They drag Eve out of Patty’s house in handcuffs to take her back to jail.

Turning Point: As they are taking Eve back to jail, she escapes.

Act 4

AJ: Eve takes an FBI car and runs. FBI chase her. She gets away from them and steals another car.

She realizes someone is following her but not the FBI. She abandons a car and hides in plain sight. She runs into a group of trees. She rubs her arms and face with dirt she so is less conspicuous. She quickly climbs up into a tree and cannot be seen.

The people chasing her come out. One of them is agent Marra but the two others are not FBI men. They approach her tree and she can hear their conversation. One says we have to get back and move Debbie. The location is no longer safe. Eve realizes they are the kidnappers. Marra says let’s try to find Eve.

They split up and run deeper into the woods. As they look for her in the woods, she gets in their trunk and hides. They come back and drive away.

TJ: Debbie is distraught. A man chastises her for not accepting her treatment and taking the next step in her recovery. He shows her lingerie. She shakes in fear.

Agent Wilson: Julie arrives at FBI headquarters and shows Wilson that she got access to Eve’s iCloud storage and shows him pictures of Eve and Debbie. The kidnappers did not erase the pictures from her Back up on iCloud. He believes Eve is innocent.

PJ: Agent Marra and the two men stop at an old house in the woods and get out. When she can no longer hear them, she gets out and sneaks around the house. She sees Debbie in a window, crying. A man stands over her talking to her. HE moves close to her and she slaps him. He punches her face and knocks her down. Eve breaks into the window and fights him and wins.

Debbie is freaked out by the fight. At first when she sees Eve she is frightened from the shock treatments. Eve stays at a distance and talks calmly to her. She tells her we have to leave now before the other men come in.

The door opens and one of the non-FBI guys enters. He screams and attacks Eve. Debbie screams. Eve beats the guy up and knocks him out.

Eve tries to get Debbie to leave but she is too freaked out. Another guy comes in and pulls a gun on Eve. Debbie freaks out and distracts the guy and Eve disarms him and knocks him out. She turns to Debbie. Debbie smiles and says “You came for me.” Eve smiles and they hug and Eve helps her out the window.

They run toward the woods but Agent Marra stops them. Eve stands in front of Debbie. He has two guns. He will kill them both and say he found their bodies. Murder suicide by Eve.

Eve quickly slips behind Debbie and begs Marra not to kill her. She is a fellow officer. She won’t report him if he just kills Debbie.

Debbie is stunned. Marra laughs hysterically saying I thought you loved her. Eve slips out from behind Debbie with a pistol and shoots Marra and says, I do love Debbie.

Eve gives him first air and cuffs him. She takes his phone and calls Wilson.

Wilson arrives and Marra says she shot me. Wilson figures out Marra shot first and arrests Marra

PJ: Wilson takes Debbie and Eve to the hospital. Debbie is treated for shock and emotional distress. Eve is treated for her injuries.

Climax:

PJ: Patty arrives at the hospital and acts innocent and happy to see Debbie. Eve confronts Patty and tricks her into confessing. [HOW DOES SHE TRICK HER?]

Resolution:

Eve and Debbie share a hospital room. Eve asks Debbie to marry her.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

ASSIGNMENT 4

Claire’s New Outline Beats!

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

WHAT I LEARNED: I really struggled with the outline for the Thriller script. I got stuck and could not find my way out of it. My mind was making up stories like I can’t do this, I’m never going to finish this, etc.

Luckily, I remembered that this happens most of the time when I am outlining a script. At a certain point, or at multiple points, I get stuck. It feels like I’ll never figure it out. But I eventually do.

I learned that I need to recognize this getting stuck as a normal part of the process of outlining a script, and stop making up unhelpful stories about myself and my writing ability. Once I understood that, I was able to move forward.

THRILLER SCRIPT

Act 1:

PJ: A scene with Eve doing CIA agent stuff. Let’s see her escape from somewhere and also fight. [This scene introduces Eve and sets up that she is a badass.]

PJ: Eve and Debbie are at a diner on a date. They are clearly in love. Debbie asks Eve a question that she evades. Debbie notes she evaded the question. A waitress who obviously knows them makes a joke about how in love they are.

AJ: Someone is watching them. Who? Why?

PJ: Eve and Debbie are dancing together on the street. They seem delighted with each other. Debbie asks what are you not telling me. Eve evades her again.

AJ: Debbie’s ex-husband attacks Debbie. Eve fights him off and rescues Debbie.

Inciting Incident:

Debbie asks who are you that you can fight like that? Debbie and Eve fight because Eve is secretive. Debbie breaks up with Eve

PJ: At home, Eve sends Debbie texts and leaves vms to reconcile. She apologizes for being secretive and wants to be more open. Her texts go unanswered.

AJ: Someone is watching Eve in her home.

PJ: Eve feels groggy and collapses.

AJ: Eve wakes, feel groggy and realizes she slept a long time. What happened?

PJ: Eve checks her phone. Debbie has not responded to her messages. Eve makes a call to say she’ll be late.

AJ: Eve notices texts she does not remember sending. What happened last night?

Deeper Level: Eve goes to her office. She is a CIA agent.

PJ: Eve tells her co-worker, Julie, that Debbie broke up with her. Julie is supportive. Eve tells her she thinks she was drugged. Julie tells her to get a blood test.

TP 1

AJ: While getting blood drawn, Eve sees a TV news report: Debbie’s been kidnapped.

Act 2:

AJ: Patty, Debbie’s widowed mother, cries on TV, begging the kidnappers to release her daughter.

Debbie is in a small room. She wakes and is groggy. A man wearing a mask enters and tells her she is safe and everything will be fine.

PJ: Eve talks to Julie about Debbie’s kidnapping. Do you think it’s my fault? Could it be someone I investigated? Julie says that was in the past. This is different. Eve wants to go find Debbie herself. Julie suggests she work with the FBI.

AJ: The lead FBI agent, Dirk Wilson, interviews Patty. She gives background on Debbie, 32, teacher, good Christian, divorced.

PJ: Eve goes to Debbie’s house, meets Agent Marra. She tells him she is a CIA agent, she and Debbie are lovers, and last night Debbie’s ex tried to abduct Debbie. He thanks her and says he will investigate the ex-husband. She wants to search Debbie’s house. He won’t allow it.

AJ: Agent Marra brings in Debbie’s ex for questioning. He does not have an alibi. He says he was protecting Debbie from Eve. Protecting?

PJ: Eve comes into the FBI office at their request. She thinks they have info on Debbie. Instead, she meets Agent Wilson who asks her to clear up some confusion.

Deeper layer: Agent Wilson says Patty told them Debbie was dating a man. Eve says Debbie didn’t tell her mother about their relationship. She wouldn’t approve.

AJ: Agent Wilson tells Eve Debbie’s ex said he was protecting Debbie from Eve. Eve does not understand. Agent Wilson shows her a video of Patty’s interview:

Deeper Level: On the tape, Agent Wilson tells Patty that Eve said they were lovers. Patty says that is not true. Eve was stalking Debbie, but Debbie was not interested in a romantic relationship with Eve. She is not homosexual.

Debbie is forced to watch heterosexual porn.

PJ: Eve is stunned and says Patty is lying. She can prove she and Debbie were involved. She looks through her phone but can’t find any pictures with her and Debbie. She does not understand what is happening.

AJ: Agent Wilson shows Eve text messages that Eve sent to Debbie last night. Some of these texts make it appear that Eve was stalking Debbie. Eve recognizes some texts but says she did not send others.

PJ: She says she has a witness, a co-worker. Wilson says she would lie for you. A waitress at a diner she and Debbie frequent.

AJ: The FBI take Eve to the waitress from previous evening. Waitress says she never saw Debbie and Eve together, but in the past, they were at the diner at the same time at separate tables. Eve is devastated.

Midpoint:

FBI arrest Eve for kidnapping Debbie

Act 3:

Deeper level: A man watches a TV report about Eve’s arrest. Who is he?

Eve’s co-worker, Julie, sees the same news report.

Debbie is forced to watch lesbian porn and is given shock therapy during it.

AJ: FBI interrogate Eve. Her GPS shows the previous night she drove to Debbie’s home and then to isolated woods. Did she kill Debbie and dump her body?

PJ: Eve freaks out. She did not kidnap or kill Debbie. She is a CIA agent. If she wanted to kidnap and kill someone, she’d know how to cover her tracks. Obviously, she’s been set up. You’re wasting time. Where is Debbie? Why aren’t you looking for her?

AJ: A man comes to the FBI and says he is Debbie’s boyfriend and she told him a woman was stalking her. He picks Eve out of a lineup.

PJ: Eve tells the agent that she believed she was drugged last night so she had a blood test at the CIA office. If she was drugged, she could not have kidnapped Debbie. Agent Wilson tells Agent Marra to investigate the blood test.

AJ: Agent Wilson asks Patty why Debbie didn’t report the stalking. Patty urged Debbie not to report it because she believed Eve was sick. She encouraged Debbie to pray for Eve instead. Patty cries thinking it was her fault. Wilson comforts her.

Major Reveal: The man who was watching news report of Eve’s arrest comes into the FBI office. He is Eve’s father. He is a famous psychiatrist who promotes using conversion therapy to “cure” queer people.

He tells Wilson and Marra, that when Eve was a teen he forced her into conversion therapy, but she ran away and joined the military. He believes she has mental and emotional problems, but he does not think she could have kidnapped Debbie. She was never violent toward women, but he might knows who kidnapped Debbie.

Major Reveal: Roger says there is a group that kidnaps queer people and puts them through forced conversion therapy. He thinks these people might have kidnapped Debbie. She fits the profile from an ultra-religious family. He thinks they should investigate this group. He gives them information on the group.

Major Reveal: Agent Wilson tells Roger five years ago a woman Eve was involved with was murdered. They never found the killer. Roger is stunned. He asks to see Eve.

Outside of the room with Eve’s father, Agent Wilson tells Marra to look into this group that forced conversion therapy on queer people. Marra says, you’re not serious. I know how you feel about women like her. Wilson says my feelings about women like her have nothing to do with this investigation. We will follow all leads.

PJ: Roger enters the interrogation room. Eve is stunned. She has not seen him in years. He asks her if she kidnapped and killed Debbie. She is angry. She says no. I love her and I want to get out of here to find her. He asks about the woman who was murdered five years ago. She is upset. She thinks that people she was investigating in [Bosnia] killed her.

She accuses him of still hating her for being gay and coming here to finish what he started when she was a teen.

He I don’t think you kidnapped Debbie but I think I know who did.

Debbie is forced to watch porn. During lesbian porn she is shocked. During heterosexual porn. She is given soothing music and messages.

PJ: Julie arrives and is met by Agent Marra. She has the results of a blood test that shows Eve was drugged last night and could not have kidnapped Debbie. Marra says the lab would lie for her. She shows him pictures of herself and Eve and Debbie. She could have photoshopped. Julie asks to see Wilson. Marra refuses. She storms out.

PJ: Eve is stunned. (Roger told her about the group that kidnaps queer people and forces conversion therapy on them). She asks why would they kidnap Debbie? Roger says the family usually asks that the person be kidnapped. Her family?

PJ: Eve tells Agent Wilson she wants to confront Patty. Wilson says Patty is a sweet old Christian lady. Wilson gets a text from a CIA big shot with the results of Eve’s blood test. She was drugged. Eve says this proves she could not have kidnapped Debbie.

PJ: Eve asks again could they go to talk to Patty. He agrees.

AJ: Patty acts like she is a sweet victim. Wilson doesn’t believe Eve.

Turning Point: As they are taking Eve back to jail, she escapes.

Act 4

AJ: FBI chases Eve. She gets away from them.

AJ: kidnappers chases Eve.

PJ: Eve loses the kidnappers then follows them back to where they are holding Debbie.

Debbie is distraught. A man chastises her for not accepting her treatment and taking the next step in her recovery. He shows her lingerie. She shakes in fear.

PJ: Eve rescues Debbie. Debbie is so happy to see Eve.

PJ: Eve contacts the FBI to tell them she found Debbie and is taking her to the hospital. Wilson says there is an ABP out on you. For your safety, we will come get you.

AJ: Agent Marra is the first to show up at the location. He tries to kill both Eve but she shoot him. He is part of the group.

Wilson arrives and Marra says she shot me. Wilson figures out Marra shot first and arrests Marra

PJ: Wilson takes Debbie and Eve to the hospital. Debbie is treated for shock and emotional distress. Eve is treated for her injuries.

Climax:

PJ: Patty arrives and acts innocent and happy to see Debbie. Eve confronts Patty and tricks her into confessing. [HOW DOES SHE TRICK HER?]

Resolution:

Eve and Debbie share a hospital room. Eve asks Debbie to marry her.

HORROR SCRIPT

Act 1

AJ: A patient in a mental hospital violently kills her psychiatrist.

Deeper Level: Reveals a scene from a TV series. They are at an abandoned mental hospital that is on an isolated island accessible only by a drawbridge.

Sybil, the director has an interview with an entertainment news show and reveals she is investigating the murder of a psychiatrist by her patient in 1954. The patient, a black woman, was portrayed as a vicious killer, but her family said she was never violent. She was a kind and gentle woman. Something at the hospital made her kill.

Deeper Level: News reporter says locals report the abandoned hospital is haunted and there was a murder/suicide in 1980. Asks Sybil: Are you sure you want to stay?

PJ: Maeve, Sybil’s wife, arrives on the set and is overcome by a dark energy and faints. When she recovers, she says she is okay but does not mention the dark energy.

AJ: Strange things happen on the set. Animals act funny. No cell phone reception. No wifi. Power goes out.

PJ: The dark energy overwhelms Maeve again. Diana encourage Maeve to say what’s really going on. Maeve tells Diana and Zora she is a psychic and she senses a dark energy and wants to leave. Zora tells her to tell Sybil. She says Sybil won’t believe her and will only lead to a fight. Diana says tell her anyway. You have to stand up to her.

PJ: Maeve tells Sybil about the dark energy and suggests everyone leave. Sybil argues with her and dismisses her experience. Diana encourages Sybil to listen to Maeve.

Turning Point: Zora goes crazy and kills her wife, Diana.

Act 2:

PJ: Maeve suggest they all leave. The dark energy caused the death.

Audrey scoffs, says ridiculous, this is a mental/emotional issue. Sybil agrees with Audrey.

PJ: Maeve, Libby and Regina try to leave. The drawbridge is up and is now inoperable because the power is out. They cannot leave.

Major Reveal: Maeve tells Libby and Regina that she was possessed as a child and had an exorcism. Regina asks how she got free of it.

Flashback: A group of women surround young Maeve with loving energy. One of the women exorcises the spirit from Maeve.

AJ: Zora tries to kill herself. She seems possessed again. They stop her.

PJ: Maeve restates that there is a dark energy and suggests they have a séance. Sybil and Audrey dismiss her.

PJ: Maeve investigates the murder suicide in 1980.

Deep Level: Maeve finds a journal written by a lesbian couple who, in 1980, investigated the murder of the psychiatrist by her patient in 1954. One of them became possessed and killed the other and then wrote that she was going to kill herself.

Midpoint Turning Point: Regina is possessed and murders her wife, Libby.

Act 3:

PJ: Maeve tells everyone that she believes the women were possessed and caused to kill their spouses.

Audrey says there is something wrong with Maeve. She’s delusional. Sybil agrees and says Maeve wants attention.

Deep Reveal: Alison, Audrey’s wife, tells everyone that Audrey and Sybil are having and affair and that’s why Audrey is saying there is something wrong with Maeve.

Audrey and Alison fight.

PJ: Maeve confronts Sybil about their relationship. They fight and break up.

AJ: Audrey is possessed and kills her wife Alison.

PJ: Maeve has a séance. She wants to reach the spirit of the patient who murdered her doctor. She believes she is possessing the women and forcing them to kill.

AJ: Maeve has trouble reaching the patient/murderer. She feels the dark energy come between them.

PJ: Maeve sends loving energy to the spirit of the patient/murderer, and she comes through and tells Maeve the truth.

Flashback to what really happened. The evil psychiatrist is using electric shock therapy on her patient. The woman is screaming in pain. The doctor laughs and says horrible things to her about being queer. The nurse tries to stop it. The doctor pushes her away. The patient’s hair gives off smoke. The nurse sets her free. The patient stabs the doctor to death and then thanks the nurse for saving her.

Deep Layer: The woman murdered her doctor because the doctor was “treating” her for being queer, but was really torturing her. She hates lesbians. And she, not the patient, has been possessing the women and forcing them to kill their own wives. It’s double horror for the women and double pleasure for her.

Turning Point:

AJ: Maeve feels herself being possessed.

Act 4:

PJ: Maeve asks the survivors to help her by sending her loving energy. She fights off the ghost of the evil psychiatrist and does not allow it to possess her. It shows itself. It is ugly and angry.

AJ: The ghost possesses Sybil.

Climax

PJ: Maeve, Zora, Regina and Audrey surround Sybil with loving energy. Maeve exorcises the spirit from Sybil. It is gone.

Resolution:

The power comes back on.

Maeve gets the survivors together, Sybil, Zora, Regina and Audrey, and gets them off the island.

The power comes back.

Sybil got her story

Sybil apologizes and asks Maeve to forgive her.

Maeve forgives her but does not want to get back together. She is no longer under Sybil’s thumb.

What are we going to tell the authorities? Don’t know.

[Sybil smiles. She is still possessed.]

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Beat Sheet – Draft 1

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

WHAT I LEARNED: This is so not perfect. But I’ve learned to not expect perfection. That simply paralyzes me. Instead, I am creating what I can create today, and moving forward, trusting that I can and will elevate my outline in future assignments.

THRILLER SCRIPT

Act 1:

PJ: Eve and Debbie are at a diner on a date. They are clearly in love. A waitress who obviously knows them makes a joke about how in love they are.

AJ: Someone is watching them. Who? Why?

PJ: Eve and Debbie are dancing together on the street, and Debbie’s ex-husband tries to abduct Debbie. Eve fights him off and rescues Debbie.

Inciting Incident:

PJ: Debbie and Eve fight because Eve is secretive. Debbie breaks up with Eve

PJ: Eve sends Debbie texts and leaves vms trying to reconcile. They go unanswered.

AJ: Eve feels groggy and collapses.

AJ: Eve wakes and realizes she slept a long time and was probably drugged. She checks her email and phone to see if Debbie has responded. She has not. Eve notices texts she does not remember sending. What happened last night?

PJ: Eve goes to her office and tells her co-worker that she thinks she was drugged. She tells her that Debbie broke up with her. Her co-worker is supportive.

TP 1

AJ: Eve sees a TV news report that Debbie has been kidnapped.

Act 2:

AJ: Patty cries on TV, begging kidnappers to return her daughter safely.

PJ: Eve meets the FBI and tells them that she and Debbie are lovers, and last night Debbie’s ex tried to abduct her.

Deeper layer: FBI say that her mother told them that Debbie was engaged to a man. Eve says Debbie didn’t tell her mother about their relationship.

AJ: The FBI bring in Debbie’s ex for questioning. He does not have an alibi. He says he was protecting Debbie from Eve.

AJ: Patty tells FBI that Eve was stalking Debbie, not dating.

Deeper level: FBI confront Eve with Patty’s charges and Eve denies them. She can prove she and Debbie were involved. She looks through her pictures and she can’t find any with Debbie. She does not understand what is happening.

AJ: The FBI guy shows her texts she sent to Debbie last night. Some of them she sent, but some she did not. These texts make it appear that Eve was stalking Debbie.

PJ: She says she has a witness, a waitress at a diner she and Debbie frequent.

AJ: The FBI take her to the waitress from previous evening. Waitress says she never saw Debbie and Eve together, but thy were there at the same time at separate tables.

Midpoint:

FBI arrest Eve for kidnapping Debbie

Act 3:

AJ: FBI interrogate Eve as if she is the kidnapper. In addition to the texts that Eve does not remember, The agent shows Eve her GPS that shows the previous night Eve drove from her home to Debbie’s home and then to the middle of isolated woods. What was she doing there? Did she kill Debbie and dump her body?

PJ: Eve freaks out. She did not kidnap or kill Debbie. She is a CIA agent. If I were going to kidnap and kill someone, I’d know how to cover my tracks. Obviously, she’s been set up.

Deeper level: A man watches a TV report about Eve being arrested for kidnapping Debbie.

AJ: A man comes to the FBI and says he is Debbie’s fiancé and she told him a woman was stalking her. He picks Eve out of a lineup.

PJ: Eve tells the agent that she believed she was drugged last night so she had a blood test at the CIA office. That will prove she was drugged. Agent asks why would her mother and this man lie? Eve says she does not know.

AJ: the agent goes back to Debbie’s mother and asks why didn’t Debbie report the stalking? Patty encouraged Debbie not to report it because she believed Eve was sick. She encouraged Debbie to pray for Eve instead. Patty cries thinking it was all her fault. Agent comforts her.

Major Reveal: The man who was watching news report of Eve’s arrest comes into the FBI office. He is Eve’s father. He is a famous psychiatrist who promotes using conversion therapy to “cure” queer people. He reveals that when Eve was a teen, he forced her into conversion therapy, but it did not work. She ran away and joined the military.

Major Reveal: FBI agent asks Roger if he thinks Eve could have kidnapped and killed Debbie. He says he is not sure. Agent tells him that a woman Eve dated died mysteriously. Roger is stunned.

The agent asks Roger if he would talk to Eve and find out what happened to Debbie. Roger agrees.

PJ: Roger enters the interrogation room. It appears that he believes Eve is guilty. Eve is frustrated and upset, because no one is looking for Debbie.

Deeper Level: Roger tells Eve there is a group that kidnaps queer people and puts them through forced conversion therapy. He thinks these people might have kidnapped Debbie.

He gives her some info on finding them. She asks, but why would they kidnap Debbie? He says usually family members ask these people to kidnap their queer relative and convert them. Eve is stunned. Her family?

Turning Point: Roger helps Eve escape.

Act 4

PJ: FBI chases Eve. She gets away from them.

AJ: kidnappers chases Eve. She gets away from them.

PJ: Eve follows the kidnappers back to where they are holding Debbie.

PJ: Eve breaks into the hiding place and rescues Debbie.

PJ: Eve contacts the FBI to tell them she found Debbie. Debbie tells the FBI Eve had nothing to do with the kidnapping. Take Debbie to the hospital

PJ: Eve tells the FBI that Patty may have been involved.

PJ: The FBI, Eve and Debbie

Climax:

PJ: Eve confronts Patty and tricks her into confessing.

Resolution:

Eve asks Debbie to marry her.

HORROR SCRIPT

Act 1

AJ: A patient in a mental hospital violently kills her psychiatrist.

Deeper Level: Sybil has an interview with an entertainment TV news show and reveals that she is investigating the murder of a psychiatrist by her patient in the 1950s.

Deeper Level: News person says that locals report the abandoned hospital is haunted and there was a murder suicide in 1980.

PJ: Maeve, Sybil’s wife, is overcome by a dark energy and faints. When she recovers she says she is okay but does not mention the dark energy. Diana tells Maeve she is not telling the truth and encourages her to say what’s on her mind.

AJ: Strange things happen on the set.

PJ: The dark energy overwhelms Maeve again and she tells Sybil they should leave right away. Sybil argues with her and dismisses her experience.

AJ: Zora goes crazy and kills her wife, Diana.

Act 2:

PJ: Maeve suggest they all leave. The dark energy caused the death.

Audrey scoffs, says ridiculous, this is a mental/emotional issue. Sybil agrees with Audrey.

PJ: Maeve, Libby and Regina try to leave. The bridge is out They cannot leave.

AJ: Zora tries to kill herself. She seems possessed again.

PJ: Maeve restates that there is a dark energy and suggests they have a séance. Sybil dismisses her.

PJ: Maeve investigates the murder suicide in 1980.

Deep Level: Maeve learns that in 1980 a lesbian couple investigated the murder in 1950 and one of them killed the other and then herself.

Midpoint Turning Point:

AJ: Regina is possessed and murders her wife, Libby.

Act 3:

PJ: Maeve tells everyone that she believes the women were possessed and caused to kill their spouses.

Audrey tells Eve there is something wrong with her. She’s delusional. Sybil agrees and says Maeve wants attention.

Alison, Audrey’s wife, tells everyone that Audrey and Sybil are having and affair and that’s why Audrey is saying there is something wrong with Maeve.

Audrey and Alison fight.

PJ: Maeve confronts Sybil about their relationship. They fight and eventually break up.

AJ: Audrey is possessed and kills her wife Alison.

PJ: Maeve has a séance.

AJ: The ghost of the evil psychiatrist tries to prevent Maeve from communicating with the ghost of the woman who murdered the evil psychiatrist, but is unsuccessful.

PJ: The ghost of the murderer comes through and tells Maeve the truth.

Deep Layer: The woman murdered her doctor because she was torturing her for being queer, and the ghost of the psychiatrist, not the patient, has been possessing the women and forcing them to kill their own wives.

Flashback to what really happened.

Turning Point:

AJ: Maeve feels herself being possessed.

Act 4:

PJ: Maeve fights off the ghost of the evil psychiatrist and exorcises it from within herself.

Climax

AJ: The ghost possesses Sybil. Maeve battles the ghost and gets rid of it for good.

Resolution:

Maeve saves Sybil from the ghost. The ghost goes to hell. Maeve and Sybil get back together.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Deeper Layer!

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

WHAT I LEARNED: I don’t know if I am doing this right or not, but I am doing it anyway. I’ve dropped perfectionism and I’m taking the next right step whether it is working or not.

HORROR SCRIPT

Surface Layer: Story about a doctor whose patient killed her

Deeper Layer: The doctor tortured the patient because she was a lesbian

Major Reveal: The ghost of the doctor is possessing the lesbians and forcing them to kill their wives

Influences Surface Story: The doctor brought on her own demise.

Hints: Record of murder/suicide in 1980

Changes Reality: Now a story about possession

THRILLER SCRIPT

Surface Layer: Debbie has been kidnapped

Deeper Layer: Debbie’s mother kidnapped her to force her into conversion therapy, then framed Eve for the kidnapping

Major Reveal: Eve was forced into conversion therapy by her father when she was a teen

Influences Surface Story: Eve rescues Debbie and their relationship

Hints: Debbie’s mother lies about Debbie’s relationship with Eve

Changes Reality: Now a story about persecution of queer people

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Character Structure

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

WHAT I LEARNED: Just take the next right step and everything will unfold. It doesn’t have to be perfect today. I can elevate it at any point.

HORROR SCRIPT

Protagonist: Maeve

Beginning: Maeve starts out in hiding mode. She senses a dark energy on the movie set, but does not tell Sybil, or anyone, right away. When weird things start happening on set, she tells Sybil but does not argue when Sybil dismisses her and her intuitions.

Middle: Maeve states clearly what she is sensing and ask people to listen to her and follow her advice. She is attacked by some in the group.

End: Maeve does not ask people to follow her, she steps in as leader whether they like it or not.

Beginning: Horrifying scene of a patient murdering her doctor. It turns out to be a scene from the movie they are shooting.

Inciting Incident: Maeve senses a dark energy on the set. She tells Sybil, but Sybil dismisses her.

Turning Point: The first woman is possessed and kills her own wife.

Act 2:

Maeve tells Sybil that there is an evil spirit and wants everyone to leave.

Plan in action: Sybil does not believe her and she and the consultant psychiatrist approach it as a mental/emotional issues

Maeve tries to leave and the bridge is out.

Maeve investigates the murder suicide in 1980.

Midpoint Turning Point: Second woman is possessed and murders her wife.

Act 3:

Rethink everything: Maeve believes the women were possessed and caused to kill their spouses.

New plan: she has a séance to investigate who the spirit is. Learns that it is the ghost of the psychiatrist, not the patient who murdered her.

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Maeve feels herself being possessed.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: The ghost of the evil psychiatrist possesses Maeve’s wife, Sybil. Maeve battles the ghost and gets rid of it for good.

Resolution: Maeve saves Sybil from the ghost

Antagonist: Ghost of Evil Psychiatrist

Beginning: Tortures her queer patients in the 1950s. Is murdered by one of the patients she tortured. Later, learns that Sybil wants to investigate the story of her murder.

Middle: Tortures the lesbians on the movie set by possessing the women, one at a time, and forcing each to kill her own wife.

End: Battles Maeve twice, once when she tries to possess Maeve, and once when she posses Maeve’s wife. She loses and Maeve sends her to hell.

Beginning: Murdered by her patient that she tortured.

Inciting Incident: Learns Sybil wants to investigate the true story of her murder.

Turning Point 1: Possesses the first woman and has her kill her wife.

Act 2:

Terrorizes the women. Causes the first possessed woman to kill herself. Prevents Maeve from leaving.

Turning Point 2 / Midpoint: Possesses the second woman and forces her to kill her wife.

Act 3:

Terrorizes the women. Tries to stop Maeve from learning the truth.

Turning Point 3: Possesses Maeve.

Act 4 Climax:

Possesses Maeve’s wife and battles Maeve and loses.

Resolution: She goes to hell.

THRILLER SCRIPT

Protagonist: Eve

Beginning: Hesitant to make a commitment to Debbie

Middle: Commits to finding Debbie

End: Asks Debbie to marry her

Act 1:

Beginning: Eve and Debbie are together

Inciting Incident: Debbie and Eve fight. Debbie breaks up with Eve

Turning Point: Eve discovers Debbie is missing.

Act 2:

New plan: find Debbie.

Plan in action: She tells the FBI that Debbie’s ex-husband tried to abduct Debbie last night and she saved her. Tells FBI that she and Debbie were lovers.

They bring the exhusband in for questioning.

The FBI then asks Eve questions as if she is a suspect

Midpoint Turning Point: FBI arrest Eve for kidnapping Debbie

Act 3:

Rethink everything: who kidnapped Debbie and is framing Eve?

New plan: Get out of jail. Find Debbie herself. This looks personal to Eve,

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Eve discovers that there is a domestic terrorist group that kidnaps queer people and forces them into conversion therapy and it is likely that they kidnapped Debbie.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Eve battles the kidnappers and rescues Debbie.

Resolution: Debbie’s mother is arrested for arranging the kidnapping. Debbie is in hospital recovering. Eve asks Debbie to marry her.

Antagonist: Patty

Beginning: Patty is a sobbing mother who’s daughter has been kidnapped.

Middle: She lies about Eve and Debbie’s relationship.

End: She is arrested for kidnapping Debbie.

Beginning: [OFF SCREEN] Debbie tells Patty that she is in a relationship with Eve. Patty is stunned and upset because of her religious beliefs.

Inciting Incident: [OFF SCREEN] Debbie tells Patty that she and Eve are serious and will probably get married.

[OFF SCREEN] Patty makes a plan to kidnap Debbie and frame Eve for the kidnapping.

Turning Point 1: [OFF SCREEN] Patty’s people kidnap Debbie to put her through conversion therapy

Act 2:

Patty plays the despondent mother card.

Patty tells the FBI that Debbie was not dating Eve, but Eve was stalking Debbie.

She says that Debbie was dating a man.

She has a man go to the FBI and say he has been dating Debbie.

Turning Point 2 / Midpoint: FBI arrest Eve.

Act 3:

Tells FBI that she told Debbie not to report the stalking but instead pray for Eve because she was troubled.

[OFFSCREEN] She has people threaten the waitress so she will lie to the FBI about Debbie and Eve.

Turning Point 3: Patty sends her people to kill Eve.

Act 4 Climax: Her people tell her that Eve has rescued Debbie. She runs.

Resolution: She is caught by the FBI and arrested for kidnapping Debbie.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Supporting Characters

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

What I learned: I love this tool for supporting characters. It really helps me focus in on why this character is in my story, which will help me with the character and with the story.

THRILLER SCRIPT

Supporting Characters: Debbie, Eve’s girlfriend, and Henry, Eve’s father

Background Characters: Patrons at club when Eve and Debbie are on a date, Police, FBI agents in investigation, kidnappers

Support 1:

Name: Debbie

Role: Eve’s girlfriend who gets kidnapped

Main purpose: She is the pivotal character in the story. She is the character who forces Eve to change. When Debbie is kidnapped, Eve goes on her journey to rescue Debbie

Value: She shows us that Eve is loveable and then demands that Eve be a good partner. She pushes Eve to be her best self.

Support 2:

Name: Roger

Role: Eve’s father

Main purpose: To provide Eve’s backstory so we understand what happened to Eve as a teen and why Debbie’s kidnapping brings back Eve’s wounds

Value: Provides a major twist. We think he is working against Eve, but he gives Eve crucial information to find Debbie and helps Eve escape.

HORROR SCRIPT

Supporting Characters: Six other women on the movie set, the woman with the disabled car, the Entertainment News Anchor

Background Characters: None

Support 1:

Name: Audrey

Role: Psychiatric Consultant on the movie

Main purpose: To create conflict with Maeve. She disagrees with Maeve’s assessment that there is an evil spirit on the set. Also, she is secretly having an affair with Maeve’s wife.

Value: She provides the traditional POV of a psychiatrist.

Support 2:

Name: Alison

Role: Actress in the movie playing the evil psychiatrist.

Main purpose: To create conflict between Maeve and Sybil. She is Audrey’s wife, and she suspects Audrey and Sybil are having an affair.

Value: Provides general chaos in the horror story so it is difficult for people to band together and fight the ghost.

Support 3:

Name: Regina

Role: Actress/comic who plays the murderous patient in the movie.

Main purpose: She knows everyone’s secrets. She can provide exposition.

Value: To provide comic relief in this horror story

Support 4:

Name: Libby

Role: Actress. Plays the nurse in the movie.

Main purpose: Supports Maeve’s position. Acts as a sounding board.

Value: Does not know anyone’s secrets so will ask questions. Exposition.

Support 5:

Name: Zora

Role: Director of photography.

Main purpose: To try and get Sybil to listen to Maeve.

Value: The only one Sybil will listen to.

Support 6:

Name: Diana

Role: Caterer on movie.

Main purpose: Gets Maeve to stand up to Sybil and tell what she feels.

Value: Maternal woman who is kind to everyone, so we immediately like her. She is the first to die and we are upset because we like her.

Support 7:

Name: Marilyn

Role: Woman in disabled care that Maeve helps

Main purpose: To show us that Maeve is kind, and to warn Maeve not to go to the movie set in the abandoned mental hospital because it is haunted.

Value: Gets us to both like Maeve and be concerned for her.

Support 8:

Name: Bethany

Role: Entertainment News Anchor

Main purpose: To interview Sybil on Skype and provide background.

Value: Allows us to see why Sybil is passionate about this movie.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Character Profiles Part 2

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

What I learned: It’s okay to have blanks. Just keep moving forward and trust that I will discover what I need to know when I need to know it.

HORROR SCRIPT: Maeve, Protagonist

A. The High Concept.

When an evil ghost possesses the lesbians on an isolated movie set, forcing each woman to kill her own spouse, a timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

B. This character’s journey.

Hiding in the the shadows as director’s wife to saving the group from the evil ghost.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

Goes from a timid woman to a total badass. She destroys a ghost who has possessed three other women and caused them to kill their own wives. It possesses her and she exorcises it while it is inside her. She’s a badass horror hero. She rescues herself, her wife and three other women.

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

She immediately senses a dark energy at the location and realizes there is something wrong. She is smarter than everyone else. She is the only one with psychic powers. She is the one who outwits and destroys the ghost.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

She communicates with the dead. She tries to stop a possessed women from murdering her wife. She uncovers the truth about the ghost and figures out how to get rid of it. While she is possessed, she exorcises a ghost from inside her.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

See her on the movie set experiencing the dark energy. Is she crazy or experiencing something that exists? Or both? We don’t know.

What could be this character’s emotional range

Timid in the beginning, does not want to rock the boat. But gradually becomes more assertive as the threat of the ghost increases. Then she confronts her wife and takes charge and becomes a total badass.

What subtext can the actor play?

Initially she does not want to rock the boat and hides what she is feeling and experiencing. She hides herself, her true self.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With the ghost. She is at first frightened of it. And then battles it and loses. And then finds the strength to defeat it.

With her wife. They are stuck in a pattern of Sybil being dominant and Maeve timid. In the beginning they play out this pattern. But as the story moves on and the situation becomes more and more dangerous, Maeve breaks out of that pattern.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

She can see through people. She knows what they are really feeling and thinking.

What could make this character special and unique?

The only psychic in a story about being possessed by a ghost. She exorcises a ghost while it is inside her.

Role in the Story:

Psychic who knows something is wrong and winds up fighting the ghost

Age range and Description:

28-34, attractive black lesbian on the femme side

Core Traits:

Hidden, clever, psychic superpowers, compassionate

Motivation; Want/Need:

Wants to get her wife to leave this place, needs to embrace her power

Wound:

Was possessed as a child and her parents blamed her because she is psychic.

Likability: She stops her car to help a woman with car trouble. people on set happy to see her; wife loves her; She brings food and gifts to the set. She is kind to someone. People like her.

Relatability: conflicts with her wife;

Empathy: She is freaked out by the evil energy she experiences. Wife breaks up with her; later her wife is possessed and then she is possessed.

Character Subtext:

Hiding her psychic powers; being polite so people will like her

Character Intrigue:

Secret identity: Hides that she is a psychic

Hidden would: hides that she was possessed as a child and her parents blamed her.

Flaw:

Undervalues herself: Goes along with what her wife and the other women say because she wants to be liked.

Values:

Despite the struggles she has with her wife, her marriage is the most important thing to her

Character Dilemma:

People pleasing versus being independent

HORROR SCRIPT: Sybil, Triangle

A. The High Concept.

When the ghost of an evil psychiatrist possesses the lesbians on an isolated movie set, forcing each woman to kill her own spouse, a timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

B. This character’s journey.

From overbearing director/wife to accepting Maeve’s power and following her.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

She’s a larger-than-life character with a big ego. She is a creative genius, and award-winning director and actress. She dominates the conversations and scenes. She is also an actress and portrays the evil psychiatrist who tortures queer people in the movie she is making.

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

Her commitment to telling the true story of why a lesbian murdered her psychiatrist

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

Her character is a larger than life director who would be fun to portray. She also is an actress in the movie and portrays an evil psychiatrist who tortures her queer patients. Then she is possessed, and she tries to kill her wife. She goes completely insane.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

She portrays an evil psychiatrist in the movie and she is torturing her patient, and the patient kills her. Then calls “Cut” and we learn she is shooting a movie.

What could be this character’s emotional range

From controlling and domineering, to terrified and helpless, needing to be rescued.

What subtext can the actor play?

With Maeve, acting as if she is concerned about Maeve’s welfare when she wants to control Maeve. In front of the others, acting like she and Maeve have a good relationship and she is NOT a domineering bitch.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With Maeve. They have a complicated relationship that has a power struggle at it’s core, but they also love each other. Both the power conflict and the love can show up at the same time.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

Through her role as the director, she gets to tell people what to do. She exposes who she is in this role.

What could make this character special and unique?

As a director, she tells a compelling story. As an actress, she portrays the villain, the evil psychiatrist, in her movie. Then outside of the movie, she is possessed by the real ghost of the evil psychiatrist.

Role in the Story:

Director of the film and Maeve’s domineering wife

Age range and Description:

42-48, tall, attractive black woman on the butch side

Core Traits:

Domineering, brilliant, self-absorbed, bold

Motivation; Want/Need:

Wants to make a movie, needs to accept others for who they are

Wound:

????

Likability: Praises actresses after their work; the cast loves her; She is a brilliant director; she is a great actress; she does something nice for someone; she has a project to reclaim the good name of a lesbian who was defamed.

Relatability: problems with her wife;

Empathy: breaking up with her wife; later she is possessed

7. Character Subtext:

She hides what she knows to control people.

8. Character Intrigue:

Is having an affair with one of the actresses and plans on breaking up with Maeve.

9. Flaw:

Over-confidence: She believes she is always right and does not heed Maeve’s warnings

10. Values:

Power and success. She wants to be the best in Hollywood.

11. Character Dilemma:

Being powerful versus being loved. She know that her constant drive for power pushes Maeve away.

HORROR SCRIPT: Ghost, Antagonist

A. The High Concept.

When the ghost of an evil psychiatrist possesses the lesbians on an isolated movie set, forcing each woman to kill her own spouse, a timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

B. This character’s journey.

No journey. Remains evil from beginning to end

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

She is a ghost and does not appear in human form, so there will be no actress portraying her that we want to attract, except for the actress who portrays Sybil.

Role in the Story:

Evil ghost who possesses lesbians and forces them to kill their wives.

Age range and Description:

Was 48 when she died, is now an evil spirit.

Core Traits:

Evil, revengeful, supernatural powers

Motivation; Want/Need:

To torture and kill as many lesbians as possible

Needs to stop killing people!

Wounds:

1) When she was alive, she was a lesbian and was persecuted for it, so she persecuted her gay patients. 2) Was murdered by a lesbian patient she tortured and now in death, she wants revenge

Likability: she isn’t likeable. She is an evil ghost who kills people

Relatability: not relatable.

Empathy: was persecuted for being a lesbian when she was a teen; was murdered by her patient.

Character Subtext:

When she was alive, acting as if she was helping her patients when she was torturing them.

Character Intrigue:

When she was alive she was caught with a woman when she was a teen and was abused by her family. Decided to abuse other lesbians.

Flaw:

Overdoing things: She up her “treatment” of queer people from discomfort to torture.

Values:

Revenge

Character Dilemma:

Being attracted to women and wanting to torture them.

THRILLER SCRIPT: Eve, Protagonist

A. The High Concept.

When she is framed for kidnapping her girlfriend, an intrepid CIA agent must outwit the FBI and the kidnappers before her girlfriend is forced into heterosexual conversion therapy.

B. This character’s journey.

From unable to commit to Debbie, to risking her life to rescue Debbie and asking Debbie to marry her.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

Lesbian thriller hero who outwits everyone and rescues her kidnapped girlfriend

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

She struggles to commit to the woman she loves, but then does commit; she goes all out to save her girlfriend, even risking her freedom and even her life; she outwits the FBI and the kidnappers who hold her girlfriend; She has serious issues from early life that come back to haunt her.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

Escaping from the FBI; facing her father who terrorized her as a teenager and forced her into conversion therapy; rescuing her girlfriend from kidnappers; fighting off someone who tries to attack her girlfriend.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

Show her and her girlfriend together on a date and in love. But someone is watching them, filming them. Who? Why? And then someone tries to attack her girlfriend and she defends and protects her.

What could be this character’s emotional range

Emotionally shut down, to terrified for herself and her girlfriend, to courageously facing her fears to save her girlfriend, to being open and loving and committing to her girlfriend.

What subtext can the actor play?

She hides her feelings with her girlfriend, Debbie, in the beginning and she does not tell Debbie she is a CIA agent; she is not upfront with Debbie’s mother about the nature of their relationship when Debbie first goes missing; She withholds information from the FBI and police even as she asked them for help finding Debbie.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With Debbie. She clearly loves her and puts her life on the line for her, but she is not honest.

With her father – he abused her as a teen and she ran away from him. He is still overbearing, yet she faces him and does not run away. They banter like equals.

With the FBI agent in charge of Debbie’s kidnapping. It’s complicated. He disapproves of her because she is a lesbian and she does not trust him, yet he respects her and eventually has a hard time believing she kidnapped Debbie. He helps clear her name.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

Her actions, she demonstrates her love for Debbie when she escapes from FBI custody and rescues Debbie; her hesitancy demonstrates the emotional difficulty she has expressing herself and her feelings, yet she does express herself. Her ability to stand up to people, especially her father.

What could make this character special and unique?

Lesbian thriller hero who rescues her girlfriend from kidnappers; survived forced conversion therapy.

Role in the Story:

CIA agent and Debbie’s girlfriend

Age range and Description:

38-48, white woman in excellent physical condition. Short hair. Can fight.

Core Traits:

Guarded, brave, driven, loyal

Motivation; Want/Need:

Wants to find Debbie; needs to open her heart and trust Debbie

Wound:

1) She was forced into heterosexual conversion therapy as a teen. 2) Her girlfriend was murdered several years ago and she has not been able to commit to a woman since then.

Likability: Her girlfriend Debbie loves her; She does something nice for a stranger in the disco (maybe the waitress?); She defends Debbie when a man attacks her.

Relatability: She is in love with Debbie;

Empathy: Debbie breaks up with her and she is devastated; later on she learns that Debbie has been kidnapped and she is devastated, and then she is arrested and being framed for Debbie’s kidnapping. Later we learn that she was forced into conversion therapy as a teen and it traumatized her.

Character Subtext:

Hiding/Secrets: She hides that she is a CIA agent, that she was forced into conversion therapy as a teen, that her father is a famous psychologist who advocates conversion therapy for gay people, that her last lover was murdered.

Character Intrigue:

Hiding/Secrets: She hides that she is a CIA agent, that she was forced into conversion therapy as a teen, that her father is a famous psychologist who advocates conversion therapy for gay people, that her last lover was murdered.

Flaw:

Facing her past

Values:

Loyalty, commitment

Character Dilemma:

Wanting commitment versus fear of getting too close

THRILLER SCRIPT: Patty, Antagonist

A. The High Concept.

When she is framed for kidnapping her girlfriend, an intrepid CIA agent must outwit the FBI and the kidnappers before her girlfriend is forced into heterosexual conversion therapy.

B. This character’s journey.

No real journey, we just learn the truth aboaut her. She pretends to be a victim because her daughter was kidnapped, but she is the one who kidnapped her and tried to frame Eve.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

A mother who is distraught because her daughter has been kidnapped, but the truth is, she arranged for her daughter to be kidnapped and forced into heterosexual conversion therapy, and to frame her daughter’s girlfriend for the kidnapping.

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

She is a fantastic liar! She acts like the poor widow, mother of the kidnapped young woman pleading for her safe return, when all along she is the wicked mother who arranged for her daughter to be kidnapped and forced into conversion therapy, as well as frame Eve for the kidnapping.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

Goes on TV and pleads for her daughter’s safe return; talks to the FBI as if she doesn’t know very much but is cleverly giving them information to frame Eve; uses the FBI as stooges to set up Eve for the kidnapping and leave no room for them to believe she kidnapped her daughter.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

She is on TV pleading for the safe return of her daughter. Meanwhile, she is the one who arranged for her to be kidnapped.

What could be this character’s emotional range

From sobbing mother of a kidnapped young woman to steely cold-blooded woman who would kidnap her own daughter, subject her to forced conversion therapy, and then frame someone else for the kidnapping.

What subtext can the actor play?

She lies at every turn. She tells the FBI she knows nothing about the kidnapping when she arranged for her daughter to be kidnapped. She acts as if she is heartbroken when in fact she was angry at her daughter for being in a relationship with a woman; she lies to the FBI and frames Eve for the kidnapping.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With the FBI agent in charge of the case that she leads around like a show pony; with Eve, who she despises and blames for her daughter’s demise, but acts as if she is concerned about Eve; with her son that she tries to control when he won’t lie to the FBI.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

Through her remarkable ability to lie, to pretend to be one person when she is another.

What could make this character special and unique?

Her incredible ability to lie and change who she is. Also, a woman who would arrange to have her own daughter kidnapped and forced into conversion therapy.

Role in the Story:

Mother of kidnapped Debbie who secretly kidnapped Debbie and framed Eve for the kidnapping

Age range and Description:

55-65 white woman, good physical condition, ultra conservative Christian

Core Traits:

Schemer, religious hypocrite, heartless, false charm.

Motivation; Want/Need:

Wants to kill or imprison Eve, and force Debbie to be heterosexual. Needs to accept her daughter for who she is.

Wound:

When she was a child, her mother discovered that her father was gay and it destroyed her family. She has hated gay people since then.

Likability: She is kind to the FBI agents and offers them refreshments, even though she is distraught; her pastor joins her and tells the press what a wonderful woman she is. People in her parish come to support her and tell the media how wonderful she is.

Relatability: A widow; lost her son

Empathy: Her daughter has been kidnapped and she is devastated.

Character Subtext:

Potting – Patty plots to kidnap her daughter, frame Eve and force her daughter into conversion therapy

Character Intrigue:

In a conspiracy to kidnap her daughter, frame Eve and force her daughter into conversion therapy

Flaw:

Over-confident and assumes she will be able to pull off her plot

Values:

Having her daughter, and the world, live by her extreme Christian values.

Character Dilemma:

Need to control her daughter’s behavior with her need to have her daughter love her.

THRILLER SCRIPT: FBI Agent, Triangle character

A. The High Concept.

When she is framed for kidnapping her girlfriend, an intrepid CIA agent must outwit the FBI and the kidnappers before her girlfriend is forced into heterosexual conversion therapy.

B. This character’s journey.

From believing that Eve kidnapped Debbie and killed her, to realizing that Eve was framed and trying to save Eve and Debbie

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

FBI agent who initially is unsympathetic and prejudiced toward a lesbian who’s lover has been kidnapped, to seeing that the lesbian was framed and then helping save her and her kidnapped girlfriend.

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

He starts out in a stereotypical role, supportive of the dear old widow who’s daughter has been kidnapped, and unsympathetic to the kidnapped women’s lesbian lover, yet overcomes his prejudiced mindset because he finds evidence that suggests the lover is being framed. He follows the evidence and finds the truth, that the widow had her daughter kidnapped and the lesbian lover is the only one desperate to find her.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

Not sure yet

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

Not sure yet

What could be this character’s emotional range

Kind and compassionate to smug and unpleasant to ruthless in the pursuit of truth.

What subtext can the actor play?

When he thinks that Eve kidnapped Debbie but does not let her know that, he pursues a line of questioning that could trap Eve. Similarly, when he suspects the mother of the kidnapping, her asks her further questions and tries to trip her up.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With Eve. It’s complicated. He disapproves of her because she is a lesbian, yet he respects her and eventually has a hard time believing she kidnapped Debbie. He helps clear her name.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

Through his investigation. He is in pursuit of the truth. The questions he asks and how he asks them reveal who he is.

What could make this character special and unique?

Not sure yet.

Role in the Story:

FBI Agent leading the investigation of Debbie’s kidnapping.

Age range and Description:

55-65, balding white man in good physical condition

Core Traits:

Just, prejudiced, persistent, astute

Motivation; Want/Need:

Wants to solve the case. Needs to see Eve and Patty for who they are and not through his prejudiced mindset.

Wound:

Not sure yet. Maybe he lost a child?

Likability: He is kind to Patty when her daughter Debbie is kidnap; he is respectful of Eve even though he does not feel comfortable with gay people. He is driven to find Debbie, genuinely concerned for Debbie’s safety. He is kind to the people who work under him.

Relatability: His boss is on top of him; He wants to find Debbie. He wants to be great at his job with dogged persistence.

Empathy: He loses one of his team.

Character Subtext:

FBI agent who employs deceit while investigating and interviewing.

Character Intrigue:

FBI agent with a bias against gay people.

Flaw:

Allows his personal prejudices to affect his investigation.

Values:

Discovering the truth in investigating

Character Dilemma:

Wants to be impartial yet believes gay people are untrustworthy

• This reply was modified 2 years, 11 months ago by  CLAIRE RILEY.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Character Profiles Part 1

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

What I learned: I like the idea of first simply fill in the blanks. It takes the pressure off to be perfect. Then I can go back and elevate each item.

Initially, I did not put the evil ghost from my horror story as a character because she is not a living person but a ghost. But she is the antagonist and a powerful force in the story, so I need to understand who she is and why she is doing what she is doing. I adapted the tool accordingly. It’s okay to leave blanks or say I don’t know yet. I don’t have to be perfect today. I trust that the information will come to me when I need it.

HORROR SCRIPT: Maeve, Protagonist

A. The High Concept.

When an evil ghost possesses the lesbians on an isolated movie set, forcing each woman to kill her own spouse, a timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

B. This character’s journey.

Hiding in the shadows as director’s wife to saving the group from the evil ghost.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

Goes from a timid woman to a total badass. She destroys a ghost who has possessed three other women and caused them to kill their own wives. It possesses her and she exorcises it while it is inside her. She’s a badass horror hero. She rescues herself, her wife and three other women.

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

She immediately senses a dark energy at the location and realizes there is something wrong. She is smarter than everyone else. She is the only one with psychic powers. She is the one who outwits and destroys the ghost.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

She communicates with the dead. She tries to stop a possessed women from murdering her wife. She uncovers the truth about the ghost and figures out how to get rid of it. While she is possessed, she exorcises a ghost from inside her.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

See her on the movie set experiencing the dark energy. Is she crazy or experiencing something that exists? Or both? We don’t know.

What could be this character’s emotional range

Timid in the beginning, does not want to rock the boat. But gradually becomes more assertive as the threat of the ghost increases. Then she confronts her wife and takes charge and becomes a total badass.

What subtext can the actor play?

Initially she does not want to rock the boat and hides what she is feeling and experiencing. She hides herself, her true self.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With the ghost. She is at first frightened of it. And then battles it and loses. And then finds the strength to defeat it.

With her wife. They are stuck in a pattern of Sybil being dominant and Maeve timid. In the beginning they play out this pattern. But as the story moves on and the situation becomes more and more dangerous, Maeve breaks out of that pattern.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

She can see through people. She knows what they are really feeling and thinking.

What could make this character special and unique?

The only psychic in a story about being possessed by a ghost. She exorcises a ghost while it is inside her.

Role in the Story:

Psychic who knows something is wrong and winds up fighting the ghost

Age range and Description:

28-34, attractive black lesbian on the femme side

Core Traits:

Hidden, clever, psychic superpowers, compassionate

Motivation; Want/Need:

Wants to get her wife to leave this place, needs to embrace her power

Wound:

Was possessed as a child and her parents blamed her because she is psychic.

Likability: She stops her car to help a woman with car trouble. people on set happy to see her; wife loves her; She brings food and gifts to the set. She is kind to someone. People like her.

Relatability: conflicts with her wife;

Empathy: She is freaked out by the evil energy she experiences. Wife breaks up with her; later her wife is possessed and then she is possessed.

HORROR SCRIPT: Sybil, Triangle

A. The High Concept.

When the ghost of an evil psychiatrist possesses the lesbians on an isolated movie set, forcing each woman to kill her own spouse, a timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

B. This character’s journey.

From overbearing director/wife to accepting Maeve’s power and following her.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

She’s a larger than life character with a big ego. She is a creative genius, and award-winning director and actress. She dominates the conversations and scenes. She is also an actress and portrays the evil psychiatrist who tortures queer people in the movie she is making.

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

Her commitment to telling the true story of why a lesbian murdered her psychiatrist

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

Her character is a larger than life director who would be fun to portray. She also is an actress in the movie and portrays an evil psychiatrist who tortures her queer patients. Then she is possessed, and she tries to kill her wife. She goes completely insane.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

She portrays an evil psychiatrist in the movie and she is torturing her patient, and the patient kills her. Then calls “Cut” and we learn she is shooting a movie.

What could be this character’s emotional range

From controlling and domineering, to terrified and helpless, needing to be rescued.

What subtext can the actor play?

With Maeve, acting as if she is concerned about Maeve’s welfare when she wants to control Maeve. In front of the others, acting like she and Maeve have a good relationship and she is NOT a domineering bitch.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With Maeve. They have a complicated relationship that has a power struggle at it’s core, but they also love each other. Both the power conflict and the love can show up at the same time.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

Through her role as the director, she gets to tell people what to do. She exposes who she is in this role.

What could make this character special and unique?

As a director, she tells a compelling story. As an actress, she portrays the villain, the evil psychiatrist, in her movie. Then outside of the movie, she is possessed by the real ghost of the evil psychiatrist.

Role in the Story:

Director of the film and Maeve’s domineering wife

Age range and Description:

42-48, tall, attractive black woman on the butch side

Core Traits:

Domineering, brilliant, self-absorbed, bold

Motivation; Want/Need:

Wants to make a movie, needs to accept others for who they are

Wound:

????

Likability: Praises actresses after their work; the cast loves her; She is a brilliant director; she is a great actress; she does something nice for someone; she has a project to reclaim the good name of a lesbian who was defamed.

Relatability: problems with her wife;

Empathy: breaking up with her wife; later she is possessed

HORROR SCRIPT: Ghost, Antagonist

A. The High Concept.

When the ghost of an evil psychiatrist possesses the lesbians on an isolated movie set, forcing each woman to kill her own spouse, a timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

B. This character’s journey.

No journey. Remains evil from beginning to end

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

She is a ghost and does not appear in human form, so there will be no actress portraying her that we want to attract, except for the actress who portrays Sybil.

Role in the Story:

Evil ghost who possesses lesbians and forces them to kill their wives.

Age range and Description:

Was 48 when she died, is now an evil spirit.

Core Traits:

Evil, revengeful, supernatural powers

Motivation; Want/Need:

To torture and kill as many lesbians as possible

Needs to stop killing people!

Wounds:

1) When she was alive, she was a lesbian and was persecuted for it, so she persecuted her gay patients. 2) Was murdered by a lesbian patient she tortured and now in death, she wants revenge

Likability: she isn’t likeable. She is an evil ghost who kills people

Relatability: not relatable.

Empathy: was persecuted for being a lesbian when she was a teen; was murdered by her patient.

THRILLER SCRIPT: Eve, Protagonist

A. The High Concept.

When she is framed for kidnapping her girlfriend, an intrepid CIA agent must outwit the FBI and the kidnappers before her girlfriend is forced into heterosexual conversion therapy.

B. This character’s journey.

From unable to commit to Debbie, to risking her life to rescue Debbie and asking Debbie to marry her.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

Lesbian thriller hero who outwits everyone and rescues her kidnapped girlfriend

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

She struggles to commit to the woman she loves, but then does commit; she goes all out to save her girlfriend, even risking her freedom and even her life; she outwits the FBI and the kidnappers who hold her girlfriend; She has serious issues from early life that come back to haunt her.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

Escaping from the FBI; facing her father who terrorized her as a teenager and forced her into conversion therapy; rescuing her girlfriend from kidnappers; fighting off someone who tries to attack her girlfriend.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

Show her and her girlfriend together on a date and in love. But someone is watching them, filming them. Who? Why? And then someone tries to attack her girlfriend and she defends and protects her.

What could be this character’s emotional range

Emotionally shut down, to terrified for herself and her girlfriend, to courageously facing her fears to save her girlfriend, to being open and loving and committing to her girlfriend.

What subtext can the actor play?

She hides her feelings with her girlfriend, Debbie, in the beginning and she does not tell Debbie she is a CIA agent; she is not upfront with Debbie’s mother about the nature of their relationship when Debbie first goes missing; She withholds information from the FBI and police even as she asked them for help finding Debbie.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With Debbie. She clearly loves her and puts her life on the line for her, but she is not honest.

With her father – he abused her as a teen and she ran away from him. He is still overbearing, yet she faces him and does not run away. They banter like equals.

With the FBI agent in charge of Debbie’s kidnapping. It’s complicated. He disapproves of her because she is a lesbian and she does not trust him, yet he respects her and eventually has a hard time believing she kidnapped Debbie. He helps clear her name.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

Her actions, she demonstrates her love for Debbie when she escapes from FBI custody and rescues Debbie; her hesitancy demonstrates the emotional difficulty she has expressing herself and her feelings, yet she does express herself. Her ability to stand up to people, especially her father.

What could make this character special and unique?

Lesbian thriller hero who rescues her girlfriend from kidnappers; survived forced conversion therapy.

Role in the Story:

CIA agent and Debbie’s girlfriend

Age range and Description:

38-48, white woman in excellent physical condition. Short hair. Can fight.

Core Traits:

Guarded, brave, driven, loyal

Motivation; Want/Need:

Wants to find Debbie; needs to open her heart and trust Debbie

Wound:

1) She was forced into heterosexual conversion therapy as a teen. 2) Her girlfriend was murdered several years ago and she has not been able to commit to a woman since then.

Likability: Her girlfriend Debbie loves her; She does something nice for a stranger in the disco (maybe the waitress?); She defends Debbie when a man attacks her.

Relatability: She is in love with Debbie;

Empathy: Debbie breaks up with her and she is devastated; later on she learns that Debbie has been kidnapped and she is devastated, and then she is arrested and being framed for Debbie’s kidnapping. Later we learn that she was forced into conversion therapy as a teen and it traumatized her.

THRILLER SCRIPT: Patty, Antagonist

A. The High Concept.

When she is framed for kidnapping her girlfriend, an intrepid CIA agent must outwit the FBI and the kidnappers before her girlfriend is forced into heterosexual conversion therapy.

B. This character’s journey.

No real journey, we just learn the truth aboaut her. She pretends to be a victim because her daughter was kidnapped, but she is the one who kidnapped her and tried to frame Eve.

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

A mother who is distraught because her daughter has been kidnapped, but the truth is, she arranged for her daughter to be kidnapped and forced into heterosexual conversion therapy, and to frame her daughter’s girlfriend for the kidnapping.

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

She is a fantastic liar! She acts like the poor widow, mother of the kidnapped young woman pleading for her safe return, when all along she is the wicked mother who arranged for her daughter to be kidnapped and forced into conversion therapy, as well as frame Eve for the kidnapping.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

Goes on TV and pleads for her daughter’s safe return; talks to the FBI as if she doesn’t know very much but is cleverly giving them information to frame Eve; uses the FBI as stooges to set up Eve for the kidnapping and leave no room for them to believe she kidnapped her daughter.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

She is on TV pleading for the safe return of her daughter. Meanwhile, she is the one who arranged for her to be kidnapped.

What could be this character’s emotional range

From sobbing mother of a kidnapped young woman to steely cold-blooded woman who would kidnap her own daughter, subject her to forced conversion therapy, and then frame someone else for the kidnapping.

What subtext can the actor play?

She lies at every turn. She tells the FBI she knows nothing about the kidnapping when she arranged for her daughter to be kidnapped. She acts as if she is heartbroken when in fact she was angry at her daughter for being in a relationship with a woman; she lies to the FBI and frames Eve for the kidnapping.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With the FBI agent in charge of the case that she leads around like a show pony; with Eve, who she despises and blames for her daughter’s demise, but acts as if she is concerned about Eve; with her son that she tries to control when he won’t lie to the FBI.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

Through her remarkable ability to lie, to pretend to be one person when she is another.

What could make this character special and unique?

Her incredible ability to lie and change who she is. Also, a woman who would arrange to have her own daughter kidnapped and forced into conversion therapy.

Role in the Story:

Mother of kidnapped Debbie who secretly kidnapped Debbie and framed Eve for the kidnapping

Age range and Description:

55-65 white woman, good physical condition, ultra conservative Christian

Core Traits:

Schemer, religious hypocrite, heartless, false charm.

Motivation; Want/Need:

Wants to kill or imprison Eve, and force Debbie to be heterosexual. Needs to accept her daughter for who she is.

Wound:

When she was a child, her mother discovered that her father was gay and it destroyed her family. She has hated gay people since then.

Likability: She is kind to the FBI agents and offers them refreshments, even though she is distraught; her pastor joins her and tells the press what a wonderful woman she is. People in her parish come to support her and tell the media how wonderful she is.

Relatability: A widow; lost her son

Empathy: Her daughter has been kidnapped and she is devastated.

THRILLER SCRIPT: FBI Agent, Triangle character

A. The High Concept.

When she is framed for kidnapping her girlfriend, an intrepid CIA agent must outwit the FBI and the kidnappers before her girlfriend is forced into heterosexual conversion therapy.

B. This character’s journey.

From believing that Eve kidnapped Debbie and killed her, to realizing that Eve was framed and trying to save Eve and Debbie

C. The Actor Attractors for this character.

Not done yet.

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

FBI agent who initially is unsympathetic and prejudiced toward a lesbian who’s lover has been kidnapped, to seeing that the lesbian was framed and then helping save her and her kidnapped girlfriend.

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

He starts out in a stereotypical role, supportive of the dear old widow who’s daughter has been kidnapped, and unsympathetic to the kidnapped women’s lesbian lover, yet overcomes his prejudiced mindset because he finds evidence that suggests the lover is being framed. He follows the evidence and finds the truth, that the widow had her daughter kidnapped and the lesbian lover is the only one desperate to find her.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

Not sure yet

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

Not sure yet

What could be this character’s emotional range

Kind and compassionate to smug and unpleasant to ruthless in the pursuit of truth.

What subtext can the actor play?

When he thinks that Eve kidnapped Debbie but does not let her know that, he pursues a line of questioning that could trap Eve. Similarly, when he suspects the mother of the kidnapping, her asks her further questions and tries to trip her up.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With Eve. It’s complicated. He disapproves of her because she is a lesbian, yet he respects her and eventually has a hard time believing she kidnapped Debbie. He helps clear her name.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

Through his investigation. He is in pursuit of the truth. The questions he asks and how he asks them reveal who he is.

What could make this character special and unique?

Not sure yet.

Role in the Story:

FBI Agent leading the investigation of Debbie’s kidnapping.

Age range and Description:

55-65, balding white man in good physical condition

Core Traits:

Just, prejudiced, persistent, astute

Motivation; Want/Need:

Wants to solve the case. Needs to see Eve and Patty for who they are and not through his prejudiced mindset.

Wound:

Not sure yet. Maybe he lost a child?

Likability: He is kind to Patty when her daughter Debbie is kidnap; he is respectful of Eve even though he does not feel comfortable with gay people. He is driven to find Debbie, genuinely concerned for Debbie’s safety. He is kind to the people who work under him.

Relatability: His boss is on top of him; He wants to find Debbie. He wants to be great at his job with dogged persistence.

Empathy: He loses one of his team.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Likability/Relatability/Empathy

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

What I learned: I like these three methods of making a character likeable. It’s helpful to break them down and focus on each one. Makes it easier to come up with ideas.

HORROR SCRIPT: Protagonist

Likability: She stops her car to help a woman with car trouble. people on set happy to see her; wife loves her; She brings food and gifts to the set. She is kind to someone. People seem to like her.

Relatability: conflicts with her wife;

Empathy: She is freaked out by the evil energy she experiences. Wife breaks up with her; later her wife is possessed and then she is possessed.

HORROR SCRIPT: Antagonist

Likability: Praises actresses after their work; the cast loves her; she is a great actress; she does something nice for someone; she has a project to reclaim the good name of a lesbian who was defamed.

Relatability: problems with her wife;

Empathy: breaking up with her wife; later she is possessed

THRILLER SCRIPT: Protagonist

Likability: Her girlfriend Debbie loves her; She does something nice for a stranger in the disco (maybe the waitress?); She defends Debbie when a man attacks her.

Relatability: She is in love with Debbie;

Empathy: Debbie breaks up with her and she is devastated; later on she learns that Debbie has been kidnapped and she is devastated, and then she is arrested and being framed for Debbie’s kidnapping. Later we learn that she was forced into conversion therapy as a teen and it traumatized her.

THRILLER SCRIPT: Antagonist

Likability: She is kind to the FBI agents and offers them refreshments, even thought she is distraught; her pastor joins her and tells the press what a wonderful woman she is. People in her parish come to support her and tell the media how wonderful she is.

Relatability: A widow; lost her son

Empathy: Her daughter has been kidnapped and she is devastated.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Character Intrigue

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

What I learned: Another tool that is really fun to use. I love discovering new things about my character. There are still things missing, especially with the character Sybil in the horror story, but I trust I will get to know Sybil better as I move forward.

Concept 1 – HORROR STORY

Character Name: Maeve

Role: Protagonist

Hidden agendas: To break up with her wife

Competition: in a power struggle with her overbearing wife

Conspiracies:

Secrets: She is a psychic but does not tell anyone. She was possessed when she was a child; her wife is overbearing and she feels trapped; she wants to leave her wife because she is so domineering.

Deception: Acts like everything is great with her and her wife in front of the other people on the movie set. Says she doesn’t feel well physically when she passes out from the energy she feels on set.

Unspoken Wound: Her parents accused her of being evil because of her psychic powers. She has hidden her powers since then.

Secret Identity: She is a psychic

How might this character’s subtext show up in my movie? Trying to get her wife to leave the area without telling her why. She is clearly distressed, but when people ask her what is wrong, or if she is okay, she says she is fine. Not telling people that she is a psychic and there is something evil happening on set.

Character Name: Sybil

Role: Antagonist

Hidden agendas:

Competition: In a power struggle with her wife Maeve.

Conspiracies:

Secrets: Is having an affair with one of the actresses in the movie

Deception:

Unspoken Wound:

Secret Identity: adulterer

How might this character’s subtext show up in my movie?

Concept 2 – THRILLER STORY

Character Name: Eve

Role: Protagonist

Hidden agendas:

Competition:

Conspiracies:

Secrets: Her father is a famous psychiatrist who promotes conversion therapy for gay people; Her father forced her into conversion therapy which left her with emotional problems; She changed her last name so that people would not know she is her father’s daughter; her former lover was murdered. She has a history of mental illness.

Deception: Lies about her job to Debbie [have not yet figured out what she tells her she does for a living].

Unspoken Wound: Was forced into conversion therapy as a teen which makes it difficult for her to commit to a woman, even if she loves her deeply.

Secret Identity: CIA agent

How might this character’s subtext show up in my movie? Lies about being a CIA agent to Debbie; hides her wound of conversion therapy as a teen; hides her history of mental illness; changed her name to hide her connection to her psychiatrist father; hides that her former lover was murdered

Character Name: Patty

Role: Antagonist

Hidden agendas: Have Eve imprisoned or killed; put daughter Debbie through conversion therapy

Competition:

Conspiracies: She kidnaps her daughter, Debbie, and frames Eve for the kidnapping

Secrets: She kidnapped Debbie

Deception: She tells people that Eve was stalking Debbie

Unspoken Wound: Her father was discovered to be gay when she was a girl, which destroyed her mother and her family. Since then, she has hated gay people.

Secret Identity: Con woman

How might this character’s subtext show up in my movie?

All over the place. She lies to everyone. Lies to the FBI. Goes on TV sobbing and begging for the safe return of her daughter who she kidnapped. Lies about Eve. Lies to her son.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Subtext Characters

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

What I learned: To relax and it will be easier and more fun to do the exercise and take less time. Struggle just makes things hard and tedious, and wastes time.

2. With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:

Movie Title: SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

Character Name: Clarice Starling

Subtext Identity: FBI agent

Subtext Trait: devious

Subtext Logline: Clarice Starling is a devious FBI agent who schemes to get information out of Hannibal Lechter to solve her case.

Possible Areas of Subtext: Every conversation with Hannibal Lechter; while she interviews people during her investigation; With her boss, who she is trying to impress.

Concept 1 – HORROR STORY

Character Name: Maeve

Subtext Identity: investigator

Subtext Trait: polite and scheming

Subtext Logline: Maeve is a polite and scheming investigator who must overcome her controlling wife to find out who is causing women to murder their wives.

Possible Areas of Subtext: Pretty much any conversation with her wife, Sybil, such as when she tries to convince Sybil there is something wrong, get Sybil to leave the movie set; get Sybil to cooperate with her séance, etc. With the other women in the story, acting as if nothing is wrong so as not to upset them.

Character Name: Sybil

Subtext Identity: boss

Subtext Trait: manipulative

Subtext Logline: Sybil is a manipulative director and star of the movie who wants to control everything and everyone on set.

Possible Areas of Subtext: Flattering actors; hiding the discord between herself and her wife from the other actors; hiding what she knows from the others to control their behavior.

Concept 2 – THRILLER STORY

Character Name: Eve

Subtext Identity: CIA agent

Subtext Trait: secretive

Subtext Logline: Eve is a secretive CIA agent who hides her identity, her wounds, and her emotions, from others.

Possible Areas of Subtext: With her girlfriend, Debbie, with the FBI, etc.

Character Name: Patty

Subtext Identity: con woman

Subtext Trait: scheming

Subtext Logline: Patty is a scheming con woman who had her daughter kidnapped, then framed her daughter’s girlfriend for the crime.

Possible Areas of Subtext: Every time she opens her mouth. She lies to the FBI, she lies to her family, she lies to Eve. She is always lying.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Actor attractors!

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in female driven projects, and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

What I learned: Just do the exercises as best I can. I don’t know everything about my characters yet, but the exercises help me chip away what is not my characters and help me see who my characters are. I just need to show up every day and take one step at a time.

Concept 1 – HORROR STORY

Lead Character Name: Maeve

Role: Protagonist

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

Goes from a timid woman to a total badass. She destroys a ghost who has possessed three other women and caused them to kill their own wives. It possesses her and she exorcises it while it is inside her. She’s a badass horror hero. She rescues herself and her wife.

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

She’s a psychic and she realizes right from the beginning that there is something wrong. She senses a dark energy at the location. She is smarter than everyone else. She is the only one with psychic powers. She is the one who outwits and overcomes the ghost.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

She communicates with the dead. She tries to stop a possessed women from murdering her wife. She uncovers the truth about the ghost and figures out how to get rid of it. While she is possessed she exorcises a ghost from inside her.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

See her at the movie experiencing the dark energy. We don’t know. Is she crazy or experiencing something that exists? Or both?

What could be this character’s emotional range

Timid in the beginning, does not want to rock the boat. But gradually becomes more assertive as the threat of the ghost increases. Then she confronts her wife and takes charge and becomes a total badass who destroys the ghost

What subtext can the actor play?

Initially she does not want to rock the boat and hides what she is feeling and experiencing. She hides herself, her true self.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With the ghost. She is at first frightened of it. And then battles it and loses. And then finds the strength to defeat it.

With her wife. They are stuck in a pattern of Sybil being dominant and Maeve timid. In the beginning they play out this pattern. But as the story moves on and the situation becomes more and more dangerous, Maeve breaks out of that pattern.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

She can see through people. She knows what they are really feeling and thinking.

What could make this character special and unique?

The only psychic in a story about being possessed by a ghost. She exorcises a ghost while it is inside her.

Lead Character Name: Sybil

Role: Antagonist

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

She’s a larger than life character with a big ego. She is a creative genius, and award-winning director and actress. She dominates the conversations and scenes.

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

Her commitment to telling the true story of why a lesbian murdered her psychiatrist

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

In the movie, portraying a psychiatrist who tortures her patients, so torturing her patients. Then she is possessed, and she tries to kill her wife. She goes completely insane.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

She portrays a character in the movie and she is an evil psychiatrist who is torturing her patient, and the patient kills her.

What could be this character’s emotional range

From controlling and domineering, to terrified and helpless, needing to be rescued.

What subtext can the actor play?

With Maeve, acting as if she is concerned about Maeve’s welfare when she wants to control Maeve. In front of the others, acting like she and Maeve have a good relationship and she is NOT a domineering bitch.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With Maeve. They have a complicated relationship that has a power struggle at it’s core, but they also love each other. Both the power conflict and the love can show up at the same time.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

Through her role as the director, she gets to tell people what to do. She exposes who she is in this role.

What could make this character special and unique?

As a director, she tells a compelling story. As an actress, she portrays the villain, the evil psychiatrist, in her movie. Then outside of the movie, she is possessed by the real ghost of the evil psychiatrist.

Concept 2 – THRILLER STORY

Lead Character Name: Eve

Role: Protagonist

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

Lesbian thriller hero who outwits everyone and rescues her kidnapped girlfriend

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

She struggles to commit to the woman she loves, but then does commit; she goes all out to save her girlfriend, even risking her freedom and even her life; she outwits the FBI and the kidnappers who hold her girlfriend; She has serious issues from early life that come back to haunt her.

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

Escaping from the FBI; facing her father who terrorized her as a teenager and forced her into conversion therapy; rescuing her girlfriend from kidnappers; fighting off someone who tries to attack her girlfriend.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

Show her and her girlfriend together on a date and in love. But someone is watching them, filming them. Why? And then someone tries to attack her girlfriend and she defends and protects her.

What could be this character’s emotional range

Emotionally shut down, to terrified for herself and her girlfriend, to courageously facing her fears to save her girlfriend, to being open and loving and committing to her girlfriend.

What subtext can the actor play?

She hides her feelings with her girlfriend, Debbie, in the beginning and she does not tell Debbie she is a CIA agent; she is not upfront with Debbie’s parents about the nature of their relationship when Debbie first goes missing; She withholds information from the FBI and police even as she asked them for help finding Debbie.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With Debbie. She clearly loves her and puts her life on the line for her, but she is not honest.

With her life; her father – he abused her as a teen and she ran away from him. He is still overbearing, yet she faces him and does not run away. They banter like equals.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

Her actions, she demonstrates her love for Debbie when she escapes from FBI custody and rescues Debbie; her hesitancy demonstrates the emotional difficulty she has expressing herself and her feelings, yet she does express herself. Her ability to stand up to people, especially her father.

What could make this character special and unique?

Lesbian thriller hero; survived forced conversion therapy;

Lead Character Name: Patty

Role: Antagonist

What about this role would cause an actor to want to be known for it?

A mother who arranged for her daughter to be kidnapped and forced into heterosexual conversion therapy

What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in your story?

She is a fantastic liar! She acts like the poor widow, mother of the kidnapped young woman pleading for her safe return, when all along she is the one who arranged for her to be kidnapped to force her into conversion therapy

What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the script?

Goes on TV and pleads for her daughter’s safe return; talks to the FBI as if she doesn’t know very much but is cleverly giving them information to frame Eve; uses the FBI as stooges to set up Eve for the kidnapping and leave no room for them to believe she kidnapped her daughter.

How can you introduce this role in a way that could sell it to an actor?

She is on TV pleading for the safe return of her daughter. Meanwhile, she is the one who arranged for her to be kidnapped.

What could be this character’s emotional range

From sobbing mother of a kidnapped young woman to steely cold-blooded woman who would kidnap her own daughter, subject her to forced conversion therapy, and then frame someone else for the kidnapping.

What subtext can the actor play?

She lies at every turn. She tells the FBI she knows nothing about the kidnapping when she arranged for her daughter to be kidnapped. She acts as if she is heartbroken when in fact she was angry at her daughter for being in a relationship with a woman; she lies to the FBI and frames Eve for the kidnapping.

What’s the most interesting relationships this character can have?

With the FBI agent in charge of the case that she leads around like a show pony; with Eve, who she despises and blames for her daughter’s demise, but acts as if she is concerned about Eve; with her son that she tries to control when he won’t lie to the FBI.

How will this character’s unique voice be presented?

Through her remarkable ability to lie, to pretend to be one person when she is another.

What could make this character special and unique?

Her incredible ability to lie and change who she is. Also, a woman who would arrange to have her own daughter kidnapped and forced into conversion therapy. That is unique!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Actor attractors for SILENCE OF THE LAMBS

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in writing female driven projects and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

WHAT I LEARNED: Look at all the little and big things that make a character amazing. They don’t have to be an outrageous characteristic. Sometimes vulnerability can make the character amazing. Clarice was vulnerable yet went to interview Hannibal anyway. Showed her inner strength and courage.

Lead Character Name: Clarice Starling

1. Why would an actor WANT to be known for this role?

One of the greatest female protagonists of all time

2. What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in the movie?

Young FBI trainee who goes toe to toe with a brilliant sociopath serial killer. She outwits the senior FBI agents and finds and kills the murderer. Outwits the cops that hold Hannibal and gets access to him to interview him again.

3. What are the most interesting actions the Lead takes in the movie?

Rescues the kidnapped woman; battles the killer; goes toe to toe with Hannibal Lechter; goes to the prison to interview Hannibal; in a room full of male law officers, she takes control and tells them to leave the murder victim’s body to the FBI. She says that they will take good care of her. She is from a small West Virginia town and her father was a law man. She knows what to say. She pushes Hannibal to help her. She goes to visit him when he is taken out of the mental hospital/prison.

4. How is this character introduced that could sell it to an actor?

She is a trainee brought to her professor and is asked to do an assignment. She is ambitious and wants to work with her professor, and is willing to take this dangerous assignment.

5. What is this character’s emotional range?

From being vulnerable with a sociopathic homicidal psychiatrist, to confronting and facing a serial killer.

6. What subtext can the actor play?

Trying to outwit Hannibal and knowing she is not telling the truth and it becomes clear to Hannibal. Also, at the killer’s home she realizes it is him and acts like her visit is just to ask a few questions. Also with the horrible doctor, I forget his name, she treats him nicely for a while but you know she hates him.

7. What’s the most interesting relationships this character has?

By far with Hannibal. She proves to him that she is smart and he acts like her mentor in solving the crime. He is a heartless killer, yet he likes her and she sort of likes him.

8. How is this character’s unique voice presented?

She has an endearing combination of intelligence, naivete, inexperience, vulnerability, courage and strength. You can tell she is inexperienced, but she takes on challenging situations and takes the lead when necessary.

9. What makes this character special and unique?

At the time, the first story about a female FBI trainee.

10. (Fill in a scene that shows the character fulfilling much of the Actor Attractor model.)

Scene where she pushes Hannibal to help her. First she outwits the police who hold him so she has access to him again, and then she questions him and pushes him when he is resistant. She is vulnerable with him to get what she needs. She makes herself vulnerable to a psycho because he has what she wants, even thought she was told not to let Hannibal get into her head.

Lead Character Name: Hannibal Lechter

1. Why would an actor WANT to be known for this role?

He is a brilliant psychiatrist who uses his genius to manipulate and kill people. He is a cannibal.

2. What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in the movie?

His mind is amazing. He can read people with precision. He understands killers and can predict their behavior. He loves killing.

3. What are the most interesting actions the Lead takes in the movie?

Escaping from custody. He didn’t just escape, he

4. How is this character introduced that could sell it to an actor?

Terrifyingly! She walks down a long corridor with crazy people in cells and gets to him at the end. I was so scared that I couldn’t look at Anthony Hopkins in other movies for several years.

5. What is this character’s emotional range?

Psychotic who loves killing to a mentor like relationship with Clarice in which he seems to genuinely care for her.

6. What subtext can the actor play?

Pretending to be cooperating with the officers who are bringing his meal while he is preparing to kill them. Hiding his real thoughts and feelings with Clarice in the beginning and then smashing her with them. Pretending to care about the senator and her daughter and then being horrible to the senator.

7. What’s the most interesting relationships this character has?

With Clarice. He initially enjoyed taunting her, but he respected her courage to play the game with him to get what she wanted. Slowly their relationship changed from adversarial to almost a mentor-mentee relationship. He is a killer who LOVES to kill, yet he seems to care for Clarice.

8. How is this character’s unique voice presented?

The precision with which he moves his body and he speaks. His ability to psychologically assess a person in a few moments. His seeming docility that turns to murder in a split second.

9. What makes this character special and unique?

He is a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a serial killer. And he eats his prey.

10. (Fill in a scene that shows the character fulfilling much of the Actor Attractor model.)

I would say the scene when Clarice visited him in the new location and he plays cat and mouse with her, getting what he wants from her regarding the killing of the lambs, and then helping her by giving her clues about the killer.

Then immediately following that, when the two guards bring him food, he acts docile and cooperate and then kills them, takes the face of one of them, and escapes.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in writing LGBTQ+ projects and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

What I learned: Both stories are still very rough, but I accept that for today and am ready to move forward. Progress not perfection.

Concept 1

Title: YOU ALWAYS KILL THE ONE YOU LOVE

Genre: Horror

When the ghost of an evil psychiatrist possesses the lesbians on an isolated movie set, forcing each woman to kill her own spouse, a timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

Act 1:

Opening: Terrifying scene of a mental patient murdering her doctor. Someone yells CUT and reveal that these people are actors and this is a scene from the movie they are shooting

Inciting Incident: Maeve, a young psychic, tells her wife, Sybil, the director of the movie, that she senses a dark energy on the set and suggests they should not be filming at this location, an abandon mental hospital from the 1950s that is on an isolated island. Sybil dismisses her. This is the perfect location for the movie.

Maeve walks around the abandoned insane asylum and is unnerved.

They experience bizarre, frightening, unexplainable happenings.

Turning Point: The first woman is possessed and kills her own wife.

Act 2:

New plan: Get off the location and get help. All communications are out, no phones, wifi, anything. The storm has made travel off the island impossible.

Maeve repeats that there is an evil spirit and wants to have a séance.

Plan in action: Sybil does not agree. She and the consultant psychiatrist approach it as a mental/emotional issues. But Maeve has a séance any way. A force comes in and is destructive and does not identify itself, but possesses another woman who goes crazy and kills her wife.

They all panic. Now there is a pattern of a woman killing her own wife. Who will be next? Will my wife kill me or will I kill my wife?

Now Sybil thinks Maeve may be right, and thinks they women are being possessed by the woman who murdered her psychiatrist.

Another spirit enters Maeve and tells them to leave, but they can’t.

Midpoint Turning Point: Third woman is possessed and murders her wife.

Act 3:

Rethink everything: Maeve and Sybil are the last couple, which means they will be next.

New plan: Eve has another to contact the good spirit that warned her to get off the island. It’s the woman who killed the psychiatrist. She says the ghost of the psychiatrist is possessing the women. She murdered her doctor because the doctor tortured her in the name of treating her for being a lesbian.

New plan: Maeve must exorcise the spirit from the place.

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Maeve feels herself being possessed.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Maeve battles the ghost of the evil psychiatrist while it is inside her and wins.

It then goes into Sybil and tries to kill Maeve. Maeve exorcises it from Sybil.

Resolution: Maeve saves Sybil and the three other surviving women.

Concept 2

Title: RESCUING LOVE

Genre: Thriller

When domestic terrorists kidnap her girlfriend and frame her for the kidnapping, a daring CIA agent must outwit the FBI and the terrorists before her girlfriend is forced into heterosexual conversion therapy.

Act 1:

Opening: Eve and Debbie are on a date. Someone is watching them. Taking pictures and videoing them. Who is watching them and why?

Inciting Incident: Debbie and Eve fight. Debbie breaks up with Eve.

Eve wakes up and cannot remember anything that happen for the past twelve hours.

Turning Point: Eve goes to Debbie to apologize and discovers she is missing.

Act 2:

New plan: look for Debbie, contact local police and FBI

Plan in action: Gets nowhere. Seems like they are not looking for her. They ask her questions as if she is a suspect.

Debbie’s parents say Debbie was not dating Eve. Eve was stalking her and Debbie was trying to get away from her.

FBI have evidence to support parents assertions.

FBI use GPS to monitor her movements the night before and she went to Debbie’s house and then drove out to a desolate park. She has a shovel in her trunk. Eve does not remember this. Says she was drugged.

Midpoint Turning Point: FBI arrest Eve for kidnapping Debbie

Act 3:

Rethink everything: who kidnapped Debbie and is framing Eve?

New plan: Eve tries to convince the FBI that she did not kidnap Debbie and pleads with them to continue searching for her. They do nothing.

Terrified for Debbie’s safety, Eve escapes from the FBI and starts looking for Debbie herself.

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Eve discovers that there is a domestic terrorist group that kidnaps queer people and forces them into conversion therapy, and it is likely that they kidnapped Debbie.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Eve infiltrates the group to find Debbie.

They discover her. She battles the kidnappers and rescues Debbie.

Resolution: Debbie’s parents are arrested for arranging the kidnapping. Debbie is in hospital recovering. Eve asks Debbie to marry her.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s 4 Act Transformational Structure

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in writing LGBTQ+ projects and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

What I learned: Do the best I can. It does not have to be perfect. More details of the story will come to me as we do more and more exercises.

Concept 1

Title: YOU ALWAYS KILL THE ONE YOU LOVE

Genre: Horror

When the ghost of an evil psychiatrist possesses the lesbians on an isolated movie set, forcing each woman to kill her own spouse, a timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

Main Conflict: Maeve and the evil ghost

Old Ways:

Kowtowing to the wishes of her wife

Hiding her psychic powers

Hiding how smart she is

needing approval of others

New Ways:

Confronting and disagreeing with her wife

Owning and using her psychic powers

Owning how smart she is and outwitting the ghost

Acting from what she believes is best and not caring about the approval of others

Act 1:

Opening: Frightening scene that turns out to be from the movie they are shooting

Inciting Incident: Maeve tells Sybil that she senses a dark energy on the set. Sybil dismisses her.

Turning Point: The first woman is possessed and kills her own wife.

Act 2:

New plan: Tells Sybil that there is an evil spirit and wants to have a seance

Plan in action: Sybil does not believe her and she and the consultant psychiatrist approach it as a mental/emotional issues

Midpoint Turning Point: Second woman is possessed and murders her wife.

Act 3:

Rethink everything: Maeve believes the women were possessed and caused to kill their spouses.

New plan: she has a séance to investigate who the spirit is.

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Maeve feels herself being possessed.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Maeve battles the ghost of the evil psychiatrist and gets rid of it.

Resolution: Maeve saves Sybil from the ghost

Concept 2

Title: RESCUING LOVE

Genre: Thriller

When domestic terrorists kidnap her girlfriend and frame her for the kidnapping, a daring CIA agent must outwit the FBI and the terrorists before her girlfriend is forced into heterosexual conversion therapy.

Main Conflict: CIA agent, Eve, and the kidnappers.

Old Ways:

Hesitant toward girlfriend

Emotionally guarded

Putting work first

New Ways:

Tells everyone her feelings for girlfriend

Rescuing girlfriend is her only priority

Risks her life to rescue girlfriend

Act 1:

Opening: Eve and Debbie are together

Inciting Incident: Debbie and Eve fight. Debbie breaks up with Eve

Turning Point: Eve goes to Debbie to apologize and discovers she is missing.

Act 2:

New plan: look for Debbie herself; contact local police and FBI

Plan in action: Gets nowhere. Seems like they are not looking for her. They ask her questions as if she is a suspect

Midpoint Turning Point: FBI arrest Eve for kidnapping Debbie

Act 3:

Rethink everything: who kidnapped Debbie and is framing Eve?

New plan: Get out of jail. Find Debbie herself. This looks personal to Eve,

Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Eve discovers that there is a domestic terrorist group that kidnaps queer people and forces them into conversion therapy and it is likely that they kidnapped Debbie.

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Eve battles the kidnappers and rescues Debbie.

Resolution: Debbie’s parents are arrested for arranging the kidnapping. Debbie is in hospital recovering. Eve asks Debbie to marry her.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Subtext Plot

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success. I specialize in writing LGBTQ+ projects and I am the go-to-girl for writing lesbian stories.

WHAT I LEARNED: I have had subtext in all of my scripts, but using this technique builds the subtext right into the structure of the script, and not only on the level of individual lines of dialogue. Very useful too.

Logline 1:

Title: YOU ALWAYS KILL THE ONE YOU LOVE

Genre: Horror

When the ghost of an evil psychiatrist possesses the lesbians on an isolated movie set, forcing each woman to kill her own spouse, a timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

Subtext Plot: Competitive Agendas

Maeve is a psychic and her wife, Sybil, is the director of the movie. When Maeve comes on set she senses a dark energy and wants to have a séance. Sybil dismisses her as idiotic and focuses only on making the movie. Later, when the ghost begins to possess and murder, Maeve says that it is an evil energy and wants to combat it psychically. Again, Sybil dismisses her, working with the consultant psychiatrist to provide a psychological explanation for the murders.

Logline 2:

Title: RESCUING LOVE

Genre: Thriller

When domestic terrorists kidnap her girlfriend and frame her for the kidnapping, a daring CIA agent must outwit the FBI and the terrorists before her girlfriend is forced into heterosexual conversion therapy.

Subtext Plots: Scheme and Investigation AND A Major Cover Up

Eve’s girlfriend Debbie has been kidnapped. Eve, a CIA agent, needs to investigate the kidnapping to find and rescue Debbie. But the kidnappers framed Eve for the kidnapping. They build an elaborate case suggesting that there was no relationship between Eve and Debbie, that it was all in Eve’s mind. Eve was actually a stalker and when rejected by Debbie, she kidnapped and killed her. Eve must investigate who framed her and prove she did not kidnap Debbie as well as find and rescue Debbie.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Transformational Journey

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success.

WHAT I LEARNED: I am one of those writers who, up until now, got freaked out by all I did not know about a story in the beginning. This tool, and all the tools Hal is giving us in this class, is helping me take baby steps to create the characters and their stories. I love this tool. It’s fantastic!

NOTE: I have two concepts I love and can’t decide which one to take through this class. I will take both of them (I’m retired, I have time!) until one of them jumps out as my favorite.

Logline 1:

Title: YOU ALWAYS KILL THE ONE YOU LOVE

Genre: Horror/Thriller

When the ghost of an evil psychiatrist possesses the lesbians on an isolated movie set, forcing each woman to kill her own spouse, a timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

Arc Beginning: timid and unable to stand up to her overbearing director wife

Arc Ending: being the leader of the group and exorcising the evil ghost

Internal Journey: timid to owning her power and intelligence

External Journey: hiding in the shadows as director’s wife to saving the group

Old Ways:

Kowtowing to the wishes of her wife

Hiding her psychic powers

Hiding how smart she is

needing approval of others

New Ways:

Confronting and disagreeing with her wife

Owning and using her psychic powers

Owning how smart she is and outwitting the ghost

Acting from what she believes is best and not caring about the approval of others

Logline 2:

Title: RESCUING LOVE

Genre: Thriller

When domestic terrorists kidnap her girlfriend and frame her for the kidnapping, a daring CIA agent must outwit the FBI and the terrorists before her girlfriend is forced into heterosexual conversion therapy.

Arc Beginning: not being able to commit to a relationship

Arc Ending: risks her life to rescue her girlfriend

Internal Journey: from emotionally closed to fully committed

External Journey: from unable to commit to risking her life to save her girlfriend

Old Ways:

Hesitant toward girlfriend

Emotionally guarded

Putting work first

New Ways:

Risks her life to rescue girlfriend

Tells everyone her feelings for girlfriend

Rescuing girlfriend is her only priority

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Intentional Lead Characters

MY VISION: I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success.

WHAT I LEARNED: Breaking the characters down this way enables me to shape them to fit the concept and the other characters.

NOTE: I have two concepts I love and can’t decide which one to take through this class. I will take both of them (I’m retired, I have time!) until one of them jumps out as my favorite.

Concept 1:
Title: YOU ALWAYS KILL THE ONE YOU LOVE
Genre: Horror/Thriller

The ghost of an evil psychiatrist murdered by a lesbian patient, possesses the lesbians on an isolated movie set and forces each woman to kill her own wife.
Character Structure: Dramatic Triangle

Character: Maeve, Protagonist. Sybil’s wife.
Logline: Maeve is a timid young psychic who is the only one who can feel a dark energy on the movie set.
Unique: Maeve is the only one on the movie set who knows how to combat an evil spirit.

Character: Ghost of Dr. Carol Stein, antagonist.
Logline: The Ghost of Dr. Carol Stein is enraged that Sybil is making a movie that exposes how, when she was alive, she tortured queer people in the name of “curing” them.
Unique: The Ghost of an evil psychiatrist who was murdered by a lesbian patient who she tortured.

Character: Sybil. Triangle Character and Maeve’s wife
Logline: Sybil is an overbearing director obsessed with making a movie to expose the truth about a lesbian who murdered her psychiatrist in the 1950s.
Unique: She angers the ghost of the psychiatrist by exposing how evil she was.

Concept 2:
Title: RESCUING LOVE
Genre: Thriller
A daring, clever lesbian CIA agent must find and rescue her fiancée who has been kidnapped and forced into heterosexual conversion therapy.
Character Structure: Dramatic Triangle

Character: Eve, a daring, clever lesbian CIA agent, protagonist
Logline: Eve will do anything to find and rescue Debbie, the love of her life.
Unique: A CIA agent with skills, knowledge and contacts that will help her find Debbie.

Character: Dirk, FBI big shot and secret domestic terrorist, antagonist
Logline: Dirk is an FBI big shot and a secret domestic terrorist who kidnaps Debbie and puts her through forced heterosexual conversion therapy.
Unique: An FBI big shot that is also secretly a domestic terrorist.

Character: Bob and Betty, parent of Debbie, triangle characters
Logline: Bob and Betty asked Dirk to kidnap their daughter and put her through forced conversion therapy.
Unique: Bob and Betty have extreme religious beliefs about being queer

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Title, Concept, and Character Structure!

MY VISION:

I have a fabulous career as a screenwriter working in both TV and film, and I have tremendous creative, financial, and personal success.

WHAT I LEARNED: I love the character structure breakdown. Not all stories are one character against another, and many screenwriting models assume that to be the case. I realized that both of my stories are dramatic triangles.

NOTE: I have two concepts I love and can’t decide which one to take through this class. I will take both of them (I’m retired, I have time!) unless one of them jumps out at me as my favorite. Then I would focus on that one.

Concept 1:

Title: YOU ALWAYS KILL THE ONE YOU LOVE

Genre: Horror/Thriller

The ghost of an evil psychiatrist murdered by a lesbian patient, possesses the lesbians on an isolated movie set and forces each woman to kill her own wife.

Character Structure: Dramatic Triangle

Concept 2:

Title: RESCUING LOVE

Genre: Thriller

A daring, clever lesbian CIA agent must find and rescue her fiancée who has been kidnapped and forced into heterosexual conversion therapy.

Character Structure: Dramatic Triangle

[CLAIRE RILEY]

I, CLAIRE V. RILEY, I agree to the terms of this release form.

GROUP RELEASE FORM

As a member of Writing Incredible Movies, I agree to the following:

1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, through social media, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, videos, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.

2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.

I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.

3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.

4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.

5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.

6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.

This completes the Group Release Form for the class.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Hi everyone, my name is Claire Riley. I’ve written about ten scripts, have had one movie produced, and am working with a producer to get my TV series on a streaming platform or cable channel.

I hope to get two things out of this class. First, I’ve pitch lots of projects and recently thought that I should create the pitch before I write the script. So I loved seeing this class which does just that.

Second, I came up with an idea for horror movie in the horror clas a few months ago, but did not complete it. In fact, I didn’t really start it. I only came up with the concept. So I hope to write the script in this class.

Something about me that I would like to share is that I worked in support staff roles in NYC law firms since 1985. I’ve been at my current job since 2003 and it’s the best job I ever had. I work with fabulous people I adore. And thanks to a generous buyout package from the partners of my law firm, on Monday I will retire from that job so that I can focus all my time and energy on my screenwriting. YAY!

• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by  CLAIRE RILEY.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by  CLAIRE RILEY.
• This reply was modified 3 years, 1 month ago by  CLAIRE RILEY.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Scary-As-Hell Scene

What I learned: I love that we are starting from the emotion and not the action. I remember many years ago, Hal, you told us that people go to the movies to have an emotional reaction. That is true. So we need to keep focused on the emotions of each scene, not just in horror but in all genres.

INT. FARMEHOUSE/BASEMENT – NIGHT

Maeve and Diana look through the box of things from the past.

DIANA

Who do you think will get possessed next?

MAEVE

I’m not sure, but it seems like he is targeting the psychics in the group. If that’s true, the next would be me-

DIANA

Or Zora. (beat) I don’t want to die, Maeve. If Zora is next, please-

HORRIBLE SCREAMS! Maeve and Diana stare at each other for a moment, then Maeve gets up. Diana grabs her arm.

DIANA

No, don’t do down there. It sounds like Regina. You should run.

Maeve GASPS and put her face in her hands and shakes. Another SCREAM. Maeve looks at Diana, terrified, and runs up the stairs. Diana follows.

INT. FARMEHOUSE/LIVING AREA – NIGHT

Maeve and Diana come up the stairs. Regina is in a corner, panicked. She points to Zora.

REGINA

It has Zora!

Diana and Maeve both stopped, shocked. Zora turns to them.

ZORA

I am not possessed. She’s just trying to be funny, again.

Maeve and Diana exhale in unison, relieve.

MAEVE

Please, Regina, this isn’t funny.

REGINA

I’m not lyin’!

Zora approaches Regina.

ZORA

Could you for once stop trying to be the center of attention!

Zora stops suddenly and turns to Maeve and Diana, terrified.

ZORA

She’s possessed! Diana help me! Maeve, run!

Maeve dashes out the door. Diana runs to Zora.

EXT. FARMEHOUSE – NIGHT

Maeve races out the door. She reaches a tree and stops behind it. She catches her breath. Her eyes dart as she contemplates for a moment, then her eyes open wide in understanding. More SCREAMS from the house.

MAEVE

No!

Maeve races back to the house. Diana SCREAMS.

DIANA

Zora, no!

Maeve enters the house.

INT. FARMHOUSE/LIVING AREA – DAY

Maeve enters the house. Zora is strangling Diana. Regina trying to pull her off.

MAEVE

Zora, no! Fight it!

Zora CACKLES like a lunatic.

ZORA

You think she can stop me? No one can stop me.

Zora backhands Regina who falls to the floor. Maeve grabs Zora’s arm. Zora punches her in the nose. Maeve is stunned. She staggers and falls. Zora CACKLES again and squeezes Diana’s throat. Diana’s body is lifeless.

Regina SCREAMS hysterically. Maeve gets up and tries to calm her, but Regina still screams. Maeve picks her up and pulls her toward the door as Zora CACKLES with joy.

ZORA

I’ll see you soon, my dear!

Maeve looks at her, terrified, and drags Regina out of the house.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Scares, Releases, and Creepy Moments!

What I learned: I like having different ways to creep out the audience.

Concept: When an evil ghost possesses the lesbians visiting an isolated farm, forcing each woman to murder her own partner, a timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

INT. FARMHOUSE – NIGHT

Maeve and Zora rush up the stairs from the basement to find Caitlin rolled in a ball in the corner screaming, Diana frantically giving first aid to Alison who has a huge gash in her head, and Sybil thrashing around the room, clearly possessed.

SYBIL

Get out of me!

Sybil flies across the room and laughs hysterically.

SYBIL

No!

Sybil projectile vomits and collapses, unconscious.

Maeve rushes to her. She lifts Sybil’s head and gently taps her face.

MAEVE

Sybil? Sybil?

Sybil opens her eyes. She turns to Alison and SOBS.

SYBIL

Oh my god, what have I done? I didn’t want to. It was inside me.

Maeve holds her.

MAEVE

Of course you didn’t want to hurt Alison. It wasn’t your fault. You were possessed.

Diana covers Alison’s face with a towel.

DIANA

She’s gone.

All six women cry. Maeve gets ahold of herself.

MAEVE

I know what’s happening. It’s a ghost. It will possess one of us from each couple and then she will kill her partner.

DIANA

That can’t happen.

MAEVE

It’s happening now.

DIANA

You mean, one of us could be next.

Regina wipes the tears from her face and slowly walks over to Maeve smiling. As she gets closer to Maeve, her smile becomes increasingly sinister, until she looks like a mad woman, and she CACKLES like a lunatic.

Maeve SCREAMS in terror. Regina LAUGHS hysterically.

REGINA

I got you! I got you!

Maeve is enraged.

MAEVE

How could you?

REGINA

Very easily. I’m a comedian.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

ASSIGNMENT #12

Claire’s Level 3 Horror Emotion Scene

What I learned: Again, I could not get all four emotions into one scene, so I wrote two scenes. Now that we are at the end of the story, I can see the difference between the emotions. It’s getting really crazy now.

INT. FARMHOUSE – NIGHT

Maeve lies on the floor catching her breath. Regina comes out of the room.

REGINA

Are you okay, baby?

Maeve nods yes. Regina hugs her. Regina SCREAMS and jolts. She thrashes on the floor.

REGINA

Maeve, help me.

Maeve cries as she watches the spirit possess Regina.

MAEVE

Fight it, baby!

Regina calms down and catches her breath. She smiles at Maeve. Maeve takes her hand to help her up. Regina gives her an evil smile. Maeve SCREAMS and runs out the door.

EXT. FARM – NIGHT

Maeve runs and Regina follows, CACKLING like a mad woman.

REGINA

(in a sing song voice)

I’m gonna get you!

Maeve turns and sees Regina running at her like a lunatic. Maeve GASPS and runs faster.

Regina literally flies and jumps in front of Maeve still CACKLING. Maeve’s eyes bulge as she stops short, turns and runs.

But Regina grabs her hair and pulls her back.

REGINA

Where are you going, baby? Don’t you want some love?

She punches Maeve in the face. Maeve SCREAMS in pain.

MAEVE

Regina, fight it, please.

Regina gets right in Maeve’s face.

REGINA

Regina’s not here anymore?

She CACKLES again, but her cackling is cut short when someone hits her on the head with a branch and she falls to her knees.

It’s Zora. She pulls Maeve up.

ZORA

Run!

Maeve and Zora both run toward the river. Maeve turns to see she is outpacing Zora.

Regina wavers on her knees. She shakes her head and smiles. She is stable again. She stands and runs after Maeve and Zora.

Maeve turns and sees Regina trailing them.

MAEVE

Zora, run!

Zora tries to run faster but it is not enough. Regina catches her and throws her to the ground.

REGINA

Maeve, look what I got!

Maeve turns to see Regina holding a knife to Zora’s throat.

MAEVE

No!

ZORA

Run, Maeve, run!

Regina gives a wild screaming laugh and slices Zora’s throat.

Maeve stumbles and falls then stands and runs. She enters the river.

Regina grabs her laughing.

REGINA

You thought you could get away from me!

MAEVE

Please, Regina, no. I’m begging you! You love me. Remember? You love me and I love you. Please, please, don’t do this!

Regina LAUGHS and pushes Maeve under the water. Maeve splashes frantically under the water. Regina’s head is right above hers LAUGHING at her. Maeve tries to free herself from Regina’s grip but cannot.

Maeve feels around and finds a stone. She lifts it and Regina stumbles and drops her. Maeve escapes from her. As she reaches the shore, Maeve turns and sees Regina is face down in the water.

MAEVE

Regina!

Maeve runs back to Regina and pulls her out of the water. Regina’s body is lifeless. Maeve GASPS.

Regina’s eyes pop open and Maeve SCREAMS and drops her. Regina LAUGHS uncontrollably. Maeve runs.

REGINA

You should have seen your face! I really got you that time.

Maeve is on the shore running. Regina runs behind her. Maeve turns just as Regina seems to hit a wall and fall back on the ground, stunned.

Maeve’s eyes open wide in understanding.

MAEVE

You can’t leave the farm.

Regina opens her eyes, gathers herself and stands.

REGINA

You really think you’re gonna stop me?

She takes out a knife and puts it to her throat.

REGINA

I’ll kill this bitch if you don’t come to me.

Maeve’s eyes dart as she thinks. She then gives Regina a frightened look.

MAEVE

Please, please don’t hurt her.

Maeve walks toward Regina. Regina’s reaches out, but Maeve slips away LAUGHING.

MAEVE

Ha, ha! You think you’re so smart, you can’t catch me.

Maeve runs and Regina follows. Maeve runs toward the invisible wall. Regin smashes into it and falls back again, stunned.

Maeve grabs her feet and pulls her toward the wall. Regina begins to SCREAM in agony. Maeve pulls and pulls and gets her feet through.

Regina looks terrifying. Her body warps in weird ways. She tries to stop Maeve but is losing strength. Her feet appear normal as they pass through the invisible wall.

Regina makes one last effort to free herself and ROARS at Maeve. Maeve ROARS right back and pulls Regina through the wall.

Regina lies on the ground, battered and not breathing. Maeve gives her CPR. Regina takes a deep breath and opens her eyes. Maeve CRIES. Regina CRIES.

REGINA

I’m so sorry. I couldn’t stop it.

Maeve kisses her.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Level 2 Horror Emotion Scene

What I learned: it’s important to use lower level emotions first so that you can build up the intensity of you emotions in Act 3. I couldn’t get all three emotions in one scene so I wrote two connected scenes.

INT. FARMHOUSE – NIGHT

Caitlin SOBS uncontrollably. Sybil tries to comfort her. The other six women look shell shocked. Alison GASPS.

ZORA

What is it?

ALISON

While we were doing repairs, we found a box with notes and documents in it about what happened in 1980.

REGINA

What exactly happened in 1980?

Alison sheepishly looks to Zora.

ALISON

You were right. It was a murder suicide. A woman killed her longtime lover then herself.

DIANA

And you kept this from us?

Sybil barks at Diana.

SYBIL

It has anything to do with us.

REGINA

Looks like you’re wrong about that.

DIANA

You didn’t want anything to come in the way of your retreat project.

ALISON

No, it wasn’t like that.

REGINA

Then what was it like?

MAEVE

Stop fighting! We should read those documents. Where’s the box?

ALISON

It’s in the basement.

Sybil snaps at Maeve.

SYBIL

You don’t need to read the documents.

Maeve is quiet.

Zora looks at Maeve and then at Sybil then back at Maeve.

ZORA

Why do you want to read the documents?

MAEVE

We have to find out who this spirit is and how to stop it. Maybe there is information in that box that will help us.

Sybil raises her voice.

SYBIL

I said there is nothing in that box. What we have to do is take care of Caitlin and decide what to do next.

Zora looks at Maeve.

ZORA

What do you want to do next, Maeve?

Maeve looks at Sybil. Sybil glares at her. Maeve looks at Zora and takes a deep breath.

MAEVE

Look at what is in that box. Anyone want to go to the basement with me?

REGINA

I am not going to the basement of a haunted house, and neither are you.

Diana looks frightened.

DIANA

I don’t think we should split up.

Zora looks straight into Maeve’s eyes and reaches out her hand to her.

ZORA

Let’s go.

They hold hands and head for the stairs.

INT. FARMHOUSE/BASEMENT STAIRCASE – NIGHT

Maeve turns on the light on her cell phone and they creep down the stairs. They knock something off a shelf and both jump. Maeve chuckles nervously and continues down the stairs.

She shines the light to the left and a large statue is right next to them. Zora GASPS. They both breaths nervously. They see old clothes, furniture, and a box in the corner.

They head for the box. Maeve opens it and pulls out a journal. She reads it.

ZORA

What does it say?

MAEVE

Give me a minute.

Maeve quickly scans a page then turns it.

MAEVE

They were witches. The were writing a book on the execution of witches in Massachusetts in the seventeenth century. They were investigating the execution of…

Maeve looks at Zora then looks back at the journal.

MAEVE

The execution of Jane Lawson, whose husband burnt her for being a witch and for laying with another woman. He possessed me and took great joy as I murdered the woman I’d loved for twenty-seven years.

Maeve hyperventilates.

MAEVE

He’s possessing us so we will kill our lovers.

ZORA

Oh, Jesus. We could have stopped this if we read this journal. Damn Sybil and Alison!

The heard a blood curdling SCREAM from upstairs, then insane CACKLING.

MAEVE

He’s inside someone.

They both hyperventilate. More SCREAMING. Maeve looks at Zora.

MAEVE

We have to help them.

ZORA

What if it’s Diana or Regina? Maybe we should wait here.

MAEVE

We have to help them.

Zora looks terrified but nods her head in agreement and they race up the stairs.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Level 1 Horror Emotion Scene Deadline

What I learned: Wow! This is fun to write. I am having trouble with assignment 9. I feel overwhelmed, like it is too much. So I am leaving it for now and getting caught up with the other assignments so that I don’t fall behind. I’ll work on assignment 9 for ten minutes a day until it is complete.

Concept:

When an evil ghost possesses the lesbians visiting an isolated farm, forcing each woman to murder her own partner, a timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her girlfriend.

SCENE FROM ACT ONE

INT. FARMHOUSE/KITCHEN – NIGHT

The eight women sit around the table eating.

REGINA
I don’t like this place at all.

Maeve looks down at her food and eats.

SYBIL
How can you say that? It’s beautiful here.

REGINA
It may be beautiful, but it scares the shit out of me.

DIANA
Why does it scare you?

MAEVE
She’s afraid of the country.

Sybil, Alison, Caitlin, Libby, Zora and Diana LAUGH.

ZORA
You live in New York City and ride the subways at all hours of the day and night, and your afraid of the country?

Regina gives Maeve a dirty look, then turns to Zora.

REGINA
Not ten minutes from here, we helped a woman with a flat tire. She said that this place was haunted.

Sybil, Alison, Libby and Diana LAUGH. Zora and Caitlin look uncomfortable.

REGINA
She said there was a murder suicide here in the eighties.

Zora drops her fork and her eyes open wide.

SYBIL
Nonsense. You can’t believe the locals here. They tell these stories to attract tourists for their Halloween festivities.

REGINA
She said a woman killed her friend and then herself.

ZORA
No, it wasn’t her friend.

Zora pauses and hyperventilates.

ZORA
It was her lover.

ALISON
Nonsense!

ZORA
You remember, Alison. It was in all the queer newspapers. And I felt something uncomfortable when I arrived here.

CAITLIN
I felt something, too.

Everyone is quiet.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Character Journey Track

What I learned: I’ve been watching lots of horror movies and I find I like the ones that have good characters that I care about much more than the ones that do not. So this exercise of developing characters in my horror movie is important to me.

1. With each of your Survivors and Victims, answer the following questions:

A. What is their Character Profile? MAEVE

Role: Rescuer

Traits: intelligent, compassionate, insecure

Fears: her own power

Wants/Needs : wants everyone to like her. Needs to claim her own power

Likability / Rooting factors: She is kind and helps others. She finds her strength

How they react under stress: tries to figure out how to fix things, goes to intelligence. When that is not enough, finds her power.

Relationship with other characters: kind, loving, afraid to put herself out to people who disagree with her

B. What is their Character Journey for this story?

Character Intro: In the car with Regina. Is kind and timid.

Denial: Nervously laughs at women who says farm is haunted because Regina poo poo the idea, but actually feels uncomfortable. Believes something is going on when she gets there and feels the energy, but doesn’t want to contradict Sybil. Tries to make peach between Sybil and Caitlin

Their reaction at first horror: Horrified, but tries to help woman who has been killed. Then tries to help Caitlin, but when she realizes Caitlin is possessed she runs.

Relation to group after first horror: Starts to put herself and her ideas forward because others are not handling this so well and their lives are at stake.

How they fight back: finding information to stop the spirit. Facing the spirit when it tries to possess her and fights it.

End Point: overpowers the spirit and then outwits it to save Regina.

What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience? – find your inner strength.

1. With each of your Survivors and Victims, answer the following questions:

A. What is their Character Profile? REGINA

Role: Complainer/Love Interest

Traits: funny, domineering, fearful

Fears: being ignored

Wants/Needs : wants to be the center of attention; needs to feel loved

Likability / Rooting factors: very funny

How they react under stress: freaks out

Relationship with other characters: tries to make people laugh, and tries to force her opinion on others

B. What is their Character Journey for this story?

Character Intro: in the car with Maeve. She is loving yet domineering.

Denial: Does not believe anything about the farm being haunted

Their reaction at first horror: completely freaked out

Relation to group after first horror: wants to leave, doesn’t want to talk about it

How they fight back: doesn’t fight back. Tries to run.

End Point: Maeve rescues her and she appreciates Maeve.

What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?

Believe things that are right in your face

1. With each of your Survivors and Victims, answer the following questions:

A. What is their Character Profile? – SYBIL

Role: Leader

Traits: controlling, benevolent, intelligent

Fears: not being in control

Wants/Needs : everyone to do as she says; needs to allow others to contribute

Likability / Rooting factors: cares about the others and wants to save them

How they react under stress: freak out and then tries to fight

Relationship with other characters: bossy

B. What is their Character Journey for this story?

Character Intro: In group introducing her plans for the retreat

Denial: dismisses the talk of the place being haunted as local folklore

Their reaction at first horror: horrified. Tries to stop it

Relation to group after first horror: blames Caitlin for being

How they fight back: tries to fight the possession

End Point: Encourages Maeve to claim her power

What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?

Stop being a controlling bitch and your life will improve

1. With each of your Survivors and Victims, answer the following questions:

A. What is their Character Profile? – ALISON

Role: Red Herring

Traits: scheming, driven, humanitarian

Fears: not succeeding

Wants/Needs : success and admiration; needs to accept herself as she is

Likability / Rooting factors:

How they react under stress: freaks out, then tells the truth

Relationship with other characters: Distant but polite

B. What is their Character Journey for this story?

Character Intro: Lying to the group about the farm

Denial: doesn’t care about the stories she heard about farm being haunted

Their reaction at first horror: shocked, afraid and tells the truth

Relation to group after first horror: terrified and wants to run

How they fight back: she doesn’t. Wants to run.

End Point: Is killed.

What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?

Lying gets you killed by your own wife

1. With each of your Survivors and Victims, answer the following questions:

A. What is their Character Profile? CAITLIN

Role: Rebel/Rule Breaker/the Carrier

Traits: arrogant; intelligent, unbalanced

Fears:

Wants/Needs : to be the leader; needs to learn to follow

Likability / Rooting factors: smart, challenges Sybil

How they react under stress: falls apart

Relationship with other characters: confrontative

B. What is their Character Journey for this story?

Character Intro: arguing about the haunting on the farm

Denial: is not in denial

Their reaction at first horror: falls apart

Relation to group after first horror: she is a mess and they have to care for her

How they fight back: doesn’t. wants to kill herself

End Point:

What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?

1. With each of your Survivors and Victims, answer the following questions:

A. What is their Character Profile? LIBBY

Role: Monster Bait

Traits: charming, obliging, appeaser

Fears: not being liked

Wants/Needs : everyone to like her; to learn who she is

Likability / Rooting factors: she kind and helpful and charming

How they react under stress: Freezes

Relationship with other characters: Wants to help everyone

B. What is their Character Journey for this story?

Character Intro: at meeting where she tries to get everyone to get along

Denial: does not take the haunting seriously

Their reaction at first horror: she is dead

Relation to group after first horror: she is dead

How they fight back: she does not. Freezes and is killed

End Point: she is dead

What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?

Stop trying to get people to like you and find and love yourself.

1. With each of your Survivors and Victims, answer the following questions:

A. What is their Character Profile? ZORA

Role: Moral One

Traits: fair-minded, empathetic, wise

Fears: being controlled by an unjust force

Wants/Needs : everything to be fair. She needs to accept things as they are

Likability / Rooting factors: her evenhandedness

How they react under stress: stay calm and try to figure things out

Relationship with other characters: helpful and kind

B. What is their Character Journey for this story?

Character Intro: in the initial meeting is uncomfortable and tells Sybil.

Denial: Accepts Sybil’s version of reality

Their reaction at first horror: shock then trying to figure it out

Relation to group after first horror: trying to think it through with Maeve

How they fight back: intellectually

End Point: She kills Diana

What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?

Even someone as kind as Zora can be a killer.

1. With each of your Survivors and Victims, answer the following questions:

A. What is their Character Profile? DIANA

Role: Innocent

Traits: intellectual, levelheaded, skeptical

Fears: being out of control

Wants/Needs: wants to control others’ beliefs; she needs to listen

Likability / Rooting factors: caretaker, rescuer

How they react under stress: stays calm

Relationship with other characters: gets along well with others

B. What is their Character Journey for this story?

Character Intro: doubts the place is haunted

Denial: doubts the place is haunted

Their reaction at first horror: shock, fight

Relation to group after first horror: protective

How they fight back: physically

End Point: Zora kills her

What insight do their deaths or survival bring to the others/audience?

I don’t know.

Deadline: 3 Days

When you add the Character Journeys to your outline, you’ll have scenes where some characters believe in the monster and others are arguing that it can’t be real (denial).

Just fill in the outline with the journey of each character and see how it builds more character and depth into the story.

Once we’ve completed these outlines, we’ll show you exactly how to create the 10 most important Horror emotions.

This is getting exciting, isn’t it?

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Monster Reveal Track

What I learned: This is so not perfect. There are things I want to fix, but I don’t have the time now. I will trust in the process and continue to move forward with the class and assignments. I’m just posting what I have.

1. Create each part of this model:

A. Who is your monster and what is their terror?

An evil spirit from the 17th century who killed women he believed to be witches and he believed to have had sex with other women.

Powers? – can move objects. Can possess people and other living things. Can impact the weather on the farm.

Limitations? – cannot leave the farm. Cannot overcome someone with a very strong spirit

Weaknesses? – an artifact of his wife, such as her picture or hairbrush, etc., can stop him

Plan/Purpose/Appetite? – Possess one member of each of the 4 lesbian couple and have her kill her partner, and then kill the rest.

B. Sequence the reveals.

Prologue – Flashback to the 17^th century and we see him burning a woman at the stake as another woman runs to stop him.

Act One

Monster Reveal: Townswoman tells Maeve and Regina there was a murder suicide there in the 1980s and no one has lived there since.

Monster Reveal: Objects are moved around the house.

Monster Reveal: PP1 – during a séance the spirit possesses Caitlin

Act 2

Monster Reveal: The spirit possesses Caitlin and kills her lover Libby.

Monster Reveal: Maeve discovers information hidden in the attic that reveals the murdered suicide in the 1980s was instigated by an evil spirit who murdered his wife because she was a witch and had sex with a woman. Someone killed him.

Monster Reveal: MIDPOINT – the spirit possesses Sybil and kills her wife Alison.

Monster Reveal: Maeve figures out that it is possessing one member of a couple and causing that woman to kill her partner.

They must figure out how to stop it before it possesses another woman and kills her partner.

The surviving couples separate. Maeve and Zora go back to read more about who the spirit is and how to stop it.

Monster Reveal: They discover that it possessed some people over the years but could not possess everyone. Spiritually powerful people could fend it off. Also, it cannot leave the farm.

It possesses Diana and kills Zora.

Maeve says we should run off the farm, but it gets Maeve before she can escape.

She fights and gets rid of it.

It turns on Regina and then comes after Maeve. Maeve can’t get it out of Regina. She runs off the farm and tells everyone else to do the same.

She goes back and drags Regina off the farm and saves her.

C. Create Demand for each clue/reveal.

2. Lay that over your current outline and fill in each clue/reveal using the tag “Monster Reveal:.”

CONCEPT: At an isolated farm, one by one, an evil ghost possesses the lesbian visitors and causes each to murder her own spouse. A timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR

ATMOSPHERE OF EVIL ESTABLISHED

Prologue: 17^th century Massachusetts. A Man burning a witch at the stake and a woman running through the woods to reach them and stop him.

Horror Situation: Friends in danger

Reaction: Try to solve it.

CONNECT WITH THE CHARACTERS

We meet Regina and Maeve in their car. They are a loving couple, Regina a stand up comedian and and Maeve a psychologist and psychic. They stop on the road to help a woman who has a flat tire. Regina changes the tire and Maeve comforts the vulnerable woman.

Later they arrive at the farm and meet the other six women.

THE CHARACTERS ARE WARNED NOT TO DO IT.

Regina and Maeve tell the woman with the flat tire where they are going, and she looks terrified. She tells them not to go. It’s dangerous. They think she means the old house is unsafe. No, it’s haunted. Forty years there was a murder suicide. A lesbian killed her lover and then killed herself. Regina laughs and makes a joke. Maeve chuckles nervously.

Monster Reveal: Townswoman tells Maeve and Regina there was a murder suicide there in the 1980s and no one has lived there since. But the ghost can’t leave the farm.

Horror Situation: Threatened

Reaction: Denial

DENIAL OF HORROR

Regina and Maeve arrive at the house and tell the others. Sybil and Alison say nonsense. This place is beautiful. They invited the other six women to ask them to invest in their latest project, building a lesbian retreat on the land.

Horror Situation: Threatened

Reaction: Denial

SAFETY TAKEN AWAY

No internet or cell phone service on the farm.

MONSTER: THE NATURE OF THE BEAST.

[NOT SURE IF THIS FLASHBACK NEEDS TO BE HERE]

Another flashback to the 17^th century. A man kills a witch, his own wife, and another woman witnesses it.

Horror Situation: See another killed

Reaction: Fight/Try to solve it

Monster Reveal: Weird things happening in the house. Seems haunted.

Caitlin says we should have a séance and ask who the ghost is and what it wants. Sybil, her mentor in witchcraft says no. Caitlin says Sybil is afraid of her own power and defies Sybil. She asks Maeve to join her. Maeve says no. Caitlin accuses Maeve of being afraid of contradicting Sybil.

PP1: Caitlin holds the séance.

Horror Situation: Doing something forbidden.

Reaction: Try to solve it.

Monster Reveal: the evil spirit possesses Caitlin.

Character Death 1: Caitlin is possessed and Kills Libby

Why: Libby is too good

How: Caitlin strangles her

Character Death 2: Sybil is possessed and kills Alison

Why: Alison was dishonest

How: Sybil stabs her

Character Death 3: Zora is possessed and kills Diana

Why: Alison is an innocent

How: Zora chases her down and breaks her neck

The spirit is angry and possesses Caitlin.

Caitlin goes completely mad, acting like a lunatic and kills her lover, Libby. The rest of the women are horrified.

Horror Situation: Possession/See another killed

Reaction: Try to solve it

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN

ISOLATED / TRAPPED / ABDUCTED

The spirit leaves Caitlin. She calms down and then is completely horrified that she killed Libby. Wants to kill herself. Sybil and Maeve stop Caitlin from killing herself.

Horror Situation: Mentally Tortured

Reaction: Escape (death)

The women try to figure out what happened and what they should do. Call the police or no?

They decide to go for help, but the only bridge that takes them off the farm has collapsed.

Horror Situation: Trapped/escape route cut off

Reaction: Try to solve it

Alison reveals she found stuff in the attic about the death of the two women in the 1980s, but did not want to spoil the weekend by telling them about it.

While Sybil, Alison and Zora try to console the inconsolable Caitlin, Maeve, Regina and Diana investigate the stuff in the attic.

Monster Reveal: They find a notebook left by the woman who killed her partner. She details how she was possessed by a man who killed his wife because she was a witch and had a female lover. Someone killed him. This woman believes he possessed her and caused her to kill her partner.

They are horrified. They hear screaming. They run to find Sybil is now possessed and kills her wife Alison. They run from possessed Sybil.

Horror Situation: See another killed/possessed

Reaction: Escape

Character Death 2: Sybil is possessed and kills Alison

Why: Alison was dishonest

How: Sybil stabs her

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!

Full pursuit by the killer

Sybil comes out of it and is totally distressed that she killed Alison. Maeve asks Sybil if she can remember anything from being possessed. She does not want to remember, too terrifying. Maeve asks her to try. We have to find a way to stop it.

She allows herself to remember. The spirit burnt his wife at the stake and now wants to force lesbians to kill their own loved ones. He finds great joy in the agony of the women who killed their lovers.

[Put another 17^th century flashback here to see it dramatized. New reveal is that He kills his own wife because she was a witch and had a woman lover.]

Horror Situation: Mentally tortured

Reaction: Try to solve it

Monster Reveal: Maeve realizes the spirit is possessing one woman in each couple and then killing that woman’s partner. They must figure out how to stop it before it possesses someone else and kills her partner.

The four remaining women who were not either killed or possessed are totally freaked out. They look at each other. Regina, the comedian, gives Maeve a creepy smile and Maeve freaks out. Regina laughs. Only joking.

Horror Situation: Not knowing who is possessed

Reaction: Hide/Try and solve it (the women react differently)

TERRORIZED

The couples decide to separate. Regina and Diana go outside. Zora consoles Caitlin and Sybil. Maeve returns to the attic to read more of the journal.

Monster Reveal: She learns that over the years it has possessed some people

Maeve and Diana hear horrible screams from Regina. Maeve runs to Regina. Zora goes completely crazy and tries to attack Diana. Diana runs for her life.

Horror Situation: Attacked or chased

Reaction: Escape

Sybil and Caitlin run and hide. Maeve and Regina try to stop Zora. But she is terrifying and powerful. They cannot stop her and she murders Diana.

Horror Situation: See another killed

Reaction: Try to solve it/escape

Character Death 3: Zora is possessed and kills Diana

Why: Alison is an innocent

How: Zora chases her down and breaks her neck

Caitlin is completely hysterical. Overwhelmed by the evil and bloodshed. She tries to kill herself again. Maeve is able to stop her.

Horror Situation: Another character loses it

Reaction: Try to solve it

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

Maeve says we have to do something to prevent it from entering another woman. She remembers that the woman they met said it could not leave the farm. She says we have to get off the farm.

They run.

FIGHT TO THE DEATH

Maeve starts to twitch uncontrollably. She becomes possessed. Regina is terrified and runs. Zora and Caitlin run. Sybil tells Maeve to hold on, to fight. She fights the spirit from within.

Horror Situation: Possessed

Reaction: Fight (Maeve and Sybil) and Escape (Zora, Caitlin and Diana)

HYSTERIA

The exorcism drives the spirit wild, and Maeve does unnatural and terrifying things, like flying, vomiting bats, twisting her head around, etc. The spirit goes into Sybil and terrifies Maeve and laughs hysterically and jumps back into Maeve.

THE THRILLING ESCAPE FROM DEATH

Maeve fights. She calls on the spirits of her mother and grandmother and great grandmother for help. She is able to get rid of the spirit.

Horror Situation: Possessed

Reaction: fight

Maeve seems okay. She is thrilled that she did not kill Regina. They all continue to get off the farm.

DEATH RETURNS TO TAKE ONE OR MORE.

The spirit possesses Regina and tries to kill Maeve. Maeve is totally freaked out. Does not want to hurt Regina but does not want to be killed. Maeve runs.

Regina follows her and they struggle. Maeve gets away from her and runs with Regina following. As Regina is about to get her, she suddenly stops. She hits the boundary of the farm.

Maeve turns and observes Regina struggling to get through the invisible boundary. She begins to hurt herself. Maeve runs to her and Regina laughs with glee and begins to strangle Maeve. Maeve fights her and eventually pulls Regina through the boundary and the spirit leaves her body.

Horror Situation: Possessed

Reaction: fight

Flashback to the 17^th century – the woman who was lovers with the man burning his wife is a witch. She kills him and curses his soul. He cannot leave the farm. He cannot go to heaven or hell

Resolution

Five of them are still alive. They decide what to do.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Character Death Track

What I learned: I never thought it would be so much fun to plan when and how people would be killed! I’m having fun with this! I keep changing the characters as the story progresses, so that they match the concept and story structure. I’m learning that this is a work in progress and it will change as I move forward and that’s okay!

Give us the order your characters die in. With each character tell us the why and how.

NOTE: In my story of 4 lesbian couples, one member of each couple is a psychic and at some point, is possessed by an evil spirit and kills, or attempts to kill, her own partner. So for all of the women who die, they are being killed because they are lesbians. But I also have particular reasons why each one dies which I will list below.

Character Death 1: Caitlin is possessed and Kills Libby

Why: Libby is too good

How: Caitlin strangles her

Character Death 2: Sybil is possessed and kills Alison

Why: Alison was dishonest

How: Sybil stabs her

Character Death 3: Zora is possessed and kills Diana

Why: Alison is an innocent

How: Zora chases her down and breaks her neck

Build the answers into your outline.

CONCEPT: At an isolated farm, one by one, an evil ghost possesses the lesbian visitors and causes each to murder her own spouse. A timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR

ATMOSPHERE OF EVIL ESTABLISHED

Prologue: 17^th century Massachusetts. A Man burning a witch at the stake and a woman running through the woods to reach them and stop him.

Horror Situation: Friends in danger

Reaction: Try to solve it.

CONNECT WITH THE CHARACTERS

We meet Regina and Maeve in their car. They are a loving couple, Regina a stand up comedian and and Maeve a psychologist and psychic. They stop on the road to help a woman who has a flat tire. Regina changes the tire and Maeve comforts the vulnerable woman.

Later they arrive at the farm and meet the other six women.

THE CHARACTERS ARE WARNED NOT TO DO IT.

Regina and Maeve tell the woman with the flat tire where they are going, and she looks terrified. She tells them not to go. It’s dangerous. They think she means the old house is unsafe. No, it’s haunted. Forty years there was a murder suicide. A lesbian killed her lover and then killed herself. Regina laughs and makes a joke. Maeve chuckles nervously.

Horror Situation: Threatened

Reaction: Denial

DENIAL OF HORROR

Regina and Maeve arrive at the house and tell the others. Sybil and Alison say nonsense. This place is beautiful. They invited the other six women to ask them to invest in their latest project, building a lesbian retreat on the land.

Horror Situation: Threatened

Reaction: Denial

SAFETY TAKEN AWAY

No internet or cell phone service on the farm.

MONSTER: THE NATURE OF THE BEAST.

[NOT SURE IF THIS FLASHBACK NEEDS TO BE HERE]

Another flashback to the 17^th century. A man kills a witch, his own wife, and another woman witnesses it.

Horror Situation: See another killed

Reaction: Fight/Try to solve it

Weird things happening in the house. Seems haunted.

Caitlin says we should have a séance and ask who the ghost is and what it wants. Sybil, her mentor in witchcraft says no. Caitlin says Sybil is afraid of her own power and defies Sybil. She asks Maeve to join her. Maeve says no. Caitlin accuses Maeve of being afraid of contradicting Sybil. Caitlin holds the séance.

Horror Situation: Doing something forbidden.

Reaction: Try to solve it.

Character Death 1: Caitlin is possessed and Kills Libby

Why: Libby is too good

How: Caitlin strangles her

Character Death 2: Sybil is possessed and kills Alison

Why: Alison was dishonest

How: Sybil stabs her

Character Death 3: Zora is possessed and kills Diana

Why: Alison is an innocent

How: Zora chases her down and breaks her neck

The spirit is an angry male and it possesses Caitlin.

Caitlin goes completely mad, acting like a lunatic and kills her lover, Libby. The rest of the women are horrified.

Horror Situation: Possession/See another killed

Reaction: Try to solve it

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN

ISOLATED / TRAPPED / ABDUCTED

The spirit leaves Caitlin. She calms down and and then is completely horrified that she killed Libby. Wants to kill herself. Sybil and Maeve stop Caitlin from killing herself.

Horror Situation: Mentally Tortured

Reaction: Escape (death)

The women try to figure out what happened and what they should do. Call the police or no?

They decide to go for help, but the only bridge that takes them off the farm has collapsed.

Horror Situation: Trapped/escape route cut off

Reaction: Try to solve it

Alison reveals she found stuff in the basement about the death of the two women in the 1980s, but did not want to spoil the weekend by telling them about it.

While Sybil, Alison and Zora try to console the inconsolable Caitlin, Maeve, Regina and Diana investigate the stuff in the basement.

They find a notebook left by the woman who killed her partner. She details how she was possessed by a man who killed his wife because she was a witch and had a female lover.

They are horrified. They hear screaming. The run upstairs to find Sybil is now possessed and kills her wife Alison. They run from possessed Sybil.

Horror Situation: See another killed/possessed

Reaction: Escape

Character Death 2: Sybil is possessed and kills Alison

Why: Alison was dishonest

How: Sybil stabs her

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!

Full pursuit by the killer

Sybil comes out of it and is totally distressed that she killed Alison. Maeve asks Sybil if she can remember anything from being possessed. She does not want to remember, too terrifying. Maeve asks her to try. We have to find a way to stop it.

She allows herself to remember. The spirit burnt his wife at the stake and now wants to force lesbians to kill their own loved ones. He finds great joy in the agony of the women who killed their lovers.

[Put another 17^th century flashback here to see it dramatized. New reveal is that He kills his own wife because she was a witch and had a woman lover.]

Horror Situation: Mentally tortured

Reaction: Try to solve it

Maeve realizes the spirit is possessing one woman in each couple and then killing that woman’s partner.

The four remaining women who were not either killed or possessed are totally freaked out. They look at each other. Regina, the comedian, gives her wife, Zora a creepy smile and Zora freaks out. Regina laughs. Only joking.

Horror Situation: Not knowing who is possessed

Reaction: Hide/Try and solve it (the women react differently)

TERRORIZED

The couples decide to separate. Regina and Diana go outside and Maeve and Zora console Caitlin and Sybil.

Maeve and Diana hear horrible screams from Regina. Maeve runs to Regina. Zora goes completely crazy and tries to attack Diana. Diana runs for her life.

Horror Situation: Attacked or chased

Reaction: Escape

Sybil and Caitlin run and hide. Maeve and Regina try to stop Zora. But she is terrifying and powerful. They cannot stop her and she murders Diana.

Horror Situation: See another killed

Reaction: Try to solve it/escape

Character Death 3: Zora is possessed and kills Diana

Why: Alison is an innocent

How: Zora chases her down and breaks her neck

Caitlin is completely hysterical. Overwhelmed by the evil and bloodshed. She tries to kill herself again. Maeve is able to stop her.

Horror Situation: Another character loses it

Reaction: Try to solve it

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

Maeve says we have to do something to prevent it from entering another woman. Sybil says to hold onto the power of love. How much you love your partner?

Maeve says no, how much you love your partner is what drives him crazy.

Maeve says just the power of love. They all meditate on the power of love.

FIGHT TO THE DEATH

Maeve starts to twitch uncontrollably. She becomes possessed. Regina is terrified and runs. Zora and Caitlin run. Sybil tells Maeve to hold on, to fight. She fights the spirit from within. Sybil does an exorcism.

Horror Situation: Possessed

Reaction: Fight (Maeve and Sybil) and Escape (Zora, Caitlin and Diana)

HYSTERIA

The exorcism drives the spirit wild, and Maeve does unnatural and terrifying things, like flying, vomiting bats, twisting her head around, etc. The spirit goes into Sybil and terrifies Maeve and laughs hysterically and jumps back into Maeve.

THE THRILLING ESCAPE FROM DEATH

Maeve fights. She calls on the spirits of her mother and grandmother and great grandmother for help. She is able to get rid of the spirit.

Horror Situation: Possessed

Reaction: fight

Maeve seems okay. She is thrilled that she did not kill Regina.

DEATH RETURNS TO TAKE ONE OR MORE.

The spirit possesses Regina and tries to kill Maeve. Maeve is totally freaked out. Does not want to hurt Regina but does not want to be killed. Maeve hides in basement.

Horror Situation: Possessed

Reaction: hide

Maeve finds the notebook left by the woman in 1980s and reads more about the spirit.

Flashback to the 17^th century – the woman who was lovers with the man burning his wife is a witch. She kills him and curses his soul. He cannot leave the farm. He cannot go to heaven or hell

Regina has found her and is pounding on the basement door. Maeve realizes she has to remove the curse. She can’t do it herself. She calls on the original witch to help her and she does.

Horror Situation: Possessed

Reaction: fight

Resolution

Five of them are still alive. They decide what to do.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Horror Situation Track

What I learned: This continues to be fun. Not everything feels like it fits and that’s okay. I don’t need to have this be perfect right now. I might even get rid of 2 of the characters and go from 8 to 6 characters. Not sure which is best for my story. I get to allow this all to be open ended and trust everything will come to me.

CONCEPT: At an isolated farm, one by one, an evil ghost possesses the lesbian visitors and causes each to murder her own spouse. A timid psychic must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR

ATMOSPHERE OF EVIL ESTABLISHED

Prologue: 17^th century Massachusetts. A Man burning a witch at the stake and a woman running through the woods to reach them and stop him.

Horror Situation: Friends in danger

Reaction: Try to solve it.

CONNECT WITH THE CHARACTERS

We meet Diana and Maeve in their car. They are a loving couple, Diana a NYC cop and Maeve a psychologist and psychic. They stop on the road to help a woman who has a flat tire. Diana changes the tire and Maeve comforts the vulnerable woman.

Later they arrive at the farm and meet the other six women.

THE CHARACTERS ARE WARNED NOT TO DO IT.

Diana and Maeve tell the woman with the flat tire where they are going, and she looks terrified. She tells them not to go. It’s dangerous. They think she means the old house is unsafe. No, it’s haunted. Forty years there was a murder suicide. A lesbian killed her lover and then killed herself. Diana laughs. Maeve chuckles nervously.

Horror Situation: Threatened

Reaction: Denial

DENIAL OF HORROR

They arrive at the house and tell the others. Sybil and Alison say nonsense. This place is beautiful. They invited the other six women to ask them to invest in their latest project, building a lesbian retreat on the land.

Horror Situation: Threatened

Reaction: Denial

SAFETY TAKEN AWAY

No internet or cell phone service on the farm.

MONSTER: THE NATURE OF THE BEAST.

[NOT SURE IF THIS FLASHBACK NEEDS TO BE HERE]

Another flashback to the 17^th century. A man kills a witch, his own wife, and another woman witnesses it.

Horror Situation: See another killed

Reaction: Fight/Try to solve it

Weird things happening in the house. Seems haunted.

Caitlin says we should have a séance and ask who the ghost is and what it wants. Sybil, her mentor in witchcraft says no. Caitlin says Sybil is afraid of her own power and defies Sybil. She asks Maeve to join her. Maeve says no. Caitlin accuses Maeve of being afraid of her own shadow.

Caitlin holds the séance.

Horror Situation: Doing something forbidden.

Reaction: Try to solve it.

The spirit is an angry male and it possesses Caitlin.

Caitlin goes completely mad, acting like a lunatic and kills her lover, Libby. The rest of the women are horrified.

Horror Situation: Possession/See another killed

Reaction: Try to solve it

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN

ISOLATED / TRAPPED / ABDUCTED

The spirit leaves Caitlin. She calms down and and then is completely horrified that she killed Libby. Wants to kill herself. Sybil and Maeve stop Caitlin from killing herself.

Horror Situation: Mentally Tortured

Reaction: Escape (death)

The women try to figure out what happened and what they should do. Call the police or no?

They decide to go for help, but the only bridge that takes them off the farm has collapsed.

Horror Situation: Trapped/escape route cut off

Reaction: Try to solve it

Alison reveals she found stuff in the basement about the death of the two women in the 1980s, but did not want to spoil the weekend by telling them about it.

While Sybil and Alison try to console the inconsolable Caitlin, Maeve and Diana investigate the stuff in the basement.

They find a notebook left by the woman who killed her partner. She details how she was possessed by a man who killed his wife because she was a witch and had a female lover.

They are horrified. They hear screaming. The run upstairs to find Sybil is now possessed and kills her wife Alison. They run from possessed Sybil.

Horror Situation: See another killed/possessed

Reaction: Escape

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!

Full pursuit by the killer

Sybil comes out of it and is totally distressed that she killed Alison. Maeve asks Sybil if she can remember anything from being possessed. She does not want to remember, too terrifying. Maeve asks her to try. We have to find a way to stop it.

She allows herself to remember. The spirit burnt his wife at the stake and now wants to force lesbians to kill their own loved ones. He finds great joy in the agony of the women who killed their lovers.

[Put another 17^th century flashback here to see it dramatized. New reveal is that He kills his own wife because she was a witch and had a woman lover.]

Horror Situation: Mentally tortured

Reaction: Try to solve it

Maeve realizes the spirit is possessing one woman in each couple and then killing that woman’s partner.

The four remaining women who were not either killed or possessed are totally freaked out. They look at each other. Regina, the comedian, gives her wife, Zora a creepy smile and Zora freaks out. Regina laughs. Only joking.

Horror Situation: Not knowing who is possessed

Reaction: Hide/Try and solve it (the women react differently)

TERRORIZED

The couples decide to separate. Regina and Diana go outside and Maeve and Zora console Caitlin and Sybil.

Maeve and Zora hear horrible screams from Diana. Maeve runs to Diana. Regina goes completely crazy and tries to attack Zora. Zora runs for her life.

Horror Situation: Attacked or chased

Reaction: Escape

Sybil and Caitlin run and hide. Maeve and Diane try to stop Regina. But she is terrifying and powerful. They cannot stop her and she murders Zora.

Horror Situation: See another killed

Reaction: Try to solve it/escape

Caitlin is completely hysterical. Overwhelmed by the evil and bloodshed. She tries to kill herself again. Maeve is able to stop her.

Horror Situation: Another character loses it

Reaction: Try to solve it

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

Maeve says we have to do something to prevent it from entering another woman. Sybil says to hold onto the power of love. How much you love your partner?

Maeve says no, how much you love your partner is what drives him crazy.

Maeve says just the power of love. They all meditate on the power of love.

FIGHT TO THE DEATH

Maeve starts to twitch uncontrollably. She becomes possessed. Diana is terrified and runs. Regina and Caitlin run. Sybil tells Maeve to hold on, to fight. She fights the spirit from within. Sybil does an exorcism.

Horror Situation: Possessed

Reaction: Fight (Maeve and Sybil) and Escape (Regina, Caitlin and Diana)

HYSTERIA

The exorcism drives the spirit wild, and Maeve does unnatural and terrifying things, like flying, vomiting bats, twisting her head around, etc. The spirit goes into Sybil and terrifies Maeve and laughs hysterically and jumps back into Maeve.

THE THRILLING ESCAPE FROM DEATH

Maeve fights. She calls on the spirits of her mother and grandmother and great grandmother for help. She is able to get rid of the spirit.

Horror Situation: Possessed

Reaction: fight

Maeve seems okay. She is thrilled that she did not kill Diana.

DEATH RETURNS TO TAKE ONE OR MORE.

The spirit possesses Diana and tries to kill Maeve. Maeve is totally freaked out. Does not want to hurt Diana but does not want to be killed. Maeve hides in basement.

Horror Situation: Possessed

Reaction: hide

Maeve finds the notebook left by the woman in 1980s and reads more about the spirit.

Flashback to the 17^th century – the woman who was lovers with the man burning his wife is a witch. She kills him and curses his soul. He cannot leave the farm. He cannot go to heaven or hell

Diana has found her and is pounding on the basement door. Maeve realizes she has to remove the curse. She can’t do it herself. She calls on the original witch to help her and she does.

Horror Situation: Possessed

Reaction: fight

Resolution

Five of them are still alive. They decide what to do.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Horror Plot

What I learned: This is fun. As I stop worrying about everything that I do not know and allow myself to just do the exercises and trust the process, more and more answers come to me. So much of the project is still unknown to me, but I am not letting that get in my way. I trust what I need to know will show up at the perfect time.

And I can change anything I want at any time. Nothing is set in stone. I’m already changing my characters and we only did that assignment yesterday. I’m shifting who is the main character and I’m changing their individual traits and their relationships as I see what fits best with my concept. I’ve also changed their names.

bold

CREATE YOUR PLOT.

1. Knowing your concept, fill in one or two sentences for each of the plot points.

CONCEPT: At an isolated farm, one by one, an evil ghost possesses the lesbian visitors and causes each to murder her own spouse. A timid psychology student must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

ACT 1 — SET UP FOR HORROR

ATMOSPHERE OF EVIL ESTABLISHED

Prologue: 17^th century Massachusetts. A Man burning a witch at the stake and a woman running through the woods to reach them and stop him.

CONNECT WITH THE CHARACTERS

We meet Diana and Maeve in their car. They are a loving couple. They stop on the road to help a woman who has a flat tire. Diana changes the tire and Maeve comforts the vulnerable woman.

Later they arrive at the farm and meet the other six women.

THE CHARACTERS ARE WARNED NOT TO DO IT.

Diana and Maeve tell the woman with the flat tire where they are going and she looks terrified. She tells them not to go. It’s dangerous. They think she means the old house is unsafe. No, it’s haunted. Forty years there was a murder suicide. A lesbian killed her lover and then killed herself.

DENIAL OF HORROR

They arrive at the house and tell the others. Sybil and Alison say nonsense. This place is beautiful. They invited the other six women to ask them to invest in their latest project, building a lesbian retreat on the land.

SAFETY TAKEN AWAY

No internet or cell phone service on the farm.

MONSTER: THE NATURE OF THE BEAST.

Another flashback to the 17^th century where we find out more about the man who is killing a witch and the woman who is trying to stop it.

Weird things happening in the house. Seems haunted.

Caitlin says we should have a séance and ask who it is and what it wants. Sybil, her mentor in witchcraft says no. Caitlin says Sybil is afraid of her own power and defies Sybil. She holds the séance.

The spirit is an angry male and is possesses Caitlin.

Caitlin goes completely mad, acting like a lunatic and kills her lover, Libby. The rest of the women are horrified.

ACT 2 — THE POINT OF NO RETURN

ISOLATED / TRAPPED / ABDUCTED

Caitlin calms down and is completely horrified that she killed Libby. Wants to kill herself. They stop her and try to figure out what happened and what they should do. Call the police or no?

They decide to go for help, but the only bridge that takes them off the farm has collapsed.

Alison reveals she found stuff in the basement about the death of the two women in the 1980s, but did not want to spoil the weekend by telling them about it.

While Sybil and Alison try to console the inconsolable Caitlin, Maeve and Diana investigate the stuff in the basement.

They find a notebook left by the woman who killed her partner. She details how she was possessed by a man who killed his wife because she was a witch and had a female lover.

They are horrified. They hear screaming. The run upstairs to find Sybil is now possessed and kills her wife Alison.

Sybil goes completely mad and kills her wife Alison.

MIDPOINT: The monster is worse than we thought!

Full pursuit by the killer

Sybil comes out of it and is totally distressed that she killed Alison.

Maeve asks Sybil if she can remember anything from being possessed. She does not want to remember, too terrifying. Maeve asks her to try. We have to find a way to stop it.

She allows herself to remember. The spirit burnt his wife at the stake and now wants to force lesbians to kill their own loved ones. He finds great joy in the agony of the women who killed their lovers.

[Flashback to 17^th century. The people we saw in the prologue. A woman runs in the woods. A man ties his wife to a stake. She begs him not to light the fire. Hang her r shoot her, please don’t burn me. He says you lay with another woman and lights the fire. His wife screams in agony. The other woman comes out of the woods and sees her burning and screams and runs to her. He grabs her and laughs with glee. She says, how can you laugh? She’s your wife. He smiles and says she is a witch and lay with you. Crying, the woman says she was not a witch. Then smiles and says, but I am and stabs him in the heart. As he dies, she curses him. His spirit will not be able to leave this farm.]

Maeve realizes it is possessing one woman in each couple and then killing that woman’s partner.

The four remaining women who were not either killed or possessed are totally freaked out. They look at each other. Regina, the comedian, gives her wife, Zora a creepy smile and Zora freaks out. Regina laughs. Only joking.

TERRORIZED

Regina and Zora go for a walk. Regina goes completely crazy and tries to attack Zora. Zora runs for her life. The other surviving women try to stop Regina. But she is terrifying and powerful. They cannot stop her and she murders Zora.

Caitlin is completely hysterical. Overwhelmed by the evil and bloodshed.

ACT 3 — FULL OUT HORROR

Maeve says we have to do something to prevent it from entering another woman. Sybil says to hold onto the power of love. How much you love your partner?

Maeve says no, how much you love your partner is what drives him crazy.

Maeve says just the power of love. They all meditate on the power of love.

FIGHT TO THE DEATH

Maeve starts to twitch uncontrollably. Diana is terrified. Sybil tells Maeve to hold on. She fights the spirit from within. Sybil does an exorcism.

HYSTERIA

The exorcism drives the spirit wild and Maeve does unnatural and terrifying things, like flying, vomiting bats, twisting her head around, etc. The spirit goes into Sybil and terrifies Diana and Maeve and laughs hysterically and jumps back into Maeve.

THE THRILLING ESCAPE FROM DEATH

Maeve fights. She calls on the spirits of her mother and grandmother and great grandmother for help. She is able to get rid of the spirit.

They seem okay. They are happy. She is thrilled that she did not kill Maeve.

DEATH RETURNS TO TAKE ONE OR MORE.

The spirit possesses Diana and tries to kill Maeve. Maeve is totally freaked out. Does not want to hurt Diana but does not want to be killed.

Maeve runs back to the basement to read more about the spirit.

Flashback to the 17^th century – the woman who was lovers with the man burning his wife is a witch. She kills him and curses his soul. He cannot leave the farm. He cannot go to heaven or hell

Maeve realizes she has to remove the curse. She can’t do it herself. She calls on the original witch to help her and she does.

Resolution

Five of them are still alive. They decide what to do.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

What I learned: This is fun! I am getting clearer on my concept.

Question: How to write a horror logline? I write a logline with the main character driving the action, e.g., what is her goal. But in a horror script, the monster usually drives the action. How do we reflect that in a concept?

1. Tell us your Concept and the Group you have chosen.

Concept: At an isolated farm, an evil ghost possesses the lesbian visitors and causes each to murder her own spouse. A NYC cop must stop it before it possesses her or her wife.

Group – Social Group. Friends/Colleagues

2. Tell us the Dying Pattern of this movie.

B. The characters experience the terror and survive together, but one or two die.

3. Give us an Identity and a sentence for each character that makes up your group.

Rescuer – Diana, 32, black. NYC cop. Protective. Skeptical about the spirituality. Discovers who the ghost is and how to stop it.

Love Interest – Jennifer, 35, white, Diana’s wife. Psychotherapist. Sybil’s protégé. Wants this retreat to work out.

Leader – Sybil, 55, white. A Psychotherapist and and author of spiritual/self-help books. Invited the group to the farm to discuss investing in a project to build an upscale lesbian retreat on the land.

Red Herring, Audrey, 58, white, lawyer and Sybil’s wife. She is the business end of Sybil’s ideas for a lesbian retreat on the land. When people focus on the strange things that are going on in the location, she poo poos them and talks about how great the retreat will be. Saleswoman.

Complainer – Regina, 50, black, standup comedian and actress. Complains about being out in the woods with no phone or internet service. Sarcastic. Makes fun of spiritual beliefs. Great comic relief.

Innocent, – Hattie, 35, black, [occupation] Regina’s wife. Spiritual and tries to get Regina to be more spiritual. Is very uncomfortable when the arrive. Feels like something is off in the location.

The Carrier: Esther, 28, modern day witch. Leads a séance to investigate the odd things that are happening and in that process the ghost becomes able to possess the women in the group.

Out of control – Tilly, 28, accountant. Esther’s wife. Terrified of what is going on. First to die.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by  CLAIRE RILEY.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Claire’s Terrifying Monster

What I learned:

If I continue to do the exercises, I will come up with a high concept horror story. This is only the second assignment, and I am already coming up with good ideas.

Tell us what or who your monster is.

The evil spirit of a man who burned lesbians at the stake in the 18^th century as witches, including his own wife. He possesses a lesbian and forces it to kill her spouse.

2. Give us a few sentences for each of the following for your monster:

Their Terror: possesses the body of a lesbian and has it kill her spouse. So a woman is chased down and gleefully murder by her own wife.

Their Mystery: How can we stop it from possessing the next woman before it kills again. How to stop it while it has possessed a woman without killing the woman.

Their Fear-Provoking Appearance: your spouse feeling such great joy as it kills you.

Their Rules: possesses a body and cannot go into another body until it kills the spouse

Their Mythology: Burned lesbians at the stake as witches in 17^th century Massachusetts. He burned his own wife because she was seduced by a witch. That witch killed him and cursed him. His soul cannot leave his farm.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Hey everybody!

I’m Claire V. Riley from Brooklyn, NY. This will be my tenth script. I hope to come up with a fantastic high concept from this class and get a good start on a highly marketable horror script. And I also hope to meet more great writer colleagues as I usually do in Hal’s classes.

I had an LGBTQ comedy feature produced, THE PERFECT FAMILY. It starred Kathleen Turner and premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by  CLAIRE RILEY.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

AGREE, in which case, you Reply to this topic and include three things at the top of the page:

I, Claire V. Riley, agree to the terms of this release form.

GROUP RELEASE FORM

As a member of this group, I agree to the following:

1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.

2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.

I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.

3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.

4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.

5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.

6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.

This completes the Group Release Form for the class.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

BLUMHOUSE’S FANTASY ISLAND Horror Conventions

WHAT I LEARNED: There are conventions to horror films and I can find them in a movie if I look for them. And if other writers can use these conventions to write their scripts, I can use them to write my great horror script. I also learned the differences between the horror and thriller genres.

Concept:A horror version of the TV series FANTASY ISLAND, in which people have their fantasies realized, but they turn into nightmares.

Terrorize The Characters: The “guests” are happy because they are there to have a fantasy come to life. But as they enjoy their living fantasy, things change, and the fantasies become nightmares. Two brothers are captured by bad guys, and one is killed. A man becomes a soldier like his dead father and watches his father turn coward and then watches his father die and then he is killed. A woman watches her high school bully being physically tortured and maimed.

Isolation: an isolated island with no way on or off.

Death: four people we care about are killed, as well as some creepy villains we are happy to see die.

Monster/Villain: the magic of the island and the characters it creates

High Tension:

Running from people with guns; running from a madman with a knife; reliving a fire where you still can’t save someone; running through a dark a watery cave.

Departure from Reality:

People can come back to life; you can change the past

Moral Statement:

You should be kind to others and help them when they are in trouble.

• This reply was modified 3 years, 4 months ago by  CLAIRE RILEY.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

So glad you are in this class!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Interesting! Looking forward to learning more about this!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

This sounds very funny, Veleka!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

I have the Charlie Brown Christmas album, Kevin, and love it.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Sounds good, Reggie. Looking forward to seeing it come to life.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Lauren, this is fabulous. It could work well as a comedy or drama, but from your title, I’d say this is a comedy. Love the title, by the way. Looking forward to seeing it unfold.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

This sounds good, David. Looking forward to seeing how it unfolds.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Oooooooo! I like the sound of this, Tracy. Looking forward to watching this come to life.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Linda I love this concept! Can’t wait to read more!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Thanks, Natalie!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

So glad you are in this class, Valeriya! These are great concepts. I love the horror one the most because I love horror. Looking forward to seeing how your ideas develop!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

This looks interesting, Veronica!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

This sounds like fun, Jane. I look forward to watching it come to life!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

This sounds good, Natalie. And to me it sounds like a Dramatic Triangle, the protagonist, the antagonist and the love interest. Have you taken the Thriller class? I’m writing my first thriller and finding the class useful. Looking forward to seeing this story develop.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

OMG, Hope, this sounds hysterical. Looking forward to it!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Teresa, this looks like it could be lots of fun! I’m looking forward to seeing it come to life.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

I’m so happy you are in this class, Peter. And this sounds like a very interesting story. Looking forward to its development.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

This sounds funny, Leona! I laughed out loud when I read it! Can’t wait to see it come to life.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Kelly, this sounds like fun!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

I love the Rockford Files, too!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Great to have you in this class, Linda!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

YAY! I look forward to watching this idea blossom into a fabulous script!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Wow! Interesting!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

WOW, interesting concept. I look forward to watching this come to life.

[CLAIRE RILEY]

OMG, I love this concept. I assume it’s a comedy because it’s hysterical!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

In summary, you’re a BADASS SCREENWRITER! So glad you are in this class, Jeff!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Hi Jerry! I love that you are puppy raisers for Guide Dogs of America. I think there is a movie somewhere in there!

[CLAIRE RILEY]

Valeriya, I’m so glad you are inthis class!