Claudia OBrien
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Fascinating Scene Outlines
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from this assignment is that ChatGPT can be very helpful at first in identifying ways to add interest techniques to the outline – but then it starts doing the same thing over and over again. Still, it got me started, and that was helpful!
Act 1:
1. EXT. TRAIN PLATFORM – DAY
Grace says farewell to her family as she heads to war as an Army nurse.
Beginning: (location) Grace O’Malley, a nurse in an Army uniform, receives a blessing from her younger brother, a newly ordained priest, as she stands on a train platform with her family.
Middle: (uncomfortable moment): A Black child runs into Grace’s father, who reacts with disgust as Grace comforts the child and returns him to his parents.
Ending: (mystery) Why do Grace’s parents tell her they hope she won’t disappoint them?
2. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace watches another Army nurse, Ann, evaluate and treat a patient.
Beginning: (more interesting location) In an Army field hospital in the chaotic aftermath of D-Day, Ann, a nurse, reviews a patient chart.
Middle: (external dilemma) Ann concludes that the doctor is incorrect in his diagnosis.
Ending: (surprise) Ann refuses to follow the doctor’s treatment plan and does what she thinks is right.
3. INT. OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Grace meets Dr. Samuel Grey, her commanding officer, and fellow nurse Rachel Schneider. Beginning: (surprise) Grace meets her commanding officer, Dr. Grey, as he literally steps over a wounded Black soldier without looking at him.
Middle: (misinterpretation) Grace convinces herself and Rachel that Dr. Grey is not as prejudiced as he just appeared.
Ending: (uncomfortable moment) Dr. Grey makes comments that make it clear he is racist and misogynistic.
4. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Grace and Rachel discover that Ann put herself through nursing school by cleaning offices at night.
Beginning: (location) In contrast to the chaos of war around them, the barracks Grace and Rachel will share with Ann is literally spotless.
Middle: (misinterpretation) Rachel and Grace tease Ann about being obsessive, then learn that Ann put herself through nursing school by cleaning offices at night.
Ending: (mystery) Ann refuses to talk about her family, except for her beloved kid sister Margie.
5. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Grace meets Booker, a Tuskegee airman and his friend, Keith Washington as she clears them to fly Beginning: (location) Amid the chaos of preparing for a mission, Grace meets Booker, a Tuskegee airman and his friend, Keith Washington as she clears them to fly.
Middle: (character change) Grace’s obvious attraction to Booker makes her suddenly clumsy and awkward.
Ending: (uncomfortable moment) Ann notices the attraction and is jealous.
6. EXT. ARMY AIRFIELD – DAY
Booker and Keith ready their aircraft to fly their next mission, chatting about Grace
Beginning: (superior position) The audience knows that Booker is attracted to Grace, but Booker and Keith share their thoughts privately.
Middle: (misinterpretation) Keith teases Booker about how attractive Booker obviously found Grace.
Ending: (intrigue/mystery) Booker confesses that he will never date Grace.
7. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
An injured Russian soldier arrives at the field hospital. Rachel balks at treating him, so Grace takes over – and impresses Ann with her knowledge and skill.
Beginning: (surprise) A wounded Russian soldier is brought to the hospital, and Rachel (an exiled Russian Jew) refuses to treat him.
Middle: (uncomfortable moment) Grace takes over the care of the wounded Russian soldier, and Rachel watches, feeling uncomfortable and conflicted.
Ending: (misinterpretation) Grace and Ann misunderstand Rachel’s refusal to treat the Russian soldier, thinking it’s due to a language barrier or some other misunderstanding.
8. INT. ARMY MESS HALL – NIGHT
Grace and Booker run into each other at the mess hall. She flirts; he tries hard to stay aloof.
Beginning: (superior position) Grace is excited to run into Booker at the mess hall – but the audience knows he doesn’t want a relationship.
Middle: (uncertainty) Grace and Booker flirt – causing the audience to think he has changed his mind.
Ending: (uncomfortable moment) After initially responding in kind, Booker shuts Grace down, leaving her feeling hurt and confused.
9. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Ann is clearing Booker to fly.
Beginning: (uncomfortable moment) Ann, assigned to clear Booker to fly, is icily polite.
Middle: (character changes) Ann, usually the consummate professional, becomes more and more aggressive and disagreeable towards Booker.
Ending: (character change) Booker, usually aloof and polite, makes clear he doesn’t like her either.
10. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Dr. Grey directs a course of treatment on a Tuskegee airman that Grace and Ann believe to be incorrect. Against Ann’s urging, Grace follows Dr. Grey’s directions and the patient dies.
Beginning: (external dilemma) Dr. Grey directs a course of treatment on a Tuskegee airman that Grace and Ann believe to be incorrect.
Middle: (suspense) Against Ann’s urging, Grace follows Dr. Grey’s directions.
Ending: (major twist) The patient dies.
Act 2:
11. INT. ARMY MESS HALL – NIGHT
As Grace blames herself, Booker tells her that Dr. Grey doesn’t care whether Black soldiers survive.
Beginning: (superior position) Grace blames herself for letting the Tuskegee airman die but the audience knows better.
Middle: (mystery) Booker, alluding to an additional specific incident that highlights the Army’s racism, tells her that Dr. Grey doesn’t care whether Black soldiers survive.
Ending: (character change) Grace, no longer blaming herself, is furious at Dr. Grey and the racism of the Army – all the while she is falling more in love with Booker.
12. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Grace writes to her parents about Booker as the nurses dress for a night out.
Beginning: (external dilemma) Grace writes to her parents about Booker, seeking their approval but fearing they won’t give it.
Middle: (uncertainty) Grace, Ann and Rachel are simultaneously nervous and excited as they dress for a fancy night out.
Ending: (suspense) They leave for the Officer’s Club – knowing they are not allowed in without a male escort.
13. INT. ARMY OFFICER’S CLUB – NIGHT
Grace, Ann and Rachel try to enter the Officer’s Club – without a male escort.
Beginning: (uncomfortable moment) Grace, Ann and Rachel are confronted at the entrance to the Officer’s Club and told they cannot enter unless they are accompanied by men.
Middle: (suspense) They explain that they are Army officers and that they pay mandatory Officers’ Club dues.
Ending: (cliffhanger) Dr. Grey ensures they are kicked out of the club anyway – leaving the audience wondering about the consequences.
14. INT. OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Dr. Grey tells the nurses he is sending them to an Army psychiatrist for their actions.
Beginning: (superior position) Dr. Grey calls the nurses into his office and yells at them for trying to get into the Officer’s Club without being accompanied by men – while the audience recognizes the unfairness.
Middle: (suspense) How will they react when Dr. Grey informs them that they will be sent to the Army psychiatrist for their unwarranted behavior?
Ending: (external dilemma) When they learn that they are being punished for trying to be treated fairly, Ann is furious, Rachel is stoic, and Grace is panicked that her parents will find out.
15. INT. PSYCHIATRIST’S OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
An Army psychiatrist lectures Ann about her disobedience.
Beginning: (suspense) Ann enters the psychiatrist’s office.
Middle: (betrayal) The Army psychiatrist lectures Ann about her disobedience, and refuses to hear why the situation is unfair.
Ending: (character change) The usually composed Ann fumes, and refuses to concede that she did anything wrong.
16. INT/EXT. A DOGFIGHT IN THE SKY ABOVE RURAL FRANCE – DAY
NB- Thinking about doing the next two scenes as flashbacks revealed during the screenplay]
Booker performs heroically and saves the life of another pilot in a dogfight.
Beginning: (uncomfortable moment) On the airfield before takeoff, white pilot scoffs at Booker’s abilities to protect his plane. (They are in separate planes and Booker is charged with guarding the white pilot’s plane on his bombing raid.)
Middle: (suspense) A Luftwaffe plane appears and starts to fire on the White pilot’s plane.
Ending: (uncertainty) Booker shoots down the Luftwaffe plane and saves the white pilot – and we wonder how the pilot will react.
17. EXT. ARMY AIRFIELD – DAY
The White pilot claims credit for winning the dogfight – and claims Booker messed up.
Beginning: (uncomfortable moment) After they land at the airfield, the White pilot refuses to acknowledge Booker.
Middle: (external dilemma) The White pilot tells everyone that he shot down the Luftwaffe plane, not Booker – and that Booker messed up.
Ending: (betrayal) No one acknowledges Booker’s heroic actions.
18. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Grace’s parents forbid her from a relationship with “a man like that.” Ann, seeing an opening, piles on.
Beginning: (suspense) Grace is excited to get a letter from her parents.
Middle: (external dilemma) Her parents forbid her from a relationship with a Black man.
Ending: (betrayal) Ann piles on – tells Grace that Booker falsely claimed credit for shooting down a Luftwaffe plane.
19. INT. ARMY OFFICER’S CLUB – NIGHT
Grace goes on a date with the handsome and charming Liam Connelly.
Beginning: (superior position) A handsome and charming White officer, Liam, picks up Grace at her barracks as she tries to move on from Booker.
Middle: (character change) At the Officer’s Club, Grace tries (and fails) to like Liam as much as she likes Booker.
Ending: (major twist) Grace and Liam have sex.
20. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
With a new nurse, Susan, Grace slips and says she has six siblings.
Beginning: (mystery/surprise) As Grace talks to a new nurse, she mentions that she has six siblings.
Middle: (uncomfortable moment) Grace realizes she slipped up and hopes Ann didn’t notice.
Ending: (betrayal) Ann wonders why Grace lied and told Ann that she had five siblings.
21. INT. ARMY MESS HALL – DAY
Rachel and Booker discuss the Jews under the Nazis, Blacks under Jim Crow – and Russia. Beginning: (misinterpretation) Booker says that Russia under the Communists is better than the United States because everyone is treated equally.
Middle: (reveal) Rachel discloses that her family was persecuted in Russia and had to flee because they are Jewish.
Ending: (mystery) Booker doesn’t disclose what happened to his family – but acknowledges that the Nazis are the worst of all.
22. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Ann calls Grace out on her six siblings.
Beginning: (location) Ann and Grace are boxing supplies as the Field Hospital is preparing to move along with the advancing front.
Middle: (surprise) When questioned on her lie about her siblings, Grace says her oldest brother Patrick was killed at D-Day.
Ending: (intrigue) Ann wonders why anyone would lie about that and questions whether Grace is really telling her the truth.
23. EXT. A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace wanders around the new town, discreetly trying to find someone.
Beginning: (intrigue) Grace pokes around a small French town, alone.
Middle: (mystery) Grace discreetly shows a shopkeeper a photograph.
Ending: (cliffhanger) Grace slowly makes her way back to base, looking dejected.
24. INT. HOUSE IN THE TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace meets with a doctor.
Beginning: (location) Grace is back in town, knocking on a door.
Middle: (surprise) The doctor tells Grace she is pregnant.
Ending: (external dilemma) What will she do?
25. INT. ENTRANCE TO OFFICER’S CLUB – NIGHT
Grace tries to tell Liam.
Beginning: (uncertainty) Grace tries to enter the Officer’s Club to find Liam – and is blocked.
Middle: (major twist) Grace sees Liam in the Club – kissing Susan.
Ending: (suspense) What will Grace do now?
26. EXT. NEAR HANGAR AT AIRFIELD – NIGHT
A drunk Grace tries to kill herself.
Beginning: (character change) Grace, in despair, has cut her wrist.
Middle: (uncertainty) Booker rounds the corner, lighting a cigarette.
Ending: (character change) Booker drops all pretense of not caring, and rushes to save Grace.
27. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – NIGHT
Booker finds Ann, who tells him to bring Grace to her so she can sew up Grace’s wrist.
Beginning: (uncertainty) Booker finds Ann and asks for her help.
Middle: (character change) Ann abandons her dislike of Booker as they both try to save Grace.
Ending: (character change) Booker takes instructions from Ann, acting as her assistant so no one else will know what happened to Grace.
Act 3:
28. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Grace asks Ann to give her an abortion.
Beginning: (external dilemma) Grace needs to decide what to do about her pregnancy.
Middle: (suspense) Ann helps Grace realize she has only bad options.
Ending: (surprise) Ann agrees to give Grace an abortion.
29. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Grace throws herself into her work.
Beginning: (character change) Grace goes from despair to anger.
Middle: (surprise) Ann suggests a way for them to subvert the system.
Ending: (internal dilemma) Grace agrees to work with Ann.
30. MONTAGE – ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Ann, Grace and Rachel pilfer supplies to improve the treatment given to injured Tuskegee airmen.
31. INT. ARMY MESS HALL – NIGHT
Booker thanks the nurses.
Beginning: (location) Booker surreptitiously seeks out the nurses.
Middle: (surprise) Booker greets Ann (and Grace) with appreciation.
Ending: (suspense) Booker warns them not to get caught.
32. INT. ARMY OFFICER’S CLUB – NIGHT (MAYBE MONTAGE THE NEXT THREE SCENES)
Grace convinces Ann and Rachel to go to the Officer’s Club again.
Beginning: (superior position) We’ve seen this before; we know what will happen.
Middle: (suspense) We hope they will succeed but we fear that they won’t.
Ending: (uncomfortable moment) The nurses are ejected again.
33. INT. OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Dr. Grey sends the nurses to a psychiatrist again; all three are furious.
Beginning: (superior position) We’ve seen this before; we know what will happen.
Middle: (uncomfortable moment) Dr. Grey sends the nurses back to the psychiatrist.
Ending: (character change) All three nurses are defiant and furious.
34. INT. PSYCHIATRIST’S OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
An Army psychiatrist lectures Grace about her disobedience while she fumes.
Beginning: (superior position) We’ve seen this before; we know what will happen.
Middle: (uncomfortable moment) Grace stares icily at the psychiatrist, not accepting his authority.
Ending: (character change) Grace no longer accepts the Army’s misogyny.
35. EXT. A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace walks around the town, searching for someone.
Beginning: (intrigue) Why does Grace keep wandering around the new towns by herself?
Middle: (mystery) Grace shows a photograph to another shopkeeper. Who is she looking for?
Ending: (suspense) Grace makes it to the base just before curfew.
36. EXT. ARMY BASE – NIGHT
Booker sees Grace as she returns from the town.
Beginning: (internal dilemma) Booker tries to decide whether or not to approach Grace.
Middle: (character change) Grace is cagey, acting unlike Booker has ever seen her before.
Ending: (uncomfortable moment) Grace wants to tell him the truth but doesn’t dare.
37. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Ann tells Grace that nobody has the right to dictate who you love. [Ann’s monologue.]
Beginning: (internal dilemma) Grace returns to the barracks, deeply sad.
Middle: (misunderstanding) Ann thinks Grace is sad about Booker.
Ending: (surprise) Ann tells Grace that nobody has the right to dictate who you love.
38. EXT. NEAR HANGAR AT AIRFIELD – NIGHT
Grace finds Booker to confess her love.
Beginning: (suspense) Grace tells Booker she needs to speak with him.
Middle: (uncomfortable moment) Booker stands awkwardly as Grace tells him she loves him.
Ending: (surprise) Booker rejects Grace.
39. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Ann confesses her love to Grace.
Beginning: (surprise) Upon learning that Booker has rejected Grace, Ann confesses her love.
Middle: (betrayal) Grace, horrified, rejects Ann’s proffer.
Ending: (cliffhanger) The nurses are told that the hospital will be moving again, ASAP.
Act 4
40. EXT. A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace meets an Algerian woman who knows her brother.
Beginning: (intrigue) Grace once again wanders around a town.
Middle: (surprise) An Algerian woman indicates that she knows the person in the photo.
Ending: (cliffhanger) The woman agrees to take Grace to the person.
41. INT. AN APARTMENT IN A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace reunites with Patrick.
Beginning: (reveal) Grace is reunited with her older brother, Patrick, a deserter after D-Day.
Middle: (surprise) Patrick now works for the French resistance.
Ending: (external dilemma) Patrick asks Grace not to tell her parents that he is alive.
42. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Grace apologizes to Ann, tells her about her disowned brother. Ann admits she was disowned too.
Beginning: (uncomfortable moment) Grace approaches Ann – who keeps her distance.
Middle: (reveal) Grace tells Ann about her disowned brother.
Ending: (reveal) Ann tells Grace that she was disowned as well.
43. INT. OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Dr. Grey informs the women that they no longer have to pay Officer’s Club dues.
Beginning: (suspense) The nurses get called to Dr. Grey’s office.
Middle: (misinterpretation) The nurses think they’ve been caught pilfering supplies.
Ending: (surprise) Dr. Grey informs them that they no longer have to pay Officer’s Club dues.
44. EXT. ARMY AIRFIELD – DAY
Booker admits to Keith that he loves Grace.
Beginning: (internal dilemma) Booker needs to decide whether to take a chance with Grace.
Middle: (character change) He decides to take a chance on love.
Ending: (cliffhanger) But there is no time to tell her before they start their next mission.
45. INT/EXT. A DOGFIGHT IN THE SKY ABOVE RURAL FRANCE – DAY
Booker saves the life of another pilot in a dogfight, but is shot down.
Beginning: (uncertainty) Booker flies another mission.
Middle: (suspense) Booker gets into a battle with the Luftwaffe
Ending: (cliffhanger) Booker’s plane is shot down.
46. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Keith tells Grace and Ann that Booker is MIA.
Beginning: (superior position) Grace busily conducts her nursing duties.
Middle: (superior position) Keith arrives at the field hospital.
Ending: (cliffhanger) Keith tells Grace that Booker is MIA.
47. INT. AN APARTMENT IN A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace asks Patrick to use his contacts in the resistance to try to find Booker.
Beginning: (external dilemma) Grace decides to ask Patrick to help.
Middle: (suspense) Patrick agrees to try.
Ending: (uncertainty) Will Patrick and the resistance be able to find and help Booker?
48. EXT. SOMEWHERE IN RURAL FRANCE – DAY
A member of the French resistance finds the injured Booker and brings him to a farmhouse.
Beginning: (suspense) A farmer finds Booker. Is he resistance or sympathizer?
Middle: (reveal) He tries to bind Booker’s wounds.
Ending: (cliffhanger) But Booker is badly wounded.
49. INT. A FARMHOUSE IN RURAL FRANCE – DAY
Patrick arrives and realizes that Booker will not survive if he doesn’t get to a hospital.
Beginning: (superior position) Patrick learns that his sister loves a Black man.
Middle: (external dilemma) Booker will die if he doesn’t get to the hospital – but Patrick is a deserter.
Ending: (suspense) Patrick takes Booker to the hospital. Will Booker make it? What will happen to Patrick?
50. INT. ARMY FORWARD HOSPITAL – DAY
Patrick arrives at the hospital with Booker. Ann, Grace and Rachel work to save Booker’s life.
Beginning: (uncertainty) Will Booker make it? Will Patrick be arrested?
Middle: (betrayal) Dr. Grey says there are too many wounded to spare a doctor for Booker.
Ending: (suspense) The nurses operate on Booker.
51. EXT. ARMY FORWARD HOSPITAL – DAY
The Germans mount a surprise counteroffensive against the Army forward base.
Beginning: (surprise) The Germans mount a surprise counteroffensive.
Middle: (suspense) The nurses are ordered to evacuate patients.
Ending: (external dilemma) They need extra time to move Booker.
52. INT. ARMY FORWARD HOSPITAL – DAY
Patrick and Ann hold off the Germans long enough to allow Grace to safely evacuate Booker.
Beginning: (suspense) The Germans are almost at the hospital.
Middle: (surprise) Ann and Patrick volunteer to buy more time by holding off the Germans. Ann can shoot!
Ending: (sad/happy) Ann and Patrick are both killed, but Grace gets Booker to safety.
53. INT. A BANK IN PHILADELPHIA – DAY
Booker and Grace open a safe deposit box – and discover Ann was well-off.
Beginning: (location) Why are Grace and Booker at a bank?
Middle: (surprise) The banker knew Ann well.
Ending: (reveal) Ann had saved enough money that she didn’t need to work.
54. EXT. A SMALL HOUSE IN THE PHILADELPHIA SUBURBS – DAY
Grace and Booker give Margie Ann’s letter, the house’s deed and money from the safe deposit box.
Beginning: (sadness): Booker and Grace meet Ann’s kid sister Margie, who is devastated by her death.
Middle: (surprise) They hand Margie the deed to the house, cash and bonds – all from Ann.
Ending: (happiness) Booker and Grace say farewell to a grateful Margie – to start their life together.
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<div><b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Subject Line: Claudia’s Fascinating Scene Outlines
</div>My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from this assignment is that ChatGPT can be very helpful at first in identifying ways to add interest techniques to the outline – but then it starts doing the same thing over and over again. Still, it got me started, and that was helpful!
Act 1:
1. EXT. TRAIN PLATFORM – DAY
Grace says farewell to her family as she heads to war as an Army nurse.
Beginning: (location) Grace O’Malley, a nurse in an Army uniform, receives a blessing from her younger brother, a newly ordained priest, as she stands on a train platform with her family.
Middle: (uncomfortable moment): A Black child runs into Grace’s father, who reacts with disgust as Grace comforts the child and returns him to his parents.
Ending: (mystery) Why do Grace’s parents tell her they hope she won’t disappoint them?
2. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace watches another Army nurse, Ann, evaluate and treat a patient.
Beginning: (more interesting location) In an Army field hospital in the chaotic aftermath of D-Day, Ann, a nurse, reviews a patient chart.
Middle: (external dilemma) Ann concludes that the doctor is incorrect in his diagnosis.
Ending: (surprise) Ann refuses to follow the doctor’s treatment plan and does what she thinks is right.
3. INT. OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Grace meets Dr. Samuel Grey, her commanding officer, and fellow nurse Rachel Schneider. Beginning: (surprise) Grace meets her commanding officer, Dr. Grey, as he literally steps over a wounded Black soldier without looking at him.
Middle: (misinterpretation) Grace convinces herself and Rachel that Dr. Grey is not as prejudiced as he just appeared.
Ending: (uncomfortable moment) Dr. Grey makes comments that make it clear he is racist and misogynistic.
4. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Grace and Rachel discover that Ann put herself through nursing school by cleaning offices at night.
Beginning: (location) In contrast to the chaos of war around them, the barracks Grace and Rachel will share with Ann is literally spotless.
Middle: (misinterpretation) Rachel and Grace tease Ann about being obsessive, then learn that Ann put herself through nursing school by cleaning offices at night.
Ending: (mystery) Ann refuses to talk about her family, except for her beloved kid sister Margie.
5. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Grace meets Booker, a Tuskegee airman and his friend, Keith Washington as she clears them to fly Beginning: (location) Amid the chaos of preparing for a mission, Grace meets Booker, a Tuskegee airman and his friend, Keith Washington as she clears them to fly.
Middle: (character change) Grace’s obvious attraction to Booker makes her suddenly clumsy and awkward.
Ending: (uncomfortable moment) Ann notices the attraction and is jealous.
6. EXT. ARMY AIRFIELD – DAY
Booker and Keith ready their aircraft to fly their next mission, chatting about Grace
Beginning: (superior position) The audience knows that Booker is attracted to Grace, but Booker and Keith share their thoughts privately.
Middle: (misinterpretation) Keith teases Booker about how attractive Booker obviously found Grace.
Ending: (intrigue/mystery) Booker confesses that he will never date Grace.
7. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
An injured Russian soldier arrives at the field hospital. Rachel balks at treating him, so Grace takes over – and impresses Ann with her knowledge and skill.
Beginning: (surprise) A wounded Russian soldier is brought to the hospital, and Rachel (an exiled Russian Jew) refuses to treat him.
Middle: (uncomfortable moment) Grace takes over the care of the wounded Russian soldier, and Rachel watches, feeling uncomfortable and conflicted.
Ending: (misinterpretation) Grace and Ann misunderstand Rachel’s refusal to treat the Russian soldier, thinking it’s due to a language barrier or some other misunderstanding.
8. INT. ARMY MESS HALL – NIGHT
Grace and Booker run into each other at the mess hall. She flirts; he tries hard to stay aloof.
Beginning: (superior position) Grace is excited to run into Booker at the mess hall – but the audience knows he doesn’t want a relationship.
Middle: (uncertainty) Grace and Booker flirt – causing the audience to think he has changed his mind.
Ending: (uncomfortable moment) After initially responding in kind, Booker shuts Grace down, leaving her feeling hurt and confused.
9. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Ann is clearing Booker to fly.
Beginning: (uncomfortable moment) Ann, assigned to clear Booker to fly, is icily polite.
Middle: (character changes) Ann, usually the consummate professional, becomes more and more aggressive and disagreeable towards Booker.
Ending: (character change) Booker, usually aloof and polite, makes clear he doesn’t like her either.
10. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Dr. Grey directs a course of treatment on a Tuskegee airman that Grace and Ann believe to be incorrect. Against Ann’s urging, Grace follows Dr. Grey’s directions and the patient dies.
Beginning: (external dilemma) Dr. Grey directs a course of treatment on a Tuskegee airman that Grace and Ann believe to be incorrect.
Middle: (suspense) Against Ann’s urging, Grace follows Dr. Grey’s directions.
Ending: (major twist) The patient dies.
Act 2:
11. INT. ARMY MESS HALL – NIGHT
As Grace blames herself, Booker tells her that Dr. Grey doesn’t care whether Black soldiers survive.
Beginning: (superior position) Grace blames herself for letting the Tuskegee airman die but the audience knows better.
Middle: (mystery) Booker, alluding to an additional specific incident that highlights the Army’s racism, tells her that Dr. Grey doesn’t care whether Black soldiers survive.
Ending: (character change) Grace, no longer blaming herself, is furious at Dr. Grey and the racism of the Army – all the while she is falling more in love with Booker.
12. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Grace writes to her parents about Booker as the nurses dress for a night out.
Beginning: (external dilemma) Grace writes to her parents about Booker, seeking their approval but fearing they won’t give it.
Middle: (uncertainty) Grace, Ann and Rachel are simultaneously nervous and excited as they dress for a fancy night out.
Ending: (suspense) They leave for the Officer’s Club – knowing they are not allowed in without a male escort.
13. INT. ARMY OFFICER’S CLUB – NIGHT
Grace, Ann and Rachel try to enter the Officer’s Club – without a male escort.
Beginning: (uncomfortable moment) Grace, Ann and Rachel are confronted at the entrance to the Officer’s Club and told they cannot enter unless they are accompanied by men.
Middle: (suspense) They explain that they are Army officers and that they pay mandatory Officers’ Club dues.
Ending: (cliffhanger) Dr. Grey ensures they are kicked out of the club anyway – leaving the audience wondering about the consequences.
14. INT. OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Dr. Grey tells the nurses he is sending them to an Army psychiatrist for their actions.
Beginning: (superior position) Dr. Grey calls the nurses into his office and yells at them for trying to get into the Officer’s Club without being accompanied by men – while the audience recognizes the unfairness.
Middle: (suspense) How will they react when Dr. Grey informs them that they will be sent to the Army psychiatrist for their unwarranted behavior?
Ending: (external dilemma) When they learn that they are being punished for trying to be treated fairly, Ann is furious, Rachel is stoic, and Grace is panicked that her parents will find out.
15. INT. PSYCHIATRIST’S OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
An Army psychiatrist lectures Ann about her disobedience.
Beginning: (suspense) Ann enters the psychiatrist’s office.
Middle: (betrayal) The Army psychiatrist lectures Ann about her disobedience, and refuses to hear why the situation is unfair.
Ending: (character change) The usually composed Ann fumes, and refuses to concede that she did anything wrong.
16. INT/EXT. A DOGFIGHT IN THE SKY ABOVE RURAL FRANCE – DAY
NB- Thinking about doing the next two scenes as flashbacks revealed during the screenplay]
Booker performs heroically and saves the life of another pilot in a dogfight.
Beginning: (uncomfortable moment) On the airfield before takeoff, white pilot scoffs at Booker’s abilities to protect his plane. (They are in separate planes and Booker is charged with guarding the white pilot’s plane on his bombing raid.)
Middle: (suspense) A Luftwaffe plane appears and starts to fire on the White pilot’s plane.
Ending: (uncertainty) Booker shoots down the Luftwaffe plane and saves the white pilot – and we wonder how the pilot will react.
17. EXT. ARMY AIRFIELD – DAY
The White pilot claims credit for winning the dogfight – and claims Booker messed up.
Beginning: (uncomfortable moment) After they land at the airfield, the White pilot refuses to acknowledge Booker.
Middle: (external dilemma) The White pilot tells everyone that he shot down the Luftwaffe plane, not Booker – and that Booker messed up.
Ending: (betrayal) No one acknowledges Booker’s heroic actions.
18. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Grace’s parents forbid her from a relationship with “a man like that.” Ann, seeing an opening, piles on.
Beginning: (suspense) Grace is excited to get a letter from her parents.
Middle: (external dilemma) Her parents forbid her from a relationship with a Black man.
Ending: (betrayal) Ann piles on – tells Grace that Booker falsely claimed credit for shooting down a Luftwaffe plane.
19. INT. ARMY OFFICER’S CLUB – NIGHT
Grace goes on a date with the handsome and charming Liam Connelly.
Beginning: (superior position) A handsome and charming White officer, Liam, picks up Grace at her barracks as she tries to move on from Booker.
Middle: (character change) At the Officer’s Club, Grace tries (and fails) to like Liam as much as she likes Booker.
Ending: (major twist) Grace and Liam have sex.
20. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
With a new nurse, Susan, Grace slips and says she has six siblings.
Beginning: (mystery/surprise) As Grace talks to a new nurse, she mentions that she has six siblings.
Middle: (uncomfortable moment) Grace realizes she slipped up and hopes Ann didn’t notice.
Ending: (betrayal) Ann wonders why Grace lied and told Ann that she had five siblings.
21. INT. ARMY MESS HALL – DAY
Rachel and Booker discuss the Jews under the Nazis, Blacks under Jim Crow – and Russia. Beginning: (misinterpretation) Booker says that Russia under the Communists is better than the United States because everyone is treated equally.
Middle: (reveal) Rachel discloses that her family was persecuted in Russia and had to flee because they are Jewish.
Ending: (mystery) Booker doesn’t disclose what happened to his family – but acknowledges that the Nazis are the worst of all.
22. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Ann calls Grace out on her six siblings.
Beginning: (location) Ann and Grace are boxing supplies as the Field Hospital is preparing to move along with the advancing front.
Middle: (surprise) When questioned on her lie about her siblings, Grace says her oldest brother Patrick was killed at D-Day.
Ending: (intrigue) Ann wonders why anyone would lie about that and questions whether Grace is really telling her the truth.
23. EXT. A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace wanders around the new town, discreetly trying to find someone.
Beginning: (intrigue) Grace pokes around a small French town, alone.
Middle: (mystery) Grace discreetly shows a shopkeeper a photograph.
Ending: (cliffhanger) Grace slowly makes her way back to base, looking dejected.
24. INT. HOUSE IN THE TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace meets with a doctor.
Beginning: (location) Grace is back in town, knocking on a door.
Middle: (surprise) The doctor tells Grace she is pregnant.
Ending: (external dilemma) What will she do?
25. INT. ENTRANCE TO OFFICER’S CLUB – NIGHT
Grace tries to tell Liam.
Beginning: (uncertainty) Grace tries to enter the Officer’s Club to find Liam – and is blocked.
Middle: (major twist) Grace sees Liam in the Club – kissing Susan.
Ending: (suspense) What will Grace do now?
26. EXT. NEAR HANGAR AT AIRFIELD – NIGHT
A drunk Grace tries to kill herself.
Beginning: (character change) Grace, in despair, has cut her wrist.
Middle: (uncertainty) Booker rounds the corner, lighting a cigarette.
Ending: (character change) Booker drops all pretense of not caring, and rushes to save Grace.
27. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – NIGHT
Booker finds Ann, who tells him to bring Grace to her so she can sew up Grace’s wrist.
Beginning: (uncertainty) Booker finds Ann and asks for her help.
Middle: (character change) Ann abandons her dislike of Booker as they both try to save Grace.
Ending: (character change) Booker takes instructions from Ann, acting as her assistant so no one else will know what happened to Grace.
Act 3:
28. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Grace asks Ann to give her an abortion.
Beginning: (external dilemma) Grace needs to decide what to do about her pregnancy.
Middle: (suspense) Ann helps Grace realize she has only bad options.
Ending: (surprise) Ann agrees to give Grace an abortion.
29. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Grace throws herself into her work.
Beginning: (character change) Grace goes from despair to anger.
Middle: (surprise) Ann suggests a way for them to subvert the system.
Ending: (internal dilemma) Grace agrees to work with Ann.
30. MONTAGE – ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Ann, Grace and Rachel pilfer supplies to improve the treatment given to injured Tuskegee airmen.
31. INT. ARMY MESS HALL – NIGHT
Booker thanks the nurses.
Beginning: (location) Booker surreptitiously seeks out the nurses.
Middle: (surprise) Booker greets Ann (and Grace) with appreciation.
Ending: (suspense) Booker warns them not to get caught.
32. INT. ARMY OFFICER’S CLUB – NIGHT (MAYBE MONTAGE THE NEXT THREE SCENES)
Grace convinces Ann and Rachel to go to the Officer’s Club again.
Beginning: (superior position) We’ve seen this before; we know what will happen.
Middle: (suspense) We hope they will succeed but we fear that they won’t.
Ending: (uncomfortable moment) The nurses are ejected again.
33. INT. OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Dr. Grey sends the nurses to a psychiatrist again; all three are furious.
Beginning: (superior position) We’ve seen this before; we know what will happen.
Middle: (uncomfortable moment) Dr. Grey sends the nurses back to the psychiatrist.
Ending: (character change) All three nurses are defiant and furious.
34. INT. PSYCHIATRIST’S OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
An Army psychiatrist lectures Grace about her disobedience while she fumes.
Beginning: (superior position) We’ve seen this before; we know what will happen.
Middle: (uncomfortable moment) Grace stares icily at the psychiatrist, not accepting his authority.
Ending: (character change) Grace no longer accepts the Army’s misogyny.
35. EXT. A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace walks around the town, searching for someone.
Beginning: (intrigue) Why does Grace keep wandering around the new towns by herself?
Middle: (mystery) Grace shows a photograph to another shopkeeper. Who is she looking for?
Ending: (suspense) Grace makes it to the base just before curfew.
36. EXT. ARMY BASE – NIGHT
Booker sees Grace as she returns from the town.
Beginning: (internal dilemma) Booker tries to decide whether or not to approach Grace.
Middle: (character change) Grace is cagey, acting unlike Booker has ever seen her before.
Ending: (uncomfortable moment) Grace wants to tell him the truth but doesn’t dare.
37. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Ann tells Grace that nobody has the right to dictate who you love. [Ann’s monologue.]
Beginning: (internal dilemma) Grace returns to the barracks, deeply sad.
Middle: (misunderstanding) Ann thinks Grace is sad about Booker.
Ending: (surprise) Ann tells Grace that nobody has the right to dictate who you love.
38. EXT. NEAR HANGAR AT AIRFIELD – NIGHT
Grace finds Booker to confess her love.
Beginning: (suspense) Grace tells Booker she needs to speak with him.
Middle: (uncomfortable moment) Booker stands awkwardly as Grace tells him she loves him.
Ending: (surprise) Booker rejects Grace.
39. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Ann confesses her love to Grace.
Beginning: (surprise) Upon learning that Booker has rejected Grace, Ann confesses her love.
Middle: (betrayal) Grace, horrified, rejects Ann’s proffer.
Ending: (cliffhanger) The nurses are told that the hospital will be moving again, ASAP.
Act 4
40. EXT. A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace meets an Algerian woman who knows her brother.
Beginning: (intrigue) Grace once again wanders around a town.
Middle: (surprise) An Algerian woman indicates that she knows the person in the photo.
Ending: (cliffhanger) The woman agrees to take Grace to the person.
41. INT. AN APARTMENT IN A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace reunites with Patrick.
Beginning: (reveal) Grace is reunited with her older brother, Patrick, a deserter after D-Day.
Middle: (surprise) Patrick now works for the French resistance.
Ending: (external dilemma) Patrick asks Grace not to tell her parents that he is alive.
42. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Grace apologizes to Ann, tells her about her disowned brother. Ann admits she was disowned too.
Beginning: (uncomfortable moment) Grace approaches Ann – who keeps her distance.
Middle: (reveal) Grace tells Ann about her disowned brother.
Ending: (reveal) Ann tells Grace that she was disowned as well.
43. INT. OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Dr. Grey informs the women that they no longer have to pay Officer’s Club dues.
Beginning: (suspense) The nurses get called to Dr. Grey’s office.
Middle: (misinterpretation) The nurses think they’ve been caught pilfering supplies.
Ending: (surprise) Dr. Grey informs them that they no longer have to pay Officer’s Club dues.
44. EXT. ARMY AIRFIELD – DAY
Booker admits to Keith that he loves Grace.
Beginning: (internal dilemma) Booker needs to decide whether to take a chance with Grace.
Middle: (character change) He decides to take a chance on love.
Ending: (cliffhanger) But there is no time to tell her before they start their next mission.
45. INT/EXT. A DOGFIGHT IN THE SKY ABOVE RURAL FRANCE – DAY
Booker saves the life of another pilot in a dogfight, but is shot down.
Beginning: (uncertainty) Booker flies another mission.
Middle: (suspense) Booker gets into a battle with the Luftwaffe
Ending: (cliffhanger) Booker’s plane is shot down.
46. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Keith tells Grace and Ann that Booker is MIA.
Beginning: (superior position) Grace busily conducts her nursing duties.
Middle: (superior position) Keith arrives at the field hospital.
Ending: (cliffhanger) Keith tells Grace that Booker is MIA.
47. INT. AN APARTMENT IN A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace asks Patrick to use his contacts in the resistance to try to find Booker.
Beginning: (external dilemma) Grace decides to ask Patrick to help.
Middle: (suspense) Patrick agrees to try.
Ending: (uncertainty) Will Patrick and the resistance be able to find and help Booker?
48. EXT. SOMEWHERE IN RURAL FRANCE – DAY
A member of the French resistance finds the injured Booker and brings him to a farmhouse.
Beginning: (suspense) A farmer finds Booker. Is he resistance or sympathizer?
Middle: (reveal) He tries to bind Booker’s wounds.
Ending: (cliffhanger) But Booker is badly wounded.
49. INT. A FARMHOUSE IN RURAL FRANCE – DAY
Patrick arrives and realizes that Booker will not survive if he doesn’t get to a hospital.
Beginning: (superior position) Patrick learns that his sister loves a Black man.
Middle: (external dilemma) Booker will die if he doesn’t get to the hospital – but Patrick is a deserter.
Ending: (suspense) Patrick takes Booker to the hospital. Will Booker make it? What will happen to Patrick?
50. INT. ARMY FORWARD HOSPITAL – DAY
Patrick arrives at the hospital with Booker. Ann, Grace and Rachel work to save Booker’s life.
Beginning: (uncertainty) Will Booker make it? Will Patrick be arrested?
Middle: (betrayal) Dr. Grey says there are too many wounded to spare a doctor for Booker.
Ending: (suspense) The nurses operate on Booker.
51. EXT. ARMY FORWARD HOSPITAL – DAY
The Germans mount a surprise counteroffensive against the Army forward base.
Beginning: (surprise) The Germans mount a surprise counteroffensive.
Middle: (suspense) The nurses are ordered to evacuate patients.
Ending: (external dilemma) They need extra time to move Booker.
52. INT. ARMY FORWARD HOSPITAL – DAY
Patrick and Ann hold off the Germans long enough to allow Grace to safely evacuate Booker.
Beginning: (suspense) The Germans are almost at the hospital.
Middle: (surprise) Ann and Patrick volunteer to buy more time by holding off the Germans. Ann can shoot!
Ending: (sad/happy) Ann and Patrick are both killed, but Grace gets Booker to safety.
53. INT. A BANK IN PHILADELPHIA – DAY
Booker and Grace open a safe deposit box – and discover Ann was well-off.
Beginning: (location) Why are Grace and Booker at a bank?
Middle: (surprise) The banker knew Ann well.
Ending: (reveal) Ann had saved enough money that she didn’t need to work.
54. EXT. A SMALL HOUSE IN THE PHILADELPHIA SUBURBS – DAY
Grace and Booker give Margie Ann’s letter, the house’s deed and money from the safe deposit box.
Beginning: (sadness): Booker and Grace meet Ann’s kid sister Margie, who is devastated by her death.
Middle: (surprise) They hand Margie the deed to the house, cash and bonds – all from Ann.
Ending: (happiness) Booker and Grace say farewell to a grateful Margie – to start their life together.
-
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Scene Requirements
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from this assignment is…damn this is hard! And that it took me longer than I expected. I also learned that I had too many scenes so I needed to delete some. I also can’t figure out how to fit all of this information into fewer than 12 pages (unless I eliminated all spacing, in which case I couldn’t read it)!
</div>
Wings of Grace/Lieutenant Ann – Outline
Act 1:
1. EXT. TRAIN PLATFORM – DAY
Scene Arc: From Grace with her family to Grace getting on the train to go to war.
Grace says farewell to her family as she heads to war as an Army nurse.
Essence: Grace has volunteered to serve in WWII.
Conflict: Her family should be proud – but instead they are worried she will disappoint them.
Subtext: What is her family worried about?
Hope/Fear: We hope Grace will make her family proud. We fear that she may not – or even that she may be wounded or die.
2. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL SOMEWHERE IN FRANCE – DAY
Scene Arc (next 3 scenes): From Grace meeting her mentor (positive) to meeting her commanding officer (negative) to learning more about her two fellow nurses.
Grace watches another Army nurse, Ann, evaluate and treat a patient.
Essence: Grace watches, and is awed by, an experienced and highly competent nurse who doesn’t bend to authority.
Conflict: Ann is angry at what she views as a mistake by the attending physician, and refuses to follow his treatment plan.
Subtext: Grace wishes she could be like Ann.
Hope/Fear: We hope Ann’s treatment is correct/We fear that she could be wrong.
3. INT. OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Grace meets Dr. Samuel Grey, her commanding officer, and fellow nurse Rachel Schneider.
Essence: Grace learns that her commanding officer is racist and misogynistic.
Conflict: How will the nurses manage to work with someone like him?
Subtext: Dr. Grey doesn’t care about the women working for him – or the Blacks under his care.
Hope/Fear: We hope the nurses can work around him/We fear that they won’t be able to do so.
4. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Ann takes Grace and Rachel to the barracks room they will be sharing. It is spotless. Ann put herself through nursing school by cleaning offices at night – but refuses to say why her parents wouldn’t help her.
Essence: We learn something new about Ann – but questions remain.
Conflict: What is Ann hiding?
Subtext: There is something in Ann’s background that we don’t know/understand.
Hope/Fear: We hope these nurses will get along/We fear that they won’t.
5. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Scene Arc (next two scenes): From Grace meeting the man she will love to learning that he has no interest in any kind of relationship with her.
Grace meets Booker, a Tuskegee airman and his friend, Keith Washington as she clears them for their next mission. She is immediately drawn to Booker – and also notices how others treat him. Ann notices the attraction and is jealous, but pretends not to care.
Essence: Grace meets someone special.
Conflict: He’s Black and she’s White.
Subtext: There are obstacles in store for them.
Hope/Fear: We hope they can get together/we fear that they can’t.
6. EXT. ARMY AIRFIELD – DAY
Booker and Keith ready their aircraft to fly their next mission, chatting about one nurse in particular – Grace.
Essence: Booker admits the attraction.
Conflict: He won’t pursue it.
Subtext: Why won’t he pursue it?
Hope/Fear: We hope he changes his mind/we fear that he won’t.
7. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Scene Arc: From Rachel refusing to treat a patient to Grace impressing Ann.
An injured Russian soldier arrives at the field hospital. Rachel balks at treating him, so Grace takes over. Ann is impressed with Grace’s knowledge and skill in diagnosis and treatment. Ann brings a first edition Dickens novel to a wounded soldier.
Essence: We learn about the nurse’s characters and skills.
Conflict: Why won’t Rachel treat the Russian soldier?
Subtext: There’s something in Rachel’s past.
Hope/Fear: We hope Grace does a good job/We fear Rachel knows something we don’t.
8. INT. ARMY MESS HALL – NIGHT
Scene Arc: From Grace lightheartedly flirting to Booker shutting her down.
Grace and Booker run into each other at the mess hall. She can’t help flirting; he tries hard to stay aloof.
Essence: Grace and Booker are attracted to each other.
Conflict: He doesn’t want to be attracted to her.
Subtext: Grace wants something that Booker doesn’t want.
Hope/Fear: We hope Booker changes his mind/we fear he won’t.
9. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Scene Arc: From Ann and Booker interacting politely to mutual dislike.
Ann is clearing Booker for his next mission. Ann is aggressive and disagreeable. Booker is polite and aloof but subtly makes clear that he doesn’t like her either.
Essence: Booker needs to be cleared to fly.
Conflict: Ann doesn’t like him.
Subtext: Ann is jealous.
Hope/Fear: We hope that they will end up getting along/We fear that they will not.
10. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Scene Arc: From taking orders to watching a patient die.
Dr. Grey directs a course of treatment on a Tuskegee airman that Grace and Ann believe to be incorrect. Against Ann’s strong urging, Grace follows Dr. Grey’s directions. The patient dies.
Essence: Grace needs to care for a soldier.
Conflict: Grace needs to decide between following orders and doing what she thinks is right.
Subtext: The nurses know more than Dr. Grey.
Hope/Fear: We hope Grace will make the right choice/we fear she will make the wrong choice.
Act 2:
11. INT. ARMY MESS HALL – NIGHT
Scene Arc: From Grace feeling distraught to angry.
As Grace blames herself for her patient’s death, Booker tells her that Dr. Grey doesn’t care whether Tuskegee airmen live or die.
Essence: Booker understands how Grace feels.
Conflict: Will Grace keep blaming herself?
Subtext: Grace needs to learn to stand up for herself.
Hope/Fear: We hope Grace will stop blaming herself for Dr. Grey’s error/We fear she won’t.
12. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Scene Arc (next 4 scenes): From getting ready for a fancy night out to being sent to the Army psychiatrist for trying to go to the Officer’s Club.
Grace prepares to post a letter to her parents about her feelings for Booker as the nurses put on their fanciest clothes and high heels, doing their hair.
Essence: Grace wants her parents to know she’s found someone special.
Conflict: They may not approve.
Subtext: Grace needs her parent’s approval.
Hope/Fear: We hope her parents will approve/we fear that they won’t approve.
13. INT. ARMY OFFICER’S CLUB – NIGHT
Grace, Ann and Rachel try to enter the Officer’s Club – without a male escort. They are removed.
Essence: The nurses want to have a night out in the Club they pay for.
Conflict: Will they succeed?
Subtext: The nurses try to stand up for their rights.
Hope/Fear: We hope they will succeed/We fear that they will fail.
14. INT. OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Dr. Grey tells Grace, Ann and Rachel that he is sending them to an Army psychiatrist for their attempt to enter the Officer’s Club. Grace is mortified – and terrified that her family will find out. Rachel is stoic. Ann is angry.
Essence: The nurses are punished for their disobedience.
Conflict: How will they react?
Subtext: Grace, Ann and Rachel are at different points in their personal journeys.
Hope/Fear: We hope they will fight back/we fear what will happen if they do.
15. INT. PSYCHIATRIST’S OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
An Army psychiatrist lectures Ann about her disobedience while she fumes.
Essence: The Army thinks the women were wrong for standing up for themselves.
Conflict: Ann is furious at the psychiatrist – and the Army.
Subtext: Ann knows that she is right.
Hope/Fear: We hope Ann fights back/we fear what will happen if she does.
16. INT/EXT. A DOGFIGHT IN THE SKY ABOVE RURAL FRANCE – DAY
Scene Arc (next 2 scenes): From saving the life of a pilot to having that pilot take the credit.
Booker performs heroically and saves the life of another pilot in a dogfight.
Essence: Booker is protecting another plane.
Conflict: Dogfight.
Subtext: Booker is a skilled and daring pilot.
Hope/Fear: We hope that Booker will save the day/we fear that he will not.
17. EXT. ARMY AIRFIELD – DAY
The White pilot claims credit for winning the dogfight – and claims he saved Booker, who messed up.
Essence: Booker fails to get the credit for his heroic actions.
Conflict: Because he is Black, his heroics are discounted – or claimed by others.
Subtext: The Army is still racist.
Hope/Fear: We hope that Booker will get credit for his heroics/we fear that he will not.
18. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Scene Arc: From hope that her parents will approve to disappointment that they don’t.
Grace eagerly opens a letter from her parents – only to be devastated by them forbidding her from any kind of relationship with “a man like that.” Ann, seeing an opening, piles on – telling the story of Booker falsely claiming credit for winning the dogfight.
Essence: Grace gets a response from her parents.
Conflict: It is not the response she wanted.
Subtext: Grace is too deferential to others.
Hope/Fear: We hope she will ignore her parents/we fear that she will not.
19. INT. ARMY OFFICER’S CLUB – NIGHT
Scene Arc: From a romantic date to sex.
Grace goes on a date with the handsome and charming Liam Connelly. They end up having sex.
Essence: Grace has a date.
Conflict: Will Liam end up being the right man for her?
Subtext: Grace is trying to move on from Booker.
Hope/Fear: We hope he is the right man for her/we fear he isn’t.
20. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Scene Arc: From a casual chat to Ann realizing that Grace is lying.
Grace, Ann and Rachel meet a new nurse, Susan. Grace slips and says she has six siblings. Ann notices. Grace again shows impressive knowledge and skill.
Essence: The nurses are getting to know a new nurse, while they work.
Conflict: Ann realizes Grace has lied to her.
Subtext: Why has Grace changed her story on how many siblings she has?
Hope/Fear: We hope it isn’t bad/we fear that it is.
21. INT. ARMY MESS HALL – DAY
Scene Arc: From criticizing racism in the US to highlighting antisemitism in Russia.
Rachel and Booker discuss the Jews under the Nazis, Blacks under Jim Crow – and Russia.
Essence: Rachel and Booker’s families have both faced discrimination.
Conflict: Rachel and Booker disagree about the state of the USA – and Russia.
Subtext: Why does Rachel hate Russia?
Hope/Fear: We fear what Rachel and Booker’s families have suffered/we hope it isn’t as bad as we suspect.
22. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Scene Arc: From Ann calling out Grace on her lie to Grace (maybe) telling the truth.
Ann calls Grace out on her six siblings as they prepare to move the Army Field Hospital to the advancing Army front.
Essence: Ann calls Grace out on her lie.
Conflict: Ann is upset that Grace would lie to her.
Subtext: We wonder why Grace would lie about the existence of her brother when he was a war hero who died in Normandy.
Hope/Fear: We hope Grace is telling the truth/We fear she isn’t.
23. EXT. A TOWN IN FRANCE – EVENING
Scene Arc (next 2 scenes): From Grace searching for something in the new town to Grace discovering she is pregnant.
Grace wanders around the new town, discreetly trying to find someone.
Essence: Grace is looking for something or someone.
Conflict: Grace doesn’t want anyone to know what she is doing.
Subtext: We wonder what she is looking for.
Hope/Fear: We hope it’s nothing bad/We fear it may be.
24. INT. HOUSE IN THE TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace meets with a doctor.
Essence: Grace learns she is pregnant.
Conflict: What will she do?
Subtext: Liam is the father.
Hope/Fear: We hope Liam reacts appropriately/we fear he will not.
25. INT. ENTRANCE TO OFFICER’S CLUB – NIGHT
Scene Arc (next 3 scenes): From Grace trying to tell Liam she is pregnant to discovering he is with someone else to a suicide attempt that is thwarted by Booker and Ann.
Grace tries to get into the Officer’s Club to tell Liam. She is blocked by a soldier, tries to convince him to let her in to talk to her fiancé – and sees Liam kissing Susan.
Essence: Grace discovers Liam is already seeing someone else.
Conflict: Now what will she do?
Subtext: Liam was bad news.
Hope/Fear: We hope Grace will be okay/we fear she will not.
26. EXT. NEAR HANGAR AT AIRFIELD – NIGHT
Grace is crouched down, drunk and trying to slit her wrists when Booker rounds the corner to his private place to think and smoke. He sees Grace and stops her from cutting herself a second time.
Essence: Grace is desperate and trying to kill herself.
Conflict: Will someone save her?
Subtext: Booker is a far better man than Liam.
Hope/Fear: We hope someone saves her/we fear no one will.
27. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – NIGHT
Booker finds Ann and tells her what happened. She instructs him to bring Grace to a small supply room, where Ann is able to sew up Grace’s wrist.
Essence: Booker and Ann try to save Grace’s life.
Conflict: Will Booker and Ann be able to save Grace?
Subtext: Booker and Ann both care about Grace.
Hope/Fear: We hope they can save Grace/we fear they will fail.
Act 3:
28. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Scene Arc: From recovering from a suicide attempt to getting an abortion.
Grace chooses the least bad among the alternatives – and asks Ann to give her an abortion.
Essence: Grace gets an abortion.
Conflict: Grace is stuck in an impossible position with no good options.
Subtext: Grace bears all the consequences of hers and Liam’s actions.
Hope/Fear: We hope she will be okay/we fear she will not.
29. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Scene Arc (next 3 scenes): From talking about changing things to actually making changes.
Grace throws herself into her work, getting angrier and angrier at the way things are. Ann suggests that they can do something about it.
Essence: Ann wants Grace to start being more like Ann.
Conflict: Should Grace and Ann start disobeying orders?
Subtext: Grace is starting to come into her own.
Hope/Fear: We hope that they will assert themselves/we fear that they will not.
30. MONTAGE – ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL
Ann, Grace and Rachel pilfer supplies and cover for each other as they significantly improve the treatment given to injured Tuskegee airmen.
Essence: The nurses improve care for the airmen.
Conflict: Will they get caught?
Subtext: Grace is changing, becoming more assertive.
Hope/Fear: We hope they succeed/we fear they will get caught.
31. INT. ARMY MESS HALL – NIGHT
Booker approaches the nurses – thanks them for what he has seen them doing.
Essence: Booker notices and is grateful.
Conflict: Will Booker and Ann become allies?
Subtext: Grace is changing, becoming more assertive.
Hope/Fear: We hope they will/we fear they won’t.
32. INT. ARMY OFFICER’S CLUB – NIGHT
Scene Arc (next 3 scenes, maybe done as montage): From trying to go to the Officer’s Club again to ending up at the psychiatrist’s office again.
Grace convinces Ann and Rachel to go to the Officer’s Club again. Ann is surprised – but thrilled. They are ejected again.
Essence: The nurses try again to assert their rights.
Conflict: They are again trying to do something that isn’t allowed.
Subtext: Grace is changing – but the system isn’t.
Hope/Fear: We hope they will succeed/we fear that they will fail.
33. INT. OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Dr. Grey tells Grace, Ann and Rachel that he is sending them to an Army psychiatrist for their attempt to enter the Officer’s Club. All three are furious.
Essence: Dr. Grey patronizes and punishes the nurses for asserting their rights.
Conflict: Dr. Grey versus the nurses.
Subtext: The “system” wins – again.
Hope/Fear: We hope the nurses will win eventually/we fear they will not.
34. INT. PSYCHAITRIST’S OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
An Army psychiatrist lectures Grace about her disobedience while she fumes.
Essence: The psychiatrist tells Grace she was wrong.
Conflict: Grace versus the psychiatrist.
Subtext: Grace no longer believes she was wrong.
Hope/Fear: We hope the nurses will win eventually/we fear they will not.
35. EXT. A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Scene Arc (next 2 scenes): From Grace searching for someone to Booker seeing her and wondering what she is doing.
Grace walks around the town, searching for someone.
Essence: Grace wants to find someone.
Conflict: Who is Grace looking for?
Subtext: Grace has a secret.
Hope/Fear: We hope she will find what she is looking for/we fear she will not.
36. EXT. ARMY BASE – EVENING
Booker sees Grace as she returns from the town, just before curfew.
Essence: Booker sees Grace return from town.
Conflict: Booker wonders where Grace has been.
Subtext: Grace has a secret.
Hope/Fear: We hope she will find what she is looking for/we fear she will not.
37. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Scene Arc (next 3 scenes): From confessing their love to being rejected.
Ann tells Grace that nobody has the right to dictate who you love. [Ann’s monologue.]
Essence: Ann’s monologue.
Conflict: Ann loves Grace but Grace loves Booker.
Subtext: Ann is subtly telling Grace she loves her.
Hope/Fear: We hope for Ann – and Grace/We fear for them too.
38. EXT. NEAR HANGAR AT AIRFIELD – NIGHT
Grace finds Booker, and confesses her love. He rejects her.
Essence: Grace tells Booker she loves him.
Conflict: What Booker wants versus what he thinks he can have.
Subtext: Booker loves Grace but will reject her anyway.
Hope/Fear: We hope Booker accepts her love/we fear he will reject her.
39. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Ann confesses her love to Grace, who rejects her.
Essence: The full love triangle is now in the open.
Conflict: Ann loves Grace but Grace loves Booker.
Subtext: Ann hopes that with Booker rejecting Grace, she has a chance at Grace’s love.
Hope/Fear: We hope this won’t destroy their friendship/we fear it will.
Act 4
40. EXT. A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Scene Arc (next 2 scenes): From searching to finding her brother, who deserted after D-Day.
Grace meets an Algerian woman who knows her brother.
Essence: Grace finally finds Patrick.
Conflict: How will he react when he sees her?
Subtext: Patrick was a deserter and is now in the resistance.
Hope/Fear: We hope Patrick will be happy to see Grace/we fear he will reject her.
41. INT. AN APARTMENT IN A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Grace reunites with Patrick, discovers he is now part of the French resistance.
Essence: Patrick is still fighting the Nazis, but not with the Army.
Conflict: Will he be caught and tried as a deserter?
Subtext: Like Grace, he loves someone his parents would not accept.
Hope/Fear: We hope Patrick can reunite with his whole family/we fear that he cannot.
42. INT. ARMY BARRACKS – NIGHT
Scene Arc: From tension/hostility to reunion.
Grace apologizes to Ann, tells her about her disowned brother. Ann admits she was disowned too.
Essence: Grace and Ann clear the air.
Conflict: Ann was devastated by Grace’s rejection.
Subtext: Both of them share similar secrets.
Hope/Fear: We hope they will forgive each other/we fear that they won’t.
43. INT. OFFICE AT ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Scene Arc: From fearing they will be punished again to learning they have won a small victory.
Dr. Grey informs the women that they no longer have to pay Officer’s Club dues – although they still can’t go in without an escort.
Essence: The nurses don’t have to pay dues anymore.
Conflict: Dr. Grey versus the nurses.
Subtext: The women have won a small victory.
Hope/Fear: We hope this isn’t their last victory/we fear it might be.
44. EXT. ARMY AIRFIELD – DAY
Scene Arc (next 2 scenes): From planning to tell Grace he loves her to being shot down in battle.
Keith and Booker prepare for their next mission. Booker admits that he loves Grace – plans to tell her when he returns.
Essence: Keith and Booker are about to go back into battle.
Conflict: Will Booker make it back?
Subtext: If he doesn’t make it back, he won’t be able to tell Grace he loves her.
Hope/Fear: We hope he makes it back/we fear he will not.
45. INT/EXT. A DOGFIGHT IN THE SKY ABOVE RURAL FRANCE – DAY
Booker saves the life of another pilot in a dogfight, but is shot down.
Essence: Booker gets into a battle with the Luftwaffe.
Conflict: A dogfight.
Subtext: Booker could be killed.
Hope/Fear: We hope Booker makes it out/we fear he will be killed.
46. INT. ARMY FIELD HOSPITAL – DAY
Scene Arc: From everyday work to learning the man she loves may be dead.
Keith tells Grace and Ann that Booker is MIA.
Essence: Booker is missing.
Conflict: Is Booker alive? Was he captured?
Subtext: Booker’s life is in danger.
Hope/Fear: We hope Booker is okay/we fear he has been killed.
47. INT. AN APARTMENT IN A TOWN IN FRANCE – DAY
Scene Arc (next 4 scenes): From Grace asking Patrick to find Booker to Patrick finding Booker then getting him to the hospital where he can be treated by Grace.
Grace asks Patrick to use his contacts in the resistance to try to find Booker.
Essence: Patrick agrees to help Grace.
Conflict: Can Patrick save Booker?
Subtext: Booker’s life is in danger.
Hope/Fear: We hope Patrick finds Booker/we fear he will fail.
48. EXT. SOMEWHERE IN RURAL FRANCE – DAY
A member of the French resistance finds Booker, who is badly injured, and brings him to a farmhouse.
Essence: Patrick finds Booker.
Conflict: Can Patrick get an injured Booker to safety?
Subtext: Booker’s life is in danger.
Hope/Fear: We hope Patrick can save Booker/we fear he can’t.
49. INT. A FARMHOUSE IN RURAL FRANCE – DAY
Patrick arrives and realizes that Booker will not survive if he doesn’t get to a hospital.
Essence: Booker’s life is in danger.
Conflict: Can Booker be saved?
Subtext: Patrick risks himself by bringing Booker to the Army hospital.
Hope/Fear: We hope Booker will live/we fear he will die.
50. INT. ARMY FORWARD HOSPITAL – DAY
Patrick arrives at the hospital with Booker. Ann, Grace and Rachel work to save Booker’s life.
Essence: The nurses operate on Booker.
Conflict: Can Grace, Ann and Rachel save Booker?
Subtext: Dr. Grey doesn’t think Booker’s life is worth saving.
Hope/Fear: We hope Booker will live/we fear he will die.
51. EXT. ARMY FORWARD HOSPITAL – DAY
Scene Arc: From saving Booker’s life to realizing that they may all die as a result of the German attack.
The Germans mount a surprise counteroffensive against the Army forward base, including the hospital.
Essence: The Army base – and hospital – are under attack.
Conflict: What will happen to Booker and the nurses?
Subtext: Grace needs more time to safely evacuate Booker.
Hope/Fear: We hope they will escape/we fear they will be killed.
52. INT. ARMY FORWARD HOSPITAL – DAY
Scene Arc: From fear of attack to a safe retreat for Booker and Grace – but death for Ann and Patrick.
The medical teams are ordered to retreat with their patients. Patrick and Ann hold off the Germans long enough to allow Grace to safely evacuate Booker.
Essence: The battle has reached the hospital.
Conflict: They need more time to evacuate Booker.
Subtext: Ann and Patrick are willing to sacrifice themselves to save Grace and Booker.
Hope/Fear: We hope everyone gets away safely/we fear they will not.
53. INT. A BANK IN PHILADELPHIA – DAY
Scene Arc (next 2 scenes): From initiating to completing Ann’s last wishes.
Booker and Grace open a safe deposit box – and discover Ann was well-off.
Essence: Booker and Grace are carrying out Ann’s last wishes.
Conflict: Grace and Booker are heartbroken over Ann’s death, but grateful that she gave them a chance at life and love.
Subtext: Ann trusted Grace to help her even after she was dead.
Hope/Fear: We hope for a happy ending/we fear there won’t be one.
54. EXT. A SMALL HOUSE IN THE PHILADELPHIA SUBURBS – DAY
Grace and Booker give Ann’s sister Margie a letter, the deed to the house and the money from the safe deposit box.
Essence: Ann’s last act was to ensure her kid sister would be cared for.
Conflict: Margie – and Grace and Booker – are heartbroken over Ann’s death.
Subtext: Ann was surprisingly wealthy.
Hope/Fear: We get our happy ending.
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Intriguing Moments
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from this assignment is how, taking these steps one at a time (reveals, emotional moments, intriguing moments) results in a multi-layered and sophisticated outline.
Give us a one sentence explanation of the intriguing moments in each Act of your project. Like the example above.
Act 1:
· Mystery: As she goes off to war, why are Grace’s parents telling her not to “disappoint them”?
· Hidden Identity: Ann is a lesbian.
· Mystery: Why does Booker reject any idea of a relationship with Grace?
· Mystery: Why does Rachel balk at treating a Russian soldier?
Act 2:
· Secret: Why would Grace blame herself for following the doctor’s orders?
· Superior Position: Audience knows by now that Ann is a lesbian and is falling for Grace – but Grace doesn’t know.
· Intrigue: Why is Grace wandering around the new town? What is she looking for?
Act 3:
· Scheme: Grace, Ann and Rachel circumvent their commanding officer so they can treat Black soldiers as well as the White soldiers.
· Covert Agenda: Their commanding officer tries to sabotage their efforts.
· Secret: Why won’t Grace tell Booker what she was doing when she returned from town just before curfew?
Act 4:
· Hidden Identity/Wound: Booker’s father was lynched for being too friendly with a White woman.
· Covert Agenda: Grace asks her brother to find Booker, who is MIA.
· Hidden Identity: Grace and Booker discover that Ann was wealthy enough not to need to work. And she is giving everything to her kid sister.
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Emotional Moments
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from this assignment is – as with the rest of these outlining assignments, doing this work up front will make writing my first draft so much easier and better.
Give us a one or two sentence explanation of the emotional moments in each act of your project.
Act 1:
· Surprise/Connection: Grace watches Ann evaluate and treat a patient, amazed and impressed by her boldness, competence and compassion.
· Disappointment/Distress: Grace realizes that her commanding officer is racist and sexist.
· Bonding: Grace and Booker are attracted to each other; she flirts while he tries to stay aloof.
· Emotional Dilemma: Grace thinks her commanding officer’s diagnosis is wrong and needs to decide whether to do what he said, or what she thinks is right.
· Distress: Grace did what her commanding officer said, and her patient died.
Act 2:
· Distress/Anger: Grace blames herself for her patient’s death. Ann is angry at their commanding officer.
· Bonding: Ann, Grace and Rachel go to the Officer’s Club without a male escort, knowing it is not allowed.
· Humiliation: The commanding officer sends them to a psychiatrist because they tried to enter the Officer’s Club.
· Courage/Pride: Booker saves the life of another pilot in a dogfight.
· Anger: The other pilot claims credit for winning the dogfight.
· Bonding: Rachel and Booker share their experiences as members of oppressed minorities.
· Surprise: Grace wanders around a town discreetly looking for someone.
· Distress: Grace discovers she is pregnant – and that her boyfriend is already seeing someone else.
Act 3:
· Moral Dilemma. Grace opts for an abortion.
· Bonding: Ann, Rachel and Booker try to help Grace recover from her feelings of despair.
· Courage: Ann, Rachel and Grace start to get subversive in their efforts to ensure Black soldiers are treated medically as well as White soldiers.
· Courage: Grace convinces Ann and Rachel to go to the Officer’s Club again.
· Anger: As recovery rates soar among the Black soldiers in their ward, their commanding officer tries to undermine them.
· Distress: Booker rejects Grace’s love; Grace rejects Ann’s love.
Act 4:
· Bonding: Booker confesses to Keith and Rachel that his father was lynched.
· Surprise: Grace finds her older brother, who went AWOL after D-Day.
· Bonding: Grace and Ann share their secret wounds with each other.
· Success: The Army relents and women no longer have to pay Officer’s Club dues.
· Courage: Booker gets in another dogfight protecting a bomber – and crashes.
· Distress: Grace discovers that Booker is MIA.
· Courage: As the Germans mount a counterattack, Grace refuses to leave Booker, who is too injured to move.
· Courage/Sacrifice: Ann (and Grace’s brother) sacrifice themselves so that Booker and Grace can live and have a chance at love.
· Love: Booker and Grace are in love.
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Reveals!
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from this assignment is that not all reveals need to be huge plot twists. Revealing things about the key characters at different points in the story will keep the viewer engaged.
Question 1: What will you reveal? (a) Question 2: when will the reveal show up in the story? (b) Question 3: What setups need to be in place to have each reveal work? (c) Question 4: Where in the story do those setups belong?
1. Ann put herself through nursing school by cleaning office buildings at night.
a. Act 1
b. Ann keeps their living quarters spotless, somehow, in the middle of a war zone. And she does it so quickly.
c. Act 1.
2. Grace always wanted to be a doctor, but her parents believed women weren’t smart enough to be doctors.
a. Act 2
b. She has a hidden anger that occasionally shows through (especially later in the screenplay). She is both deferential to and frustrated by gender-related appearances and expectations.
c. Act 2
3. Rachel’s parents fled the Russian pogroms.
a. Act 1
b. Rachel takes issue with Booker’s characterization of Russian Communism treating all people equally.
c. Act 1
4. Ann is a closet lesbian and in love with Grace.
a. Act 3
b. (1) She never dates; (2) She can’t help but show her feelings – especially when no one is looking.
c. Acts 1, 2 and 3.
5. Grace was the smartest one in her family, but her parents discounted her abilities and favored her brothers.
a. Act 3
b. (1) She second-guesses herself and defers to others even when she knows better; (2) she is insecure and anxious to please others – especially those in positions of authority.
c. Acts 1 and 2.
6. Grace’s oldest brother is a deserter.
a. Act 4
b. (1) Her family impresses on her “not to disappoint” them; (2) she claims to have 5 siblings when she really has 6; (3) she says he died at D-Day; (4) she covertly searches each new town looking for him.
c. (1) Act 1; (2) Act 1; (3) Act 2; (4) Acts 2, 3 and 4.
7. Booker’s father was lynched for being “friendly” with a white woman.
a. Act 4
b. (1) Booker wants nothing to do with Whites; (2) Booker resists falling in love with Grace; (3) Booker refuses to be with Grace even though he loves her.
c. (1) Act 1; (2) Acts 1, 2 & 3; (3) Act 3.
8. Ann’s family disowned her when they found out she was a lesbian – except for her kid sister Margie.
a. Act 4
b. She pointedly refuses to say anything about her family, ever. Except for her sister Margie, whom she clearly adores.
c. Acts 1, 2 and 3.
9. Ann serves in the Army even though she is financially secure and doesn’t need to work –notwithstanding the fact that she had to put herself through nursing school and nurses don’t get paid much.
a. Act 4
b. She lives frugally and doesn’t act or dress like she has money. But occasionally, she buys something nice for the injured men in her care. (And maybe for Grace or for Booker too.)
c. Acts 1, 2 and 3.
4. Build all of those into your outline, making sure there are setups for each reveal and that you have reveals in every Act.
Act 1: Grace goes to war, the weight of her family’s expectations on her shoulders. [NB: Throughout Act 1, Grace is extremely worried about appearances and highly deferential to those with higher ranks.]
Grace PJ 1: Grace dutifully and submissively receives the
blessing of her newly-ordained brother and her father as she reports for
duty as an Army nurse – along with an admonition not to “disappoint them.” <div>Deeper Layer: Grace’s older brother went AWOL after D-Day. The
family has disowned him but Grace hopes to find him.<div>
Ann AJ 1: Grace meets Ann. [Grace walks in as Ann reviews a patient chart. Ann
is talking angrily to herself about all the errors Dr. Grey made and what
really needs to be done – while quoting Dickens and referring to the
doctor by a disparaging Dickens-based nickname. Ann then edits the chart
so that, in her view it is correct. She pushes back the curtain and her
angry mood is immediately gone, replaced by compassion and competence as
she treats the injured serviceman – while Grace watches in amazement.] [Ann
wears a necklace chain with a locket and a key on it. Grace says she is
the oldest of six children. Ann says she has only a kid sister, Margie.]Deeper Layer: Ann is a closet lesbian who was disowned for her
sexual orientation.Grace PJ 2: Grace meets Dr. Samuel Grey, her commanding
officer, and fellow nurse Rachel Schneider. She is shocked when Ann
questions him about the Officer’s Club issue. (Women officers pay dues but
aren’t allowed in the Club without a male escort.) His response shows him
to be both racist and sexist – but Grace remains very deferential.Ann AJ 2: Grace and Rachel will be sharing a room with Ann. It
is spotless. Ann put herself through nursing school by cleaning offices at
night – but refuses to say why her parents wouldn’t help her.Inciting Incident: Grace meets Booker, a Tuskegee airman. She
is immediately drawn to him – and also notices how others treat him.Ann AJ 3: Ann notices the attraction and is jealous, but
pretends not to care.Booker PJ 1: Booker is attracted to
Grace but rejects any idea of a relationship. [Talking with a fellow
Tuskegee airman, Keith Washington, as they are getting their aircraft
ready to fly a mission.]Ann is impressed with Grace’s knowledge and skill
in diagnosis and treatment.Grace PJ 3: Grace and Booker continue to run into each other.
She can’t help flirting; he tries hard to stay aloof.Ann AJ 4: Ann and Booker interaction – at loggerheads. Ann is
aggressive. Booker is polite and aloof but subtly makes clear that he
doesn’t like her either.Rachel balks at treating an injured Russian soldier.
Ann brings a first edition Dickens novel to the soldier she was
treating when we first met her.Grace PJ 4: Dr. Grey provides a surprising diagnosis and course
of treatment. Grace had a different diagnosis that would necessitate a
different course of treatment. But she second-guesses herself even though
Ann agrees with her assessment. [NB: The patient is a Tuskegee airman.]Turning Point 1: Against Ann’s strong urging, Grace follows Dr.
Grey’s directions and her patient dies because of the incorrect treatment.Act 2: Grace’s interests diverge from her family’s but she tries to remain obedient. [NB: Grace is somewhat less concerned about appearances in the beginning of Act 2 – but reverts back to being highly deferential after receiving her parents’ letter. In the first part of Act 2, she seeks out Booker. But in the second half, she avoids him.]
Grace PJ 5: After the patient dies, a devastated Grace
second-guesses her own actions – but not Dr. Grey’s. Says her parents were
right; she isn’t smart enough to be a doctor. </div><div>Ann, frustrated and angry, lays the blame squarely on Dr. Grey
(even though she thinks Grace shouldn’t have followed Dr. Grey’s
directions). She gives Grace a beautiful silk scarf. Says that every time
Grace wears it, she needs to remember that she was right – and Dr. Grey
was wrong.Grace PJ 6: Grace and Booker scene. She is sincere. He is
polite and aloof – but ultimately can’t help but spit out that Dr. Grey
could care less whether Tuskegee airmen live or die.Grace PJ 7: Grace writes to her parents about her feelings for Booker.
Grace PJ 8: Grace starts listening more to Ann and questioning
those in authority. She admits that she always wanted to be a doctor but didn’t
pursue it because her parents were opposed and didn’t think she was smart
enough. Grace, Ann and Rachel go together to the Officer’s Club – without
a male escort. They are removed.Grace PJ 9: Dr. Grey sends Grace, Ann and Rachel to an Army
psychiatrist for their attempt to enter the Officer’s Club. Grace is mortified
– and terrified that her family will find out. Rachel is stoic. Ann is
angry, copes by cleaning their room until it gleams.Booker PJ 2: Booker performs
heroically and saves the life of another pilot in a dogfight – but when
they get back to base, that pilot has claimed the credit.Ann AJ 4: Ann tries to undermine
Booker in Grace’s eyes. [Maybe claims he wrongly tried to take credit for
winning the dogfight?]Grace PJ 10: Her parents respond forbidding her from any kind
of relationship with “a man like that.” Between the psychiatrist, Ann
undermining Booker and the message from her parents, Grace reverts to deference
and obedience. In an effort to forget Booker, Grace starts dating a White
soldier, Liam Connelly. [They go to the Officer’s Club.]Grace PJ 11: Grace, Ann and Rachel meet a new
nurse, Susan. Grace slips and says she has six siblings. Ann notices.
Grace again shows impressive knowledge and skill.Grace PJ 12: Grace, Ann and Rachel run into
Booker and Keith. Grace tries to be standoffish and aloof; Ann is hostile.
Rachel hits it off with Booker and Keith immediately, can’t understand
Grace’s or Ann’s behavior.Booker PJ 3: Rachel befriends
Booker, talks about the plight of the Jews under the Nazis – and he opens
up about being Black under Jim Crow. He talks favorably about the Russians
and Communism treating everyone equally. She reacts with scorn.Grace PJ 13: Grace wanders around the new town,
discreetly trying to find someone.Grace PJ 14: Ann calls Grace out on her six siblings. [Asks why
her brother isn’t in the war. He’s a newly ordained priest. Ann asks,
isn’t it usually the second son who becomes a priest? Yes, usually.] Grace
says her older brother Patrick was killed at D-Day.Turning Point 2: Grace gets pregnant – and discovers Liam with Susan.
Devastated, and feeling that she has no options, Grace tries to commit
suicide.Booker PJ 4: Booker finds Grace before she can kill herself and
stops her. Brings her to Ann, who springs into fierce and dedicated nurse
mode.Act 3: Grace starts to rebel. [NB: In Act 3, then even more in Act 4, Grace cares less and less what others think of her.]
Grace PJ 15: Grace chooses the least bad among the alternatives
– and asks Ann to give her an abortion. Ann does so, and does her best to
make Grace feel okay about the choice. </div><div>Grace PJ 16: Ann, Rachel and Booker try to help Grace recover
from her feelings of despair. Grace starts to get angry at the way things
are. She was the smartest one in her family but her parents never noticed
because they were always focused on her brothers.Grace PJ 17: Grace thanks Booker for saving her. Apologizes for
being aloof and rude. He can’t help but warm towards her.Ann AJ 5: Ann convinces Grace to get subversive.
They pilfer medical supplies so that the wounded Black soldiers can be
treated medically as well as the White soldiers. Ann buys warm socks for
the Black soldiers.Booker PJ 5: Booker sees what Grace is doing –
with Ann’s leadership. He develops a grudging respect for Ann (and an even
stronger connection towards Grace).
[Ann and Booker scene.]Grace PJ 18: Grace convinces Ann and Rachel to go
to the Officer’s Club again. Ann is surprised – but thrilled. They are
ejected again. [Sent to a psychiatrist again?]Grace PJ 19: Grace gets bolder about going around
each new town, looking for someone. [Montage?]Grace PJ 20: She gets back to base just before
curfew – runs into Booker, who wonders why she is out so late and where
she has been.Grace PJ 21: As
recovery rates in their ward soar, Dr. Grey tries to undermine them. Grace
is furious – but can’t quite find her voice when taking directly to him. Ann
steps in and supports Grace.Booker PJ 6: Booker realizes he is in love with
Grace. But refuses to do anything about it. [Booker and Keith scene.]Ann AJ 6: Ann tells Grace
that nobody has the right to dictate who you love
– but Grace thinks she’s talking about Grace’s love for Booker, not Ann’s
love for her. [Ann’s monologue.]
Turning Point 3: Grace confesses her love to Booker, but he
rejects her. [She is shocked; she thought the feelings were mutual.] Ann,
comforting Grace, finally confesses her love – and Grace rejects her,
appalled.Act 4: Climax and Resolution
45. Booker PJ 7: Booker is devastated at rejecting Grace but believes he has done the right thing. Reveals that his father was lynched for being too friendly with a White woman. Rachel and Keith convince Booker not to give up on his life – and to try to win back Grace.
46. Ann AJ 7: Ann, devastated by Grace’s rejection, throws herself back into her work.
47. Grace PJ 22: Grace finds her older brother. He suffered from PTSD and a TBI at the D-Day invasion and deserted. He was nursed back to health by an Algerian woman in the French Resistance, whom he loves. He begs her not to tell their parents he is alive. She realizes no one controls who they love – and understands that Ann is in the same position as she is.
48. Ann AJ 8: Grace finds Ann and apologies. Tells her about her disowned brother. Ann confesses that she was disowned by her family – everyone except her kid sister Margie – when they discovered she was a lesbian.
49. Ann AJ 9 and Grace PJ 22A: Officer’s Club resolution. Over Capt. Grey’s objections, women officers no longer have to pay Officer’s Club dues – although they still can’t go in without an escort.
50. Booker PJ 8: Booker gets in dogfight protecting a bomber – and is left behind by those pilots. He crashes – and everything goes black.
51. Grace PJ 23: Booker is missing. She is frantic. She goes to her brother, asks him to find Booker.
52. Booker PJ 9: Patrick uses his connections with the French Resistance to locate Booker. Patrick realizes that Booker will not survive unless he gets him to a hospital. So Patrick brings Booker to Grace at the Army forward hospital.
53. Booker PJ 10: Booker wakes in the forward hospital, where he is being treated by Grace.
Grace PJ 24: Grace will try to save Booker, no matter what,
even if they can never be together.
Climax: the Germans mount a counterattack and the forward
hospital is under siege. Everyone is ordered to leave, with as many
patients as they can take. Grace refuses to leave Booker, who is too
injured to move. Patrick shows up to help.
Ann AJ 10: Ann realizes she loves
Grace enough to want her to be happy. Ann and Patrick sacrifice themselves
to give Grace and Booker a chance at life and love. Ann gives Grace a
letter and the chain around her neck – with the locket and the key – and
whispers her final requests (that Grace go to medical school; and that she
deliver the letter and contents of the safe deposit box to her kid sister
Margie).
Resolution: Patrick’s and Ann’s heroism saves Grace and Booker.
Booker admits his love for Grace and agrees that they should try to find a
place where they can be together.
Grace PJ 25; Booker PJ 11: Grace and Booker use the key to
remove papers from a safe deposit box. They discover that Ann had saved
enough money not to need to work – but she had joined the Army anyway. Grace
decides to go to medical school.
Grace PJ 26; Booker PJ 12: At a small but neatly kept house,
they meet Ann’s sister Margie – and give her a letter, the deed to the
house and enough money to raise her kids, from the safe deposit box.
</div></div> -
Subject Line: Claudia’s Character Action Tracks.
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from this assignment is that each character really does have their own voice and their own particular way of behaving/reacting.
***
Act 1: Grace goes to war, the weight of her family’s expectations on her shoulders. [NB: Throughout Act 1, Grace is extremely worried about appearances and highly deferential to those with higher ranks.]
Grace PJ 1: Grace dutifully and submissively receives the
blessing of her newly-ordained brother and her father as she reports for
duty as an Army nurse – along with an admonition not to “disappoint them.” <div>Deeper Layer: Grace’s older brother went AWOL after D-Day. The
family has disowned him but Grace hopes to find him.<div>
Ann AJ 1: Grace meets Ann.
[Ann wears a necklace chain with a locket and a key on it. Grace says she
is the oldest of six children. Ann says she has only a kid sister,
Margie.] [Grace walks in as Ann reviews a
patient chart. Ann is talking angrily to herself about all the errors Dr.
Grey made and what really needs to be done – while quoting Dickens and
referring to the doctor by a disparaging Dickens-based nickname. Ann then
edits the chart so that, in her view it is correct. She pushes back the
curtain and her angry mood is immediately gone, replaced by compassion and
competence as she treats the injured serviceman – while Grace watches in
amazement.]Deeper Layer: Ann is a closet lesbian who was disowned for her
sexual orientation.<div>
Grace PJ 2: Grace meets Dr. Samuel Grey, her commanding officer,
and fellow nurse Rachel Schneider. She is shocked when Ann questions him
about the Officer’s Club issue. (Women officers pay dues but aren’t
allowed in the Club without a male escort.) His response shows him to be
both racist and sexist – but Grace remains very deferential.
Inciting Incident: Grace meets Booker, a Tuskegee airman. She
is immediately drawn to him – and also notices how others treat him.<div>
Ann AJ 2: Ann notices the attraction and is jealous, but
pretends not to care.Booker PJ 1: Booker is attracted to
Grace but rejects any idea of a relationship. [Talking with a fellow
Tuskegee airman, Keith Washington, as they are getting their aircraft
ready to fly a mission.]<div>
Grace PJ 3: Grace and Booker continue to run into each other.
She can’t help flirting; he tries hard to stay aloof.<div>
Ann AJ 3: Ann and Booker interaction – at loggerheads. Ann is
aggressive. Booker is polite and aloof but subtly makes clear that he
doesn’t like her either.<div>
Grace PJ 4: Dr. Grey provides a surprising diagnosis and course
of treatment. Grace had thought that something else was going on that
would necessitate a different course of treatment. But she second-guesses
herself even though Ann agrees with her assessment. [NB: The patient is a
Tuskegee airman.]<div>
Turning Point 1: Against Ann’s strong urging, Grace follows Dr.
Grey’s directions and her patient dies because of the incorrect treatment.Act 2: Grace’s interests diverge from her family’s but she tries to remain obedient. [NB: Grace is somewhat less concerned about appearances in the beginning of Act 2 – but reverts back to being highly deferential after receiving her parents’ letter. In the first part of Act 2, she seeks out Booker. But in the second half, she avoids him.]
Grace PJ 5: After the patient dies, a devastated Grace
second-guesses her own actions – but not Dr. Grey’s. Ann, frustrated and
angry, lays the blame squarely on Dr. Grey (even though she thinks Grace
shouldn’t have followed Dr. Grey’s directions). [Ann tries a distraction:
asks why her brother isn’t in the war. He’s a newly ordained priest. Ann
asks, isn’t it usually the second son who becomes a priest? Yes, usually.] <div>Grace PJ 6: Grace and Booker scene. She is sincere. He is
polite and aloof – but ultimately can’t help but spit out that Dr. Grey
could care less whether Tuskegee airmen live or die.<div>
Grace PJ 7: Grace writes to her parents about her feelings for Booker.
<div>
Grace PJ 8: Grace starts listening more to Ann and questioning
those in authority. Grace, Ann and Rachel go together to the Officer’s
Club – without a male escort. They are removed.<div>
Grace PJ 9: Dr. Grey sends Grace, Ann and Rachel to an Army
psychiatrist for their attempt to enter the Officer’s Club. Grace is mortified
– and terrified that her family will find out. Rachel is stoic. Ann is
angry.<div>
Booker PJ 2: Booker performs
heroically and saves the life of another pilot in a dogfight – but when
they get back to base, that pilot has claimed the credit.<div>
Ann AJ 4: Ann tries to undermine
Booker in Grace’s eyes. [Maybe claims he wrongly tried to take credit for winning
the dogfight?]<div>
Grace PJ 10: Her parents respond forbidding her from any kind
of relationship with “a man like that.” Between the psychiatrist, Ann
undermining Booker and the message from her parents, Grace reverts to deference
and obedience. In an effort to forget Booker, Grace starts dating a White
soldier, Liam Connelly. [They go to the Officer’s Club.]<div>
Grace PJ 11: Grace, Ann and Rachel meet a new
nurse, Susan. Grace slips and says she has six siblings. Ann notices.<div>
Grace PJ 12: Grace, Ann and Rachel run into
Booker and Keith. Grace tries to be standoffish and aloof; Ann is hostile.
Rachel hits it off with Booker and Keith immediately, can’t understand
Grace’s or Ann’s behavior.<div>
Booker PJ 3: Rachel befriends
Booker, talks about the plight of the Jews under the Nazis – and he opens
up about being Black under Jim Crow.<div>
Grace PJ 13: Grace wanders around the new town,
discreetly trying to find someone.<div>
Grace PJ 14: Ann calls Grace out on her six siblings – and
Grace says her older brother Patrick was killed at D-Day.Turning Point 2: Grace gets pregnant – and discovers Liam with Susan.
Devastated, and feeling that she has no options, Grace tries to commit
suicide.<div>
Booker PJ 4: Booker finds Grace before she can kill herself and
stops her. Brings her to Ann, who springs into fierce and dedicated nurse
mode.Act 3: Grace starts to rebel. [NB: In Act 3, then even more in Act 4, Grace cares less and less what others think of her.]
Grace PJ 15: Grace chooses the least bad among the alternatives
– and asks Ann to give her an abortion. Ann does so, and does her best to
make Grace feel okay about the choice. <div><div>
Grace PJ 16: Ann, Rachel and Booker try to help Grace recover
from her feelings of despair. Grace starts to get angry at the way things
are.<div>
Grace PJ 17: Grace thanks Booker for saving her. Apologizes for
being aloof and rude. He can’t help but warm towards her.
Ann AJ 5: Ann convinces Grace to get subversive.
They pilfer medical supplies so that the wounded Black soldiers can be
treated medically as well as the White soldiers.<div>
Booker PJ 5: Booker sees what Grace is doing –
with Ann’s leadership. He develops a grudging respect for Ann (and an even
stronger connection towards Grace).
[Ann and Booker scene.]<div>
Grace PJ 18: Grace convinces Ann and Rachel to go
to the Officer’s Club again. Ann is surprised – but thrilled. They are
ejected again. [Sent to a psychiatrist again?]<div>
Grace PJ 19: Grace gets bolder about going around
each new town, looking for someone. [Montage?]<div>
Grace PJ 20: She gets back to base just before
curfew – runs into Booker, who wonders why she is out so late and where
she has been.<div>
Grace PJ 21: As
recovery rates in their ward soar, Dr. Grey tries to undermine them. Grace
is furious – but can’t quite find her voice when taking directly to him. Ann
steps in and supports Grace.<div>
Booker PJ 6: Booker realizes he is in love with Grace.
But refuses to do anything about it. [Booker and Keith scene.]<div>
Ann AJ 6: Ann tells Grace
that nobody has the right to dictate who you love
– but Grace thinks she’s talking about Grace’s love for Booker, not Ann’s
love for her. [Ann’s monologue.]<div>
Turning Point 3: Grace confesses her love to Booker, but he
rejects her. [She is shocked; she thought the feelings were mutual.] Ann,
comforting Grace, finally confesses her love – and Grace rejects her,
appalled.Act 4: Climax and Resolution
40. Booker PJ 7: Booker is devastated at rejecting Grace but believes he has done the right thing. Rachel and Keith convince Booker not to give up on his life – and to try to win back Grace.
41. Ann AJ 7: Ann, devastated by Grace’s rejection, throws herself back into her work.
42. Grace PJ 22: Grace finds her older brother. He suffered from PTSD and a TBI at the D-Day invasion and deserted. He was nursed back to health by an Algerian woman in the French Resistance, whom he loves. He begs her not to tell their parents he is alive. She realizes no one controls who they love – and understands that Ann is in the same position as she is.
43. Ann AJ 8: Grace finds Ann and apologies. Tells her about her disowned brother. Ann confesses that she was disowned by her family – everyone except her kid sister Margie – when they discovered she was a lesbian.
44. Ann AJ 9 and Grace PJ 22A: Officer’s Club resolution. Over Capt. Grey’s objections, women officers no longer have to pay Officer’s Club dues – although they still can’t go in without an escort.
45. Booker PJ 8: Booker gets in dogfight protecting a bomber – and is left behind by those pilots. He crashes – and everything goes black.
46. Grace PJ 23: Booker is missing. She is frantic. She goes to her brother, asks him to find Booker.
47. Booker PJ 9: Patrick uses his connections with the French Resistance to locate Booker. Patrick realizes that Booker will not survive unless he gets him to a hospital. So Patrick brings Booker to Grace at the Army forward hospital.
48. Booker PJ 10: Booker wakes in the forward hospital, where he is being treated by Grace.
Grace PJ 24: Grace will try to save Booker, no matter what,
even if they can never be together.Climax: the Germans mount a counterattack and the forward
hospital is under siege. Everyone is ordered to leave, with as many
patients as they can take. Grace refuses to leave Booker, who is too
injured to move. Patrick shows up to help.Ann AJ 10: Ann realizes she loves
Grace enough to want her to be happy. Ann and Patrick sacrifice themselves
to give Grace and Booker a chance at life and love. Ann gives Grace the chain
around her neck – with the locket and the key – and whispers a final
request.Resolution: Patrick’s and Ann’s heroism saves Grace and Booker.
Booker admits his love for Grace and agrees that they should try to find a
place where they can be together.Grace PJ 25; Booker PJ 11: Grace and Booker use the key to remove
papers from a safe deposit box. At a rundown tenement in Philadelphia,
they meet Ann’s sister Margie – and give her a letter, the deed to Ann’s
home and enough money to raise her kids, from the safe deposit box. Grace
decides to go to medical school.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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Subject Line: Claudia’s New Outline Beats.
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from this assignment is that this exercise is hard, but important, so that the structure of the screenplay makes sense and includes all necessary elements. Otherwise, a first draft of the screenplay will have logic gaps and holes that need to be addressed later.
***
Act 1: Grace goes to war, the weight of her family’s expectations on her shoulders. [NB: Throughout Act 1, Grace is extremely worried about appearances and highly deferential to those with higher ranks.]
Grace PJ 1: Grace receives the blessing of her newly-ordained
brother and her father as she reports for duty as an Army nurse – along
with an admonition not to “disappoint them.” <div>Deeper Layer: Grace’s older brother went AWOL after D-Day. The
family has disowned him but Grace hopes to find him.Ann AJ 1: Grace meets Ann.
[Ann wears a necklace chain with a locket and a key on it. Grace says she
is the oldest of six children. Ann says she has only a kid sister,
Margie.] [Grace walks in as Ann reviews a
patient chart. Ann is talking angrily to herself about all the errors the
doctor [Dr. Grey] made and what really needs to be done – while quoting
Dickens and referring to the doctor by a disparaging Dickens-based
nickname. Ann then edits the chart so that, in her view it is correct. She
pushes back the curtain and her angry mood is immediately gone, replaced
by compassion and competence as she treats the injured serviceman – while
Grace watches in amazement.]Deeper Layer: Ann is a closet lesbian who was disowned for her
sexual orientation.Grace PJ 1A: Grace meets Dr. Samuel Grey, her commanding
officer, and fellow nurse Rachel Schneider. Ann questions him about the
Officer’s Club issue. (Women officers pay dues but aren’t allowed in the
Club without a male escort.) His response shows him to be both racist and
sexist – but Grace is very deferential.Inciting Incident: Grace meets Booker, a Tuskegee airman. She
is immediately drawn to him – and also notices how others treat him.Ann AJ 2: Ann notices the attraction and is jealous.
Booker PJ 1: Booker is attracted to
Grace but rejects any idea of a relationship. [Talking with a fellow
Tuskegee airman, Keith Washington, as they are getting their aircraft
ready to fly a mission.]Grace PJ 1B: Grace and Booker continue to run into each other.
She can’t help flirting; he tries hard to stay aloof.Ann AJ 3: Ann and Booker interaction – at loggerheads.
Grace PJ 2: Grace thinks a Dr. Grey’s diagnosis is wrong – and
Ann agrees with her.Turning Point 1: Grace follows Dr. Grey’s directions and her
patient dies because of the incorrect treatment.Act 2: Grace’s interests diverge from her family’s but she tries to remain obedient. [NB: Grace is somewhat less concerned about appearances in the beginning of Act 2 – but reverts back to being highly deferential after receiving her parents’ letter. In the first part of Act 2, she seeks out Booker. But in the second half, she avoids him.]
Grace PJ 2A: A scene after the patient dies. Ann tries to comfort
Grace even though she thinks Grace shouldn’t have followed Dr. Grey’s
directions. A distraction: asks why her brother isn’t in the war. He’s a
newly ordained priest. Ann asks, isn’t it usually the second son who
becomes a priest? Yes, usually. </div>Grace PJ 2B: Grace and Booker scene. She is engaged and
excited. He is polite and aloof.<div>
Grace PJ 3: Grace writes to her parents about her feelings for Booker.
Grace PJ 4: Grace starts listening more to Ann and questioning
those in authority. Grace, Ann and Rachel go together to the Officer’s
Club – without a male escort. They are removed.
Grace PJ 4A: Dr. Grey sends Grace, Ann and Rachel to an Army
psychiatrist for their attempt to enter the Officer’s Club. Grace is
ashamed. Rachel is stoic. Ann is angry.Booker PJ 2: Booker performs
heroically and saves the life of another pilot in a dogfight – but when
they get back to base, that pilot has claimed the credit.Ann AJ 4: Ann tries to undermine
Booker in Grace’s eyes. [Maybe claims he wrongly tried to take credit for winning
the dogfight?]Grace PJ 5: Her parents respond forbidding her from any kind of
relationship with “a man like that.” In an effort to forget Booker, Grace
starts dating a White soldier, Liam Connelly. [They go to the Officer’s
Club.]Grace PJ 5A: Grace, Ann and Rachel meet a new
nurse, Susan. Grace slips and says she has six siblings.
Grace PJ 5B: Grace, [Ann] and Rachel run into
Booker [and a friend of his?]. Grace tries to be standoffish and aloof;
Rachel hits it off with him immediately.Booker PJ 3: Rachel befriends
Booker, talks about the plight of the Jews under the Nazis – and he opens
up about being Black under Jim Crow.Grace PJ 6: Grace wanders around the new town,
discreetly trying to find someone.Grace PJ 6A: Ann calls Grace out on her six siblings – and
Grace says her older brother Patrick was killed at D-Day.Turning Point 2: Grace gets pregnant – and discovers Liam with Susan.
Grace tries to commit suicide.Booker PJ 4: Booker finds Grace before she can kill herself and
stops her. Brings her to Ann.Act 3: Grace starts to rebel. [NB: In Act 3, then even more in Act 4, Grace cares less and less what others think of her.]
Grace PJ 7: Grace chooses the least bad among the alternatives
– and asks Ann to give her an abortion. </div><div>Grace PJ 7A: Ann, Rachel and Booker try to help Grace recover
from her feelings of despair.Grace PJ 7B: Grace approaches Booker to thank him for saving
her. And to apologize for being aloof and rude. He can’t help but warm
towards her.Ann AJ 5: Ann convinces Grace to get subversive.
They pilfer medical supplies so that the wounded Black soldiers can be
treated medically as well as the White soldiers.Booker PJ 5: Booker sees what Grace is doing –
with Ann’s leadership and develops a grudging respect for her. [Ann and Booker scene.]Grace PJ 7B: Grace convinces Ann and Rachel to go
to the Officer’s Club again. They are ejected again. [Sent to a
psychiatrist again?]Grace PJ 8: Grace gets bolder about going around
each new town, looking for someone.Grace PJ 8A: She gets back to base just before
curfew – runs into Booker, who wonders why she is out so late and where
she has been.Grace PJ 9: As
recovery rates in their ward soar, Dr. Grey tries to undermine them – and
Grace is furious. [This seems a little awkward and like it needs more.]Booker PJ 5A: Booker realizes he is in love with Grace.
But refuses to do anything about it. [Booker and Keith scene.]Ann AJ 6: Ann tells Grace
that nobody has the right to dictate who you love
– but Grace thinks she’s talking about Grace’s love for Booker, not Ann’s
love for her. [Ann’s monologue.]Turning Point 3: Grace confesses her love to Booker, but he
rejects her. [She is shocked; she thought the feelings were mutual.] Ann,
comforting Grace, finally confesses her love – and Grace rejects her,
appalled.Act 4: Climax and Resolution
· Booker PJ 6: Booker is devastated at rejecting Grace but believes he has done the right thing. Rachel convinces Booker not to give up on his life – and to try to win back Grace.
· Ann AJ 6A: Ann is devastated by Grace’s rejection. What does she do? Avoid Grace?
· Grace PJ 10: Grace finds her older brother. He suffered from PTSD and a TBI at the D-Day invasion and deserted. He was nursed back to health by an Algerian woman in the French Resistance, whom he loves. He begs her not to tell their parents he is alive. She realizes no one controls who they love – and understands that Ann is in the same position as she is.
· Ann AJ 7: Grace finds Ann and apologies. Tells her about her disowned brother. She confesses that she was disowned by her family – everyone except her kid sister Margie – when they discovered she was a lesbian.
· Ann AJ 7A and Grace PJ 10A: Officer’s Club resolution. Over Capt. Grey’s objections, women officers no longer have to pay Officer’s Club dues – although they still can’t go in without an escort.
· Booker PJ 7: Booker gets in dogfight protecting a bomber – and is left behind by those pilots. He crashes – and everything goes black.
· Grace PJ 10A: Booker is missing. She is frantic. She goes to her brother, asks him to find Booker.
· Booker PJ 7A: Patrick uses his connections with the French Resistance to locate Booker. Patrick realizes that Booker will not survive unless he gets him to a hospital. So Patrick brings Booker to Grace at the Army forward hospital.
· Booker PJ 8: Booker wakes in the forward hospital, where he is being treated by Grace.
Grace PJ 11: Grace will try to save Booker, no matter what,
even if they can never be together.
Climax: the Germans mount a counterattack and the forward
hospital is under siege. Everyone is ordered to leave, with as many
patients as they can take. Grace refuses to leave Booker, who is too
injured to move. Patrick shows up to help. </div>Ann AJ 8: Ann realizes she loves
Grace enough to want her to be happy. Ann and Patrick sacrifice themselves
to give Grace and Booker a chance at life and love. Ann gives Grace the chain
around her neck – with the locket and the key – and whispers a final
request.Resolution: Patrick’s and Ann’s heroism saves Grace and Booker.
Booker admits his love for Grace and agrees that they should try to find a
place where they can be together.Grace PJ 12; Booker PJ 6: Grace and Booker use the key to remove
papers from a safe deposit box. At a rundown tenement in Philadelphia,
they meet Ann’s sister Margie – and give her a letter, the deed to Ann’s
home and enough money to raise her kids, from the safe deposit box. -
Subject Line: Claudia’s Beat Sheet – Draft 1.
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from this assignment is: when we start adding all of the pieces we’ve already worked on, so much of the script is already laid out!
Beat Sheet Draft 1:
Act 1: Grace goes to war, the weight of her family’s expectations on her shoulders.
Grace PJ 1: Grace receives the blessing of her newly-ordained
brother and her father as she reports for duty as an Army nurse – along with
an admonition not to “disappoint them.”
Deeper Layer: Grace’s older brother went AWOL after D-Day. The
family has disowned him but Grace hopes to find him.
Ann AJ 1: Ann meets Grace. Grace
says she is the oldest of six children. Ann says she has only a kid
sister, Margie.
Deeper Layer: Ann is a closet lesbian who was disowned for her
sexual orientation.
Inciting Incident: Grace meets Booker, a Tuskegee airman. She
is immediately drawn to him – and also notices how others treat him.
Booker PJ 1: Booker is attracted to
Grace but rejects any idea of a relationship.
Ann AJ 2: Ann notices the attraction and is jealous.
Grace PJ 2: Grace thinks a doctor’s diagnosis is wrong – and Ann
agrees with her.
Turning Point 1: Grace follows the doctor’s directions and her
patient dies because of the incorrect treatment.Act 2: Grace’s interests diverge from her family’s but she tries to remain obedient.
Grace PJ 3: Grace starts listening more to Ann and questioning
those in authority.
Grace PJ 4: Grace writes to her parents about Booker and
confesses to her sister that she is falling in love.
Ann AJ 3: Ann works to undermine
Booker in Grace’s eyes (and maybe vice versa).
Booker PJ 2: Booker performs
heroically and saves the life of another pilot in a dogfight – but when
they get back to base, that pilot has claimed the credit.
Grace PJ 5: Her parents respond forbidding her from any kind of
relationship with “a man like that.” In an effort to forget Booker, Grace
starts dating a White soldier, Liam Connelly.
Booker PJ 3: Rachel Schneider, a
Jewish nurse, befriends Booker, talks about the Jews in Nazi Germany.
Grace PJ 6: Grace wanders around the new town, discreetly
trying to find someone.
Turning Point 2: Grace gets pregnant – and discovers Liam with
another woman. Grace tries to commit suicide.
Ann AJ 4: Ann finds Grace before she can kill herself and stops
her.Act 3: Grace starts to rebel.
Grace PJ 7: Grace chooses the least bad among the alternatives
– and asks Ann to give her an abortion.
Ann AJ 5: Ann convinces Grace to get subversive.
They pilfer medical supplies so that the wounded Black soldiers can be
treated medically as well as the White soldiers.
Grace PJ 8: Grace gets bolder about going around
each new town, looking for someone.
Grace PJ 9: As recovery
rates in their ward soar, their racist, misogynistic commanding officer tries
to undermine them – and Grace is furious.
Ann AJ 6: Ann tells Grace
that nobody has the right to dictate who you love
– but Grace thinks she’s talking about Grace’s love for Booker, not Ann’s
love for her.
Turning Point 3: Grace confesses her love to Booker, but he
rejects her. Ann, comforting Grace, finally confesses her love – and Grace
rejects her, appalled.Act 4: Climax and Resolution
· Booker PJ 4: Rachel convinces Booker not to give up on his life – and to try to win back Grace.
· Grace PJ 10: Grace finds her older brother, suffering from PTSD and a TBI, being cared for by a prostitute. He begs her to leave him be – and to not tell their parents he is alive. She realizes no one controls who they love – and understands that Ann is in the same position as she is.
· Ann AJ 7: Grace finds Ann and apologies. Tells her about her disowned brother. She confesses that she was disowned by her family – everyone except her kid sister Margie – when they discovered she was a lesbian.
· Booker PJ 5: Booker gets in dogfight protecting a bomber – and is left behind by those pilots. He crashes – and everything goes black. He wakes in the forward hospital, being treated by Grace.
Grace PJ 11: Grace will try to save Booker, no matter what,
even if they can never be together. Her brother arrives at the hospital,
meets Booker.
Climax: the Germans mount a counterattack and the forward
hospital is under siege. Everyone is ordered to leave, with as many
patients as they can take. Grace refuses to leave Booker, who is too
injured to move.
Ann AJ 8: Ann realizes she loves
Grace enough to want her to be happy. Ann – along with Grace’s brother
Patrick – sacrifices herself to give Grace and Booker a chance at life and
love. But first, she gives Grace the key to a safe deposit box, and whispers
a final request.
Resolution: Patrick’s and Ann’s heroism saves Grace and Booker.
Booker admits his love for Grace and agrees that they should try to find a
place where they can be together.
Grace PJ 12; Booker PJ 6: Grace and Booker remove papers from a
safe deposit box. At a rundown tenement in Philadelphia, they meet Margie –
and give her the deed to Ann’s home and enough money to raise her kids,
all from the safe deposit box. -
Subject Line: Claudia’s Deeper Layers.
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from this assignment is: doing this exercise for each character automatically results in a multi-layered story being woven into the screenplay. How cool!
As we did above with The Sixth Sense, create each piece of this “Deeper Layer” puzzle.
• Surface Layer: Grace is a nurse in the WACs in WWII.
• Deeper Layer: She is secretly searching for her brother, who went AWOL after DDay.
• Major Reveal: She finds her brother, maybe right before the climax. Her refusal to abandon him (even if she’s not public about it) helps him heal. Maybe he helps her, Ann and Booker in the final battle/climax?
• Influences Surface Story: Makes her particularly anxious about appearances so as not to disappoint her parents. Makes her quicker to give up on Booker – and to reject Ann. Causes her to behave oddly each time they arrive in a new village, as she pokes around looking for anyone who might have seen her brother.
• Hints: The comments from her family at the outset, about not disappointing them. Grace’s compulsively deferential behavior towards her family, the church, commanding officers. Her poking around in the villages. Her saying she has five siblings, then later saying she has six – but one died at DDay.
• Changes Reality: We understand why Grace was so obsessively obedient and deferential to her family, why it was so hard for her to push back against them.
-
Subject Line: Claudia’s Character Journey Structure.
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from this assignment is: doing this exercise for each character automatically results in a multi-layered story being woven into the screenplay. How cool!
Character Structure for Grace O’Malley, protagonist.
Beginning: Grace is a dutiful daughter, reporting for duty as an Army nurse in WWII.
Inciting Incident: Grace meets Booker, a Tuskegee airman and is attracted to him even though her family would be appalled.
Turning Point 1: Grace follows the directions of a doctor even though she and Ann both think his diagnosis is wrong – and Ann, a more experienced nurse, urges her not to do so. Grace’s patient dies because of the incorrect treatment.
Act 2: Grace falls for Booker and tells her parents about him. They are horrified, and remind her of her duty to uphold the family’s honor – unlike her brother.
Turning Point 2 / Midpoint: In an effort to forget Booker, Grace starts dating a White soldier – and gets pregnant. She goes to tell him about the pregnancy – and finds him with another woman. She tries to commit suicide, but Ann stops her.
Act 3: Lacking any good options, Grace asks Ann to perform an abortion, which Ann does.
Turning Point 3: Grace confesses her love to Booker, but he rejects her. Ann, comforting Grace, confesses her love – and Grace rejects her.
Act 4 Climax: Grace and Ann fight to save Booker, who is badly injured, while their field hospital is under attack. Ann sacrifices herself to save them.
Resolution: Booker confesses his love and agrees that he and Grace should try to make a life together.
Character Structure for Ann Wahl, antagonist.
Beginning: As a teenager, Ann realizes she is attracted to other women.
Inciting Incident: Ann’s parents find her kissing another girl, kick her out of the house and disown her.
Turning Point 1: Ann joins the Army, trains as a nurse, hides her sexual orientation at all costs.
Act 2: Ann meets Grace, can’t help but fall for her.
Turning Point 2 / Midpoint: Grace falls for Booker, and Ann is jealous.
Act 3: Ann works to undermine Booker in Grace’s eyes (and maybe vice versa).
Turning Point 3: Ann talks obliquely about loving whoever you want – and Grace thinks she’s talking about Grace’s love for Booker, not Ann’s love for her.
Act 4 Climax: Grace rejects Ann after she confesses her love.
Resolution: Ann realizes she loves Grace enough to want her to be happy. She sacrifices herself to give Grace and Booker a chance at life and love. Ann dies.
Character Structure for Booker Thomas, love interest.
Beginning: Booker is raised in segregated Alabama.
Inciting Incident: Booker’s father is lynched for allegedly disrespecting a White woman. Booker vows to live a life as separate from Whites as possible.
Turning Point 1: Booker joins the Tuskegee airmen, is sent to the European theater.
Act 2: Booker meets Grace and is attracted to her but rejects any idea of a relationship.
Turning Point 2 / Midpoint: Rachel Schneider, a Jewish nurse, befriends Booker after he encounters yet another racist incident.
Act 3: Booker rejects Grace even though he is in love with her.
Turning Point 3: Rachel convinced Booker not to give up on his life – and to try to win back Grace.
Act 4 Climax: Booker gets in dogfight protecting a bomber – and is left behind by those pilots. He crashes – and everything goes black.
Resolution: Booker discovers that Ann and Grace have saved him. He admits his love for Grace, agrees that they should try to make a life together.
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Supporting Characters.
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: the importance of thinking through exactly why each character appears in the script. There should be nothing extra or gratuitous.
Tell us your supporting and background characters.
· Supporting Characters: Grace’s parents and deserter brother, her love interest as she tries to forget Booker, the racist and misogynistic commanding officer, a nurse friend.
· Background Characters: Various patients, doctors, nurses and soldiers.
Focusing on those supporting characters, fill in the basic profile for each.
Support 1:
· Name: Liam Connelly
· Role: Army Captain
· Main purpose: Grace dates him to try to forget Booker. She gets pregnant – and discovers he is playing around.
· Value: His personality provides a sharp contrast to Booker’s; his actions cause Grace to rethink everything she thought she knew about doing what is expected of her.
Support 2:
· Name: Samuel Grey
· Role: Army Major in command of the medical team
· Main purpose: A racist (and misogynist), he objects to “wasting” scarce resources on Black soldiers.
· Value: He brings the opposite POV from Grace and Ann, and serves as their primary antagonist in the effort to treat all soldier patients equally.
Support 4:
· Name: Patrick O’Malley
· Role: Grace’s brother, Army deserter
· Main purpose: Grace is secretly trying to find out where he is hiding in France, after the family disowned him.
· Value: His desertion is the reason there is so much pressure on Grace to be perfect and conform.
Support 5:
· Name: Siobhan O’Malley
· Role: Grace’s mother
· Main purpose: She and Conor place continued pressure on Grace to conform.
· Value: Grace’s fear of losing their approval is a major obstacle to her achieving her goals.
Support 6:
· Name: Conor O’Malley
· Role: Grace’s father
· Main purpose: He and Siobhan place continued pressure on Grace to conform.
· Value: Grace’s fear of losing their approval is a major obstacle to her achieving her goals.
Support 7:
· Name: Mary Schneider
· Role: Nurse, friend of Booker
· Main purpose: A jew, and therefore also an oppressed minority, she is the only White with whom Booker will associate.
· Value: She provides a countervailing POV to Booker and his disillusionment with America.
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Character Profiles Part 2.
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: how the character subtext and intrigue informs the flaws, values and dilemmas that will elevate the script.
Grace O’Malley
· 7. Character Subtext: After a lifetime of deferring to the expectations of others rather than pursuing her own dreams, Grace falls in love with a completely unsuitable man – a Tuskegee airman.
· 8. Character Intrigue: Secret: Her brother was a deserter and her family expects her to restore their family honor by being completely above reproach.
· 9. Flaw: Grace undervalues herself, doing what she is told rather than what is right.
· 10. Values: Family and duty.
· 11. Character Dilemma: Love versus duty.
Ann Wahl
· 7. Character Subtext: A closet lesbian whose family disowned her when they discovered her sexual orientation, Ann hides her fear of rejection under a brash, “don’t give a shit” exterior.
· 8. Character Intrigue: Hidden agenda: To make Grace fall in love with her.
· 9. Flaw: Desperately afraid of rejection, Ann goes on the attack at the slightest hint of criticism.
· 10. Values: Professional excellence, saving the lives of the soldiers in her care.
· 11. Character Dilemma: Selfishness versus sacrifice.
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Character Profiles Part 1.
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: this assignment is hard but I can see how it is going to make my life so much easier once we get to a more detailed outline and script drafting.
Grace O’Malley
A. The High Concept. A nurse in the WWII Women’s Army Corps battles racism, sexism
and incompetence as she tries to save the life of a badly injured Tuskegee
airman.· B. This character’s journey. From unquestioning of authority to thinking for herself. From a woman who does what she is told to a woman willing to defy societal norms to be with the man she loves
· C. The Actor Attractors for this character.
o What about this role would make an actor want to be known for it? Grace is a young, naïve woman who undergoes a profound change resulting from her exposure to the horrors of war – as well as racism and sexism. She emerges strong and independent, willing to defy societal norms to forge her own future.
o What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in the story? Her transformational journey forms the backbone of the story.
o What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the story? In early scenes, Grace will be obedient and highly attuned to the expectations of others – but by the end of the movie, she will defy her parents, the Church, doctors and commanding officers to save Booker and seek a long-term relationship with him.
o How could this character be introduced that could sell it to an actor? Still working on this one. I’m thinking about her getting blessed by her priest and her father as she prepares to leave Boston for the Army – and then being shocked by her first encounter with another nurse, Ann.
o What could be this character’s emotional range? From accepting to questioning; from obedient to defiant; from thinking of herself as weak to learning how deeply strong she actually is.
o What subtext can the actor play? Grace gradually develops a deep, simmering anger at “the way things are” – things she always accepted – that contrasts with her normally sunny and accepting personality.
o What’s the most interesting relationship this character can have? Her relationship with Ann, who teaches her nursing – and how to stand up for herself. She thinks of Ann as her closest friend and only realizes Ann’s deeper feelings for her at the very end of the story.
o How will this character’s unique voice be presented? Through her treatment of others, her refusal to say or do unkind things even when faced with unkindness or injustice.
o What could make this character special and unique? She surprises everyone – including herself; she’s the last person anyone would expect to defy the demands and expectations of others.
1. Role in the Story: Protagonist. A new nurse who seeks to please and impress others, but ultimately comes to trust her own judgement and forge her own path.
2. Age range and Description: Early 20’s. A somewhat petite Irish Catholic young woman.
3. Core Traits: Sincere, dedicated, brave, insecure.
4. Motivation; Want/Need:
1. Want: To please others – her parents, the Church, the doctors, her commanding officers.
2. Need: To prove herself, and to be more than what society will allow.
5. Wound: Her ambitions and brains were discounted by her parents, who favored their sons.
6. Likability, Relatability, Empathy:
1. Likability: She’s kind, friendly and eager to please.
2. Relatability: In trying to do what others expect of her, she almost loses herself.
3. Empathy: She faces an agonizing choice: her family or the man she loves
Ann Wahl
A. The High Concept. A nurse in the WWII Women’s
Army Corps battles racism, sexism and incompetence as she tries to save
the life of a badly injured Tuskegee airman.· B. This character’s journey. From loving Grace and doing everything she can to make Grace abandon Booker for her, to sacrificing herself so that Grace and Booker can both live and be together.
· C. The Actor Attractors for this character.
o What about this role would make an actor want to be known for it? She’s smart, competent, bad-ass and cool – but also a hopeless romantic under the surface.
o What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in the story? Notwithstanding her brash exterior, Ann is afraid to let others (especially Grace) know how she feels. She is afraid to die.
o What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the story? At the end of the story, Ann finally confesses her love to Grace, as she prepares to sacrifice herself so that Grace can be with Booker.
o How could this character be introduced that could sell it to an actor? Grace walks in as Ann reviews a patient chart. Ann is talking angrily to herself about all the errors the doctor made and what really needs to be done – while quoting Dickens and referring to the doctor by a disparaging Dickens-based nickname. Ann then edits the chart so that, in her view it is correct. She pushes back the curtain and her angry mood is immediately gone, replaced by compassion and competence as she treats the injured serviceman – while Grace watches in amazement.
o What could be this character’s emotional range? Ann’s emotions range from profound love to deep frustration, from resisting authority to deep acts of heroism.
o What subtext can the actor play? Ann is secretly in love with Grace but doesn’t dare to confess her love. Ann’s family – with whom she was very close – disowned her when they discovered she was a lesbian.
o What’s the most interesting relationship this character can have? Her most interesting relationship might be with Booker, a man she likes, respects and admires – but also is profoundly jealous of, because Grace loves Booker instead of her.
o How will this character’s unique voice be presented? Ann loves Dickens (an exterior sign that she’s a hopeless romantic at heart). She gives other people nicknames from Dickens novels and regularly intersperses quotes from Dickens in her otherwise blunt way of talking and behaving.
o What could make this character special and unique? Ann’s strength of character, coupled with her secret sexuality and her love of Dickens, make her special and unique.
7. Role in the Story: Antagonist. A tough-as-nails independent woman, Ann teaches Grace to make her own decisions – thinking (and hoping) that Grace will realize she is in love with Ann as well.
8. Age range and Description: A late 20’s-early 30’s White woman with an assertive bearing.
9. Core Traits: Frustrated, proud, fierce, bad-ass.
10. Motivation; Want/Need:
1. Want: For Grace to love her.
2. Need: To keep her sexual orientation secret.
11. Wound: Her parents disowned her when they discovered she was a lesbian.
12. Likability, Relatability, Empathy:
1. Likability: Her devotion to her patients shines through whenever she interacts with them.
2. Relatability: She’s not afraid to speak truth to power.
3. Empathy: She’s been disowned by her family for who she is.
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Likability/Relatability/Empathy.
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: the incredible importance of likability, relatability and empathy. I watched Basic Instinct last night for the first time, so I could see in real time the intrigue and subtext discussed in this class. (Between a full time job, night law school, a wedding, then an intense job at BigLaw plus having two kids, I missed the 1990’s. As in, the entire decade. Just – missed it all.) In my view, Nicky completely fails in the likeability/relatability/empathy category. He’s just an asshole dripping with misogyny and self-pity. There’s nothing in the movie that makes you want to root for this guy. (Sure, somewhere in the second half of the movie, his wife’s suicide is referenced, but he’s so thoroughly unlikeable by then that it’s like, yeah, sure, cuz you drove her to it, you asshole.) Contrast that with mass-murderer John Wick – whom we love. The difference between these two characters is stark. And it makes a difference in the quality of the movie.
Grace O’Malley:
· Likability: She’s kind, friendly and eager to please.
· Relatability: In trying to do what others expect of her, she almost loses herself.
· Empathy: She faces an agonizing choice: her family or the man she loves.
Ann Wahl:
· Likability: Her devotion to her patients shines through whenever she interacts with them.
· Relatability: She’s not afraid to speak truth to power.
· Empathy: She’s been disowned by her family for who she is.
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Character Intrigue.
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: brainstorming intrigue is fun. Plus it adds depth to the characters and results in concepts that will help fill out the script in interesting ways.
For each of your main characters, use this list to brainstorm one or more Intrigue items that might apply. You don’t need all of them; just one or two.
· Character Name: Grace O’Malley
· Role: Protagonist
· Hidden agendas: She wants to find her disowned brother.
· Competition:
· Conspiracies:
· Secrets: Her brother was a deserter and her family expects her to restore their family honor by being completely above reproach.
· Deception: She lies about her brother – first pretending he doesn’t exist, then claiming he was killed in action.
· Unspoken Wound: Her ambitions and brains were discounted by her parents, who favored their sons.
· Secret Identity:
· Character Name: Ann Wahl
· Role: Antagonist
· Hidden agendas: To make Grace fall in love with her.
· Competition: Competing with Booker for Grace’s affection
· Conspiracies:
· Secrets: Closet lesbian
· Deception:
· Unspoken Wound: Family disowned her when they discovered her sexual orientation.
· Secret Identity:
Give us an idea of how that character’s subtext might show up in your movie.
Ann seeks to undermine Booker in Grace’s eyes. Ann feigns interest in a male soldier.
Grace secretly tries to find where her brother is hiding. She secretly watches the doctors and then tries to mimic what they do.
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Subtext Characters.
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: subtext is fun. And it adds depth to the script that will make it even more fun to write.
2. With your example movie, give us the following answers for the character with the most subtext:
· Series Title: Will Trent
· Character Name: Will Trent
· Subtext Identity: A detective who is illiterate and grew up and suffered abuse in the foster care system.
· Subtext Trait: Secretive, suspicious, loner
· Subtext Logline: Will is a brilliant detective who prefers to work alone to hide his illiteracy but cannot read the reports that contain key information needed to solve cases.
· Possible Areas of Subtext: Forced to work with a new detective, he tries to hide his illiteracy and drive her away from working with him; he uses a dictation device to record (and listen to) his thoughts on the case to avoid reading and writing; he uses his powers of observation to find clues.
3. For your two leads, brainstorm these answers:
· Character Name: Grace O’Malley
· Subtext Identity: Nurse who secretly wishes she could have become a doctor.
· Subtext Trait: Polite, tactful, withholding, modest, discreet, intimidated.
· Subtext Logline: After a lifetime of deferring to the expectations of others rather than pursuing her own dreams, Grace falls in love with a completely unsuitable man – a Tuskegee airman.
· Possible Areas of Subtext: She balks when she thinks she knows better; she struggles when her desires don’t mesh with societal expectations.
· Character Name: Ann Wahl
· Subtext Identity: Closet lesbian rejected by her family.
· Subtext Trait: Guarded, secretive, brash.
· Subtext Logline: A closet lesbian whose family disowned her when they discovered her sexual orientation, Ann hides her fear of rejection under a brash, “don’t give a shit” exterior.
· Possible Areas of Subtext: Ann resists falling for Grace; she tries (but fails) to hold everyone at arm’s length for fear of rejection; she naturally leads the nurses, thereby causing herself to be more noticed and under scrutiny; she wants to hate Booker because of Grace’s feelings for him – but she can’t help but respect him.
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Actor Attractors.
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: this is really hard to do up front but will save me a lot of time and revisions later!
Lead Character Name: Grace O’Malley (protagonist)
1. What about this role would make an actor want to be known for it?
Grace is a young, naïve woman who undergoes a profound change resulting from her exposure to the horrors of war – as well as racism and sexism. She emerges strong and independent, willing to defy societal norms to forge her own future.
2. What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in the story?
Her transformational journey forms the backbone of the story.
3. What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the story?
In early scenes, Grace will be obedient and highly attuned to the expectations of others – but by the end of the movie, she will defy her parents, the Church, doctors and commanding officers to save Booker and seek a long-term relationship with him.
4. How could this character be introduced that could sell it to an actor?
Still working on this one. I’m thinking about her getting blessed by her priest and her father as she prepares to leave Boston for the Army – and then being shocked by her first encounter with another nurse, Ann.
5. What could be this character’s emotional range?
From accepting to questioning; from obedient to defiant; from thinking of herself as weak to learning how deeply strong she actually is.
6. What subtext can the actor play?
Grace gradually develops a deep, simmering anger at “the way things are” – things she always accepted – that contrasts with her normally sunny and accepting personality.
7. What’s the most interesting relationship this character can have?
Her relationship with Ann, who teaches her nursing – and how to stand up for herself. She thinks of Ann as her closest friend and only realizes Ann’s deeper feelings for her at the very end of the story.
8. How will this character’s unique voice be presented?
Through her treatment of others, her refusal to say or do unkind things even when faced with unkindness or injustice.
9. What could make this character special and unique?
She surprises everyone – including herself; she’s the last person anyone would expect to defy the demands and expectations of others.
Lead Character Name: Ann Wahl (antagonist)
1. What about this role would make an actor want to be known for it?
She’s smart, competent, bad-ass and cool – but also a hopeless romantic under the surface.
2. What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in the story?
Notwithstanding her brash exterior, Ann is afraid to let others (especially Grace) know how she feels.
3. What are the most interesting actions the Lead could take in the story?
At the end of the story, Ann finally confesses her love to Grace, as she prepares to sacrifice herself so that Grace can be with Booker.
4. How could this character be introduced that could sell it to an actor?
Grace walks in as Ann reviews a patient chart. Ann is talking angrily to herself about all the errors the doctor made and what really needs to be done – while quoting Dickens and referring to the doctor by a disparaging Dickens-based nickname. Ann then edits the chart so that, in her view it is correct. She pushes back the curtain and her angry mood is immediately gone, replaced by compassion and competence as she treats the injured serviceman – while Grace watches in amazement.
5. What could be this character’s emotional range?
Ann’s emotions range from profound love to deep frustration, from resisting authority to deep acts of heroism.
6. What subtext can the actor play?
Ann is secretly in love with Grace but doesn’t dare to confess her love. Ann’s family – with whom she was very close – disowned her when they discovered she was a lesbian.
7. What’s the most interesting relationship this character can have?
Her most interesting relationship might be with Booker, a man she likes, respects and admires – but also is profoundly jealous of, because Grace loves Booker instead of her.
8. How will this character’s unique voice be presented?
Ann loves Dickens (an exterior sign that she’s a hopeless romantic at heart). She gives other people nicknames from Dickens novels and regularly intersperses quotes from Dickens in her otherwise blunt way of talking and behaving.
9. What could make this character special and unique?
Ann’s strength of character, coupled with her secret sexuality and her love of Dickens, make her special and unique.
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Actor attractors for Lady Bird.
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: Developing a lead character that will appeal to an A-list actor takes a lot of work!
Movie Title: Lady Bird
Lead Character Name: Lady Bird (Christine)
1. Why would an actor WANT to be known for this role?
She’s a teenager so this role gives an opportunity for an up-and-coming actor to highlight a depth and breadth of acting that could transform into an A-list career. Lady Bird is quirky
2. What makes this character one of the most interesting characters in the movie?
Lady Bird is full of contradictions and there’s a lot going on beneath the surface. Her best friend Jules is a gem – but what you see in the surface is what you get. Lady Bird has all kinds of things going on beneath the surface, from her fraught relationship with her mother to her hidden desire to be a “cool kid” to her hope of falling in love.
3. What are the most interesting actions the Lead takes in the movie?
The ending really brings it all together. Lady Bird has achieved her dream – she’s in NYC at college. She’s at a college party and a guy is interested in her. But he’s a bore and she’s homesick. She ends up wandering the city and goes to church (after refusing communion and making clear that she isn’t into religion at the beginning of the movie). Then she calls her mother and tells her about the things she loves in Sacramento – and that she loves her mom.
4. How is this character introduced that could sell it to an actor?
The opening scene has her and her mother in a car returning from a college visit – but one that doesn’t interest Lady Bird at all. They are listening to the Grapes of Wrath on tape and both are teared up by the ending. But that moment of connection between Lady Bird and her mother quickly devolves into bickering and then a full-on fight – culminating with Lady Bird flinging herself out of the moving car.
5. What is this character’s emotional range?
Lady Bird has an enormous emotional range in this movie. Her character ranges from joy (falling in love, getting into NYU, losing her virginity) to despair (discovering her boyfriend is gay, her mother refusing to speak to her because she applied to NYU, discovering her new boyfriend lied about being a virgin) – and all kinds of emotions in between.
6. What subtext can the actor play?
Lady Bird desperately wants her mother to like her – while at the same time (being a teenager), she pretends not to care.
7. What’s the most interesting relationship this character has?
The relationship with her mother, which ultimately is what the movie is about. The movie starts with her being so angry at her mother that she flings herself out of the car – and ends with her leaving a voicemail telling her mother how much she loves and appreciates her.
8. How is this character’s unique voice presented?
Lady Bird’s voice is shown visually as well as through her words and actions. From the coloring and painting on the walls of her room to her hot pink cast with her commentary written on it, from stealing the math teacher’s grades and lying about it to going to prom with her best friend to her relationship with the nun. No one else in the movie talks like her or acts like her.
9. What makes this character special and unique?
She’s not a beauty, she’s not one of the popular kids. She’s complex, like a real person is – sometimes kind and sometimes not, flipping from one emotion to the next, wanting things that won’t make her happy (hanging with the popular kids, dating a jerk) and generally trying to find herself. She’s real.
10. (Fill in a scene that shows the character fulfilling much of the Actor Attractor model.)
The scene where her mother takes Lady Bird to buy a prom dress. Lady Bird starts out excited – but the scene quickly devolves as her mother comments on her eating when Lady Bird complains about a dress being too tight. They start to bicker – about clothes, money, anything. Lady Bird goes from being excited to irritated to plaintive, when she asks her mother if she likes her. And her mother doesn’t really respond – she says she loves Lady Bird, but she won’t say that she likes her. There is a huge range of emotion displayed in this scene.
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Greetings from beautiful Greenland! We are very close to the Arctic Circle today!
Subject line: Claudia’s Genre Conventions
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: focusing on the genre conventions in each piece of the broad outline helps to elevate the concepts and the tension in the screenplay.
Title: Wings of Grace
Concept: A nurse in the WWII Women’s Army Corps battles racism,
sexism and incompetence as she tries to save the life of a badly injured
Tuskegee airman.Genre: Drama
Drama conventions:
Purpose: High emotional and interpersonal stakes for the
characters.Character-driven: Their internal journey drives the film’s
events and progressions.High stakes that come from within.
Emotionally resonates.
Challenging, emotionally-charged situations.
Brainstorm ways to deliver the conventions more effectively and build those parts into your 4-Act Structure. List your structure from Lesson 6 along with the improvements that come from the Genre Conventions.
Act 1:
Opening: Grace receives the blessing of her priest and her
father as she reports for duty as an Army nurse. She becomes friends with Ann,
an independent and outspoken woman who is completely different from – and is attracted to – Grace.Inciting Incident: Grace meets Booker, a Tuskegee airman. She
is immediately drawn to him – and also notices how others treat him. Ann notices the attraction and is jealous; she is
falling in love with Grace and seeks to draw Grace closer to her.Turning Point: Grace follows the directions of a doctor even
though she and Ann both think his diagnosis is wrong – and Ann, a more experienced nurse, urges her not to do
so. Grace’s patient dies because of the incorrect
treatment.Act 2:
New plan: Grace
starts listening more to Ann and questioning those in authority.Plan in action: Grace falls for Booker, who holds her at arms’
length. She writes to her parents about Booker and confesses to her sister
that she is falling in love. Her parents respond forbidding her from any
kind of relationship with “a man like that” or she will be disowned. She is torn between her love for
Booker and love for her family. Ann is secretly pleased, knowing that a
relationship between herself and Grace could be more easily hidden as a friendship.Midpoint Turning Point: Booker, through incredible piloting
while simultaneously shooting down enemy aircraft, saves a pilot’s life.
On their return to base, Grace
sees that the pilot refuses even to acknowledge
Booker or his heroism – as do the other pilots and officers at the base.Act 3:
Rethink everything: Ann asks Grace, “What makes you think they
– your parents, the priest, the doctors, the commanding officers – know
more than you?”New plan: Ann and Grace start to get subversive. They pilfer
medical supplies so that the wounded Black soldiers can be treated
medically as well as the White soldiers. And when they think the doctors
are incorrect in their diagnoses or treatment recommendations, Grace and
Ann do what they think is right, not what they are told. Recovery rates in
their ward begin to soar.
But their racist, misogynistic commanding officer – the same one who
misdiagnosed the patient in Act I – tries to undermine them.Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Grace confesses her
love to Booker, but he rejects her. He says there is no way a man like him
and a woman like her could ever be together in the world as it exists
today. She asks, “But isn’t that what we are fighting for?” He is
resolute. Ann tells Grace
that nobody has the right to dictate who you
love. Grace finally realizes that Ann
is in love with her – and that Ann is letting her go.Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Booker is badly
injured in an air battle. As Grace is treating his wounds, the Germans
mount a counterattack and the forward hospital is under siege. Everyone is
ordered to leave, with as many patients as they can take. But Grace
refuses to leave Booker, who is too injured to move. Ann stays with them – ultimately sacrificing herself
so that Booker and Grace can survive.Resolution: Grace’s heroism saves herself and Booker. He admits
his love for her and agrees that they should try to find a place where
they can be together –
even if that means they can never go back to the US. -
Subject line: Claudia’s 4 Act Transformational Structure
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is: this was a really hard assignment, but an important one. I wish I had done this up front with my other screenplays.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Concept: A nurse in
the WWII Women’s Army Corps battles racism, sexism and incompetence as she
tries to save the life of a badly injured Tuskegee airman.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Main Conflict: Grace loves
Booker, but interracial relationships are taboo. Ann loves Grace, but lesbian
relationships are also taboo.
<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>Old Ways:o Blindly obedient to others (parents, the Church, men)
o Assumes others know more than her
o Afraid to “rock the boat”
o Deeply concerned about how others view her
New Ways:
o Will fight for what is right
o Trusts her own judgment
o Courageous
o Willing to defy societal norms – in love, friendship and the role of women
Act 1:
Opening: Grace receives the blessing of her priest and her father
as she reports for duty as an Army nurse. She meets Ann, an independent
and outspoken woman who is completely different from Grace – but she is
nonetheless drawn to Ann. <div>Inciting Incident: Grace meets Booker, a Tuskegee airman. She
is immediately drawn to him – and also notices how others treat him. She
and Ann share their frustration that although they are officers and pay
dues to the Officer’s Club, they are not allowed in without a male escort.
Needless to say, Booker is not allowed in the Club.Turning Point: Grace follows the directions of a doctor even
though she thinks his diagnosis is wrong – and her patient dies because of
incorrect treatment.Act 2:
New plan: Ann convinces Grace to begin pushing back. They
decide to go to the Officer’s Club together. Not only are they kicked out
of the Officer’s Club, their commanding officer sends them to a psychiatrist
for questioning the rule that they must be escorted by a man even though
they pay dues. Grace is mortified. Ann is angry. </div><div>Plan in action: Grace is falling in love with Booker, even
though he holds her at arms’ length. She writes to her parents about
Booker and confesses to her sister that she is falling in love. Her
parents respond forbidding her from any kind of relationship with “a man
like that.”Midpoint Turning Point: Booker, through incredible piloting
while simultaneously shooting down enemy aircraft, saves a pilot’s life. On
their return to base, the pilot refuses even to acknowledge Booker or his
heroism – as do the other pilots and officers at the base.Act 3:
Rethink everything: Ann asks Grace, “What makes you think they –
your parents, the priest, the doctors, the commanding officers – know more
than you?”</div><div>New plan: Ann and Grace start to get subversive. They pilfer medical
supplies so that the wounded Black soldiers can be treated medically as well
as the White soldiers. And when they think the doctors are incorrect in
their diagnoses or treatment recommendations, Grace and Ann do what they
think is right, not what they are told. Recovery rates in their ward begin
to soar.Turning Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Grace confesses her
love to Booker, but he rejects her. He says there is no way a man like him
and a woman like her could ever be together in the world as it exists today.
She asks, “But isn’t that what we are fighting for?” He is resolute. Ann’s
monologue about nobody having the right to dictate who you love.Act 4:
Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Booker is badly
injured in an air battle. As Grace is treating his wounds, the Germans
mount a counterattack and the forward hospital is under siege. Everyone is
ordered to leave, with as many patients as they can take. But Grace
refuses to leave Booker, who is too injured to move. </div>Resolution: Grace’s heroism saves herself and Booker. He admits
his love for her and agrees that they should try to find a place in
America where they can be together. -
Subject Line: Claudia O’Brien’s Subtext Plot
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is again, doing this analysis up front will allow for more depth in the screenplay and for a better first draft. I’m already thinking about how I need to go back to my earlier screenplays, using this process to elevate them.
My overall concept: Grace, a nurse in the WWII Women’s Army Corps battles racism, sexism and incompetence as she tries to save the life of a badly injured Tuskegee airman.
My subtext plot is someone hides who they are. Grace’s fellow nurse and best friend, Ann Wahl, is a closet lesbian and secretly in love with Grace. Ann subtly pushes Grace to think for herself and to dare to defy conventions. She succeeds, helping Grace to develop the inner strength to pursue a socially unacceptable love affair – with Booker, a Black man.
A secondary subtext plot will be competitive agendas. Grace and Ann’s (male, misogynistic) commanding officer does not believe that women are competent to provide medical care, nor that scarce medical resources should be used to save the lives of Black soldiers. He seeks to undermine their work to prove his point of view, while Grace and Ann struggle to push back without technically being insubordinate.
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Subject Line: Claudia’s Transformational Journey
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is that starting with these big picture concepts gives me a much better idea of how to structure the screenplay – along with ideas for some great scenes.
Grace’s Character Arc:
· Arc Beginning: Obedient, insecure woman who thinks people in positions of authority know better than her.
· Arc Ending: Confident, independent woman who thinks for herself.
Grace’s Internal/External Journey.
· Internal Journey: From unquestioning of authority to thinking for herself.
· External Journey: From a woman who does what she is told to a woman willing to defy societal norms to be with the man she loves.
Grace’s Old Ways at the beginning of the movie and New Ways at the end.
· Old Ways:
· Blindly obedient to others (parents, the Church, men)
· Assumes others know more than her
· Afraid to “rock the boat”
· Deeply concerned about how others view her
· New Ways:
· Will fight for what is right
· Trusts her own judgment
· Courageous
· Willing to defy societal norms – in love, friendship and the role of women
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Claudia O’Brien’s Intentional Lead Characters
My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from doing this assignment is, again, I am loving how this process helps me flesh out my concept in a much more organic way than anything I have done before.
Character: Grace O’Malley
Logline: Grace is White and falls in love with Booker, a Black man.
Unique: A young Irish Catholic woman from South Boston, Grace was raised to be obedient to her family and the Church – neither of which will accept an interracial relationship.
Character: Ann Wahl
Logline: Ann is Grace’s best friend in the Army and is secretly in love with Grace.
Unique: A tough-as-nails independent woman, Ann teaches Grace to make her own decisions – thinking (and hoping) that Grace will realize she is in love with Ann as well.
Character: Booker Thomas
Logline: Booker is a Tuskegee airman who falls in love with his nurse, Grace.
Unique: A proud, strong and intelligent – but realistic – man, Booker fears what American society would do to Grace if they pursue a relationship.
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Claudia O’Brien’s Title, Concept and Character Structure!
Title: Wings of Grace
Concept: A nurse in the
WWII Women’s Army Corps battles racism, sexism and incompetence as she
tries to save the life of a badly injured Tuskegee airman.Character Structure: Romantic
Triangle.My vision: To become the best screenwriter I can be, and to find success in the industry.
What I learned from this assignment: I really like this outlining process; it helps my brain slowly fill in the details of what I want this screenplay to become.
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Hey all! I don’t see a forum for posting today’s homework assignment, so I am putting it here:
What I learned from doing this assignment is: I really like this process of focusing on the high concept, hook and title first, then moving to an outline. The rigidity of the four options for character structure was unexpected – and quite useful.
Title: Wings of Grace
Genre: Drama
High Concept: A nurse in the
WWII Women’s Army Corps battles racism, sexism and incompetence as she
tries to save the life of a badly injured Tuskegee airman.Character Structure: Romantic
Triangle. -
I too didn’t see anywhere else to post assignments, so here goes:
· Character Name: Matt Anderson
o Role in the Story: Male protagonist
o Age range and Description: Mid-20’s to early 30’s, neat, quiet, unassuming
o Core Traits: Loyal, kind, responsible, cautious, emotional
o Character Subtext: Politeness
o Motivation; Want/Need: To marry Lily
o Flaw: Compulsively rigid rule-follower, afraid to take risks
o What’s special about this character? Hidden under his quiet exterior and occasionally obsessive behavior, he is deeply emotional and doggedly persistent. He is the ultimate “catch” and exactly what Lily wants and needs – if she can let go of her grudge and stop underestimating him.
o Character Logline: Matt is a loyal, loving man who must overcome his rigid need to follow rules so that he can win back his love, Lily.
· Character Name: Lily Chen
o Role in the Story: Female protagonist
o Age range and Description: Mid-20’s to early 30’s, Chinese, attractive, somewhat flamboyant
o Core Traits: Independent, determined and caring
o Character Subtext: Withholding, freezing out others
o Motivation; Want/Need: Lily wants to find love – and a love that puts her first – so that she can overcome her deep-seated insecurity.
o Flaw: Difficulty forgiving, holds grudges
o What’s special about this character? Although successful and accomplished, Lily is deeply insecure and feels that she will never be good enough. Her fear stems from the fact that her father only wanted a son – and emigrated from China after Lily was born so that he could have a son.
o Character Logline: Lily is a caring and independent but insecure woman who must learn to let go of grudges so that she can find the happiness and love she craves.
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I agree to the terms of the release form.
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Hi, all!
I’m Claudia and I am a retired BigLaw attorney. I’ve written one screenplay that has had some moderate success in contests (3 quarterfinalists) but I know I need to elevate the characters to get it to the next level. So here I am. (I am also working on a second screenplay.)
Looking forward to digging into this class!
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Hello!
I’m Claudia O’Brien. I’ve written one feature length script based on a crazy rescue mission my husband and I undertook to save five Afghan translators for the U.S. Marine Corps (and their families) after the fall of Kabul. It’s made it to the quarterfinals in three competitions, but I need to elevate the characters in particular to get it to the next level.
I loved the process of writing the screenplay. So I decided to work on another (currently in progress) and to start taking classes so I can become a better screenwriter.
Interesting thing about me: I am a retired environmental lawyer from a big law firm, my husband is a retired Foreign Service officer, and I have about a million things I’d like to write about.
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I agree to the terms of this release form.
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No worries! I was even later posting the assignment! And I wrote at least as much. I couldn’t figure out how to include everything we were supposed to include and still keep it under 5-8 pages…Anyway, we can exchange if you want. Or we can try to catch up and just keep writing.🙂
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Tony,
Would you like to exchange outlines before we start writing?
Cheers,
Claudia
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Tony,
Thank you for your service. My husband and dad are both Army veterans, and my younger son currently serves (also Army).
Claudia