[Michelle Dinnick]

Michelle’s Transformational Events/Journey Continued

In doing this assignment, I learned to further define the transformational events and figure out how this affects my protagonist’s journey

Changes/steps/events that need to happen for that character to go from who they are in the beginning (Shandy/Old Ways) to who they are in the ending (Mandy/New Ways). Brainstorm events and sequence the steps from easiest to most difficult.

Shandy recognizes that there is a better life out there, better
than her childhood and current reality filled with trauma and abuse
Shandy sees her mother, the trailer park, and her mother’s friends
as having all the power – until she leaves, and they don’t.
Shandy walks away from her current (past) life, changes her name,
and believes she can overcome anything (until Ray comes back into her
life)
Mandy faces her past trauma and uses it to fuel her passion for the
truth, through her poetry
Mandy finds strength in owning her truth, b/c it means Randy has no
more power over her – even when he tells her that her mother isn’t doing
well
She stands up to Randy, she stands up for herself *She lives her
life on her terms! – feels no guilt over her mother’s death, feels no
shame that everyone knows about the horrible abuse and trauma she suffered
as a child.

[Michelle Dinnick]

ASSIGNMENT

Michelle’s Act 4 Transformational Structure

In doing this assignment, I explored more of my story line, and I learned more about my characters.

Create a first draft of your 4 Act Transformational Structure.

1. Give us the following:

Concept:
A young girl
escapes a violent childhood at a survivalist’s trailer park.
Main
Conflict: Even though she is out of the trailer park she feels she can’t fully
escape her abusive past

Old Ways: not looking anyone in the eye, shy, reserved, ashamed of her childhood abuse, believes she is worthless and useless, powerless, blames herself for the abuse

New Ways: makes eye contact, more outgoing, channels her traumatic memories into writing poetry and advocating for children in high-risk situations, believes she has the power to change the world – Went to a catholic high school, changed her name, embraced the uniform: of her long sleeved white shirts and blazer,

2. Fill in each of these with the answers you have right now.

Act 1:

Opening:
horrific abusive episode told in two parts
Inciting
Incident: refusing to stay overnight and guard the survivalists’ hoarding
trailer
Turning
Point: standing up to her abusers and leaving trailer park to go live with
her dad in another city

Act 2:

New
plan: changes her name from Shandy to Mandy
Plan
in action: wins a poetry contest and feels like she can finally tell her
story
Midpoint
Turning Point: one of her abusers catches up with her, tries to scare her,
intends to ruin the new life she is building

Act 3:

Rethink
everything: does she have to move again? Should she commit suicide like
Ray said? Should she go back and visit her ailing mother? (mother
eventually dies alone in the trailer she lived in and people didn’t notice
for 4 days)
New
plan: ?
Turning
Point: Huge failure / Major shift: Ray goes to her father’s condo tells her
dad and step mom that he is her boyfriend and that she is pregnant. Ray
says they have been involved since she was a young thing at the trailer
park

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate
expression of the conflict: Mandy’s traumatic past is exposed to her
parents, she goes to therapy, continues writing,
Resolution:
? Do I do a flash forward? Or skip a few years? To show Mandy’s successful
new life?

[Michelle Dinnick]

Michelle’s Character Interviews / Updated Character Profiles

From doing this assignment, I learned the reasons behind my Antagonists’ horrendous behaviour – including why and how they make decisions. The “Aha” moment for me came during Monday’s class, when Hal said “even the people doing terrible things believe they are doing the right thing at the time”. It was actually easier to interview my antagonists than my protagonist because of this!

<b style=”font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit;”>QUESTIONS FOR YOUR PROTAGONIST: Shandy

1. Tell me about yourself. I’m a survivor, I’m strong

2. Why do you think you were called to this journey? Why you? I have a passion inside me that they couldn’t break. They tore me apart physically, but I’ve always somehow known that I am worth more, that I can do better.

3. What are you up against. What is it about them that makes this journey even more difficult for you? They were all older than me, I was young, weak, they said no one would believe me, and I believed them

4. In order to survive or accomplish this, you are going to have to step way outside of your box. What changes do you expect to make and which of them will be the most difficult? Getting away from all of them – moving out of the trailer park. I had to wait until my dad was back form overseas

5. What habits or ways of thinking do you think will be the most difficult to let go of? My lack of self-esteem, last of self-worth,

6. What fears, insecurities and wounds have held you back? Lack of self-worth, no self-esteem,

7. What skills, background or expertise makes you well-suited to face this conflict or antagonist? Determination to not be anything like my mother and her friends

8. What are you hiding from the other characters? What don’t you want them to know? My scars, physical and emotional. I’m ashamed of them. I don’t want anyone to know about my past

9. What do you think of ?

10. Tell me your side of this whole conflict / story. I was neglected and abused and no one helped me. I learned I have to take care of myself now. There is no going back, I have to believe I deserve a better life, and I have to make a better life happen

11. What does it do for your life if you succeed here? I stay alive. I’m not weak like they made me believe, I never have to see my mother or acknowledge her assistance, never have to go back to the trailer park

12. Ask any other questions about their character profile that will help you.

QUESTIONS FOR YOUR ANTAGONIST: Mother

1. Tell me about yourself. It’s none of your business

2. Having to do with this journey, what are your strengths and weaknesses? My brat of a daughter is my only weakness.

3. Why are you committed to making the Protagonist fail? Or for a relationship movie, why are you committed to making them change? She doesn’t deserve anything. I always took care of her, even though I never wanted her. She should have to take care of me now. She’s always been a spoiled ungrateful brat.

4. What do you get out of winning this fight / succeeding in your plan / taking down your competition? Everyone will know I am right, that she is a useless excuse for a daughter, and I that I deserve better.

5. What drives you toward your mission / agenda, even in the face of danger, ruin, or death? Bad things always happen to me. I am used to it. I always have to fight for what I have, and things are always working against me. Including my own daughter.

6. What secrets must you keep to succeed? What other secrets do you keep out of fear / insecurity? My daughter says I drink all the time, I don’t. I don’t even have beer in my trailer. I smoke, but so what? I deserve to have something for me.

7. Compared to other people like you, what makes you special? I didn’t always live in a trailer park. I’m here to help all these people. We’re survivalists, you know? We have to be ready for anything.

8. What do you think of ?

9. Tell me your side of this whole conflict / story. I am actually related to Queen Mary of Hungary. I should be a princess! I don’t deserve to be treated this way! I should live in a mansion, not a trailer. Those people – they are all peasants. They are the trailer trash, not me.

[Michelle Dinnick]

Hi everyone!

I am Ontario, Canada. This will be my second script, though I have written a short screenplay and a short stage play as well.

I have been published in several small publications, and have a story in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The spirit of Canada.

I am looking forward to finishing a script in this class, and I look forward to going through this journey with all of you!

[Michelle Dinnick]

Michelle’s Character Profile Part 2

From doing this assignment, I learned to explore more about who I want my protagonist and antagonist to be, why they do what they do, and how they need to grow through this process. For example, I hadn’t yet considered flaws or values in terms of my protagonist / hero.

Part 2 of the character Profile for your two lead characters:

Protagonist:

What draws us to this character? Her inner strength, her desire to
heal through her trauma once she moves away from her mother, her ability
to process her trauma through writing poetry <div>

Traits: shy at first, learns to be more outgoing, insecure at
first, learns to be more confident, no self worth, learns to believe she
is a good person, no longer living by her mother’s narrative: that she is
useless, worthless, and will never amount to anything.

<div>

Subtext: she suffers in silence until her father returns from overseas
with his new wife. While she never discusses the horrors of the sexual
abuse she suffered with her father, she starts writing poetry to deal with
it as she becomes a teenager.

Flaw: she becomes angry when she no longer believes she is useless.
She changes her name before high school, and translates her anger into her
poems.

Values: truth, honesty, privacy, education,

Irony: she is determined to keep her own abuse a secret, (always wears
long sleeve shirts to hide the knife scars) while advocating for children
who are recovering from childhood trauma.

What makes this the right character for this role? She is living
her life, speaking her truth, trying to help others while she continues to
heal.

<div>

<div>

Antagonist:

What draws us to this character? We don’t understand how she can
hate her own daughter (her behaviour leads us to believe she does) and
that this is acceptable to everyone around her </div>

Traits: Angry, controlling, abusive, condescending, critical, dismissive,

Subtext: she talks the big talk, delusions of grandeur, we wonder
if anyone really believes her… unemployed alcoholic living in trailer
park, tells people she is related to Queen Mary of Hungary

Flaw: pathological liar who believes her own delusions, malignant narcissist
who is incapable of looking after her own daughter.

Values: being the victim, yet being in control, instilling fear
Irony: she lives in a survivalist trailer park, claims that she is
a victim of circumstance, believes that she is a descendent of royalty

What makes her the right character for this role? She is a narcissist
who has no concern for her own daughter, in so far that her daughter’s
existence has no benefit to her; to the extent that she allows others to
abuse her as well / turns a blind eye to the abuse of others. Feels she
deserves pity from others as she has to take care of her daughter all
alone.

</div></div></div>

[Michelle Dinnick]

Michelle’s Character Profiles Part 1

Drama

From doing this assignment, I learned to explore more about who I want my protagonist and antagonist to be, why they do what they do, and how they need to grow through this process. I was able to consider things I hadn’t thought of previously.

2. Protagonist

Role
in the story: central heroine
Age
range and Description: 6 to 12, 13 and up

Internal Journey: Shawna battles the memories of her physical and emotional scars from years of childhood abuse at the hand of her mother and her mother’s friends to put herself on track for a better life.

External Journey: Though compelled to hide her physical scars and deformities as a result of the abuse, Shawna learns to love stylish clothes. She gains confidence, finds her voice through poetry, and no longer feels that she has to live in shame because of her past.

Motivation:
to over-come, to never live in a trailer park again
Wound:
trauma and abuse
Mission/Agenda:
to be better / do better than her mother
Secret:
trauma and abuse she suffered as a child from her mother and her mother’s
neighbors at the trailer park
What
makes them so special? She doesn’t know it yet, but she is strong and
determined. She will come to believe that she can change the world.

3. Antagonist

Role
in the story: source of trauma and abuse (villain/predators) *victim
Age
range and Description: Mother: early 40s, her co-abusers: early 20s

Internal
Journey: doesn’t have one, she is flawed, can’t see anyone outside of the
context of herself and how their existence (negatively) affects her
External
Journey: repeatedly plays the victim, regardless of circumstances – she is
a malignant narcissist

Motivation:
control, and the fear of others – being feared makes her feel in control and dominant. She sees
her daughter’s failure and suffering as her success, which leaves her
daughter at risk, and at the mercy of the other predators in and around the
trailer park
Wound:
the abuse she suffered as a child
Mission/Agenda:
she fancies herself a survivalist, but in reality she cant (or wont) do anything
for herself. She has grandiose ideas, believes she is better than the
others in the trailer park, likes to tell stories from her life ‘before’
but its al lies.
Secret:
that everything she claims is true is all false
What
makes them special? She’s not, but she believes she is.<div>

4. Other necessary characters:

Jennifer (protagonist needs a positive strong female friendship)

Father and Step mom (who eventually provide a stable home)

Person who takes interest in her poetry – a teacher?

</div>

[Michelle Dinnick]

Michelle’s Transformational Journey

From doing this assignment, I learned to pinpoint who my hero is, and what makes her tick.

2. Internal and external Journeys:

Internal Journey: Shawna battles the memories of her physical and emotional scars from years of childhood abuse at the hand of her mother and her mother’s friends to put herself on track for a better life.

External Journey: Though compelled to hide her physical scars and deformities as a result of the abuse, Shawna learns to love stylish clothes. She gains confidence, finds her voice through poetry, and no longer feels that she has to live in shame because of her past.

3. Old ways and new ways:

Old ways: not looking anyone in the eye, shy, reserved, ashamed of her childhood abuse, believes she is worthless and useless, powerless, blames herself for the abuse

New ways: makes eye contact, more outgoing, channels her traumatic memories into writing poetry and advocating for children in high-risk situations, believes she has the power to change the world

[Michelle Dinnick]

1. Michelle Dinnick

2. I agree to the terms of this release form.

As a member of this group, I agree to the following:

1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.

2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.

I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.

3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.

4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.

5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.

6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.