[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Pitch Fest Pitch

What I learned doing this assignment is that the act breakdown forced me to be very economical with my words.

Hi, I’m Elizabeth Dickinson and I place regularly in competitions like Scriptapalooza and Cinestory. In fact every script I’ve ever entered has at least made it to the semi-finals. Today, I have a 1 hour historical fantasy pilot called No Angels Need Apply.

In order to achieve its heart’s desire of becoming an angel, a Soul must relive and purge regrets, shame and guilt of 5 key past lives (gladiator, abbess, torturer, freedom fighter, artist), without creating new regrets that must be addressed in future lifetimes – the cause of its continual human reincarnation.

It’s loosely based on my dozens of hypnotherapeutic regressions and past lives.

Like other hit historical fantasies such as Rome, Vikings, The Last Kingdom, my budget range for a season would run a middle to high budget of around $40-50 million.

For the first season’s actors I’d like the young Celt lead to be played by Iain Armitage (Young Spencer), or more economically by YouTube star Kaido Lee Roberts. For Celt’s best friend Cora, I’d like Paxton Booth (Disney’s Coop and Cami Ask the World). For Piran, I’d like Caleb Brown (Mother’s Day with Jennifer Aniston), for Sirius, Dylan Minnette (13 Reasons Why), and for Taranis, Henry Cavill (TheTudors). In later episodes would love Dimon Hounsou (Armitage) for Celt’s mentor Dakarai.

The acts of the story:

The teaser sets up an Oversoul frustrated that it can’t become an angel until it relives and purges regrets, guilt, and shame from 5 key past lives (gladiator, abbess, torturer, freedom fighter, artist) – and is thrust into its life as a first century Celt.

Act 1 starts when Celt and best friend Coran sees and warn their village of invading Roman soldiers.

In Act 2 Celt enters into a dubious bargain with the Celtic god of thunder to protect his village and his mother from rape, that results in Celt leaving home with the Romans.

In Act 3 Celt learns that Sirius’ grand Roman ideals are not embraced by other soldiers. The tension escalates when a fellow village boy is murdered by a soldier. Celt tries to escape but is drawn back by the cries of the boy’s twin Piran -whose tongue is cut out by the same Roman soldier.

Act 4 has Celt abandoning a final attempt at escape because it would mean abandoning Piran now too traumatized to move- and translator Sirius is determined to make Celt into a model Roman slave translator.

Act 5 has Celt realizing that the Romans are not just looking for boys to serve the Roman emperor but are involved in indiscriminate enslavement of the entire Celtic people – and also ironically discovers his translating talent is viewed as enemy collaboration by his peers. His anguished attempt to cut out his own tongue is stopped by the tongue-less Piran – but both boys are now abandoned by Sirius, who sees no further use for them.

The pilot ends with Celt and Piran herded on small boats to larger Roman ship and a menacing enslaved future, unwilling to communicate with Romans, uncertain who to trust, with his only friend another younger, tongue-less Celt boy.

How will Celt survive Roman slavery?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Query Letter

What I learned doing this assignment is that it was more useful to return to the marketing bible vs. the synopsis for this class to write the query letter.

A Soul on the verge of ending human reincarnation and achieving its heart’s desire of becoming an angel learns it must first relive and release regrets of its most challenging lifetimes: as a gladiator, an abbess, a torturer, a freedom fighter, and an artist.

The one hour pilot plunges the Soul into its first life in the first century A.D. Britain as:

Celt, a self-effacing, psychic boy who hides his ability to communicate with animals and divinities, and has his idyllic life threatened when Roman soldiers invade. In order to protect his mother and isolated village, Celt bargains with Taranis, Celtic god of thunder, to leave with the Roman soldiers.

But does he understand he may have committed himself to a lifetime of slavery, and also be perceived by his tribe as an enemy collaborator?

Consumed by guilt and regret after close companions are killed or maimed by Roman soldiers, beset by vindictive inner voices, and refusing to leave another vulnerable boy behind, Celt loses his only means of escape.

How will Celt survive and continue to protect those he loves? How will the double-dealing Celtic gods exert their influence? What do those divinities really want-and will they ever tell him?

And how will its Soul resolve its regrets without creating new ones?

Besides placing regularly as a semi-finalist in competitions, including Scriptapalooza and Cinestory, Elizabeth Dickinson underwent hypnotherapy and past life regression with licensed psychotherapists. Her own past life memories form the essence of this story, aided by rigorous historical research.

If you’re interested in a gritty history/fantasy tv drama series with overtones of It’s A Wonderful Life crossed with Everything Everywhere All At Once and Cloud Atlas, please contact me for the pilot and/or marketing bible.

I can be reached in the following ways:

651-235-1208

eadickinson@mindspring.com

384 Hall Ave.

St. Paul, MN 55107

Thanks for your attention and interest!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Dickinson

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Synopsis Hooks

What I learned doing this assignment was that it’s hard not to get sucked into doing an ordinary synopsis – especially since I need one of those for a screenwriting fellowship I’m applying for!

Lesson 6: Turning Hooks Into A Great Synopsis

In order to achieve its heart’s desire of becoming an angel, a Soul must relive and purge regrets of 5 key past lives (gladiator, abbess, torturer, freedom fighter, artist), without creating new regrets that must be addressed in future lifetimes – the cause of its continual human reincarnation.

As the Soul relives its first past life as a psychic, animal-loving Celt boy, it contends with the Celt’s desire to hide from his matriarchal tribe his ability to see/communicate with the unpredictable Celtic gods, sharing the belief only women should develop extrasensory abilities.

So when Taranis (god of thunder) offers Celt the chance to protect his people from Roman soldiers who are abducting Celt boys to ‘serve’ the current Caesar, Celt must make a choice without advice from tribal leaders.

Motivated by his desire to protect his tribe and his mother from rape, Celt pledges allegiance to Taranis. Accepting Taranis’ thunderbolt gives Celt the courage to volunteer to leave his beloved home with the soldiers, distracting the commander from his mother.

This fateful decision catapults Celt into Roman colonial patriarchy, personified by Sirius, a Roman translator anxious to manipulate Celt’s helpfulness and emerging linguistic abilities to show how a soft power subdues the conquered more efficiently.

Accompanied by younger twin volunteers Piran and Tiran, Celt is horrified by the Roman army’s casual institutionalized violence. When Tiran vomits on soldier Cletus, Cletus throws him and breaks his neck. Celt’s grief/loss heightens by the lack of meaningful consequences for Cletus.

Growing distrust of Romans is amped up by Sirius’ apologist stance and inability to temper the violence. This leads Celt to bond more deeply with Piran, mimicking the bond of the sacred Celtic ravens who travel in pairs.

All too ready to adopt Celt as a replacement for his murdered brother, Piran’s emotional dependence on Celt immediately thrusts Celt into another impossible situation.

When Celt’s best friend Coran tracks the Roman army to help Celt escape, Celt feels he can’t leave without Piran. Against Coran’s better judgment, Celt insists on returning to the Roman camp to retrieve Piran, tragically now too traumatized to escape. Frustrated, Celt initially leaves – but is drawn back by Piran’s wails – which wake the sleeping camp. Celt reappears in camp just in time to see Cletus silencing Piran forever by severing his tongue.

Feeling responsible and trapped, Celt decides going with the Romans may be the will of gods. He stays, cares for Piran, and tries to make the best of it- to Coran’s dismay. Coran and Celt part – forever, they both believe.

But Celt’s resentment at not taking the chance to escape sours his relationship with Piran, and creates distance between them, abetted by Piran’s belief that Celt’s healing herbs will hurt him.

As the small group of captives reach the coast to wait for ships to take them to Rome, additional regiments bring in more captured tribes to the Roman camp. Celt teaches Latin and interprets Roman behavior for his fellow Celts to prevent Romans from inflicting further harm.

Delighted, Spurius believes Celt has bought into the Pax Romana -the idea that Rome absorbing other countries brings peace to the world and that what’s best for Rome is what’s best for all. Spurius sees to get them both recognized by the head commander – who has the ear of Sirius’ senator father, and of the Caesar himself.

But as more captives arrive, Celt’s nemesis Rudhek, deride Celt’s collaboration. When Celt comforts younger boys with a myths of the gods, Celt is stunned by Rudhek’s defiant assertion that all the Celts are Roman slaves – unless they resist.

Humiliated by Rudhek’s supporters who pelt Celt with mud, Celt recognizes the truth and is overwhelmed by guilt that his actions – especially his linguistic ability –make him as culpable as Clu – the Celtic trader who betrayed Celt’s tribe by leading the Romans to their hidden camp.

Celt psychically ‘sees’ the sacred triskele (the 3 Celtic spirals) transform into snakes who accuse him of treachery. Wracked by grief, in unconscious solidarity with Piran, and encouraged by the poisonous vision snakes, Celt attempts to cut out his own tongue to prevent further collaboration. But Piran pummels into him at the last second, knocking Celt’s knife into the fire.

In a role reversal, Piran cares for Celt, even offers Celt the herbs that Piran rejected.

Allowing the frantic Spurius to believe Celt’s tongue is severed also severs the relationship with Celt and Piran. Sirius abandons his protection and they are demoted to a cage with the less desirable slave material.

Herded on the small boats taking them to Roman ships, Celt sees Romans loading caged native animals for the Roman circus, and is heartbroken.

When the Romans run out of room and abandon a caged bear cub to the rising tide, Celt prays to the Celtic mother goddess to save it.

Betrayer Clu semi-redeems himself by appearing on the beach and freeing the cub.

As the shores of Britannicus are covered by fog, Celt and Piran sail to a dangerous, unknown future, without Sirius’ protection, without family or friends, and with a very limited ability to communicate.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Lesson 5: High Concepts and Elevator Pitches

Elizabeth Dickinson’s High Concept/Elevator Pitch

What I learned doing this assignment is that the overview is most important.

A soul can’t achieve its dearest wish to become an angel without purging the regrets of 5 key lives – a gladiator, an abbess, a torturer, an artist, and a freedom fighter. But what happens when each of those lives can’t purge their regrets without creating new ones?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth’s 10 Most Interesting Things

What I learned doing this assignment is that it’s very similar to earlier work in the Binge Worthy class, just organizing it differently.

1. Oversoul doesn’t know how to purge regrets of past lifetimes to become an angel.

2. Secretly psychic hero Celt from first reviewed lifetime can communicate with pagan gods, but the ability doesn’t help him.

3. Celt regularly chooses to protect those he loves, even though it’s not to his benefit, and means he can never return home.

4. The pagan gods Celt believes in are not completely trustworthy.

5. There’s a constant clash between Celt’s values and Rome’s values.

6. Learning how to become a gladiator is just cool.

7. The series gets to show ‘behind-the-scenes’ history of ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

8. There’s a lot of shocking, contradictory (surprisingly modern) historical attitudes about sex, gender roles, violence, etc.

9. Karma is about experiencing, not punishing.

10. To become an angel, you need to be fully human first.

A.
What is most unique about your villain and hero?

What’s most unique about my Oversoul is that it’s tasked with looking after every lifetime it’s has, and still isn’t sure how to become an angel.

What’s most unique about Celt (the first lifetime) is that he is secretly psychic, and is the only one in his tribe who can see and communicate with the gods, but it doesn’t actually help him benefit.

What’s most unique about Taranis is that he doesn’t really care what happens to Celt once Celt makes the bargain with him.

What’s most unique about the Roman Sirius is that he’s trying to reconcile his progressive values within a conservative culture.

B.
Major hook of your opening scene?

The major hook of my teaser/opening scene is that the audience doesn’t know what it will take for the Oversoul to become an angel.

C. Any
turning points?

The first turning point is when Celt discovers Romans near where his tribe is hidden. The main turning point is when Celt volunteers to go with the Romans to keep his mother and tribe safe.

A second major turning point is when Celt is offered the opportunity to escape, but won’t leave because it means abandoning a younger tribal member who accompanies him.

D.
Emotional dilemma?

The major emotional dilemmas include deciding to go with the Romans even though his heart is with his home. The second emotional dilemma is around giving up his chance to escape to protect Piran, his younger tribal friend.

E.
Major twists?

A major twist is that Taranis, the god of thunder really doesn’t care whether Celt goes with the Romans or remains (contrary to what Celt thinks). Taranis just wants to be the first/main god that Celt dedicates himself to.

Another major twist is when a Roman soldier cuts out Piran’s tongue to stop his whining.

F.
Reversals?

Celt’s best friend Coran tries to rescue Celt and Piran, offers them a chance to escape.

Weak-looking Piran is the one who actually stops Celt from cutting out his own tongue in grief and solidarity with Piran.

G.
Character betrayals?

Celtic Clu leads the Romans to Celt’s villages but covers his collaboration by saying resistance would be worse for the Celts.

H. Or
any big surprises?

The Roman translator truly believes that enslaving the Celts is improving their station in life.

2. Make a list of any other things in your script that could interest a producer.

Small child becomes a gladiator.

Three levels of sub-plots: Soul overseeing the action had to identify and purge regrets of past lives, pagan gods and goddesses vie to influence Celt, Celt has to navigate between the peaceful, matriarchal values he grew up with inside a violent, patriarchal Roman society. How does he do this without losing his soul?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Producer/Manager Meetings

(I thought of this as an actual meeting where I’d have 5 minutes to introduce myself, or something I might write to them in advance, rather than a 1 sentence description I could pitch in an elevator, the way Timothy did…)

Lesson 3: What Do Managers and Producers Need?

1. How will you present yourself and your project to the producer?

2. How will you present yourself and your project to the manager?

3. Answer the question “What I learned today is…?”

Producer

“No Angels Need Apply” builds on the popular interest in metaverses generated by both indie films like “Everything Everywhere All At Once” and Marvel.

Additionally, it offers the opportunity to integrate lesser known history in a compelling blend of fact/fiction/fantasy as in “Vikings” (89 episodes), “The Last Kingdom” (46 episodes), “Black Sails” (38 episodes), and “Rome” (22 episodes).

It offers international appeal both for distribution and for funding sources like the History Channel and the BBC, because it’s set outside the United States. It also offers large doses of danger to the main characters, which also makes it attractive to streamers (Hulu, Starz) unafraid of more graphic sex and violence.

Yet there are also deeper themes because the danger is not to titillate, but because it arises from the characters’ attempts to express love, to belong to community, to find their purpose, especially when the cultural and religious precepts prohibit them from learning and being themselves.

Themes include: the role of colonialism in absorbing culture (Rome in Britain), how religion affected gladiators, how animals were viewed as violent entertainment, medieval female empowerment in nunneries, and how torture was viewed by those with and without power.

As a series, the concept is flexible and expandable because it deals with a soul who’s investigating past lives to purge regrets so it can become an angel. The past lives can be related to interesting but less known historical eras. Each past life is a season in itself and is currently designed for 5 seasons, 5 lives, but depending on interest, it could be shortened or expanded indefinitely.

Finally, it’s an attractive vehicle for busy national and international A-list talent because each season has a different lead, so it doesn’t have to be a long-term commitment. The lives in question have inherent appeal. The gladiator of the first season offers dramatic opportunities to a young male star for both romance and learning to fight. The nun of the second season offers similar opportunities to both a younger and older actress to explore how love and personal agency could be expressed in medieval times.

Manager pitch

My marketability stems from an ability to straddle genres of history/drama/comedy. As a writer of both feature length movies, shorts, tv series, as well as novels and plays which I have adapted into movies and series, I have won multiple semi-final placements in national competitions (Scriptapalooza, Page, Cinequest, etc.) I am unafraid to rewrite and receive critiques from mentors, teachers and peers, and over 20 years have received outstanding feedback on my ability to integrate others’ pertinent feedback into my writing. I’ve also received unsolicited commentary from my peers about my incisive comments on their work, and ability to make suggestions that elevate their work and enhance their vision. My fondest wish would be to work in writer’s room on a long-running series at least loosely based on history.

My ability to create compelling stories out of history ranges from using source material such as the diaries and letters of Sophia and Nathaniel Hawthorne, Emily Dickinson; to using the court documents of two female pirates sentenced to hang.

However, I’ve also writing contemporary dramedies based on a middle-aged female accountant empowered by learning to ballroom dance, an elderly social butterfly who upends a widower’s life, to a contemporary girl who uses the power of animal mythology to transcend being bullied.

Most recently I’ve developed a tv series based on the journey of a soul to purge the regrets of its past lives as a gladiator, an abbess, a torturer, a freedom fighter, and a writer which allows me to integrate history and spirituality reminiscent of “Everything Everywhere All At Once”.

From my own past life as an actor/improvisor, one of my strengths lies in my dialogue, and ability to show conflict and character in a contained way, that generates enthusiasm from actors.

What else can I share with you that you would need to know?

***************************************

What I learned from doing this assignment is that I feel reasonably confident about my abilities.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Marketable Components

What I learned doing this exercise is that I have more than 2 marketable components. I’m not entirely clear what the two most compelling components are for my piece.

Lesson 2: The 10 Components of Marketability

No Angels Need Apply – Current logline

A Soul who wants to end human reincarnation must re-live 5 key past lives and purge regrets from its lives as a gladiator, an abbess, a torturer, a freedom fighter, and an artist-to achieve its heart’s desire of becoming an angel.

Unique

History and fantasy combine for a high contrast drama with a simple, profound message. No lives – and few decisions – are wasted, except for regrets of things left undone.

Title

To become the angel it longs to be, a soul must temporarily forget its divinity (ironically) in order to embrace all the messy contradictions and emotions of being fully human across multiple lifetimes.

Inspired by a true story

All lifetimes were chosen based on the author’s hypnotic regression.

Timely

Capitalizes on current interest in movies like “Everything Everywhere All At Once” which covers past lives and how they influence a current life.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Genre: Historical fantasy adventure drama

Title: No Angels Need Apply

Concept:

How does an Oversoul who’s lived 120 human lives break the human reincarnational cycle to achieve its dearest wish of becoming an angel?

Learning it must review and purge regrets of 5 key past lives, is the first challenge.

Knowing it must erase knowledge of each previous lifetime in order to fully experience each new life is the second challenge.

Adding to its building frustration, each new lifetime creates new regrets.

And just when it thinks it may have nailed that problem, it learns it must also collaborate with its possible final life as an opinionated female writer who must capture the whole story before she dies with unresolvable regret.

What’s an equally opinionated Oversoul to do?

Note: Each life review takes an entire season.

What’s most attractive about my story is that it’s a dynamic adventure story that features diverse characters set in multiple time periods framed in a philosophy similar to “Everything Everywhere All At Once” – that no lives are wasted, and that we are multi-dimensional beings.

I would target producers first, because I believe they’re more likely to be actively looking for longer versions of something reminiscent of “Everything Everywhere All At Once”. It’s not as good as a fit for an actors production company, as the characters change from season to season. I’m open to targeting managers as I do have other work which represents my style, but my intuition says to target producers first.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson Ready for Feedback

Genre: Historical Fiction

Title: No Angels Need Apply

I got the email today about exchanging feedback but don’t see a singular forum post here that does that. So for the record, I’m ready to exchange feedback. DM with your email and we can start! 🙂

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 4 – Lesson 15: Wordsmithing

Elizabeth Dickinson Finished Wordsmithing!

What I learned doing this assignment is that I could probably go over this a hundred billion more times, and keep finding things I could change or improve. I’m still right around 60 pages, no matter how much I eliminate (and that’s with starting each act on a new page).

I’ve eliminated as many orphan lines as I can but there are a bunch remaining that I haven’t yet figured out how to rewrite, but I’ll pause and come back to that next week with fresh eyes.

Reading/editing backwards was interesting. I used the word ‘break’ in 2 places on 1 page, but in one case it meant ‘to separate’ and in the other it meant ‘to rest’, but I changed it anyway.

I eliminated a lot of places where I use the word ‘beat’ when a character changes subject/direction, and as many parentheticals as I could. Some parentheticals became action lines.

I have a twin (character) in this, and reversed the name of the twin who survives (because the original choice sounded too close to another character’s name), and thought I’d caught every place where I needed to reverse the names, but when I had my partner read it out loud to me, I found yet another place I needed to change the name.

I’ve used ‘walk’ and ‘see’ a lot, so substituted using a thesaurus as much as I could, but a lot of the walk synonyms weren’t the right tone, so I had to keep some ‘walks’ and add more adverbs.

I also read the narration out loud while my partner read all the dialogue. Found I could eliminate a lot of ‘the-s’ from hearing it out loud.

I’m looking forward to exchanging feedback once more people catch up, and moving onto the marketing phase.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 4 Lesson 14

Elizabeth Dickinson Has Amazing Descriptions!

What I learned doing this assignment is that it isn’t always obvious if I’m adding a layer or gilding the lily.

#1

Oversoul turns, discovers past life protagonists watching him. (New) He gapes at cat, stunned.

#2

Sirius shakes his head I’m imagining things and returns attention to the speaker.

#3

ATHAIR

Your mother has spoken.

(new) Athair looks like he wishes otherwise.

#4

BRONWEN

I’d still rather fight.

(new) Rudhek admires Bronwen.

#5

Ulf sprinkles herbs in the fire. (new) They spark colored light.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 4 Lesson 13 – Description Part 2

Elizabeth Dickinson Has Great Introductions

What I learned doing this assignment is that my revised, ironic character descriptions created more clarity and depth, and actually allowed me to imply where the relationship liaisons would lie. In sub-world description, I was also able to show how unprotected my indigenous world was by addition of one line.

I added some dialogue to my first Celt scene with his youngest sister to introduce both his protective nature and the matriarchal culture, and that he believes women can do anything, but he’s not so sure for himself.

In the Oversoul scene, I added ironic/contradictory character descriptions for each for the future season starring roles that are introduced.

Celt- strengths compromised by self-doubt

Abbess – compassionate, cocky,

Torturer – weak, determined,

Actuary – obstinate people-pleaser

Journalist – retiring, courageous

Writer – tentative, tenacious

And then did the same for supporting characters:

MARTA (60s) cautious, privileged village wise woman

SIRIUS (20s), sensitive, diplomatic fanatic

CLU (40s), obsequious, plotting Celt trader/translator from a neighboring tribe, hair cut short like a Roman to show allegiance, tutors the Romans.

The ROMAN COMMANDER (40s), forceful, fluctuating

CLETUS (20s) a coarse, handsome legionnaire, wants to rise above his origins, rubs his crotch.

RUDHEK (13), large, angry, wants to be leader without earning it, grabs the stick.

ULF (60s), Marta’s male partner, unacknowledged wind beneath her wings, raises hand to quiet everyone, captures the stick.

AIOLFE (13) Marta and Ulf’s daughter, Bronwen’s friend, secret rebel, nods in agreement behind her parents.

Taranis bumps into golden-haired BRIGIT (20s), goddess of the forge, crafts, and prophecy. A no-nonsense knock-out, capable of delivering them when necessary. She slaps Taranis’ face, hard.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson Description 1

What I learned doing this assignment is that I’m adding more emotional punch with a few extra words.

Example 1:

BEFORE:

RUDHEK (13), large, angry, takes the stick.

AFTER:

RUDHEK (13), large, angry, grabs the stick.

Example 2:

BEFORE:

Celt and Coran grin at each other.

AFTER:

Celt and Coran grin at each other. How much fun is this?

Example 3:

BEFORE:

CELT

Will you bring Emer to the caves for me?

AIOLFE

Why not ask one of your sisters?

CELT

I want you to do it.

AFTER:

CELT

Will you bring Emer to the caves for me?

Aiolfe covers her excitement with exaggerated disinterest.

AIOLFE

Why not ask one of your sisters?

CELT

I want you to do it.

Example #4

BEFORE:

ROMAN COMMANDER

(heavy accent)

We come in peace. We only want strong boys to serve the emperor.

MARTA

Perhaps we could discuss this over a meal? It’s many years since we exchanged boys with another tribe.

CLU

(in Latin)

The female leader wants to discuss this over a meal.

AFTER:

ROMAN COMMANDER

(heavy accent)

We come in peace. We only want strong boys to serve the emperor.

Marta looks like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.

MARTA

Perhaps we could discuss this over a meal? It’s many years since we exchanged boys with another tribe.

CLU

(in Latin)

The female leader wants to discuss this over a meal.

Example 5

BEFORE:

SIRIUS

Our emperor is an outstanding leader who will unite the whole world. You can help. The emperor will join our peoples to bring peace and prosperity for all.

MARTA

Others have offered to absorb this tribe for our metal craft, our way with animals, and our herbal skills, in exchange for protection.

ULF

Sometimes we exchange children so each tribe can learn the ways of the other.

MARTA

Is this what you offer?

AFTER:

SIRIUS

Our emperor is an outstanding leader who will unite the whole world. You can help. The emperor will join our peoples to bring peace and prosperity for all.

Marta speaks pleasantly, with steel underneath.

MARTA

Others have offered to absorb this tribe for our metal craft, our way with animals, and our herbal skills, in exchange for protection.

ULF

Sometimes we exchange children so each tribe can learn the ways of the other.

MARTA

Is this what you offer?

Example 6

BEFORE:

Athair stares at the paltry coins and empty spaces on the shed walls.

He looks at his son, bereft.

AFTER:

Athair stares at the paltry coins and empty spaces on the shed walls.

He looks at his son, already regretful, looks for support. The remaining villagers won’t meet his eyes.

Rudhek mouths cowards from his hiding place.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson Has Great Dialogue

What I learned doing this assignment is that I can add even more clarity to my dialogue.

Example 1: Before

OVERSOUL

But I had expert healing help-

ABBESS

None of us are healed until we say we’re healed. You’re not healed until all of us are healed.

OVERSOUL

But I had expert healing help-

OVERSOUL

But I don’t know what that even means. I’ve already done-

ABBESS

Do you ever really listen to us?

AFTER

OVERSOUL

But I had expert healing help-

ABBESS

None of us are healed until we say we’re healed. You’re not finished with human reincarnation until all of us are healed. (clarity)

OVERSOUL

What does that mean? I’ve already-(counterattack)

ABBESS

Do you ever really listen to us?

BEFORE

The Abbess handles the ruler appreciatively.

ABBESS

Didn’t have these in my day.

(beat)

Go back to a beginning.

AFTER

The Abbess handles the ruler appreciatively.

ABBESS

Didn’t have these in my day.

(beat)

Go back to the beginning.

OVERSOUL

N-O-O-O!

SUPER:

The Big Bang. Stars explode.

ABBESS

The beginning of you.

A GRINNING CAVEMAN appears in one of the screens.

Oversoul looks appalled.

OVERSOUL

N-O-O-O!

Caveman disappears.

ABBESS

A beginning where you developed-

(A lot of the work here is about establishing clarity, but it also establishes the Abbess’ character, who stars in season 2).

Example 2

BEFORE:

CELT

I don’t care about that. I just want my people to be safe!

TARANIS

I can arrange that. All you do is accept my thunderbolt.

The thunderbolt glows fiery in Taranis’ hand.

CELT

Won’t it hurt me if I take it?

TARANIS

Bah! It’s better if you use it right away.

AFTER:

CELT

I don’t care about that. I just want my people to be safe!

TARANIS

I can arrange that. All you do is accept my thunderbolt.

The thunderbolt glows fiery in Taranis’ hand.

CELT

Won’t it burn me?

TARANIS

Bah! It’s better if you use it right away.

The change from ‘hurt’ to ‘burn’ allows me to establish later in the scene that Celt really is ‘burned’ by his interaction with Taranis (irony) and allows Sasha (the youngest and most vulnerable) to notice it and for Celt to misdirect her. It’s also irony because Celt is constantly looking to protect others, but doesn’t protect himself.

It changes the scene below, which establishes on multiple levels how Celt ignores his own comfort to protect others.

SASHA

I want you to have her. She’s a good mouse.

Celt strokes the mouse with his finger. There’s a red mark on his palm.

SASHA

What happened to your hand?

CELT

She wouldn’t like traveling. Feel how fast her heart beats.

Example 3

BEFORE

Celt wipes his eyes with his arm.

CELT

Explain later. But we have to go back. I can’t leave Piran.

Coran shakes his head, but follows Celt as he jogs back the way he came.

AFTER

Celt wipes his eyes with his arm.

CELT

Explain later. But we have to go back. I can’t leave Piran.

Celt jogs away.

Coran shakes his head, but follows Celt.

CORAN

You can’t protect everyone!

(This establishes character better and Celt’s motivation through Coran’s eyes. Coran is much more pragmatic than Celt.)

Example 4

TARANIS

You haven’t forgotten me already?

Celt freezes.

TARANIS

I could help, you know.

CELT

I don’t want your help!

TARANIS

Suit yourself.

Taranis disappears.

TARANIS (O.S.)

Someday you will.

Taranis laughs.

AFTER

TARANIS

You haven’t forgotten me already?

Celt freezes.

TARANIS

I could help, you know.

CELT

So you can burn me again? (references past, pun on burn)

TARANIS

Suit yourself.

Taranis disappears.

TARANIS (O.S.)

Someday you’ll beg for my help. (sets up future creates tension, open loop)

Taranis laughs.

Example 5:

BEFORE:

LARGE SNAKE is even bigger with violet eyes.

LARGE SNAKE

Celt helps Romans by using their speech. Sssss.

AFTER

LARGE SNAKE is even bigger with violet eyes.

LARGE SNAKE

Celt collaborates with Romans by using their words. Sssss.

(Clarity and irony. Collaboration is the word the other boys use for what Clu does.)

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Dialogue 7-8

What I learned doing this assignment is that I can create more depth with these techniques.

Dialogue As Action

1) Clu translates the word for ‘girls’ to the Roman soldiers, one of whom grabs his crotch. This telegraphs to the eavesdropping boys who don’t understand Latin that the village is in danger, and it’s not just about “finding boys to serve the emperor”.

2) The Roman Commander directs Sirius and Cletus to carry the twins Piran and Tyran. “You-and you – carry them”.

3) The Roman Commander directs Sirius to find a visual aide so other soldiers recognize that Celt is working for Rome. Sirius gives Celt an oroboros – a snake eating its own tail. That symbolizes that Celt is consuming himself by working for Rome, and later becomes a symbol of the voice inside himself that castigates him for working for Rome.

Dialogue as Subtext

1) Sirius doesn’t understand the difference between crows and ravens who look alike. Celt corrects him, and adds ‘they don’t like each other much’ which implies he and Piran look the same as Sirius, but they don’t like Sirius.

2) Celt questions Sirius about the egregious behavior of the other soldiers: “Is this your peace?” which is really an indictment of Sirius and Sirius’ attachment to Roman law.

3) In scene with Brigit and Taranis over what they’ve witnessed with Celt.

First version:

Unseen, Brigit and Taranis appear behind trees.

BRIGIT

Not going the way you’d hoped?

TARANIS

How do you know what I hope for?

BRIGIT

You’re only happy if there’s fighting.

TARANIS

Not true. But just wait. My time is coming.

BRIGIT

Just you wait. Dagda and Anu have agreed to a hearing.

Second version:

Unseen, Brigit and Taranis appear behind trees.

BRIGIT

Not going the way you’d hoped?

TARANIS

How do you know what I hope for?

BRIGIT

You’re only happy if there’s fighting.

TARANIS

Not true. Satisfaction is found in all kinds of violence.

BRIGIT

His father belonged to me. The boy should’ve belonged to-

Taranis laughs.

BRIGIT

The boy said it himself!

TARANIS

You’re right about one thing, my sweet. My best time with that boy is coming. (compliment, avoiding, continues as if nothing happened)

BRIGIT

Just you wait. Dagda and Anu have agreed to a hearing.

Hoping that all of this adds more depth to the scenes!

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 4 – Lesson 9: Dialogue 3 – 6

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Dialogue 3 – 6

What I learned doing this assignment is I unconsciously integrated a lot of these already, but these are the newest ones.

First example:

<div>
A. Setup / Payoff
</div>

I gave the Abbess lines.

– Set up her character – (before she didn’t actually speak until season 2!)

B. Anticipatory Dialogue

– Abbess sets up what Oversoul must do to become an angel

C. Ironic Dialogue

– “None of us are healed until we say we’re healed. You’re not healed until all of us are healed.”

Second example:

A. Setup / Payoff

Marta had no line to establish that she expected Coran to ‘await the will of the goddess’ and now there’s an explicit ‘that includes you, too, Coran’ establishing that if he leaves it will be against her will.

B. Anticipatory Dialogue

Coran now replies “What if the gods wait on us?” which establishes he’s not waiting.

C. Ironic Dialogue

That line also does double duty as irony because Coran just doesn’t buy the wise woman’s advice.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Dialogue 1 + 2

What I learned doing this assignment was that I can establish some of the supporting characters’ motivations earlier and clarify their motivations in a way that reinforces my main character’s understanding of ‘how things are supposed to be’ (even though he’s not even in those scenes), making Taranis influence even more of an anomaly, and something that wasn’t supposed to happen.

I did check my main character’s dialogue all the way through, and added a few clearer attacks, especially with Sirius.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson Completed P/S Grid #2

What I learned doing this assignment is that I need more depth for my main villains. However, I’m not sure it’s appropriate to include/reveal that information in my pilot, or if I did, where I’d put it.

Xola

Moral issue- Sees Celt as everything he hates about Celtic people. That they get sympathy they don’t deserve.

Secret – in love with Dakarai

Hidden agenda – Is homosexual, but hates himself for it, gets aroused by humiliating others

Wound – Was abused as child by Celt people

Secret identity – First enslavement by Celt warrior, father was Celt. Saw mother as weak.

Surprising want/need – Wants to be acknowledged for his animal training abilities

Hidden weakness – Wants approval from Dakarai.

Cletus

Moral issue – Sees Celt initially as nuisance, but later on as potential slave/companion

Secret – Is from impoverished background, ashamed of admitting family makes kilns

Hidden agenda – Wants to become big fish commander in Britannicus, sees having Celt as slave-translator way to do that.

Wound – Hates being bested by effete elites like Sirius

Secret identity – Son of charcoal maker

Surprising want/need – Wants to be looked up to by Sirius/Celt

Hidden weakness – Loves his family, even tho’ he’s ashamed of what they do.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 4 – Lesson 6: Problem/Solution Grid 1

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Completed P/S Grid #1

What I learned doing this assignment is that my A story is solid, but wanted to make tweaks to my B story.

The main thing I wanted to strengthen was Sirius’ story. I’d like to add some more background to Sirius’ motivation, that he’s trying to prove something to his father about using soft power, but don’t know that the pilot is the best place to do that.

However, Sirius will return in later episodes and I wanted a greater contrast between him and soldier Cletus. I re-wrote the scene where Sirius asks the commander to give Celt greater access to the camp to establish more strongly the commander’s degree of skepticism with Sirius’ approach to educating slaves, and the fact that the commander understands a soldier like Cletus far more than he understands Sirius.

I added some more parental conflict/protest when Romans take the boys away

I also added some more lines to strengthen why Coran won’t give up on Celt, and to clarify his resistance to the rest of the tribe, in direct opposition to what Marta says.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson Finished Acts 4 and 5

What I learned doing this assignment is that Act 5 may be a bit long, but my formatting got screwed up at some point and I’ve lost the page numbers. I’m going to have to contact Final Draft for help!

Rule 1: Use empowering self talk. Cheer yourself on.

Mostly use

Rule 2:
Understand writing in drafts.

Always use

Rule 3:
Choose speed over quality for EARLY drafts.

Still working on this

Rule 4:
Allow yourself to start (or continue) without all the answers.

Getting better at this

Rule 5:
Keep moving. Don’t allow yourself to ever stall out.

Getting better at this

Rule 6:
Even if you can’t create it now, you will be able to at some point in the
future!

Have faith in this

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson Finished Act 3

What I learned doing this assignment is that my reverse engineering pays off in reinforcing that I’m covering most intrigue elements.

Rule 1:
Use empowering self talk. Cheer yourself on.

Mostly use

Rule 2:
Understand writing in drafts.

Always use

Rule 3:
Choose speed over quality for EARLY drafts.

Still working on this

Rule 4:
Allow yourself to start (or continue) without all the answers.

Getting better at this

Rule 5:
Keep moving. Don’t allow yourself to ever stall out.

Getting better at this

Rule 6:
Even if you can’t create it now, you will be able to at some point in the
future!

Have faith in this

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson Finished Act 2

What I learned doing this assignment is that it reinforced my question about whether the entirety of Act 2 can take place in one location if all the beats and intrigue elements are there. Because that’s what I’ve essentially got.

Consistently use (at least in last 2 weeks): Rule 1: Use empowering self talk. Cheer yourself on.

Consistently use: Rule 2: Understand writing in drafts.

Some use Rule 3 : Choose speed over quality for EARLY drafts.

Some use Rule 4 (still slows me down sometimes, but this is part of why I’m taking this course): Allow yourself to start (or continue) without all the answers. (Part of reason for taking this course to get through a blocked piece in a later episode…)

Have more faith in this one since I started taking course: Rule 5: Keep moving. Don’t allow yourself to ever stall out. Even if you can’t create it now, you will be able to at some point in the future!

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Teaser / High Speed Writing

(I reversed the teaser and Act 1 forum posting…sorry – the audios are presented in a different order in each module, so it gets confusing about the order of things…)

What I learned from doing this is that even with an outline that there are a lot of different ways to treat and to write the teaser…

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson Finished Act 1 First Draft

What I learned doing this assignment is that the teaser is still tricky because it’s the framing for the story. I’m still not sure how much the Oversoul needs to be active in the rest of the story. But I take comfort from one of Hal’s stories about the producer who intro’d ideas in the pilot without being completely sure how they’d pay off later!

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 3 Lesson 12 For Forum Outline With Intrigue

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Outline With Intrigue

What I learned doing this assignment is that there are a lot of scenes where I can cover at least 3 of the intrigue elements already.

EXT. Heaven – Intriguing World and Mystery

Oversoul sees angels, laments situation, discovers he must purge regrets of 5 key past lives. Past lives introduced.

<div>
Start: Oversoul watching past lives on screen
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Wants to become angel

Conflict: Isn’t allowed to

Action: Must purge regrets of past lives

Finish: Watches first life with that intention

Open Loop: What are these regrets, how will they
be purged?

Mystery: What happened in these past lives that’s
holding back Oversoul?

Empathy/Distress: Stuck reincarnating

Payoff:

Irony: Oversoul doesn’t necessarily know more
than the lives it’s lived

Setup: Intro of future season characters

</div>

INT. Celt’s hut – night – Mystery

Celt slips out at night but not before being questioned by youngest sister about what he’s doing. Pet mouse introduced.

<div>
Start: Celt’s leaving house illicitly at night
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Sister wakes up, questions.

Conflict: Celt must soothe her to let him go

Action: Celt distracts her with mouse

Finish: Celt leaves

Open Loop:

Mystery: Why is Celt going out at night?

Empathy/Distress:
Disappoints sister

Payoff:

Irony:

Setup: Why is Celt going out at night?

</div>

EXT. Outside hut – night – Conspiracy

Celt and best friend Coran go out patrolling.

<div>
Start: Celt joins Coran
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt isn’t supposed to be
out at night

Conflict: Coran thinks Sasha might tell

Action: Celt reassures Coran

Finish: They both leave

Open Loop:

Mystery:
Why are they outside?

Empathy/Distress: Celt feels guilty at disobeying
parents

Payoff:

Irony: Coran’s father doesn’t mind him being out
at night, but Celt’s family does.

Setup:

</div>

EXT. Ceremonial fire – night – Intriguing World

Village wise woman Marta instructs girls in goddess worship. Celt and Coran watch. Coran tells Celt he should tell village elders about his abilities to see divinities. Celt says that’s for girls.

<div>
Start:
Celt & Coran pass Marta teaching girls
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt wants to watch

Conflict: Coran says there’s no time and why
doesn’t Celt tell Marta about Celt’s own abilities
Action:
They leave

Finish: Marta reveals by behavior that she knows
they were there.

Open Loop: Why are they outside?

Mystery: Why won’t Celt reveal his psychic
abilities?

Empathy/Distress: Celt doesn’t believe his
abilities are manly.

Payoff:

Irony: Marta sees them, doesn’t tell Celt’s
parents.

Setup: Establishing Celt’s psychic abilities and
triskele

</div>

Ext. Roman legion camp – night – Imminent Threat

Celt and Coran spy on Roman soldiers from trees, learn fellow Celt Clu is teaching Romans to speak their language and that Romans are looking for boys to serve emperor.

<div>
Start: Celt and Coran spy on Roman soldiers from
trees
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt and Coran can’t reveal they’re
there.

Conflict: They learn Romans are there to get boys
and girls from village

Action: Celt and Coran are alarmed

Finish: They race away

Open Loop:
Why do Romans want Celt children?

Mystery: Why this area?

Empathy/Distress: Threat to village.

Payoff: Celt/Coran’s patrolling yielded something
useful

Irony:

Setup: Romans are coming soon.

</div>

Ext. Celt’s village – night Imminent Threat

Village elders holding council with village to decide what to do with information Celt and Coran brought about Romans. Disagreement about whether to be aggressive. Vulnerable tribal members sent away. Celt, Coran, Piran, Tyran, volunteer to stay, along with Celt’s mother, father, and youngest sister. Celt, Coran initiated as adults.

<div>
Start: Village debates what Celt/Coran told them
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: They don’t know Roman
intentions

Conflict: They disagree on how to handle it

Action: Marta gives emergency direction

Finish: Marta initiates boys into manhood, including
Celt/Coran who would otherwise be too young

Open Loop:
Why are Romans picking on this village? What do they want kids for?

Mystery: What do they really intend to do with
the kids?

Empathy/Distress: Village is upset

Payoff:

Irony:
Kids who discover this, not adults, but are made adults.

Setup:
Volunteers who stay will be at center of action.

</div>

Ext. Celt’s stable – night Imminent Threat/Hidden Agenda

Celt gives beloved horse Emer into safekeeping of his crush Aiolfe. Sounds of Romans arriving.

<div>
Start: Celt strokes beloved horse Emer
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt has to send her away
for safety

Conflict: Celt doesn’t want to

Action: Celt gives Emer to Aiolfe

Finish: Aiolfe kisses him, Romans heard arriving

Open Loop: What will happen to Emer and Celt and
Aiolfe’s relationship?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress:
Romans are threatening.

Payoff:
The kiss

Irony:

Setup:
Aiolfe is attracted to Celt, Emer established as one of AC’s
reincarnations. Celt establishes theme of protecting others.

</div>

End of Act 1

Act 2

Ext. Village green – dawn Intriguing World/Imminent Threat

Remaining villagers work or play. Roman Commander asks for boy volunteers, Marta stalls. Sirius brings out map of Rome, uses soft power to charm. Roman Commander loses patience, menaces Celt’s mother. Celt has psychic vision of triskele symbol landing on destruction, then sees Taranis, accepts Taranis’ patronage in exchange for village safety. Volunteers to go with Romans, along with Coran, Piran, Tyran. Coran rejected by Romans because of crippled hand. Goddess Brigit castigates Taranis.

<div>
Start:
Romans arrive.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Romans ask for boy
volunteers

Conflict: Romans threaten Celt’s mom. Celt sees
triskele on destruction

Action: Celt accepts Taranis patronage

Finish: Celt volunteers to go with Romans

Open Loop: What will happen to boys? What does it
mean to accept Taranis as primary influence? Why is Brigit upset?

Mystery: Why are Romans really here? What does
Taranis really want?

Empathy/Distress: Threats to mother, Celt having
to make choice of leaving village.

Payoff: Threat was real.

Irony:
Contrast of Sirius soft power, commander’s hard power

Setup: Hearing of Taranis, Celt leaving

</div>

End of Act 2

Act 3

Ext. Track through Woods – day Strange behavior/imminent threat

Piran and Tyran can’t keep up with soldiers. At rest stop, Celt feeds them from his pack, admonishes them not to drink too much water. Sirius asks for more time to rest for boys and Commander refuses.

<div>
Start: Twins can’t keep pace with soldiers
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: At rest stop, Celt advises
boys not to eat/drink too much

Conflict:
Twins gobble/drink too much.

Action: Sirius asks for more rest for boys

Finish: Commander refuses

Open Loop:

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress:
Boys can’t keep up. Sirius’ suggestion dismissed.

Payoff:
Sirius put in place.

Irony:
Future rest for boys at night

Setup:
Something bad will happen from boys eating/drinking too much

</div>

Ext. Deeper in forest – day Imminent threat/strange behavior

Piran and Tyran are given to Sirius and soldier Cletus to carry on their backs. Tyran vomits on Cletus. Cletus throws Tyran against tree, breaking his neck. Commander docks Cletus’ pay.

<div>
Start: Twins lag behind
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Twins given to
Cletus/Sirius to carry

Conflict: One twin vomits on Cletus

Action: Cletus throws against tree

Finish: Tyran dies

Open Loop: How bad can these Romans be?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress: Tyran’s death

Payoff: Sirius’ warning proves true

Irony: Piran/Tyran did eat/drink too much

Setup: Cletus’ reoccurring cruelty

</div>

Ext. Roman campfire – night Hidden Layer

Sirius tells Celt that Cletus will have to pay for Tyran’s death with extra duties. Celt and Piran look/feel sickened.

<div>
Start: Sirius says Cletus will be punished.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt challenges this
‘help’

Conflict:
Sirius can’t/doesn’t want to answer Celt’s question

Action: Sirius avoids by getting more food

Finish: Celt comforts Piran, while soldiers gorge
food, seemingly uncaring about the murder.

Open Loop:
What’s with these Romans?

Mystery: Why is Sirius such an apologist for
Rome?

Empathy/Distress: No Roman cares about effect on
boys of another’s death.

Payoff:
Roman law established as favoring Romans

Irony: Cletus’
punishment not restorative to boys.

Setup: For
Pax Romana

</div>

Ext. Path in woods – day Hidden Layer

Sirius teaches Celt bird names in Latin. Celt corrects Sirius about difference between ravens and crows, to Sirius’ annoyance.

<div>
Start: Sirius teaches Latin
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Sirius misidentifies
ravens and crows

Conflict: Sirius resists/challenges Celt’s
correction

Action: Celt stands his ground

Finish: Sirius backs off

Open Loop: Why is Sirius teaching Latin to Celt?

Mystery: What does Sirius hope to get from teaching?

Empathy/Distress:

Payoff:
Metaphor of Romans being crows, Celts being ravens

Irony:
Celt knows more about birds than Sirius does

Setup:
Importance of feathers

</div>

Ext. Roman campfire – night Secret/Hidden Identity

Piran tells Celt they are a pair now, like Piran used to be with his twin. Celt dreams he’s trying to teach Latin to his sister’s mouse.

Celt is woken up by Coran’s hooting.

<div>
Start: Piran reinforces bond with Celt
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Romans have upper hand

Conflict: Celt has disturbing dream

Action: Hooting wakes him up

Finish: Celt follows hooting

Open Loop:
How will Celt and Piran’s relationship develop?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress: Celt and Piran’s bonding

Payoff: Explicit claiming of raven metaphor

Irony: Owl
hooting in dream becomes Coran hooting in reality

Setup:
Importance of dream metaphors

</div>

Ext. Forest – night Mystery

<div>
Start: Celt follows hooting
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Is it an owl-or Coran?

Conflict: Can he leave camp without Romans
waking?

Action: He does, following hooting.

Finish: An acorn from Coran hits Celt on head –
Coran’s signature move.

Open Loop: Why is Coran following?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress:

Payoff:
Acorn on head
Irony:
Acorn echoes acorn falling on Romans earlier

Setup:
Possible escape

</div>

Ext. Forest – night Conspiracy

Celt learns Coran followed them and wants Celt to escape, learns village has regrets letting boys go. Celt tells Coran he can’t leave without Piran.

<div>
Start: Celt finds Coran
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Coran has returned for Celt

Conflict: Coran invites Celt to escape

Action: Celt says he doesn’t want to leave Piran

Finish: They return for Piran

Open Loop:
Will Celt escape?

Mystery: Why won’t Celt leave Piran?

Empathy/Distress: Far from home

Payoff:

Irony:

Setup: Tragedy of Piran

</div>

Ext. Campfire – night Wound

Piran wakes, calls for Celt, thinks Celt abandoned him. Celt runs to him.

Piran’s noise wakes Cletus who’s angry and cuts out Piran’s tongue. Celt cauterizes Piran’s tongue by heating knife using Cletus’ cloak to hold knife, burning a hole in it. The commander knocks Celt out. Piran faints.

<div>
Start:
Celt and Coran arrive.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Piran is yelling for Celt.

Conflict: Cletus is annoyed by noise.

Action: Cletus cuts out Piran’s tongue

Finish: Celt reaches Piran, tries to cauterize
it, is knocked unconscious.

Open Loop:
What will happen to the boys?

Mystery:
Empathy/Distress:
Piran losing tongue

Payoff:

Irony:
Piran losing tongue because he was crying for Celt

Setup:
Celt’s tragedy and his attempt to cut out tongue. Incident with Cletus’ cloak.

</div>

End of Act 3

Act 4

Ext. Mountain cliff – day Imminent Threat/Suspicion

Celt wakes up being carried on Cletus’ shoulder. He asks to be let down to pee, asks about Piran.

<div>
Start: Celt gets conscious
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: He’s being carried by
Cletus!

Conflict: He needs to pee

Action: He asks what happened to Piran

Finish: He sees Piran carried by Sirius

Open Loop: How dangerous are these Romans?

Mystery: What happened to Piran? Where’s Coran?

Empathy/Distress: Not knowing where Piran is

Payoff: Cletus makes joke about Piran being
quieter these days.

Irony: The perpetrator of violence is one who now
carries Celt.

Setup: More relationship with Cletus

</div>

Ext. Roman campfire – night Hidden Layers

Celt tries to give herb plantain to Piran but Piran rejects Celt. Sirius explains that Piran thought Celt abandoned Piran. Cletus demands recompense for damaged cloak. Sirius says he was already paid in tongue. Cletus and Sirius start to fight, which is broken up by commander.

Celt tells Sirius he’s going into woods to pee/poop.

<div>
Start: Celt offers plantain to Piran
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Piran runs away

Conflict: Cletus demands recompense for ruined
cloak from Sirius

Action:
Commander intervenes, sends Cletus to dig latrine

Finish:
Angry Celt goes to pee in woods

Open Loop:
How many more weird Roman rules are there?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress: Celt and Piran’s relationship
in tatters.

Payoff:
Irony: Cletus asks for recompense!

Setup:
Enmity between Sirius and Cletus.

</div>

Ext. Forest – night Conspiracy

Celt meets Coran, who urges him to leave, producing Piran’s tongue.

Celt says he’ll come after everyone’s asleep so he can bring Piran. Coran questions whether that will work.

<div>
Start: Celt and Coran meet in forest
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Coran shows Piran’s tongue

Conflict: Coran wants to leave, Celt still wants
to bring Piran

Action: Celt shows he’s coming around to Coran’s
point of view by volunteering that he too thinks Clu is a Roman dog

Finish: Coran nods

Open Loop: How can Celt escape with Piran?

Mystery: Why does Coran keep coming back?

Empathy/Distress: Piran’s tongue

Payoff:

Irony: Piran’s tongue could motivate village
resistance?

Setup: Clu established as collaborator/Roman dog –
same thing Celt will be called later

</div>

Ext. Roman campfire – night Hidden layers

Piran struggles against Celt. Cook wakes, asks what’s happening. Celt lies, saying it’s a nightmare.

Coran uses bird calls to get Celt to leave.

Celt abandons Piran.

<div>
Start:
Everyone’s sleeping</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt wakes Piran tries to
keep him quiet

Conflict: Piran struggles, refuses

Action: Cook wakes, asks what’s up…

Finish: Celt leaves Piran

Open Loop:
Can Celt get Piran to leave with him?

Mystery:
Why is Piran so fearful about leaving?

Empathy/Distress: Piran’s panic with Celt

Payoff: Celt will leave without him

Irony:

Setup: Can
Celt really leave Piran?

</div>

Ext. Forest – night Hidden Layers

Celt meets Coran, but sees a warning triskele. Celt tells Coran he can’t leave Piran. Celt has vision of Coran married to Aiolfe with Emer and a baby.

Coran gives Celt a black feather.

<div>
Start: Coran isn’t surprised Piran won’t come
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt sees a warning
triskele

Conflict: Celt feels he can’t leave

Action: Coran says he won’t stay

Finish:
Coran leaves, Celt returns to camp

Open Loop: What hold does Piran have on Celt?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress: Celt gives up final chance of
escape.

Payoff:

Irony: Because
Celt can’t leave Piran, Coran must leave Celt

Setup: For permanent slavery

</div>

Ext. Roman camp – night Hidden Layers

Celt returns, sees Clu, asks him what he should do. Clu just tells him to survive.

<div>
Start:
Celt returns, sees that Clu’s awake.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Clu explains his
motivation for helping Rome

Conflict: Celt wants to know what Rome will
expect him to do, and asks Clu for advice

Action:
Clu isn’t helpful, leaves

Finish: Celt feels abandoned. Piran cowers under
cloak.

Open Loop:
What will happen to Celt?

Mystery:
Why is Clu working with Romans?

Empathy/Distress: Clu can’t provide answers Celt
needs.

Payoff:

Irony: A
Celtic elder can’t help a young boy.

Setup:
Survival is only ambition to have.

</div>

Ext. Another Roman camp – day Imminent Threat

Aggregation of other legions bringing captives, loot.

Celt girls are kept separate to service Roman soldiers.

Celt confront Sirius, who seems helpless.

<div>
Start: Celt sees more captives arriving
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt girls are taken to separate place
to sexually service soldiers
Conflict: Celt asks Sirius about it, Sirius falls
back on Roman law

Action:
Celt challenges Sirius and Rome’s ‘peace’

Finish:
Celt walks away, disgusted.

Open Loop:
How bad can Romans be?

Mystery: Why
is army behaving like this?

Empathy/Distress: Rape of women.

Payoff:
Celt accusation- is this what Rome’s peace looks like?

Irony: Sirius can’t explain behavior.

Setup:

</div>

Ext. Roman camp – night Hidden Layers

Celt tries to instruct smaller Celt boys in Roman ways.

Rudhek arrives, beaten up, and disses Celt.

<div>
Start:
Celt teaches boys.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Rudhek arrives

Conflict: Rudhek disses tribe for not resisting
Romans

Action: Celt implies it doesn’t matter, they’re
both in same place

Finish: Rudhek tells Celt they are not the same.

Open Loop: When will Celt understand he is a
slave?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress:

Payoff:

Irony:

Setup:

</div>

Ext. Officers’ area – day Hidden Layer

Sirius asks Roman Commander if Celt can get wider access to other Celt boys to teach them Latin. Commander agrees, so long as Sirius gives Celt something that shows/proves what he’s doing to others.

Sirius looks at his oroboros (snake eating its own tail bracelet).

<div>
Start:
Sirius points out that Celt helps pacify his tribe
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Commander is skeptical

Conflict:
Commander says Pilus wants to meet Sirius who panics

Action: Sirius asks for Celt to have wider access
to camp

Finish: Commander agrees, provided Celt has some
visual symbol so others can identify him.

Open Loop: What does Sirius intend for Celt?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress:

Payoff:

Irony:

Setup:
Uroboros will play part in Celt’s vision.

</div>

End of Act 4

Act 5

Ext. Roman camp – night Wound

Celt wears oroboros and tells young boys story of Lugh and how he defeated bad gods with special sword.

Rudhek derides Celt’s efforts, calls him a collaborator and slave.

<div>
Start: Celt wears Sirius’ oroboros while he
teaches
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Boys are tired, so he
tells story instead

Conflict: Rudhek interrupts, says Celt is no true
Celt

Action: A boy asks if they are all slaves

Finish: Celt is troubled

Open Loop:
When will Celt accept he is a slave?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress:
Small boy’s question?

Payoff:

Irony: Whether you resist or collaborate, nothing
good about being a slave.

Setup: For scene where everyone turns on Celt.

</div>

Ext. Roman camp – day Hidden Layers/Imminent Threats

More caravans of captives arrive.

Celt asks Sirius when Rome will send Roman boys as surrogates to Celtish tribes.

A small boy says another boy was beaten to death because he didn’t understand what a Roman soldier wanted.

Triskele whirs.

Rudhek id’s Celt to someone else as the boy wearing the enemy’s jewelry.

<div>
Start:
More captives arrive
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt wants to know when
Rome will send Roman boys to learn from his tribe, like Celt is learning
from Rome

Conflict: Celt’s told another boy died because he
didn’t understand Latin

Action: Celt
tells boy that’s why they need to learn fast

Finish: Rudhek id’s Celt to Rudhek supporters by
the uroboros.

Open Loop: Is working with Rome worth it?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress: Does understanding the language
protect anyone?

Payoff:

Irony:
Boys die even when they know Latin

Setup:
Uroboros coming back to bite.

</div>

Ext. Roman camp – night Strange behavior

Celt prays to goddess Anu, but Taranis appears. Taranis offers to help Celt, but Celt refuses.

<div>
Start:
Celt prays to Anu
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Taranis interrupts

Conflict: Taranis offers help

Action: Celt refuses

Finish: Taranis disappears

Open Loop: What aid will Celt receive from gods?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress:

Payoff:

Irony:
Celt is offered help, doesn’t take it.

Setup: Someday he’ll need and accept help from
Taranis?

</div>

Ext. Roman camp – day Imminent Threat

More caravans. Celtic parents and children are separated, beaten.

Celt tries to help, is rebuffed.

Rudhek and soldiers treat Celt like dog, throw dirt at him.

Celt sees triskele become snakes who taunt him.

Celt runs away.

Sirius and Pilus arrive, knock sense into Celt’s tormentors.

<div>
Start: More captives arrive.</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Parents and kids are
separated, Celt helps

Conflict: Rudhek and Romans pick on Celt calling
him a Roman dog

Action:
Celt sees triskele snakes come alive and agree

Finish: Celt runs away, everyone fights.

Open Loop: How will Celt survive?

Mystery:
Empathy/Distress: Celt abused by everyone. His best intentions misunderstood, derided.

Payoff: Rudhek finally acts

Irony: Both Celts and Romans spurn Celt

Setup:
More triskele snake visions to come

</div>

Ext. Another part of camp – night Imminent Threat/Hidden Agenda

Celt runs by Roman soldiers practice fighting against gourds painted blue like Celtish war paint.

Celt runs by soldiers beating boys.

<div>
Start: Celt runs.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celts sees soldiers practicing killing

Conflict: The gourds are painted to look like his
people

Action: A boy he taught is beaten by a soldier

Finish: Celt keeps running

Open Loop: What is Rome’s intention for
Britannicus?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress: Boy getting beaten

Payoff:

Irony:

Setup:
Blue woad Celt will use later.

</div>

Ext. Place where Celt girls are kept – day Conspiracy/Hidden Layer

Soldiers drug girls, including one who looks like Aiolfe.

<div>
Start: Celt runs into camp brothel
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Girls are being drugged

Conflict: Soldiers compare drugs to Sirius’
claptrap that ‘drugs’ Celt

Action: Soldiers make a move on girls

Finish: Celt runs away

Open Loop: How low will Romans go?

Mystery: What are they doing with girls?

Empathy/Distress:
Girls drugged, raped.

Payoff:

Irony: Drugs used on girls compared to Sirius’
influence on Celt

Setup:

</div>

Ext. Roman campfire – night Hidden Layer

Celt has vision of triskele snakes and oroboros snake coming alive taunting him to cut out his own tongue to stop collaborating and betraying his tribe.

Celt is stopped from doing this by Piran.

<div>
Start: Celt arrives at a campfire
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: The snakes are talking to
him!

Conflict: They entice him to cut out his own
tongue

Action: He tries to do this

Finish: He is prevented from doing so by Piran

Open Loop:

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress:
Celt’s torment from triskele/snakes

Payoff:

Irony:
Triskele (Celtic symbol) uniting with Roman symbol (snakes) to
torment Celt. Irony that Celt tries to cut out tongue but prevented by
tongue-less Piran.

Setup:

</div>

Ext. Roman campfire – day Hidden Agenda

Piran tends Celt with plantain.

Sirius arrives, wants to bring Celt to meet the Primus Pilus so Celt can be promoted.

Celt opens mouth, lets Sirius believe he’s cut out his tongue.

Sirius thinks Piran has done it, but Celt points to himself.

Sirius is appalled, abandons Celt.

Unseen, goddess Brigit confronts Taranis about Celt’s mistreatment, threatens Taranis with a hearing before the other gods.

<div>
Start: Piran tends Celt with plantain.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Did Celt sever his tongue?

Conflict: Sirius thinks he has and that his plan
to make Celt a translator has been ruined.
Action: Celt throws away the oroboros, symbol of
Celt’s servitude

Finish:
Sirius rejects Celt, goddess Brigit castigates/threatens Taranis. (maybe the latter is another separate
scene)

Open Loop: How will Celt survive?

Mystery: Why does Celt let Sirius think his
tongue is gone?

Empathy/Distress: Results of Celt’s attempt to
cut out tongue

Payoff: Uroboros abandoned.

Irony:

Setup: Celt no longer to be translator

</div>

Ext. Roman camp – night Wound

Celt and Piran sleep in cage.

Celt dreams of home.

Cletus wakes them up, taunts them.

<div>
Start: Celt
and Piran sleep, Celt has a nice home dream
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: They wake in a cage!

Conflict: The dream turns into a nightmare when
Cletus arrives.

Action: Cletus throws in bread, insults them

Finish: Cletus spits, leaves.

Open Loop:
What will happen to boys now?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress:
Treatment as demoted slave

Payoff:

Irony:
Dream of father at forge becomes noise of Cletus banging on cage

Setup:

</div>

Ext. Beach – Day Intriguing World

Small boats take Celt, Piran, other captives to ship. Piran vomits on Cletus.

Celt sees animals in cages loaded, learns they’re for Roman circus.

Soldiers can’t fit a bear cub, leave it in cage to drown in incoming tide.

Celt prays to Artios, bear goddess for help.

Clu frees the cub.

Celt watches the shore disappear as fog covers him

<div>
Start:
Small boats ferry captives, loot to ships.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Native animals also loaded.

Conflict: Bear cub abandoned in cage, tide coming
in

Action: Celt prays for help.

Finish: Clu arrives undoes cage, Celt sails into
unknown future.

Open Loop: What will happen to boys?

Mystery:

Empathy/Distress:
Treatment of animals.

Payoff:

Irony: Clu
freeing bear cub

Setup:
Rome’s treatment of animals, which will be turning point for Celt
later.

</div>

End of Act 5

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 3 Lesson 11 For Forum Outline Requirements

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Scene Requirements

What I learned doing this assignment was that some scenes have more than one challenge/conflict in them and that identifying the difference between a challenge and a conflict isn’t always obvious.

Teaser

EXT. Heaven

Oversoul sees angels, laments situation, discovers he must purge regrets of past lives. Past lives introduced.

<div>
Start: Oversoul watching past lives on screen
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Wants to become angel

Conflict: Isn’t allowed to

Action: Must purge regrets of past lives

Finish: Watches first life with that intention

</div>

INT. Celt’s hut – night

Celt slips out at night but not before being questioned by youngest sister about what he’s doing. Pet mouse introduced.

<div>
Start: Celt’s leaving house illicitly at night
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Sister wakes up,
questions.

Conflict: Celt must soothe her to let him go

Action: Celt distracts her with mouse

Finish: Celt leaves

</div>

EXT. Outside hut – night

Celt and best friend Coran go out patrolling.

<div>
Start: Celt joins Coran
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt isn’t supposed to be
out at night

Conflict: Coran thinks Sasha might tell

Action: Celt reassures Coran

Finish: They both leave

</div>

EXT. Ceremonial fire – night

Village wise woman Marta instructs girls in goddess worship. Celt and Coran watch. Coran tells Celt he should tell village elders about his abilities to see divinities. Celt says that’s for girls.

<div>
Start:
Celt & Coran pass Marta teaching girls
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt wants to watch

Conflict: Coran says there’s no time and why
doesn’t Celt tell Marta about Celt’s own abilities
Action:
They leave

Finish: Marta reveals by behavior that she knows
they were there.

</div>

Ext. Roman legion camp – night

Celt and Coran spy on Roman soldiers from trees, learn fellow Celt Clu is teaching Romans to speak their language and that Romans are looking for boys to serve emperor.

<div>
Start: Celt and Coran spy on Roman soldiers from
trees
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt and Coran can’t reveal they’re
there.

Conflict: They learn Romans are there to get boys
and girls from village

Action: Celt and Coran are alarmed

Finish: They race away

</div>

Ext. Celt’s village – night

Village elders holding council with village to decide what to do with information Celt and Coran brought about Romans. Disagreement about whether to be aggressive. Vulnerable tribal members sent away. Celt, Coran, Piran, Tyran, volunteer to stay, along with Celt’s mother, father, and youngest sister. Celt, Coran initiated as adults.

<div>
Start: Village debates what Celt/Coran told them
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: They don’t know Roman
intentions

Conflict: They disagree on how to handle it

Action: Marta gives emergency direction

Finish: Marta initiates boys into manhood,
including Celt/Coran who would otherwise be too young

</div>

Ext. Celt’s stable – night

Celt gives beloved horse Emer into safekeeping of his crush Aiolfe. Sounds of Romans arriving.

<div>
Start: Celt strokes beloved horse Emer
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt has to send her away
for safety

Conflict: Celt doesn’t want to

Action: Celt gives Emer to Aiolfe

Finish: Aiolfe kisses him, Romans heard arriving

</div>

End of Act 1

Act 2

Ext. Village green – dawn

Remaining villagers work or play. Roman Commander asks for boy volunteers, Marta stalls. Sirius brings out map of Rome, uses soft power to charm. Roman Commander loses patience, menaces Celt’s mother. Celt has psychic vision of triskele symbol landing on destruction, then sees Taranis, accepts Taranis’ patronage in exchange for village safety. Volunteers to go with Romans, along with Coran, Piran, Tyran. Coran rejected by Romans because of crippled hand. Goddess Brigit castigates Taranis.

<div>
Start:
Romans arrive.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Romans ask for boy
volunteers

Conflict: Romans threaten Celt’s mom. Celt sees
triskele on destruction

Action: Celt accepts Taranis patronage

Finish: Celt volunteers to go with Romans

</div>

End of Act 2

Act 3

Ext. Track through Woods – day

Piran and Tyran can’t keep up with soldiers. At rest stop, Celt feeds them from his pack, admonishes them not to drink too much water. Sirius asks for more time to rest for boys and Commander refuses.

<div>
Start: Twins can’t keep pace with soldiers
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: At rest stop, Celt advises
boys not to eat/drink too much

Conflict:
Twins gobble/drink too much.

Action: Sirius asks for more rest for boys

Finish: Commander refuses

</div>

Ext. Deeper in forest – day

Piran and Tyran are given to Sirius and soldier Cletus to carry on their backs. Tyran vomits on Cletus. Cletus throws Tyran against tree, breaking his neck. Commander docks Cletus’ pay.

<div>
Start: Twins lag behind
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Twins given to
Cletus/Sirius to carry

Conflict: One twin vomits on Cletus

Action: Cletus throws against tree

Finish: Tyran dies

</div>

Ext. Roman campfire – night

Sirius tells Celt that Cletus will have to pay for Tyran’s death with extra duties. Celt and Piran look/feel sickened.

<div>
Start: Sirius says Cletus will be punished.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt challenges this
‘help’

Conflict:
Sirius can’t/doesn’t want to answer Celt’s question

Action: Sirius avoids by getting more food

Finish: Celt comforts Piran, while soldiers gorge
food, seemingly uncaring about the murder.

</div>

Ext. Path in woods – day

Sirius teaches Celt bird names in Latin. Celt corrects Sirius about difference between ravens and crows, to Sirius’ annoyance.

<div>
Start: Sirius teaches Latin
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Sirius misidentifies
ravens and crows

Conflict: Sirius resists/challenges Celt’s
correction

Action: Celt stands his ground

Finish: Sirius backs off

</div>

Ext. Roman campfire – night

Piran tells Celt they are a pair now, like Piran used to be with his twin. Celt dreams he’s trying to teach Latin to his sister’s mouse.

Celt is woken up by Coran’s hooting.

<div>
Start: Piran reinforces bond with Celt
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Romans have upper hand

Conflict: Celt has disturbing dream

Action: Hooting wakes him up

Finish: Celt follows hooting.

</div>

Ext. Forest – night

<div>
Start: Celt follows hooting
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Is it an owl-or Coran?

Conflict: Can he leave camp without Romans
waking?

Action: He does, following hooting.

Finish: An acorn from Coran hits Celt on head –
Coran’s signature move.

</div>

Ext. Forest – night

Celt learns Coran followed them and wants Celt to escape, learns village has regrets letting boys go. Celt tells Coran he can’t leave without Piran.

<div>
Start: Celt finds Coran
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Coran has returned for Celt

Conflict: Coran invites Celt to escape

Action: Celt says he doesn’t want to leave Piran

Finish: They return for Piran

</div>

Ext. Campfire – night

Piran wakes, calls for Celt, thinks Celt abandoned him. Celt runs to him.

Piran’s noise wakes Cletus who’s angry and cuts out Piran’s tongue. Celt cauterizes Piran’s tongue by heating knife using Cletus’ cloak to hold knife, burning a hole in it. The commander knocks Celt out. Piran faints.

<div>
Start:
Celt and Coran arrive.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Piran is yelling for Celt.

Conflict: Cletus is annoyed by noise.

Action: Cletus cuts out Piran’s tongue

Finish: Celt reaches Piran, tries to cauterize
it, is knocked unconscious.

</div>

End of Act 3

Act 4

Ext. Mountain cliff – day

Celt wakes up being carried on Cletus’ shoulder. He asks to be let down to pee, asks about Piran.

<div>
Start: Celt gets conscious
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: He’s being carried by
Cletus!

Conflict: He needs to pee

Action: He asks what happened to Piran

Finish: He sees Piran carried by Sirius

</div>

Ext. Roman campfire – night

Celt tries to give herb plantain to Piran but Piran rejects Celt. Sirius explains that Piran thought Celt abandoned Piran. Cletus demands recompense for damaged cloak. Sirius says he was already paid in tongue. Cletus and Sirius start to fight, which is broken up by commander.

Celt tells Sirius he’s going into woods to pee/poop.

<div>
Start: Celt offers plantain to Piran
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Piran runs away

Conflict: Cletus demands recompense for ruined
cloak from Sirius

Action:
Commander intervenes, sends Cletus to dig latrine

Finish:
Angry Celt goes to pee in woods

</div>

Ext. Forest – night

Celt meets Coran, who urges him to leave, producing Piran’s tongue.

Celt says he’ll come after everyone’s asleep so he can bring Piran. Coran questions whether that will work.

<div>
Start: Celt and Coran meet in forest

Challenging Situation: Coran shows Piran’s tongue

Conflict: Coran wants to leave, Celt still wants
to bring Piran

Action: Celt shows he’s coming around to Coran’s
point of view by volunteering that he too thinks Clu is a Roman dog

Finish: Coran nods

</div>

Ext. Roman campfire – night

Piran struggles against Celt. Cook wakes, asks what’s happening. Celt lies, saying it’s a nightmare.

Coran uses bird calls to get Celt to leave.

Celt abandons Piran.

<div>
Start:
Everyone’s sleeping
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt wakes Piran tries to
keep him quiet

Conflict: Piran struggles, refuses

Action: Cook wakes, asks what’s up…

Finish: Celt leaves Piran behind

</div>

Ext. Forest – night

Celt meets Coran, but sees a warning triskele. Celt tells Coran he can’t leave Piran. Celt has vision of Coran married to Aiolfe with Emer and a baby.

Coran gives Celt a black feather.

<div>
Start: Coran isn’t surprised Piran won’t come

Challenging Situation: Celt sees a warning
triskele

Conflict: Celt feels he can’t leave

Action: Coran says he won’t stay

Finish:
Coran leaves, Celt returns to Roman camp

</div>

Ext. Roman camp – night

Celt returns, sees Clu, asks him what he should do. Clu just tells him to survive.

<div>
Start:
Celt returns, sees that Clu’s awake.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Clu explains his
motivation for helping Rome

Conflict: Celt wants to know what Rome will
expect him to do, and asks Clu for advice

Action:
Clu isn’t helpful, leaves

Finish: Celt feels abandoned. Piran cowers under
cloak.

</div>

Ext. Another Roman camp – day

Aggregation of other legions bringing captives, loot.

Celt girls are kept separate to service Roman soldiers.

Celt confront Sirius, who seems helpless.

<div>
Start: Celt sees more captives arriving
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt girls are taken to separate place to
sexually service soldiers
Conflict: Celt asks Sirius about it, Sirius falls
back on Roman law

Action:
Celt challenges Sirius and Rome’s ‘peace’

Finish:
Celt walks away, disgusted.

</div>

Ext. Roman camp – night

Celt tries to instruct smaller Celt boys in Roman ways.

Rudhek arrives, beaten up, and disses Celt.

<div>
Start:
Celt teaches boys.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Rudhek arrives

Conflict: Rudhek disses tribe for not resisting
Romans

Action: Celt implies it doesn’t matter, they’re
both in same place

Finish: Rudhek tells Celt they are not the same.

</div>

Ext. Officers’ area – day

Sirius asks Roman Commander if Celt can get wider access to other Celt boys to teach them Latin. Commander agrees, so long as Sirius gives Celt something that shows/proves what he’s doing to others.

Sirius looks at his oroboros (snake eating its own tail bracelet).

<div>
Start:
Sirius points out that Celt helps pacify his tribe
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Commander is skeptical

Conflict:
Commander says Pilus wants to meet Sirius who panics

Action: Sirius asks for Celt to have wider access
to camp

Finish: Commander agrees, provided Celt has some
visual symbol so others can identify him.

</div>

End of Act 4

Act 5

Ext. Roman camp – night

Celt wears Sirius’ oroboros and tells young boys story of Lugh and how he defeated bad gods with special sword.

Rudhek derides Celt’s efforts, calls him a collaborator and slave.

<div>
Start: Celt wears Sirius’ oroboros while he
teaches
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Boys are tired, so he tells
story instead

Conflict: Rudhek interrupts, says Celt is no true
Celt

Action: A boy asks if they are all slaves

Finish: Celt is troubled by that idea

</div>

Ext. Roman camp – day

More caravans of captives arrive.

Celt asks Sirius when Rome will send Roman boys as surrogates to Celtish tribes.

A small boy says another boy was beaten to death because he didn’t understand what a Roman soldier wanted.

Triskele whirs.

Rudhek id’s Celt to someone else as the boy wearing the enemy’s jewelry.

<div>
Start:
More captives arrive
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celt wants to know when
Rome will send Roman boys to learn from his tribe, like Celt is learning
from Rome

Conflict: Celt’s told another boy died because he
didn’t understand Latin

Action: Celt
tells boy that’s why they need to learn fast

Finish: Rudhek id’s Celt to Rudhek supporters by
the uroboros.

</div>

Ext. Roman camp – night

Celt prays to goddess Anu, but Taranis appears. Taranis offers to help Celt, but Celt refuses.

<div>
Start:
Celt prays to Anu
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Taranis interrupts

Conflict: Taranis offers help

Action: Celt refuses

Finish: Taranis disappears

</div>

Ext. Roman camp – day

More caravans. Celtic parents and children are separated, beaten.

Celt tries to help, is rebuffed.

Rudhek and soldiers treat Celt like dog, throw dirt at him.

Celt sees triskele become snakes who taunt him.

Celt runs away.

Sirius and Pilus arrive, knock sense into Celt’s tormentors.

<div>
Start: More captives arrive.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Parents and kids are
separated, Celt helps

Conflict: Rudhek and Romans pick on Celt calling
him a Roman dog

Action:
Celt sees triskele snakes come alive and agree

Finish: Celt runs away, everyone fights.

</div>

Ext. Another part of camp – night

Celt runs by Roman soldiers practice fighting against gourds painted blue like Celtish war paint.

Celt runs by soldiers beating boys.

<div>
Start: Celt runs.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Celts sees soldiers practicing killing

Conflict: The gourds are painted to look like his
people

Action: A boy he taught is beaten by a soldier

Finish: Celt keeps running

</div>

Ext. Place where Celt girls are kept – day

Soldiers drug girls, including one who looks like Aiolfe.

<div>
Start: Celt runs into camp brothel
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Girls are being drugged to make them more compliant

Conflict: Soldiers compare drugs to Sirius’
claptrap that ‘drugs’ Celt into compliance

Action: Soldiers make a move on girls

Finish: Celt runs away

</div>

Ext. Roman campfire – night

Celt has vision of triskele snakes and oroboros snake coming alive taunting him to cut out his own tongue to stop collaborating and betraying his tribe.

Celt is stopped from doing this by Piran.

<div>
Start: Celt arrives at a campfire
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: The snakes are talking to
him!

Conflict: They entice him to cut out his own
tongue

Action: He tries to do this

Finish: He is prevented from completing this by Piran

</div>

Ext. Roman campfire – day

Piran tends Celt with plantain.

Sirius arrives, wants to bring Celt to meet the Primus Pilus so Celt can be promoted.

Celt opens mouth, lets Sirius believe he’s cut out his tongue.

Sirius thinks Piran has done it, but Celt points to himself.

Sirius is appalled, abandons Celt.

Unseen, goddess Brigit confronts Taranis about Celt’s mistreatment, threatens Taranis with a hearing before the other gods.

<div>
Start: Piran tends Celt with plantain.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Did Celt sever his tongue?

Conflict: Sirius thinks he has and that his plan
to make Celt a translator has been ruined.
Action: Celt throws away the oroboros, symbol of
Celt’s servitude

Finish:
Sirius rejects Celt, goddess Brigit castigates/threatens
Taranis. (maybe the latter is
another separate scene)

</div>

Ext. Roman camp – night

Celt and Piran sleep in cage.

Celt dreams of home.

Cletus wakes them up, taunts them.

<div>
Start: Celt
and Piran sleep, Celt has a nice home dream
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: They wake in a cage!

Conflict: The dream turns into a nightmare when
Cletus arrives.

Action: Cletus throws in bread, insults them

Finish: Cletus spits, leaves.

</div>

Ext. Beach – Day

Small boats take Celt, Piran, other captives to ship. Piran vomits on Cletus.

Celt sees animals in cages loaded, learns they’re for Roman circus.

Soldiers can’t fit a bear cub, leave it in cage to drown in incoming tide.

Celt prays to Artios, bear goddess for help.

Clu frees the cub.

Celt watches the shore disappear as fog covers him

<div>
Start:
Small boats ferry captives, loot to ships.
</div><div>

Challenging Situation: Native animals also loaded.

Conflict: Bear cub abandoned in cage, tide coming
in

Action: Celt prays for help.

Finish: Clu arrives undoes cage, Celt sails into
unknown future.

</div>

End of Act 5

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 3 Lesson 10 Creating A Beat Sheet

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Beat Sheet

What I learned doing this assignment is that it went faster than expected. Not sure how to identify different areas of camp.

Show Concept and Inciting Incident

To achieve dearest wish, an Oversoul with 120 lifetimes learns to become an angel and stop human reincarnation, it must purge regrets of 5 key past lives, starting with a 1^st AD lifetime as a captured young Celt boy who becomes a gladiator.

First season: To protect village, young Celt makes dangerous agreement with Celtic god of thunder to go with Romans, unintentionally becoming a slave and eventual gladiator.

A Story: Oversoul’s desires and Celt learning to survive in Roman culture

B Story: Sirius and Piran

C Story: Clu, Coran, Village

Teaser

EXT. Heaven

Oversoul sees angels, laments situation, discovers he must purge regrets of past lives. Past lives introduced.

INT. Celt’s hut – night

Celt slips out at night but not before being questioned by youngest sister about what he’s doing. Pet mouse introduced.

EXT. Outside hut – night

Celt and best friend Coran go out patrolling.

EXT. Ceremonial fire – night

Village wise woman Marta instructs girls in goddess worship. Celt and Coran watch. Coran tells Celt he should tell village elders about his abilities to see divinities. Celt says that’s for girls.

Ext. Roman legion camp – night

Celt and Coran spy on Roman soldiers from trees, learn fellow Celt Clu is teaching Romans to speak their language and that Romans are looking for boys to serve emperor.

Ext. Celt’s village – night

Village elders holding council with village to decide what to do with information Celt and Coran brought about Romans. Disagreement about whether to be aggressive. Vulnerable tribal members sent away. Celt, Coran, Piran, Tyran, volunteer to stay, along with Celt’s mother, father, and youngest sister. Celt, Coran initiated as adults.

Ext. Celt’s stable – night

Celt gives beloved horse Emer into safekeeping of his crush Aiolfe. Sounds of Romans arriving.

End of Act 1

Act 2

Ext. Village green – dawn

Remaining villagers work or play. Roman Commander asks for boy volunteers, Marta stalls. Sirius brings out map of Rome, uses soft power to charm. Roman Commander loses patience, menaces Celt’s mother. Celt has psychic vision of triskele symbol landing on destruction, then sees Taranis, accepts Taranis’ patronage in exchange for village safety. Volunteers to go with Romans, along with Coran, Piran, Tyran. Coran rejected by Romans because of crippled hand. Goddess Brigit castigates Taranis.

End of Act 2

Act 3

Ext. Track through Woods – day

Piran and Tyran can’t keep up with soldiers. At rest stop, Celt feeds them from his pack, admonishes them not to drink too much water. Sirius asks for more time to rest for boys and Commander refuses.

Ext. Deeper in forest – day

Piran and Tyran are given to Sirius and soldier Cletus to carry on their backs. Tyran vomits on Cletus. Cletus throws Tyran against tree, breaking his neck. Commander docks Cletus’ pay.

Ext. Roman campfire – night

Sirius tells Celt that Cletus will have to pay for Tyran’s death with extra duties. Celt and Piran look/feel sickened.

Ext. Path in woods – day

Sirius teaches Celt bird names in Latin. Celt corrects Sirius about difference between ravens and crows, to Sirius’ annoyance.

Ext. Roman campfire – night

Piran tells Celt they are a pair now, like Piran used to be with his twin. Celt dreams he’s trying to teach Latin to his sister’s mouse.

Celt is woken up by Coran’s hooting.

Ext. Base of tree – night

Celt learns Coran followed them and wants Celt to escape, learns village has regrets letting boys go. Celt tells Coran he can’t leave without Piran.

Ext. Roman campfire – night

Piran woke and is calling for Celt, thinking Celt abandoned him. Celt runs to him.

Piran’s noise wakes Cletus who’s angry and cuts out Piran’s tongue. Celt cauterizes Piran’s tongue by heating knife using Cletus’ cloak to hold knife, burning a hole in it. The commander knocks Celt out. Piran faints.

End of Act 3

Act 4

Ext. Mountain cliff – day

Celt wakes up being carried on Cletus’ shoulder. He asks to be let down to pee, asks about Piran.

Ext. Roman campfire – night

Celt tries to give herb plantain to Piran but Piran rejects Celt. Sirius explains that Piran thought Celt abandoned Piran. Cletus demands recompense for damaged cloak. Sirius says he was already paid in tongue. Cletus and Sirius start to fight, which is broken up by commander.

Celt tells Sirius he’s going into woods to pee/poop.

Ext. Forest – night

Celt meets Coran, who urges him to leave, producing Piran’s tongue.

Celt says he’ll come after everyone’s asleep so he can bring Piran. Coran questions whether that will work.

Ext. Roman campfire – night

Piran struggles against Celt. Cook wakes, asks what’s happening. Celt lies, saying it’s a nightmare.

Coran uses bird calls to get Celt to leave.

Celt abandons Piran.

Ext. Forest – night

Celt meets Coran, but sees a warning triskele. Celt tells Coran he can’t leave Piran. Celt has vision of Coran married to Aiolfe with Emer and a baby.

Coran gives Celt a black feather.

Ext. Roman camp – night

Celt returns, sees Clu, asks him what he should do. Clu just tells him to survive.

Ext. Another Roman camp – day

Aggregation of other legions bringing captives, loot.

Celt girls are kept separate to service Roman soldiers.

Celt confront Sirius, who seems helpless.

Ext. Roman camp – night

Celt tries to instruct smaller Celt boys in Roman ways.

Rudhek arrives, beaten up, and disses Celt.

Ext. Officers’ area – day

Sirius asks Roman Commander if Celt can get wider access to other Celt boys to teach them Latin. Commander agrees, so long as Sirius gives Celt something that shows/proves what he’s doing to others.

Sirius looks at his oroboros (snake eating its own tail bracelet).

End of Act 4

Act 5

Ext. Roman camp – night

Celt wears oroboros and tells young boys story of Lugh and how he defeated bad gods with special sword.

Rudhek derides Celt’s efforts, calls him a collaborator and slave.

Ext. Roman camp – day

More caravans of captives arrive.

Celt asks Sirius when Rome will send Roman boys as surrogates to Celtish tribes.

A small boy says another boy was beaten to death because he didn’t understand what a Roman soldier wanted.

Triskele whirs.

Rudhek id’s Celt to someone else as the boy wearing the enemy’s jewelry.

Ext. Roman camp – night

Celt prays to goddess Anu, but Taranis appears. Taranis offers to help Celt, but Celt refuses.

Ext. Roman camp – day

More caravans. Celtic parents and children are separated, beaten.

Celt tries to help, is rebuffed.

Rudhek and soldiers treat Celt like dog, throw dirt at him.

Celt sees triskele become snakes who taunt him.

Celt runs away.

Sirius and Pilus arrive, knock sense into Celt’s tormentors.

Ext. Another part of camp – night

Celt runs by Roman soldiers practice fighting against gourds painted blue like Celtish war paint.

Celt runs by soldiers beating boys.

Ext. Place where Celt girls are kept – day

Soldiers drug girls, including one who looks like Aiolfe.

Ext. Roman campfire – night

Celt has vision of triskele snakes and oroboros snake coming alive taunting him to cut out his own tongue to stop collaborating and betraying his tribe.

Celt is stopped from doing this by Piran.

Ext. Roman campfire – day

Piran tends Celt with plantain.

Sirius arrives, wants to bring Celt to meet the Primus Pilus so Celt can be promoted.

Celt opens mouth, lets Sirius believe he’s cut out his tongue.

Sirius thinks Piran has done it, but Celt points to himself.

Sirius is appalled, abandons Celt.

Unseen, goddess Brigit confronts Taranis about Celt’s mistreatment, threatens Taranis with a hearing before the other gods.

Ext. Roman camp – night

Celt and Piran sleep in cage.

Celt dreams of home.

Cletus wakes them up, taunts them.

Ext. Beach – Day

Small boats take Celt, Piran, other captives to ship. Piran vomits on Cletus.

Celt sees animals in cages loaded, learns they’re for Roman circus.

Soldiers can’t fit a bear cub, leave it in cage to drown in incoming tide.

Celt prays to Artios, bear goddess for help.

Clu frees the cub.

Celt watches the shore disappear as fog covers him

End of Act 5

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Setting Up The Future

What I learned doing this assignment is that I think I made things harder than they were. Most of the future episode set-ups are already in place from other lessons.. Keep thinking it should be more complicated.

Future lifetimes absolutely set up

What regrets will Celt set up for next lifetime?

Not all past lives think Oversoul knows what it’s doing (tension between Oversoul and Abbess)

Animal companion’s reincarnation into various lives

Not all deities agree with Taranis’ manipulation/offer to Celt

Prefiguring of Celt’s becoming a bestiarus set up by reponse to Roman’s capturing of animals

Prefiguring of Celt’s eventual adoption of Roman ways by fascination with Sirius’ map

Prefiguring of Celt and Rudhek tensions

How will Rome change Celt and Piran?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Mod 3 – Lesson 8: Building In Empathy/Distress

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Adding Empathy /Distress

What I learned doing this assignment is that this is one of the easier layers to see as complete. I’m not sure how much more distress I can add without causing future plot complications that aren’t helpful. However, the places I CAN add things may be around Taranis’ influence, since I need to establish more of that. (Just want to make sure I’m not slowing down the plot…)

Also:

I’m now wondering if I should start/incorporate in the Teaser something about Oversoul ‘dreaming’ that his past lives are confronting him that he hasn’t helped them enough.

Act 1

Make it more painful:

· Only man Celt ever heard of with ability to talk to deities went crazy and killed his family.

· Romans humiliate Clu while boys are spying on Romans.

· Does Clu catch sight of the boys while he’s being humiliated?

Act 2

Crucible

· Does Celt hesitate accepting Taranis’ offer so Taranis suggests even greater danger to village than Celt is aware of?

Witnessing the pain of others

· Does Oversoul want to intervene?

· Does Cletus stomp on Honorable Mouse before he leaves?

Act 3

Emotional dilemma

· Does Coran wound Celt further by suggesting/reinforcing idea that Celt may be crazy for listening to/seeing Taranis?

· Does Coran wound Celt further by telling him “Your little sister won’t stop crying for you.”

· Triskele whirs…that always raises stakes.

Exposed

· Does Taranis appear behind Coran and smirk?

Act 4

Betrayal

· Celt calls on Taranis for help and Taranis says “that’s not the kind of help I give”.

Act 5

External character conflict

· Taranis applauds tongue-cutting, suggesting Celt will be dependent on brawn not brains to survive. (Maybe to one of the other deities, not to Celt…)

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 3 Lesson 7 Main Mysteries and Open Loops

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Main Mysteries and Open Loops

What I learned doing this assignment is that most of the mystery and open loops at this point are ‘why’ questions. This also points out that I need to firm up/expand Taranis’ presence in the script/outline.

Teaser:

Mystery or questions about the past for Oversoul.

· Why didn’t it have more control over what happened?

· Why so many lives?

Open Loops for Oversoul

· How can it address one past life’s regrets in the next lifetime?

· How can it stop generating new regrets each time?

Act 1

Mystery or questions about the past for Celt

· What does he fear happening if he revealed he can communicate with animals and gods?

· Where does his fear/guilt come from?

Sub-mystery:

· Why doesn’t Celt listen to Coran about telling the village elders about his abilities?

· Why is Coran so accepting of Celt’s abilities?

Open loops for Celt

· How will Romans entering his world impact his future?

· Are his sisters in danger?

Act 2:

Mystery about Celt

· Why is Celt sucked into Sirius’ ‘spell’?

· What about Sirius’ map’s colors/world intrigue Celt?

· Could there be something about the Roman world that calls to Celt subconsciously?

Sub-mystery

· Why don’t the villagers resist when the Romans start to get aggressive?

· Why do the villagers not try to stop Celt from going?

Celt open loop

· What will going with Rome mean for his future?

· Why does Celt interpret taking Taranis’ thunderbolt as direction to volunteer to go?

Sub-open loop

Will the villagers change their minds about Rome’s actions?

Act 3:

Celt mystery

· Why does Celt prioritize others’ needs over his own safety and happiness?

Celt sub-mystery

· How and why is Coran so brave?

Celt Open Loop

· How will Celt and Piran’s relationship progress after this?

· How will Piran feel about Celt going forward?

· How will Celt feel about giving up freedom to keep Piran safe?

Act 4:

Mystery:

· Why doesn’t Celt’s understanding of increasing Roman brutality make him try to escape?

· Why doesn’t he call on Taranis to help?

Open Loop:

· How and when will he make use of the god’s help?

Act 5:

Mystery:

· Why is Celt so naïve? (Do I need a flashback to another incident that shows this is deeply ingrained?)

Sub mystery:

· Why is Sirius so naïve about Roman soldiers?

Open Loop:

· How will Celt survive with an injured tongue?

· What will happen to him without Sirius’ protection?

Sub open loop:

Will Sirius reappear? How will he react to Celt then?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 3 Lesson 6 Stacking Intrigue

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Stacking Intrigue

What I learned doing this assignment is that a lot of the intrigue is psychological and I’m not sure how much is meant to be simply implied by the situations.

Teaser:

Turning Point:
Oversoul learns it must purge regrets of 5 past lives, starting with young
1^st century Celt boy who becomes gladiator.

· · Intriguing World: Life-Between Lives

· · Mystery: Why is Oversoul still reincarnating as human when it wants to be angel?

· · Secret: No one has told Oversoul it must work to purge past lives

· · Conspiracy: Are past lives working against Oversoul’s agenda?

· · Wound: Oversoul thinks it’s done everything right.

· · Accusation: Abbess accuses Oversoul of not listening

Act 1:

Turning Point: Celt and friend tell the village about Romans revealing they were out at night illicitly.

<div>
Intrigue: Celt can talk to animals, gods but only
best friend Coran knows
</div><div>

Mystery: Why are Romans near their village?

Deception: Celt won’t tell elders about his
abilities

Conspiracy:
Celt and Coran go out at night without telling parents

Secret
Identity: Celt’s abilities as animal/god communicator

Wound: Celt believes his abilities are only for
girls

Strange
Behavior: Why do Romans really
want?

Act 2:

</div>

Turning Point/Midpoint: Celt volunteers to go to protect village and to honor bargain with Taranis, along with twin Piran and Tyran

<div>
Intriguing
World: Rome is very different from Celt’s society
</div><div>

Mystery: Why are Sirius’ and commander’s viewpoints
different?

Secret: Celt talks with Taranis, god of thunder

Deception: Romans want slaves, not euphemistic
‘boys to serve emperor’.

Conspiracy:
Coran believes Celt can see gods

Wound: Celt doesn’t want mother hurt

Hidden
Agenda: Sirius believes in
different tactics than commander, uses map to win over villagers

Hidden
Layer: Taranis doesn’t reveal what
being a primary influence means

Strange
Behavior: Celt takes thunderbolt,
interprets that as Taranis telling him to volunteer for Romans.

</div>

Act 3:

Turning
Point: Celt returns to camp to help Piran escape, too.

· Turning point: Celt cauterizes Piran’s tongue, is knocked out by soldier.

<div>
Intriguing
World: Village has re-thought giving boys to Romans
</div><div>

Intrigue: Coran has followed Romans to help Celt escape

Secret: Tribe doesn’t know where Coran is.

Wound: Celt’s need to protect those he feels
responsible for trumps his own safety

Hidden
Agenda: Celt also feels he may be
breaking promise to Taranis by escaping.

Strange
Behavior: Celt doesn’t accept escape
route

</div>

Act 4:

<div>
Celt Turning
Point: Celt won’t leave Piran.
Piran
</div><div>

Turning Point: Piran avoids being with Celt.

Sirius’s
Turning Point: Sirius has to acknowledge things not going as planned

Mystery: Why won’t Celt just leave with Coran?
Why isn’t Sirius honest with Celt?

Secret: Soldiers have institutionalized rape.

Deception: Rome’s law and order is not for all

Conspiracy:
Celtic women being drugged to make them more amenable to be raped

Wound: For Celt, not being trusted/being
avoided by Piran after he’s given up freedom. For Sirius, acknowledging
Roman rule not perfect

Hidden Layer: Celtic women being drugged for
rape, comparison by soldiers that Sirius has used words to ‘drug’ Celt into
compliance.

</div>

Act 5:

· Celt turning point: Celt tries to cut out his own tongue.

· Piran turning point: Piran forgives Celt, prevents Celt from cutting out his tongue.

· Sirius and Act Turning Point: Sirius believes Celt is of no more use as translator.

· Celt Turning Point: Celt is abandoned to the low value slaves. Celt leaves Britannicus on a ship.

<div>
Intriguing World:
Different attitudes by Celts to Roman capture
</div><div>

Conspiracy:
Sirius working with his father and Primus Pilus to promote Celt.

Wound: Celt’s trying to make things better by
translating seen as treason by peers

Hidden Agenda: Sirius wants to use Celt as
example of how successful soft power can be, make Celt translator at court

Hidden Layer: Piran preventing Celt from
cutting out own tongue points to his forgiveness of Celt/recognition that
Celt made sacrifices for him.

Strange Behavior: Celt trying to cut out own
tongue to prevent his own collaboration and in solidarity with Piran.

Accusation: Sirius accuses Celt of being barbarian
for trying to cut out his own tongue

</div>

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 3 Lesson 5 Layers and Reveals

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Layers and Reveals

What I learned doing this assignment was that there are some deeper levels I’d like to hint at in the pilot (and develop more fully throughout the season), but I don’t know how to do it so it doesn’t slow down the main story.

And that some of the existing turning points are both layers and reveals.

What is beneath the story as you know it?

What I’m grappling with is how to write/reveal (not necessarily in the pilot) is not only the idea that Celt believes the gods exist and can speak to him (that’s straightforward and already done).

But I also want to integrate these ideas:

For the character of the modern female writer (who has only been cursorily introduced), all the gods are really just psychological impulses that ancient cultures have anthropomorphized.

For the Oversoul, all those gods are both psychological impulses AND have been given ‘lives’ by humankind’s belief in them.

The Celtic and Roman gods realize that humankind’s beliefs ‘created’ them, and they resent that Christianity ‘demoted’ them to fairies or to superstition or to paganism.

So their motivation is to deepen Celt’s reliance on them.

I have no idea how they’ll interact with Oversoul.

What deeper meaning might exist? Does it mean one
thing on the surface, but another under the surface?

Celt interprets accepting Taranis’ thunderbolt as direction to volunteer to go with Romans because he sees his mother threatened by Romans. But Taranis later reveals that he didn’t really care about that – he only cares that Celt uses his physical strength (which he could easily have done by resisting the Romans/running away from them/leading a revolt against them).

Who might be deceiving other characters?

Sirius deceives Celt because ‘serving the emperor’ really means entering into slavery. But Sirius justifies it because he genuinely believes in the worth of imperial service.

How could this be about something totally
different?

There are different attitudes towards Rome. Some feel the only way to survive is by collaborating. Others feel the only way to survive is by resisting. And that includes the children.

Teaser:

Essence:
(Oversoul) Frustrated wanna-be angel keeps reincarnating as human but
wants to stop
Turning Point:
Oversoul learns it must purge regrets of 5 past lives, starting with young
1^st century Celt boy who becomes gladiator.

Act 1:

Essence (Celt
opening): Happy Celt and best friend Coran discover Romans near their
village, are alarmed.
Turning Point:
Celt and friend tell the village revealing they were out at night
illicitly. Village prepares – some villagers hide, some stay.

Layers: Romans are learning Celt language – from a fellow Celt.

Spied-on Romans reveal they’re coming for boys…

Reveal:…but one Roman grabs crotch suggestively and wants to know Celtic name for girls. This tells Celt/Coran funny business going on.

Villagers disagree on how to interpret this information, so react cautiously.

Some want to resist.

Act 2:

Essence: Romans
arrive, say they want young boys to serve the emperor.
Turning
Point/Midpoint: Celt volunteers to go to protect village and to honor
bargain with Taranis, along with twin Piran and Tyran.
Sirius’ essence:
win over village with grand vision of Rome
Sirius turning
point: Celt agrees to go with Romans.

Layers-Sirius unveils map of world, finds ways to lull villager suspicions.

Reveal-Roman commander gets impatient, reveals he doesn’t believe in ‘soft power’.

Taranis offers to protect Celt’s village in return for Celt accepting him as primary influence – without revealing what that means.

Roman commander makes suggestive advances to Celt’s mother.

Celt metaphorically throws thunderbolt, volunteering to be one of the boys for Rome.

Act 3:

Essence: Celt’s
best friend Coran follows Romans, invites Celt to escape.

Celt’s dilemma – can’t leave without Piran

Turning Point:
Celt returns to camp to help Piran escape, too.

Piran’s essence: Twin has been killed

Piran’s turning point: Piran thinks Celt may have abandoned him

Piran’s turning point: Piran cries out for absent Celt, Roman soldier Cletus cuts out Piran’s tongue. Celt cauterizes Piran’s tongue.

Layers

Roman brutality exposed through murder of Tyran.

Tit-for-tat (munerium indictio-payment for murder) exposed as one of Rome’s laws.

Act 4:

Tiran Essence: Traumatized
Piran won’t leave with Celt and Coran.
Celt essence:
Prioritizes promises and others’ safety over his own freedom.
Celt Turning
Point: Celt won’t leave Piran.
Piran Turning
Point: Piran avoids being with Celt.
Sirius’ essence:
Sirius has to justify brutality within Rome’s policies.
Sirius’s Turning
Point: Sirius has to acknowledge things not going as planned

Layers:

Piran paralyzed by fear in way that Celt is not.

Reveals- Village realizes it made mistake in letting boys go, but only Coran brave enough to act on it.

Sirius not entirely comfortable with what he has to do.

Act 5:

· Essence: Celt discovers translating and teaching Latin is considered enemy collaboration by peers.

· Celt turning point: Celt tries to cut out his own tongue.

· Piran turning point: Piran forgives Celt, prevents Celt from cutting out his tongue.

· Sirius’ essence: Sirius ready to champion Celt, but Celt’s behavior appalls him.

· Sirius and Act Turning Point: Sirius believes Celt is of no more use as translator.

· Celt Turning Point: Celt is abandoned to the low value slaves. Celt leaves Britannicus on a ship.

Layers/reveals – depth of Celt’s naivete/blindness revealed.

Rudhek’s different reaction to Roman behavior revealed.

Piran’s tenderness revealed.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Story Lines

What I learned doing this assignment is that I understand essences and turning points better than midpoints.

Celt

<div>
Beginning: Innocent, naïve boy living in rural Britannicus
village 1^st century A.D.
</div><div>

Turning
Point: Romans invade, want young
boys ‘to serve the emperor’

Midpoint:
Celt wants to protect village, makes bargain with Celtic god of thunder to
make him primary influence, agrees voluntarily to go with Romans

Turning
Point 2: Discovers he’s agreed to slavery

Major
Conflict: Peers see his translating for Romans as enemy collaboration

Ending:
Tries to cut out own tongue, ends his privileged position with Romans

(Dilemma
is optional.) How will he survive journey to Rome and Roman slavery?

</div>

Piran

<div>
Beginning:
Naïve boy younger than Celt with twin
</div><div>

Turning
Point: Also volunteers to go with Romans

Midpoint:
His twin is murdered.

Turning
Point 2: His tongue is cut out.

Major
Conflict: Too afraid to escape with Celt and Coran

Ending:
Prevents Celt from cutting out tongue

(Dilemma
is optional.) How will he communicate without his tongue?

</div>

Oversoul

<div>
Beginning:
Frustrated wanna-be angel still reincarnating as human
</div><div>

Turning
Point: Learns it must help purge regrets of 5 past lives

Midpoint:
Must listen to past lives

Turning
Point 2: Agrees to revisit Celt life

Major
Conflict: Must acknowledge past lives know something

Ending:
Revisits Celt’s life

</div>

Sirius

<div>
Beginning:
Confident believer in using Rome’s soft power to win over the captureds’
hearts
Turning
Point: Befriends/manipulates Celt
</div><div>

Midpoint:
Discovers Roman army more brutal than he thought through Tyran’s death,
Piran’s tongue removal

Turning
Point 2: Celt points out rape of captives, unsettles Sirius’ belief in
Rome

Major
Conflict: Sirius appalled by Celt trying to remove own tongue

Ending:
Sirius abandons Celt

(Dilemma
is optional.) Rome not all it’s
cracked up to be, what to do with that?

</div>

5. Create the first version of your outline by adding the character story lines to the structure from Lesson 3.

Teaser:

<div>
Essence: (Oversoul)
Frustrated wanna-be angel keeps reincarnating as human but wants to stop that.
</div><div>

Turning Point:
Oversoul learns it must purge regrets of 5 past lives, starting with young
1^st century Celt boy who becomes gladiator.

</div>

Act 1:

<div>
Essence (Celt
opening): Happy Celt and best friend Coran discover Romans near their
village, are alarmed.

Turning Point:
Celt and friend tell the village revealing they were out at night illicitly.
Village prepares – some villagers hide, some stay.

</div>

Act 2:

<div>
Essence: Romans
arrive, say they want young boys to serve the emperor.
Turning
Point/Midpoint: Celt volunteers to go to protect village and to honor
bargain with Taranis, along with twin Piran and Tyran.
</div><div>

Sirius’ essence:
win over village with grand vision of Rome

Sirius turning
point: Celt agrees to go with Romans.

</div>

Act 3:

Essence: Celt’s
best friend Coran follows Romans, invites Celt to escape.

Celt’s dilemma – can’t leave without Piran

Turning Point:
Celt returns to camp to help Piran escape, too.

Piran’s essence: Twin has been killed

Piran’s turning point: Piran thinks Celt may have abandoned him

Piran’s turning point: Piran cries out for absent Celt, Roman soldier Cletus cuts out Piran’s tongue. Celt cauterizes Piran’s tongue.

Act 4:

<div>
Tiran Essence: Traumatized
Piran won’t leave with Celt and Coran.
</div><div>

Celt essence:
Prioritizes promises and others’ safety over his own freedom.

Celt Turning
Point: Celt won’t leave Piran.

Piran Turning Point:
Piran avoids being with Celt.

Sirius’ essence:
Sirius has to justify brutality within Rome’s policies.

Sirius’s Turning
Point: Sirius has to acknowledge things not going as planned.

</div>

Act 5:

· Essence: Celt discovers translating and teaching Latin is considered enemy collaboration by peers.

· Celt turning point: Celt tries to cut out his own tongue.

· Piran turning point: Piran forgives Celt, prevents Celt from cutting out his tongue.

· Sirius’ essence: Sirius ready to champion Celt, but Celt’s behavior appalls him.

· Sirius and Act Turning Point: Sirius believes Celt is of no more use as translator.

· Celt Turning Point: Celt is abandoned to the low value slaves. Celt leaves Britannicus on a ship.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Big Picture Components

What I learned doing this exercise is that it feels like I’m continually regurgitating some of the same information in slightly different formats.

SERIES INFO:

World:

Life Between Lives (Heaven)

1^st Century Britannicus, Rome, medieval Europe, contemporary America

Main
mystery:

How will Oversoul achieve wish to become angel?

Impossible
Goal:

Reconcile regrets of 5 past lives

How will Oversoul break reincarnational cycle without each new life generating new regrets that must be purged?

Main
Conflict:

Each new life answers previous life’s regrets but generates new ones.

Second
Mystery:

How can Oversoul help, when it doesn’t respect every life?

Season
1 Arc:

Gentle Celt boy becomes violent gladiator.

Season
1 Protagonist Internal Journey:

Celt boy regrets losing positive matriarchal values and having them replaced with destructive patriarchal values.

2. Tell us the basic Pilot Info:

PILOT INFO:

<div>
Pilot
Conflict:
</div>

In order to protect village, Celt must leave it, unknowingly enters Roman slavery.

Characters
Introduced:

Oversoul, Animal Companion, Celt, Coran, Piran, Sirius, Taranis, Clu

Inciting
Incident of Season 1:

Romans invade Britannicus.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 3 Lesson 3 Creating Pilot Structure

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Pilot Structure

What I learned doing this assignment is parts of this are relatively straightforward.

1. Present the first draft of your pilot Acts.

Teaser:

Essence:
Oversoul wants to become angel
Turning Point:
Oversoul learns it must purge regrets of 5 past lives, starting with young
1^st century Celt boy who becomes gladiator.

Act 1:

Essence: Celt
and best friend Coran discover Romans near their village
Turning Point: Celt
and friend tell the village. Village prepares – some villagers hide, some
stay.

Act 2:

Essence: Romans
arrive, say they want young boys to serve the emperor.
Turning
Point/Midpoint: Celt volunteers to go, along with twin Piran and Tyran.

Act 3:

Essence: Coran
follows Romans, invites Celt to escape.
Turning Point:
Celt returns to camp to bring Piran. Cletus cuts out Piran’s tongue.

Act 4:

Essence: Piran
won’t leave with Celt and Coran.
Turning Point:
Celt won’t leave Piran.

Act 5:

· Essence: Celt discovers translating and teaching Latin is considered enemy collaboration by peers. Celt tries to cut out his own tongue.

· Turning Point: Spurius believes Celt is of no more use as translator. Celt is abandoned to the low value slaves. Celt leaves Britannicus on a ship.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Amazing Inciting Incident

What I learned doing this assignment is that I initially misunderstood what I was to do.

<div>
Intriguing
Concept:</div><div>

</div>

In order to become an angel, an oversoul must purge regrets from 5 past lives, starting with its life as a young 1^st century Celt boy enslaved by Romans who becomes 1^st century A.D. gladiator.

Act
1:

Roman soldiers arrive. In order to protect village, Celt makes bargain with Taranis, Celtic god of thunder, to adopt Taranis as primary life influence.

<div>
Midpoint:
</div><div>

</div>

Interpreting Taranis’ wishes, Celt volunteers to go with Romans, believing it is to serve to the Roman emperor.

<div>
Lock
In:
</div><div>

</div>

Celt discovers he has unknowingly committed himself to Roman slavery.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Visually Appealing Bible

What I learned doing this assignment is that I have photos for everything I need, but that they don’t all hang together in a cohesive style like “Rock Dad”. I had to put together a powerpoint pitch for the Catalyst Story conference a month ago, but ended up pitching a different project at the conference, but the basic photos are there.

Some of the character photos are drawings, some are photos, and some are Roman statues. It just doesn’t set a consistent tone.

My favorite photo (that I actually bought) is of a burning triskele (3 Celtic spirals symbolizing creation/protection/destruction) from a triathlon that’s set in Scotland! My main character ‘sees’ a spinning triskele just before he has a psychic experience, and depending on where the triskele points, it says something about what he’s about to experience. But I realized that in this pitch bible, NOWHERE do I mention the triskele (another d’oh moment)…Like Laurie, visuals are not my strongest suit, so I’m going to let them go for now.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Edited TV Pitch Bible

What I learned doing this assignment is that I’m still discovering inherent intrigue that I was forgetting to see and write as intrigue in the pitch bible. (My d’oh moment…) I still wish I could get clarity since I used the pilot episode as my way to summarize the season, so do I just skip episode 1 when I get to the episode summaries and say “already shared”? Otherwise, everything’s getting continually shorter, but there’s still work to do on the episode summaries, which still give me the willies…

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Episode Titles

What I learned doing this is that for the most part, I like my original/first titles (especially the ones that work in multiple categories), but I still did the exercise to the best of my ability…

Episode 1 Dangerous Agreements

Conflict:
Threatened at Home
Journey:
Your Feet Finds Where Your Heart Leads
Dilemma:
When the Gods Speak
Issue
faced: Courage or Stupidity?
Irony:
When Being Found Means Being Lost
Hero’s
challenging situation: To Go or
Stay
Threat
to hero: When Home is Where the Heart Dies
Discovery:
You Can’t Hide From Adventure
Metaphor:

Episode 2 All Ships Lead To Rome

<div>
Conflict:
To Speak or Not to Speak?
Journey:
All Ships Lead to Rome
Dilemma:
Issue
faced:
Irony:
All At Sea
Hero’s
challenging situation:
Threat
to hero:
Discovery: When Good Goes Bad
Metaphor:
All Ships Lead to Rome</div><div>

</div>

Episode 3 Choices You Make, Make You

<div>
Conflict:
Journey:
Dilemma:
What Do They All Want From Me?
Issue
faced: At Home In The Country
Irony:
Hero’s
challenging situation:
Threat
to hero:
Discovery: The Gods Speak! (But What Does It Mean?)
Metaphor: Godly Gumbo</div><div>

</div>

Episode 4 Juicy Choices

<div>
Conflict:Should
I Stay Or Should I Go?
Journey:
Dilemma:
Issue
faced: When Going Home is No Homecoming
Irony: A Horse is a Horse, Of Course
Hero’s
challenging situation:
Threat
to hero: Helpful Enemies
Discovery:
The Undiscovered Country
Metaphor:</div><div>

</div>

Episode 5 Borrowing Freedom

<div>
Conflict:
The Wings We Lack
Journey:
Dilemma:
Issue
faced:
Irony: First Century Dr. Doolittle
Hero’s
challenging situation:
Threat
to hero:
Discovery:
A Cure For What Ails
Metaphor:
Taking the Reins</div><div>

</div>

Episode 6 Carrying Water

<div>
Conflict:
What Carpophous Wants, Carpophorus Gets
Journey:
Dilemma:
Issue
faced:
Irony:
Who’s Training Who?
Hero’s
challenging situation:
Threat
to hero:
Discovery:
Metaphor:
Carrying Water</div><div>

</div>

Episode 7 More Grief Than Gains

<div>
Conflict:
Journey:
Dilemma:
Issue
faced:
Irony:
Hero’s
challenging situation: What the Emperors Wants, the Emperor…?
Threat
to hero:
Discovery: The Celt Gets Crafty
Metaphor:
</div><div>

</div>

Episode 8 Excellence or Eros?

<div>
Conflict:

Journey: Learning To Fight
Dilemma:
A Fair Fight?
Issue
faced: Defending Virtue
Irony:
Hero’s
challenging situation: When Winning Is Losing
Threat
to hero: Young and Dangerous
Discovery:
When Winning Is Losing
Metaphor:
</div><div>

</div>

Episode 9 What Only Happens Once

<div>
Conflict:
Journey:
The Blue Celt
Dilemma: Secrets or Lies?
Issue
faced: More Gains Than Grief
Irony:
Nothing to Hide
Hero’s
challenging situation: Masked and Dangerous
Threat
to hero:
Discovery:
What’s Hidden In Plain Sight
Metaphor:
What Lies Beneath</div><div>

</div>

Episode 10 The Choice for Love

<div>
Conflict:
Journey: Out in the Open
Dilemma:
Issue
faced:
Irony:
Hero’s
challenging situation: Fool Me Once
Threat
to hero: Love Conquers Some
Discovery:
Metaphor:
Consummation Devoutly to Be Wished</div><div>

</div>

Episode 11 Lust is the Bigger Plague

<div>
Conflict:
Journey: Out of Rome, Into Trouble
Dilemma:
Honoring the Goddess?
Issue
faced:
Irony: Gagged and Bound
Hero’s
challenging situation:
Threat
to hero:
Discovery:
Metaphor: A Plague On Both Your Houses</div><div>

</div>

Episode 12 The Ultimate Redemption?

Conflict:
Journey: There and Back Again
Dilemma:
Returning to the Arena
Issue
faced: When All’s Found and All’s Lost
Irony:
Every Day a Little Death
Hero’s
challenging situation: To Reveal or
Not To Reveal
Threat
to hero: When Death Is Not Death
Discovery:
Births, Deaths, and What Comes Next?
Metaphor:

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Non-Stop Intrigue

What I learned doing this assignment is that I can cut more and more. In general, there are a couple of areas that are challenging, and I wish Hal or Cheryl were monitoring these forums to answer some questions. If I used most of the first episode to do my show summary at the beginning, how do I change the the description of the first episode under the episode sections so it’s not just a rehash of what’s already written? In general, I’m finding editing the episodes is the most challenging to NOT be a book report, but I’ll keep working on it…

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Intrigue Patterns

What I learned doing this assignment is that I can spend forever doing this. The easiest way to establish intrigue is by asking questions, but I wonder if it’s too much of a cheat or if I’m overusing it when I do. (It starts to sound soap opera-ish…)

Together Piran and Celt forge a unique sign language and psychic connection. However, Celt’s ambivalence toward Piran exacerbates Piran’s newly-discovered sexuality, prompting Piran to feel jealous of Celt’s other influences, and heightens Piran’s desire to be more than just Celt’s tribal brother. Will Piran’s jealousy lead to the undoing of Celt? Will being honest with Celt deepen the relationship? Or will Celt’s misunderstanding of Piran’s motivations drive Piran to a desperate act?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

What I learned doing this assignment is how &^@*($# confusing it is working with all the elements (that I’ve done!) that go into a bible when we haven’t actually been directed to turn in the amalgam of all those elements through an draft bible assignment. I never actually started an amalgamated document functioning as a bible so I have to go back and integrate all the assorted documents. I think we should’ve been asked to upload the in-process bible at some point. (It doesn’t help that I had to take time away to go to a separate conference where I had to pitch other projects…)

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Show Summary

What I learned doing this assignment is that I thought we were supposed to be writing the draft of the entire show bible, not just the 3 paragraphs…I had these 3 paragraphs days ago. SHEESH!

(Sometimes I should just check the forums first to see what my colleagues are doing…)

PILOT AS INCITING INCIDENT

Title: Living My Lives

Format: Hour Drama (Historical/Fantasy)

By: Elizabeth Dickinson

Teaser

An Oversoul in Heaven, frustrated it hasn’t transcended 120 lives of human reincarnation, must purge key past life regrets to fulfill its dearest wish of becoming an angel. The kicker? It must purge the regrets from the perspective of each life, not from an elevated heavenly perspective – as well as work with its current life as a cranky 21^st century female writer telling Oversoul’s story.

Oversoul starts with its review of its first century A.D. life.

Note: Each life review takes an entire season. The reviewed lives include: 1^st century gladiator, 9^th century abbess, 14^th century torturer, 19^th century actuary, WW2 female freedom fighter..

CELT: Season 1: The Gladiator or Lessons? What lessons?

Episode 1: Dangerous Agreements

Celt, a strong, self-effacing, psychic boy living in 1^st century A.D. Britain, who secretly communicates with animals and divinities, has his idyllic existence threatened when Romans invade. In order to protect his isolated village, Celt makes a bargain with Taranis, Celtic god of thunder, to adopt the god as his primary influence in life. This results in Celt ‘volunteering’ to serve the Roman Empire. Unknowingly, he has just committed himself to slavery.

Using his linguistic skills to learn Latin and translate between Celts and Roman soldiers, Celt discovers that working with Rome is perceived by his fellow Celt slaves as collaborating with the enemy.

When one brother of a twin is casually killed, and the remaining twin brother has his tongue cut out by a soldier, Celt feels such guilty regret over his inability to protect the boys, that he turns down a chance to escape and tries to cut out his own tongue.

Now unable to communicate, how will Celt survive and protect anyone he cares about in Rome? And how will the Celtic gods exert their influence over him?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Engaging Episode Descriptions

What I learned doing this assignment was that 3 of the categories seem incredibly similar to me: main character journey, major challenge/conflict, and action/reaction. Almost everything I answer as one of those 3 things ends up fitting into the other 2 categories as well, so I’m clearly missing something here…

I know I need to add more with the Celtic gods, and Celt’s feeling of abandonment with them, (as well as something more with the overall framing with Oversoul) but don’t want to delay submitting this any longer.

Still not sure how much detail to include, but looking ahead, I see that more edits are part of this…

EPISODE 1

To become the angel it longs to be, Oversoul must purge regrets of its past lives, and starts by reliving some turning point lifetimes, starting with its life as 1^st century A.D. young psychic Celt boy, who can see/communicate with minor divinities.

When the Celt sees his beloved village threatened by invading Roman soldiers, he enters into a dangerous bargain with the god of thunder, that results in Celt leaving home-with the Roman soldiers.

The brutality of his new life becomes apparent when a fellow village boy is murdered, leaving Tyran, the surviving younger twin, emotionally dependent on Celt. This leaves Celt psychologically unable to grasp the opportunity of escape when it’s offered by his best friend Coran- partly because it means abandoning Tyran.

Celt’s talents for learning/translating Latin are ironically viewed as enemy collaboration by his peers. That, together with the savage cutting out of Tyran’s tongue by Roman soldier Cletus, leads to Celt’s own dawning horror and guilt that he has essentially volunteered to be a slave.

His mental anguish causes him to try to cut out his own tongue so he cannot collaborate with Romans. Stopped by Tyran, Celt is nonetheless left temporarily unable to speak. Sickened by the sight, Celt’s Roman mentor Sirius abandons him to the cage containing the least valued slaves.

As the shores of his Britannicus home drift away and are covered by fog, Celt sails into an uncertain and dangerous future, without a way to communicate, and with his only friend another younger, tongue-less Celt boy.

How will Celt survive Roman slavery?

EPISODE 2

Travelling on the first large ship of his entire life, Celt endures a pirate takeover, and forges a new friendship with Dakarai, a fatherly Ethiopian slave rower, who tries to engage Celt in conversation. When Tyran mistakenly believes that the slave rower is abusing Celt, it results both in Dakarai being whipped, and in Celt getting raped in retribution by Xola, Dakarai’s friend.

When Celt inadvertently breaks his resolution not to use Latin, Dakarai urges Celt to communicate his talents to the pirate captain to avoid being sold to a brothel at the slave auction. Now understanding from first-hand experience that brothel life means continual rape, Celt speaks to the pirate captain.

Separated from Tyran at the auction, Celt is sold to Acutius, who unbeknownst to Celt, is the head trainer of Rome’s foremost gladiatorial school, while Tyran is bought by a brothel.

EPISODE 3

Celt is sent to learn Acutius’ business from the ground up – which initially means building and tending the charcoal kilns outside Rome that provide the fuel for making gladiatorial weapons. Narrowly missing an encounter with run-away slave Xola in the forest, Celt thrives tending the forest kilns and being in nature – until the Roman soldier Cletus reappears, with an interest in buying Celt from Acutius.

In a vision, Celt sees both Celtic divinities and their Roman equivalents, who offer Celt both prophecies and gifts to guide his way. Confused about his possible options, all Celt wants is to return home – and is warned by the divinities that while it’s possible for him to go home, in the end Celt may not want to pay the price.

When Celt returns to Rome, there is one more surprise. Acutius reveals that he has bought Tyran.

EPISODE 4

Celt realizes Tyran has been irrevocably scarred by working in a brothel. Cletus offers to buy Celt from Acutius. Surprisingly, Acutius offers Celt a choice: go with Cletus to Britannicus, or remain in Rome to continue working his way up to becoming a gladiator. When it becomes obvious that to return home as Cletus’ servant means having sex with Cletus and fighting against his own people in Britannicus, Celt suffers a breakdown.

Celt’s work at the forge suffers until a horse abused by Xola requires Celt to intervene, leading to an unexpected opportunity that brings Celt back into the outdoors, and beloved nature.

EPISODE 5

As Celt uses his animal communication skills to design a special snaffle bit to overcome Altus resistance to bits in general, and forges a special bond with the horse .

Celt meets famous agricultural writer Columella and is attracted to Columella’s young slave, Melisa, impressed by her sensitivity and ability to read and write.

But against Xola’s orders, and against the horse goddess’ warning, Celt rides Altus, which leads to a public beating from Xola, who has become a power within the stables, and who still hates Celt.

EPISODE 6

Acutius is angry and powerless about Celt’s mistreatment at the hands of Xola. However, Acutius finally arranges for Celt to start gladiatorial training. But in Acutius’ absence, Xola forces Celt and Tyran to return to carrying water for the stables. Ironically when Celt is re-deployed yet again by a powerful senator’s servant to refill a senator’s pool, Celt sees Melisa, who has been sold to the senator.

Celt’s animal training abilities reach the ears of Carpophorus, the most successful animal trainer and fighter Rome has ever seen. As the emperor’s protege, what Carpophoros wants, Carpophoros gets, and Carpophoros wants Celt to train and fight animals in the coloseum.

EPISODE 7

Celt thrills to the gentler parts of Roman animal training – nursing orphan bobcat kittens, getting zebras and ostriches to pull a carriage, training a lion to open its mouth and to allow rabbits run through without harming them. But he is sickened when he sees the needless, full scale slaughter of exotic animals in performances in the ring, which includes animals from his own country.

He tells Carpophorus he wants out and prefers fighting other men to animals. Carpophorus reluctantly agrees. But when Carpophorus gets sick and misses a show that the emperor will attend, Celt is the only one who can take Carpophorus’ place in the ring.

Celt agrees against his own better judgment—with the one condition that he gets to ‘retire’ as an animal fighter after the one performance. So Celt wills himself to be a killing machine in the ring, and receives the ultimate plaudits and rewards from the emperor. Captivated by the performance, the emperor also decrees that Celt should exclusively train and fight animals.

Celt is furious and heartbroken – what will he do next?

EPISODE 8

Celt is invited along with Carpophorus to a fancy dinner at the senator’s house where he meets the famous poet Martial, is served by Melisa, and runs into his old mentor, Sirius.

Not only does Celt has to fend off the unwelcome attentions of Martial, but he must also defend Melisa from the amorous attentions of the older son of the emperor, making a powerful enemy in the process.

Celt, convinced the emperor won’t miss him now that Carpophoros has recovered, persuades Acutius that he can start his gladiatorial training in secret. Acutius has reservations, but allows it, with the caveat that Celt must disappear when anyone from the imperial household tours the center.

Celt excels at all the potential types of gladiatorial combat, and punches above his weight, but Acutius suggests that Celt conceal his identity by performing as a secutor, the only type of gladiator that wears a face mask.

However, one day the visored Celt trains and a small boy notices him. Unbeknownst to Celt and Acutius, the emperor and his family pay a surprise visit to the facility. The small boy turns out to be the emperor’s youngest son, and the emperor’s youngest son demands to fight someone.

As Celt is the right size, he is chosen to fight the son. Not knowing that he should pretend to lose, he handily defeats the boy. When the emperor demands that Celt remove his visor and reveal his identity, the emperor is extremely displeased and orders Celt return to full-time training with Carpophorus.

Celt devises a dangerous scheme – where he trains animals for with Carpophorus’ agreement for part of the day, with the proviso that he not harm them, and saves his fighting skills for fighting other males in the coloseum.

What could go wrong?

EPISODE 9

Celt has his first gladiatorial combat and wins in spectacular fashion. The aedile asks Celt to remove his visor to receive his due – and the crowd gasps, for Celt has covered his face in the fighting blue woad of his tribe, anticipating the request, and wanting to hide his identity.

Celt is showered with gifts and grows in prestige. He uses his growing influence to secretly remove Melisa from the attentions of the emperor’s eldest son and has her sent away to train as an herbalist and healer, her dearest wish.

Before Melisa leaves, she introduces Celt to Bre, her girlfriend and kitchen replacement, who also happens to be a second generation Celt-Roman. Celt is smitten, but Bre withholds her affections, for a good reason-she is working as a spy for tribes who chafe under Rome’s influence, and doesn’t completely trust a Celt boy who’s ‘making good’ in Rome.

EPISODE 10

Celt reduces the time with Carpophorus and animal training and continues racking up the wins as an anonymous blue-faced gladiator. The growing mutual attraction between Celt and Bre cements over the fact that neither one of them want Bre to give birth to a child who would be a slave. However, not being able to consummate the relationship causes them both misery. Celt hasn’t made enough money to buy Bre’s freedom, but he uses his winnings to buy a ne serva clause for Bre, guaranteeing she will not be prostituted should he die in the ring.

Xola reveals Celt’s identity to the aedile, who reveals it to the emperor. The emperor gives Celt one last chance to be a beast fighter- and threatens to put Acutius’ entire operations out of business if Celt refuses.

Celt can’t bear the thought, so he and Acutius hatch a plan. Plague is starting to spread in the city, so they arrange with a doctor to announce that Celt has it, can’t appear in the ring, and has been sent to the country to recover.

The night before Celt leaves, he and Bre consummate their relationship.

Alternative:

The doctor actually infects Celt with the plague, or Celt gets it from Xola or someone he trusts.

EPISODE 11

Celt is smuggled out of Rome to a friendly official’s country home, but becomes desperately ill, and hallucinates more meetings with gods, who accuse him of betraying them. He has a vision of a pregnant Bre turning down an herbal abortion from Melisa, and smuggling herself out of Rome and giving birth to a son who leads Celt’s tribes to fight the Romans in Scotland.

As he recovers, Celt catches the eye of the official’s older wife, who has a long history of affairs with younger men when her husband is away, and embarks on a dangerous, torrid relationship.

Celt’s relationship with the wife gives him status amongst the other servants, although one slave warns him that these affairs are short-lived.

Celt reaches his breaking point when the wife asks him to tie her up during sex – and he complies, but leaves her gagged and tied up. When the husband finds her, the official has Celt savagely beaten, so Celt’s non-dominant arm is broken, an eye is removed so Celt is intentionally disfigured, and Celt is demoted to farmhand slave.

EPISODE 12

Celt tends forge, is intentionally harassed by the overseer, and on especially demeaning days, takes the place of the donkey who turns the wheat-grinding equipment.

But Curia, a next-door-neighbor’s slave, seduces Celt with hopes of giving birth to a son who might one day become a successful gladiator. Dying in childbirth, Curia ironically gives birth to a daughter, who is then given to the official’s wife as slave-companion to her own daughter.

As the daughter grows up, she guesses her parentage, becomes a secret Christian. As memories of Celt’s transgressions fade after the official’s wife’s death, Celt’s daughter arranges for Celt to have easier work. Celt finds peace within the relationship, and even though he doesn’t understand Christianity, he values anything that puts the humane back into humanity.

But when his daughter marries, and dies in childbirth, Celt is adrift again.

Acutius’ son visits the villa and recognizes Celt, offering him the chance to return to the gladiatorial ring under the former emperor’s youngest son.

With years of life left, and feeling like he has no control and nothing to lose, Celt agrees.

Even with an arthritic grip, and missing an eye, Celt is ferocious in the ring. Eventually realizing that his bargain with Taranis was empty and unfulfilling, Celt arranges with Dakarai’s son (a new gladiator) to ‘take him out’ in the ring, so he can die with dignity, and be reunited in death with his family.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Episode List

What I learned from doing this assignment is that all the questions confused me. I had to look at fellow-student Timothy Barley’s episode list to remember how I could make this simplerE I also rediscovered an old outline that really helped. I need to remember all the work I already did before I started this course and not to always try to reinvent the wheel!

Episode 1

To become the angel it longs to be, Oversoul must purge regrets of its past lives, and starts by reliving its life as 1^st century A.D. young Celt boy, wrenched away from idyllic existence to become Roman slave.

· Roman soldiers threaten Celt’s village

· Celt makes bargain with god Taranis to save village

· Celt leaves with Romans

· Romans kill Tyran’s twin brother

· Celt turns down opportunity to escape

· Cletus cut out Tyran’s tongue

· Romans leave Britain with Celt slaves and animals

Episode 2

Celt survives the long ship journey to Rome, and is sold as slave to Acutius, not knowing Acutius is head of gladiatorial school.

· Celt becomes friends with slave rower Dakarai

· Tyran mistakenly thinks Dakarai is harming Celt

· Dakarai is beaten

· Xola (Dakarai’s friend) rapes Celt in retribution

· Celt uses Dakarai’s advice to advantage in slave market

· Celt is separated from Tyran, sold to Acutius

Episode 3

Acutius sends Celt to learn charcoal making in country, where Celt is visited by gods, learns hard truths about his possible options, is reunited with an earlier friend and tribal brother.

· Celt and Spurius (Acutius’ messenger) evade Xola and fellow escaped slaves in forest

· Celt works, learns from charcoal master (and Cletus’ father) Carbo

· Cletus returns

· Celt retreats into forest, has vision of gods who give warnings and gifts

· Cletus plots to buy Celt from Acutius as personal slave for foreign military expedition

· Celt returns to Rome, discovers Acutius has bought Tyran from brothel

Episode 4

Celt learns more about what happened to his tribal brother, finally understands the full consequences of accepting the offer the gods predicted – and intervenes with a horse, leading to a new opportunity.

· Spurius and Tyran himself fill in Tyran’s life at brothel

· Celt and Tyran work in the stables and forge

· Cletus makes and offer for Celt to Acutius

· Acutius offers Celt the choice to stay or go with Cletus

· Celt finally realizes going with Cletus to Britannicus means fighting his own people for the Romans and refuses

· Celt’s has a breakdown

· His quality of work deteriorates

· Celt becomes friends with the horse Altus, saves him from Xola’s mistreatment with help of Epona, horse goddess

Episode 5

Celt revels in his freedom with the horse, meets new people – and finds that freedom leads to retribution from an old foe.

· Celt is given permission to work with (but not ride) Altus in pasture

· Altus encourages Celt to ride him

· Celt designs a better bit for Altus

· Celt meets famous agricultural writer Columella and his female servant Melisa

· Celt ignores Epona’s dream warning

· Xola discovers Celt riding Altus, beats Celt in front of other workers

Episode 6

Celt recovers from his beating, is demoted, and he and his friend endure harassment from fellow slaves and his old foe, before the surprising intervention from a famous bestiarus.

· Celt is returned to forges and carrying water for horses

· Celt sees Melisa in new household as slave, learns she was now-deceased Columella’s illegitimate daughter

· Acutius tells Celt he is to be trained as gladiator

· Xola doesn’t believe the news, sends Celt to fetch water again

· The domino of the house where Melisa works grabs Celt and other slaves to fetch water for a senator’s pool

· Celt chooses repayment from the domino in a meal so he can see Melisa

· Acutius is angry with Xola for interfering with Celt’s training

· Famous bestiarus Carpophorus asks to train Celt as bestiarus

Episode 7

Celt finds his newest opportunity causes more grief than gains and plots to get himself extricated.

· Celt is inspired by some parts of the animal training-and sickened by others.

· Celt sees his ability to communicate with animals makes him a deadly bestiarus

· Celt asks to be relieved from his duties

Episode 8

Celt excels in gladiatorial training, fights with future emperor, grows strong, and starts to revel in his power.

· Under influence of Taranis, Celt excels in different gladiatorial techniques

· Celt is pulled from training to fight emperor’s son of the same age

· Celt fights Xola, turns tables

· Celt uses growing influence to help Melisa get a better position as apprentice herbalist

· Ironically, Melisa is sent out of Rome to train

· Celt begins relationship with Bre, a female Celt slave

· Celt promises to buy both their freedom and refuses to have sex and give Rome another Celt slave

· Tyran is jealous of Bre

· Coran brings Celt’s father to Rome to see Celt fight-and to spy on Rome’s forces

Episode 9

When the famous bestiarus dies unexpectedly, coliseum organizers tap Celt to take his place, promising it will only happen once – until the emperor decides otherwise, leading Celt to make a dangerous move.

· Celt goes to dinner with famous poet Martial and others

· Carpopophorus dies

· Martial suggests Celt as one-time replacement to emperor

· Emperor promises freedom to Celt if he will perform as bestiarus

· Celt takes Carpophorus’ place in coliseum, succeeds too well, receives rave reviews

· Emperor makes Celt permanent replacement for Carpophorous

· Celt ignores emperor, continues gladiatorial training

· Celt arranges with Acutius to buy a ne serva clause with Bre’s ownership papers to prevent her from being prostituted if Celt is killed in the ring.

· Emperor threatens entire school unless Celt returns to being bestiarus

· Bre gets pregnant

· Melisa returns, offers Bre herbal abortion

· Celt arranges for Bre’s escape from Rome

· Celt has vision of his and Bre’s son fighting to free Britannicus from Rome’s influence

Episode 11

Celt is hidden by friends at an official’s country villa, where he catches the eye of the official’s wife, and is caught in a torrid affair, leading to tragic retribution.

· Acutius lies publicly, saying Celt has plague

· A doctor infects Celt so he is moved out of the city

· Celt rests in seclusion in small cottage at aedile’s estate

· Aedile’s wife lusts after Celt

· Servius warns Celt against affair

· Celt has reluctant affair with wife

· Celt gets violent with her, leaves her tied up

· Aedile finds wife tied up, beats Celt

· Celt demoted, disfigured, becomes farmhand

Episode 12

Celt, though disfigured and disabled, is sought out as a sperm donor by an enterprising female slave who hopes to bear a gladiator-son but dies in childbirth, and gives Celt a daughter, that becomes Celt’s main motivation to endure.

· Celt tends forge and takes place of donkey, grinding wheat

· The overseer abuses him on instructions from the aedile

· Curia, a next-door-neighbor’s slave, seduces Celt

· Celt’s daughter is given to the aedile’s daughter as a slave

· Celt’s daughter eventually guesses who her father is

· Celt’s daughter arranges for easier work for her father

· Celt’s daughter dies

· Celt is offered the chance to celebrate the coliseum’s anniversary by returning as a gladiator

· Celt meets Dakarai’s gladiator son

· Celt intentionally dies in the ring by the hand of Dakarai’s son

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth’s 5 Seasons

What I learned doing this assignment is that even though I have a completely new set of characters for each season/lifetime, I found a repeating pattern that made writing this easier than I thought. (The repeating cliffhanger is how the regrets of one lifetime are addressed in the next…)

Living My Lives (for Oversoul-framing for all 5 seasons)

A. . High Concept or major hook for the entire series.

How does an Oversoul who’s lived 120 human lives break the human reincarnational cycle and achieve its dearest wish of becoming an angel?

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey:

From swallowing its pride to treating its past lives and minor divinities with respect.

C. Main Conflict:

Examining/listening to its past lives which it believes knows less than it does

D. Mystery/Open Loops:

How will it purge regrets of all its past lives? Will it be able to resolve everything before the Female Writer (its last complete life) dies? Female writer knows of Oversoul, threatens to die holding onto unresolvable regrets, condemning Oversoul to stasis/hell of endless repetition.

E. Ongoing cliffhangers:

Each of Oversoul’s lives attempt to reconcile regrets from the previous lifetime, but create new regrets that future reincarnations/lives must deal with.

Celt (First lifetime, first season)

A.
High Concept or major hook of the season.

How does a small, psychic 1^st century Celt boy torn from his homeland, succeed as a beast fighter and gladiator in the violent world of Roman slavery?

B.
Big Picture Arc/Journey:

From peace-and-and-animal loving, rule-following boy to successful gladiator

C.
Main Conflict:

Surviving/thriving in Rome, then reclaiming original values

D.
Mystery/Open Loops:

Will Celt be able to succeed in Rome, keep his values – without creating unresolvable regrets?

E.
Cliffhanger:

How will Celt’s regrets about lack of education, violence, disrespecting women, etc. be addressed in Oversoul’s next lifetime as the reluctant abbess?

Season 2: (The Reluctant Abbess, 2^nd Lifetime)

A.
High Concept or major hook of the season.

How will an artistic, educated, fun-loving, boy-crazy young daughter from nobility succeed as a humble medieval nun?

B.
Big Picture Arc/Journey:

From powerless (but happy) female to (less happy) but empowered abbess

C.
Main Conflict:

Overcoming privileged background to become servant-leader.

D.
Mystery/Open Loops:

How will the Abbess address Celt’s regrets?

E.
Cliffhanger:

What regrets does the Abbess generate through her arrogance that must be resolved in future lifetimes?

Season 3: (The Torturer, 3^rd Lifetime)

A.
High Concept or major hook of the season.

How does a torturer live with the consequences of his actions?

B.
Big Picture Arc/Journey:

Destitute, humble boy seeks to provide for family, becomes torturer

C.
Main Conflict:

Must torture innocent people he knows, some from previous lifetimes

D.
Mystery/Open Loops:

Will he be able to live with himself, or will he take the ultimate way out?

E.
Cliffhanger:

Was becoming a torturer inevitable? Is suicide forgivable? What regrets will carry into the next lifetime?

Season 4: (The Welsh Actuary, 4^th Lifetime)

A.
High Concept or major hook of the season.

How does a Welsh actuary’s thwarted dreams serve a purpose?

B.
Big Picture Arc/Journey:

Victorian Welsh boy who wants to become architect becomes actuary instead

C.
Main Conflict:

Maintaining sense of self when everyone else prefers false self. Maintaining secret dream even when hopeless.

D.
Mystery/Open Loops:

How will Welsh actuary achieve dream and maintain any self-respect in face of family opposition to dream?

E.
Cliffhanger: How will actuary’s regrets be addressed in next lifetime?

Season 5: (Hitler’s Most Dangerous Enemy-female Polish journalist/freedom fighter)

A.
High Concept or major hook of the season.

What does Rachel, a Catholic-Jewish intellectual have to do to motivate Poles-and America itself-against Hitler-before it’s too late?

B.
Big Picture Arc/Journey:

From a Cassandra-like character (forced to utter true but not-believed prophecies) to a crusading freedom fighter and spy

C.
Main Conflict:

Overcoming others’ inertia and disrespect of her as female to becoming resistance leader

D.
Mystery/Open Loops:

Will Rachel be able to get negatives of Nazi atrocities/concentration camps to the American press before she’s caught?

Will she be able to keep the child spies safe?

Will she be able to assert her leadership in a male-dominated world?

E.
Cliffhanger:

How will Rachel’s regrets and sense of failure be addressed in next lifetime?

Season 6: (Female Writer-her influence may be felt throughout, as opposed to giving her her own season)

A.
High Concept or major hook of the season.

How does Female Writer (Oversoul’s intended last complete lifetime), address all past life regrets in her story of Oversoul’s journey?

B.
Big Picture Arc/Journey:

From confused writer to confident chronicler

C.
Main Conflict:

Completing her magnum opus before she dies.

D.
Mystery/Open Loops:

How does Female Writer work with Oversoul to purge the regrets of past lives, as well as her own?

E.
Cliffhanger: What adjustments with Oversoul
and/or changes of perception allow everyone to move to forgiveness and
celebration?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth’s Character Descriptions

What I learned doing this assignment is that sometimes it’s easier to use the model initially, then give myself permission to ‘break away’ and just write some character descriptions, especially for the more minor main characters. And I know I haven’t covered them all yet.

I also got overwhelmed a bit because every season will have a new set of characters for each new lifetime and most haven’t been developed yet (including how they’ve reincarnated from previous lifetimes…hurts my head to even think that one through!)

CELT

A brave young 1^st century Celt boy who sees and communicates with animals and divinities, enters into a perilous contract with Taranis, Celtic god of thunder to protect his family and village from Roman invasion and violence. But Taranis’ contract seemingly asks Celt to volunteer to serve the Roman emperor and to leave his village permanently with Roman soldiers.

After Celt ‘volunteers’, it becomes obvious that serving the emperor in truth means Celt will be a Roman slave. Then Celt is offered the chance to escape with the help of his best friend, Coran. But to accept means abandoning Tyran to Roman slavery, an even younger and more naive boy from Celt’s village who loyally follows Celt – and who’s already lost his twin brother to Roman violence.

The decision to protect Tyran and stay with the Romans leads to cascading challenges, tragedies, and triumphs. The clash between the peaceful matriarchal values of Celt’s home village and the violent patriarchal values of Rome, as well as the recurring psychic visions of what Celt’s lost, leave him homesick, second-guessing and regretting his choices.

When he learns the only way to return home involves violence against his own village, he makes the decision to remain in Rome.

To succeed as a Roman slave, he’ll have to choose how he uses his physical gifts and psychic abilities, aided by the conflicting advice and ‘help’ of various divinities and human mentors. Thwarted by jealous colleagues, and pressured by powerful political figures, Celt must ultimately negotiate and determine how he lives, who he can safely love and protect, and what he fights in the coliseum – the animals he adores, or the fellow frenemies called gladiators.

TYRAN

A weak, insecure, but loyal younger tribal friend to Celt, Tyran follows Celt’s lead and volunteers to go with the Romans. After Tyran’s twin brother is murdered by a soldier, Tyran’s emotional dependence on Celt deepens. When Tyran believes Celt has abandoned him, Tyran’s noisy grief causes a soldier to cut out Tyran’s tongue, causing Celt even more guilt, and pushing Celt into impossible choices.

Tyran’s vulnerability (his inability to speak) and constant misinterpretation of Celt’s circumstances ironically causes Celt to be thrust into danger, including becoming a victim of rape during the ship’s journey to Rome.

Sold at a slave auction to a brothel because of his resemblance to Celt, Tyran relentlessly seeks a way to reunite with Celt.

When Tyran does reunite with Celt, together they forge a way of communicating, built on a unique sign language and psychic connection. However, Celt’s ambivalence toward Tyran exacerbates Tyran’s newly-discovered sexuality, prompting Tyran to feel jealous of Celt’s other influences, and heightens Tyran’s desire to be more than just Celt’s tribal brother. Will this jealousy be the undoing of Celt? Or will Celt’s misunderstanding of Tyran’s motivations be the undoing of Tyran?

ANIMAL COMPANION

As an enduring animal reincarnator, Animal Companion is a wise, circumspect sounding board to Oversoul in the Life-Between-Lives, and appears in all of Oversoul’s past lives in various animal forms: horses, birds, dogs, cats, etc. Having been worshipped as a cat divinity in ancient Egypt, it has unique understanding of how the minor past divinities think and operate, as well as intimate knowledge of Oversoul’s past lives. This is information that Oversoul initially disses, but ultimately must come to respect and to listen to.

When the past lives and minor divinities are frustrated with Oversoul’s thick-headedness, Animal Companion is the essential go-between to translate that frustration into questions and terms that Oversoul must accept, if it is ever to become the angel it aspires to be.

Ultimately, Animal Companion embodies a simple love and kindness that the overly-intellectual Oversoul desperately needs.

And when Animal Companion’s mission is complete, it will demonstrate the nobility of sacrifice, and will reinterpret for Oversoul what sacrifice means.

SIRIUS

More diplomatic, savvy, and idealistic than his fellow Roman soldiers, Sirius is a senator’s son and Roman army translator for the army. He genuinely believes in Roman law and order and that what the Pax Romana destroys in terms of foreign tribes’ sovereignty, will be more than amply made up by the education and prestige of being part of Rome.

When he befriends Celt, pragmatically utilizing Celt’s linguistic/translating abilities to make other slaves more docile and seeing Celt as an example of what soft power can do with the conquered, Sirius’ faith in Roman ways is shaken by the way the other soldiers treat Celt and the other captives.

After a particularly violent episode where both Romans and other captives turn on Celt, Sirius rises to Celt’s defense, pulling political strings to protect and promote Celt.

Nevertheless, when Celt perpetuates self-violence in a spasm of guilt over his collaboration with the enemy, Sirius is sickened to the point by this Celt’s ‘native barbarism’, that he casts off Celt as a mentee, cementing Celt’s self-identification as ‘other’.

Ironically Sirius’ mentorship has the opposite effect of what Sirius intends, and slows down Celt’s absorption into the Roman way of life.

DAKARAI

A kind and clever Aethiopian slave-rower on the journey to Rome, Dakarai seems to offer Celt the sort of mentorship Celt desperately needs – a mature father-figure who understands Roman ways without condoning them. As a parent who once had sons of Celt and Tyran’s age, Dakarai offers Celt advice and hard truths about the slave auction– so long as the mostly mute Celt proves that he wants to hear them by “using that tongue of his”.

Mistakenly tagged by Tyran as Celt’s rapist, Dakarai is beaten by a vindictive pirate captain with a hidden history with Dakarai, who believes Dakarai has reduced the worth of Celt’s virginity to a brothel.

When both Dakarai and Celt instead are sold to Acutius, the head trainer of a chain of imperially-owned gladiatorial schools, Dakarai is sent to be chief accountant of the Capua school, while Celt remains in Rome.

Eventually reunited when Celt undertakes gladiatorial training, Dakarai continues to mentor Celt in surprising ways, eventually becoming a conduit to Celt’s ultimate ‘escape’.

ACUTIUS

The brawny, lumbering, irreverent, no-nonsense, one-eyed former gladiator and head of the imperial gladiatorial schools.

Actively opposed to pretension in all forms, Acutius ‘takes over’ the bidding process for Celt, disses and discourages other entitled bidders, and ultimately buys Celt at Rome’s slave auction, intrigued by what he’s learned of Celt’s background and early education. Other reasons for his interest are revealed gradually in the story, including the fact that Acutius shares an early life similar to Celt’s.

More humane than he looks, Acutius sets up Celt to learn the gladiatorial business from the ground up – starting with an apprenticeship with Carbo in the imperial charcoal kilns—the charcoal needed to provide the fuel for the forges that produce the gladiatorial weapons.

Relying on Spurius to convey his wishes, desires, and plans to Celt, Acutius doesn’t realize how in the dark Celt really is, until he offers Celt the ultimate fateful choice – to return home as personal servant to the soldier Cletus, or to train to become some kind of fighter in the coliseum.

SPURIUS

Spurius is the gossipy, cross-eyed teenage know-it-all, and helper/messenger to Acutius within the gladiatorial school. Prevented by his eyesight from becoming a gladiator (his dearest wish), Spurius is assigned oversight of Celt. Using his superior knowledge of Roman customs, Spurius revels in his informal role as ‘instructor’. Information is his currency, and he wields and withholds it for his own ends, including keeping Celt in the dark about Acutius’ plans for Celt. Something of a braggart, Spurius has no compunctions about adopting some of Celt’s achievements as his own, and elevating his own bravery and initiative, as in the (successful) attempt to evade Xola and other dangerous escaped slaves in the forest.

Unexpectedly helpful when he wants to be, Spurius is nevertheless never completely trusted by Celt. This mistrust reaches a head when Celt’s gladiatorial status rises and Celt discovers that someone has been selling vials of Celt’s sweat and hair clippings (as an aphrodisiac) to the public.

Looking down on Tyran, Spurius and Tyran are natural rivals for Celt’s attention (to Celt’s chagrin).

But coming through for Celt in a clutch, Spurius proves he will go to the mat for Celt at great expense to his personal fortunes.

XOLA

A fellow Aethiopian rower, this friend of Dakarai, is no friend of Celt. Fiercely loyal to Dakarai, and jealous over Dakarai’s attention to Celt, Xola sees the beating administered to Dakarai for the misconstrued rape of Celt as Celt’s fault.

Determined to set matters right, he rapes Celt in retribution, escaping his own beating because the pirate captain determines that Xola’s worth will be compromised if he has marks on him. Ironically but understandably, Dakarai distances himself from friendship with Xola, causing a lifelong enmity towards Celt.

Escaping from the gladiatorial training barracks, Xola narrowly misses catching up with Celt and Spurius in the forest.

When Xola and Celt meet in the coliseum, it will test Celt at all levels, mental, physical, and spiritual.

RUDHEK

A slightly older fellow villager of Celt’s, Rudhek embodies the most war-like attributes of his tribe, chafing at the moderate wait-and-see attitude of the tribal matriarch towards the Romans.

Determined to fight the Romans, Rudhek is nevertheless caught by Romans, and meets up with Celt within the slave camp, excoriating Celt for being a Celt-Roman translator, prompting Celt to try to cut out his own tongue.

Later Rudhek becomes Celt’s training partner, while secretly being a conduit of information for the Celtic cause.

CORAN

Coran is Celt’s best friend in Britannicus, developing with him a secret communication style built on animal sounds. The son of the village spy, he is curious, skeptical, and practical, urging Celt to share the existence of his psychic visions with the village elders.

Even though Coran has special skills with a slingshot, his mangled hand causes him to be rejected by the shortsighted Romans as no use to the empire. Driven by his loyalty to Celt, and suspicious of Roman motivation, Coran follows the Romans’ trail when they take Celt, and offers him a means of escape, which Celt refuses out of his own care/loyalty for Tyran.

Coran becomes a leader of his own people’s resistance to Rome in Britannicus, handfasting with Celt’s original crush, Aiolfe. Much later in life Coran brings Celt’s father to see Celt in Rome, and offers Celt absolution for Celt’s ‘mistakes’- absolution that Celt needs desperately, but ultimately cannot accept.

AIOLFE

Aiolfe is the slightly older, golden-haired, blue-eyed dream girl of Celt’s village. Impatient with the protections extended to women as embodiments of the goddess, she would much rather stay in the village to see what the Romans do – and do something herself for the village. Ignoring Celt until he brings news of the Romans, she is nevertheless the one Celt leaves his beloved horse Emer with.

Ultimately Aiolfe handfasts with Coran, as the natural emerging village leader, causing one of the many fruitless ‘what-if’ questions with which Celt engages.

AND NOW…the DIVINITIES

TARANIS

The brash, arrogant Celtic god of thunder, who offers Celt the fateful bargain: make me your priority god, and I’ll protect your village from the Romans-for today at least.

As a forerunner of the Tuatha Dé Danann (Celtic fairies) Taranis knows about (and resents) the loss of status and power that Celtic gods undergo with the advent of Christianity in the future centuries. But whether reincarnated and worshipped as a god or seen as a fairy, Taranis is always more brawn than brains – especially when he has to deal with his own hard-to-control fairy wings in future centuries. However, like many minor divinities, he also knows enough about how to manipulate gullible or desperate humans with half-truths and possibilities, all too ready to lock them into a bargain that suits his own ends.

Equivalent (with a few differences) with Norse god of thunder Thor, and Roman god of war Aries in future episodes.

BRIGIT

Golden haired Celtic goddess of the forge, crafts and prophecy, Brigit resents that Taranis snagged Celt as his protegee first, believing that Celt’s natural artistic and psychic talents should be expressed through her mentorship and expertise.

Kinder and more altruistic than Taranis, nevertheless Brigit will enter into her own mysterious agreement with Taranis, in a quest to regain the status and renown lost by the Celtic divinities in future centuries.

Equivalent (with a few differences) to Roman goddess Minerva, goddess of wisdom and war.

ANU

The great Celtic creation goddess, present in all cultures. Warm, motherly worrier, Anu sees Celt as needing protection. Together with Dagda, her consort, she tries to offer Celt mitigation/comfort from Taranis, and warns about offering Celt too much information that will take away his hope.

Equivalent (with a few differences) to Juno, Roman queen of gods; and Ceres, Roman goddess of the harvest.

DAGDA

The great Celtic creation god, Dagda is both a champion womanizer, and devoted to his wife Anu. Characterized by pragmatic soft-heartedness, he especially celebrates the sexual opportunities offered to Celt from the prophecy cauldron.

Equivalent (with a few differences) to Roman king god, Jupiter.

OTHER DIVINITIES

LUGH

Celtic God of light, offers Celt choice of gifts in episode 3.

Equivalent (with a few differences) to Roman god Apollo.

ARDUINN

Celtic goddess of the forest, hunting. She too wishes she had been able to claim Celt as protegee.

Equivalent (with a few differences) to Roman goddess Diana.

CERNUNNOS

Celtic god of forest and animals. Quieter, retiring, he is the god Celt most resonates with, because Cernunnos asks nothing of him. Gives Celt the gift of enhanced communication with animals, which is both an asset and a curse when Celt is a bestiarus (animal fighter). In later centuries becomes the Green Man.

Equivalent (with quite a few differences) to Roman Pluto.

EPONA

Celtic goddess of horses – exactly the same in Rome. Gives Celt especial insight into horse speech. Celt sees her in the stars.

In his last moments, Epona brings his beloved horse Emer back so he can travel to the Underworld comforted by someone familiar. (Emer is one of the many reincarnations of Animal Companion.)

Other DIVINITIES include the gods/goddesses of water, wine, but have little influence on Celt. Mostly appear in episode 4 during the gift-giving ceremony with Celt.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Intriguing Concept and World

What I learned doing this assignment is that this is one of the easier assignments, since there’s a clear line to this from previous assignments.

A. A frustrated oversoul who wants to become an angel

B. Condemned to seemingly eternal human reincarnation

C. Discovers it must review past lives, help past lives purge regrets before it can ascend

D. So it relives different historical periods, genders, and occupations

Note: EACH SEASON covers an ENTIRE DIFFERENT LIFETIME (gladiator, medieval abbess, torturer, Welsh actuary, WW2 Polish journalist/freedom fighter, 21^st century writer)

Concept: First life as Celt (the first season)

A. A small 1^st century A.D. boy from Britannicus (G.B.)

B. Wants to save his village from Roman invasion/destruction

C. Bargains for their safety by serving the Celtic god of thunder

D. Becomes Roman slave gladiator

Hook #1

How does a frustrated Oversoul stop incarnating as a human and become an angel?

What regrets must be purged?

Hook #2 (for first season)

How does Celt survive Roman slavery as a gladiator without betraying his essential values?

For Oversoul:

Unique
Sub-World:

The reincarnational planning place of Life-Between-Lives (Heaven)

Previously
unexplored:

How multiple reincarnations are determined/chosen on individual basis

The
unknown:

How will past-lives react to each other?

How does a soul transcend human reincarnation?

What needs to be learned?

The
unseen:

How minor past divinities assert their power, influence action

How animal souls influence human incarnation

How past-lives influence the Oversoul

Unheard
of Dangers:

Friends in one lifetime could be agreed-upon enemies in next lifetime.

Karma is not reward or punishment, but a self-determined learning about issues from all perspectives.

Reason
to explore it:

Fulfills curiosity, supplies possible reality for what happens after physical human death.

For Celt:

Unique
Sub-World:

1^st century matriarchal Celtic culture vs. 1^st century patriarchal Roman culture

Previously
unexplored:

How gladiators were chosen, trained, and became celebrities.

The
unknown:

How emperors and Roman high officials manipulated the public with rivalries between gladiators and gladiatorial schools; how gladiators either went along, counter-acted, or resisted by forming professional associations (unions).

To Romans, how manner of facing death more important than death itself.

The
unseen:

Imperial patronage of gladiatorial schools

Influence of minor divinities on action/Celt’s choices

Unheard
of Dangers:

Reputation more important than dying to Romans.

Reason
to explore it:

Roman attitudes toward sex, death, celebrity, and gender norms provoke strong modern reactions and discussion about where and how we differ – and what we have in common.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson has done her BW Framework.

She would really, really like feedback, but doesn’t feel the formatting is the way she would like it to be.

(Frankly, there’s a lot more I’d like to do to it, but am feeling time-pressured, and realize a lot of what I want to do can happen later. The gist is there…)

What I learned doing this process is that it was extremely frustrating. I have more than 3 main characters but didn’t realize until I was part-way in, that the 6 main character framework was immediately under the 3 main character framework, so I basically did the 3 main character framework all the way through, and then added what I could of the information for the next 3 characters to the 6 main character framework, instead of re-pasting everything into the 6 main character framework.

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND TO HAL THAT HE CREATE SEPARATE DOCUMENTS FOR A 3 CHARACTER FRAMEWORK AND A 6 CHARACTER FRAMEWORK WITH SEPARATE LINKS TO AVOID CONFUSION IN THE FUTURE!!!!

Also, there is no such thing as a simple cut-and-paste from the existing homework into this document. I pasted the assignment questions from either emails or from the website into new word documents and answered the assignment questions within those documents. Trying to cut-and-paste from those word documents was virtually impossible because the formatting was completely screwed up during the paste, so it involved either retyping or cutting-and-pasting on a line-by-line basis.

Which would drive anyone crazy.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Creating Irony

What I learned doing this assignment is that it’s hard for me to differentiate between situational irony and character irony, because situational irony usually reveals character ironies. It also seems that mysteries can overlap with ironies.

Also, coming up with 20 ironies by creating opposite situations was hard, because most it operates against core actions in my story that are already ironic.

THREE WAYS TO CREATE IRONY (assignment description)

A. Pick anything important in your character or story and brainstorm opposites.

B. Something happens in your story, ask, “What could be going on under the surface that is contradictory to this?”

C. Something happens in your story, ask, “What Character Profile item could have this character acting opposite of what we would normally expect?

1. Look back through your previous assignments and find at least 20 different situations or character components that you could go opposite to create irony.

2. With each, brainstorm ideas for ways it could go opposite.

3. Select the ones that work well for the show and share the character and situational irony ideas with us.

Assignment 1 Example Show

Handmaid’s Tale

Character Irony

In her old life, June was politically apathetic in spite of having an activist mother. In Gilead, June becomes a freedom fighter.

Situational Irony

June is forced to have sex with Nick the chauffeur, but ends up falling in love with him (1^st irony), while still being in love with her husband (2^nd irony).

My show

Character or situational elements that could go opposite way

Situational opposites

<s>Parts of Celt’s village could pre-emptively attack Romans (going against their own peace-based values) instead of finding peaceful solution, splitting the village in two. (I don’t like this…)</s>

<s>Celt’s village could actively disbelieve Celt and Coran’s report of Romans. (I don’t like this…)</s>

<s>Sasha could betray Celt’s secret night outings to their parents, so Celt can’t join Coran and village is surprised by Roman soldiers appearance. (I don’t like this…)</s>

Character opposites (again, some of these seem like situational opposites, but they reveal character opposites).

<s>Clu could be a double agent and let Celt’s village know in advance of Roman intentions. (I don’t like this…)</s>

Taranis could egg on Celt to fight Romans. (possible)

<s>Celt could refuse to learn Latin, and side with Rudhek. (I don’t like this…)</s>

<s>Roman commander could dismiss Sirius’ use of soft power and threaten earlier…(I don’t like this…)</s>

What existing ironies I actually have so far (since I’ve already written pilot episode, and a couple of others).

Celt hides his own psychic abilities even though they could help the tribe.

Sirius believes working for Rome will lead to peace, but circumstances (Piran’s death, Celt’s being tormented by fellow Celts as a collaborator, the Roman rape of Celt girls), prove otherwise.

Celt’s collaboration leads to pain, but Clu’s doesn’t.

In episode 2, Tyran warns the ship that Celt is being raped by good-guy Dakarai (when Dakarai is not), and fails to warn the ship when Celt is actually being raped by bad guy Xola.

Celt is castigated by certain fellow Celts for using Latin which is perceived as collaborating with the enemy, but being able to speak Latin is a special skill that may help him achieve a better position as a Roman slave.

Munerium indictio is a Roman custom of giving blood money when someone is wronged, but with wronged slaves that money is given to the slave owner, not the enslaved.

The only way Celt can return home (his dearest wish) is either as a Roman soldier or serving a Roman soldier (Cletus) against his own people. If he escapes, fights for his people, and is re-caught by Rome, it’s a death sentence.

Because of his skill with animals and ability to communicate with them, Celt could be a successful bestiarus (beast fighter), but to do so compromises his love for all animals. A further irony is that his only other opportunity is to fight people, including those he likes.

Gladiatorial fights could involve putting on a show that simulates real fighting, but actually involves ‘pulling punches’ in a way that audiences can’t tell the difference. But if it’s discovered, both gladiators and the gladiatorial school can be punished.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Plot and Character Layers

What I learned doing this assignment was is that I can ‘manufacture’ layers, but not always sure the specific layer is the ‘best’ one.

Big Picture Layers from Handmaid’s Tale

Plot Surface: Major scheme

Patriarchal, biblically-based Republic of Gilead has overthrown U.S. government, forcing fertile women to become handmaids to unfertile commanders and wives.

Layer 1-

June is abducted, separated from husband and child, becomes handmaid to high up commander and wife.

Layer 2-Mystery revealed

June pretends to go along, but tells us she is looking for way out.

Layer 3-Story one thing, becomes another

June learns there are others who feel the same way she does, including ones she assumed had bought into Gilead philosophy. June becomes freedom fighter, chooses to stay in Gilead for original daughter, and to overthrow system.

Layer 4-Shift in meaning

June learns commander is not what he seems, flouts Gilead’s rules. Eventually learns chauffeur is also not what he seems.

Layer 5- Hidden plan

Commander’s wife has June have sex with chauffeur because she believes her husband’s infertile. Chauffeur may be ‘Eye’.

Layer 6-Major betrayal

Chauffeur (supposed to be ‘Eye’) falls in love with June, wants to help her and baby escape (betraying commander’s wife). Eventually commander’s wife helps baby escape, betraying husband.

Character layers

Character surface-June is a handmaid.

Layer 1-Hidden Agenda

June wants to find her child.

Layer 2- Hidden character history

June broke up a marriage to find husband in earlier life.

Layer 3-Secret Identity

June pretends to like commander in order to manipulate him.

Layer 4-Wound

June’s daughter was taken from her.

Layer 5-Competition

June must keep Aunt Lydia’s concerns about her fitness at bay, seem like a good handmaid.

Assignment 2-My Show

Plot layers-

Major scheme revealed-

· Oversoul wants to ascend, can’t, its past lives hold it back.

Mystery revealed-

· Oversoul must help past lives purge regrets.

Major shift in meaning-

· Oversoul who designs the lives is not ultimately in charge, must respect past lives’ choices, see them as colleagues.

Hidden history

· Oversoul has ignored certain lives, especially at least one ‘irredeemable’ one (the torturer)

Hidden plan

· Oversoul must interact with lesser divinities in order to make progress

Major betrayal

· Oversoul works at cross purposes with Writer?

CHARACTER LAYERS

Secret identity

Oversoul is not in charge as much as it thinks.

Character
intrigue

Oversoul must collaborate/cooperate with past lives and eventually, writer.

Hidden
relationships and conspiracies

Some other characters reappear over and over again in different lives, with different relationships to title character.

Hidden Character
history

Oversoul may not remember everything accurately, due to its own extreme regret and perceived ‘carelessness’ in designing some lives.

Celt’s story-

PLOT LAYERS – Story beneath the story.

Major scheme
revealed

Celt volunteers/semi-abducted by Romans in bargain with Celtic divinity Taranis in exchange for village’s safety.

Mystery revealed

Celt can see and speak with divinities.

Celtic ‘volunteers’ are to help emperor.

Thought the
story was one thing, but it is another

Volunteers are really to be Roman slaves.

Major shift in
Meaning

Celt must adapt to Roman customs without losing his values. Must find new life purpose within Roman society.

Hidden history

Celt may not be child of the parents he’s been brought up to think as his.

Hidden plan

Celt wants to find way to return home without endangering village by betraying bargain with Taranis.

Major betrayal

Celt discovers whatever he does, it will involve some form of violence against others (possibly even his own people) – especially if he does want to go home.

Celt Character Layers

Secret identity

· Psychic, sees and can speak with divinities

· Clairvoyant, can see present and future for village

Character Intrigue

· Sirius has agenda for Celt to work for caesaris familias as interpreter.

· Taranis has agenda for Celt to be violent.

· Acutius has agenda for Celt to be gladiator.

· Decebal has agenda for Celt to be smith.

· Emperor has agenda for Celt to be bestiarus.

· Various divinities want Celt to be smith, psychic, etc.

Hidden
relationships and conspiracies

Acutius is secretly a Celt himself, makes it a point to buy Celts wherever he can.

Tyran sells tokens of Celt (Celt’s semen, hair, etc., considered aphrodisiacs) in order to try and buy both their freedoms. Celt thinks it is Spurius who is doing it for his own personal gain, and nearly kills Spurius when he finds out.

Celt falls in love with fellow Celt woman that he can never have as permanent relationship, helps her escape with unborn son even though he never can leave Rome. He doesn’t want any child of his to be a Roman slave. (That woman will reincarnate as Abbess’ lesbian lover in convent). Son becomes leader of other Celts against Rome. In life of Abbess, Celt’s son is a rebellious postulant that the Abbess tries to mold in her image.

Celt is pressured to become bestiarus, which he hates. He pretends illness to get out of it, is smuggled to countryside, where he becomes lover of high-born wife of estate owner.

Celt has a daughter with another slave at neighboring estate. Daughter becomes slave of the daughter of the high-born woman with whom he has an affair.

Celt chooses to stay, partly because he is maimed when affair is discovered, partly because he wants to see his daughter grow up.

High-born woman’s daughter is appalled by her family’s maiming of Celt. She and Celt’s daughter become secret Christians. Celt is puzzled by daughter’s religious proclivities, due to his own growing skepticism about all religions.

Celt eventually returns to gladiatorial combat, chooses to die in ring at hands of Dakarai’s son.

Celt would like to be educated, understand Christianity, chooses to be woman (Abbess) in next life.

Hidden Character
history

His real father was a rare male psychic, who had affair with Celt’s mother, died in psychotic break, was killed by fellow villagers. Celt’s adoptive father knew.

Celt’s real father was a minor divinity turned fairy (depending on century). Perhaps real father IS Taranis?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Big Picture Open Loops

What I learned from doing this assignment is that it’s relatively easy to come up with questions/open loops. They seem to be pretty similar to the mystery assignment. (But for some reason, it was really difficult to do a cut-and-paste from my document to this online form today…)

Handmaid’s Tale- Big Picture Open Loops

· Will June escape?

· Will June reunite with her daughter and husband?

· How will June resist?

· How will other handmaids resist?

· Will June get caught?

· Will the society victimizing women be brought down? How?

2. Those loops can stimulate endless attempts at escape, different types of escape and near-escape

It also can highlight different values at conflict-what does it mean to escape, if you can’t escape with your child?

It also allows June to develop new strengths in dealing with these questions, and to test her ingenuity.

My show:

GOALS:

New goals?

· How will Oversoul find and help purge his past lives’ regrets?

· How will Celt communicate if he doesn’t use his tongue?

Goals related to the big picture?

· How will Oversoul interact with his past lives?

· What will Celt do now he’s saved his village? What kind of slave will he be?

Crushed goals?

o Celt successfully initially saves his family/village from Roman danger. But what’s the fall-out?

Competition / conflict around goals?

· How does Oversoul balance its past lives’ free will and help them without taking away their free will?

· How does Celt continue to resist Rome’s influence without losing the values he was brought up with?

CONSEQUENCES:

Are they going to be caught?

-If Celt leaves
with Coran, what will happen to Tyran?

Problems created from past actions?

· How will Oversoul demonstrate respect and listen to its past lives?

· How will Celt continue to protect Tyran if they are separated?

· What will Taranis require from Celt in the future?

Good plans gone wrong?

· How does Celt reconcile the fact that he can only temporarily save his village? What happens in the long-term to his village?

SOLVING PROBLEMS:

What is the major problem for this character?

· The major problem for Oversoul with Celt is to help Celt stop self-judgment/second guessing.

· The major problem for Celt is how to either survive in Rome or to return home without jeopardizing his bargain with Taranis.

What are they trying to solve?

· Oversoul needs to really listen to its past lives.

Major change imposed on character?

· Oversoul needs to love where it is.

· Celt has to figure out who he is as a slave.

Previous solutions cause new problems?

· Oversoul didn’t do a complete lives’ review.

· Celt’s attempted tongue mutilation slows down his efforts to learn about Rome because of reluctance to ask Dakarai.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Relationships in
peril?

New relationships forming?

· Oversoul starts to form deeper relationships with past lives.

· Celt forms a relationship with Sirius, but has to let it go to retain some of his own values. Celt finds another mentor in Dakarai, but has trouble trusting.

Conflict inside relationships?

· Celt must sever himself from Coran’s influence to save Tyran.

Relationships changing?

· Younger Tyran becomes a wise mentor at times to Celt.

DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:

Can they survive X?

· Can Celt survive the Romans and slavery?

Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions?

· Can Celt escape?

Who else is
pulled into their danger?

Internal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons)?

· Celt judges himself harshly for learning Latin when it’s perceived as collaborating with the enemy.

Big Picture Loops for My Show

1. Will Oversoul learn/help its past lives purge their regret so it can stop reincarnating as human? What qualities is it missing to do this?

2. Will Celt return home? If he doesn’t get home, how will he survive?

3. How will Celt communicate with a mangled tongue?

4. How will the Celtic divinities interfere with or help Celt?

5. What will happen to Celt in Rome?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Show Mysteries Assignment 2

What I learned from doing this exercise-the difference between secrets and withheld information feels a little confusing to me. I also was confused because although the assignment is fairly clearly stated at the end, there are ‘extra’ questions embedded in the examples which are different enough (even though they overlap with assignment questions) that they took me in a bunch of different directions which were hard to capture using the original questions. Sigh. I may actually have generated more than I need…

Oversoul

A. Shocking Event:

Oversoul can’t become enlightened angel without reviewing past lives (again) even though it thinks it’s already reviewed and healed them.

B. Secret

Who is Oversoul and why can’t it stop reincarnating as a human?

C. Investigation

Audience is set up to search for regrets of Oversoul’s past lives. Oversoul doesn’t know the answer to the what or how questions, but thinks it understands the other questions. Over time we find Oversoul may not understand as much as it thinks it does.

· Who are the past lives that have regrets?

· What are the regrets?

· Where did the past lives occur?

· When are these past lives?

· How will the regrets be purged?

Over Time Mystery-Part Withheld (Shocking events under the surface)

· Oversoul’s inability to jump from one life to another (because it wouldn’t learn the skills involved) forces it to do complete life reviews of each life.

· the idea that Oversoul could’ve left behind human existence immediately after its life as the Celt gladiator, bypassing many additional lives

· Ways in which other lives deviated from the blueprint Oversoul devised

· the discovery of other past lives Oversoul was unaware of that are still influencing it

· That Oversoul’s forgotten/avoiding living lives that it already set up for itself

· Oversoul doesn’t realize its past lives’ regrets are tied into its own regrets-Oversoul blames itself for not setting up a better blueprint.

· Oversoul ignores the earlier gods/goddesses/divinities and those minor/outdated divinities must be worked with/honored for their contributions in order for Oversoul to progress.

· the knowledge that those Oversoul tortured in one life had been its friends and colleagues in other lives

· Places Oversoul lost control of events, almost gave up

· Past lives (and specific events) it’s ashamed of

· That other souls Oversoul touched in various past lives and its future lives are trying to reach Oversoul to ask for and to extend forgiveness and aid

· the offer by another higher entity to end Oversoul’s human reincarnation by ending Oversoul’s examination of past lives, leaving its past lives unhealed

· the reveal that the ‘higher entity’ is a projection and also part of Oversoul

What could the main character’s current situation be covering up?

· its sense of inadequacy to transcend human life

Ultimate reveals

· Animal companion knows both more and less than Oversoul hopes and fears

· Oversoul’s mystery could be that it’s part of a group of Oversouls who are supposed to be working together and Oversoul has forgotten and blocked them out and they’re trying to reach Oversoul (through the Animal Companion?)

· Oversoul must overcome its despair when it learns it could’ve ‘gone home’/’become an angel’ at any point

· Oversoul must overcome its own regret about its past lives’ regrets and ‘own’ those regrets as its own.

· Oversoul must change its perception of its past lives and see them as colleagues (particularly the writer life), not just as pawn pieces with annoying free will (hint: sometimes the past lives have great insights on other past lives…)

· Oversoul learns healing an issue in one life promotes healing of the same issue in other lives

· Oversoul must ultimately love all parts of itself before all parts agree that they’ve experienced everything that human life can offer before they ‘transcend’

Celt (the first life)

What
events from the main character’s past could be hidden?

A. Shocking Event

Celt’s shocking events that disrupt his reality

· Romans arrive

· bargain with god Taranis resulting in ‘volunteering’ to go with Romans to save village

· murder of Piran (Tyran’s twin)

· castigation by fellow Celts for learning Latin

· attempted self-mutilation of tongue

B. Secrets:

· Celt can see and speak with divinities.

· What Romans really want Celts for (slavery)

· Sirius manipulates Celt into learning Latin (collaborating) to ensure docility of other Celt-slaves

· Munerium indictio means no justice for wronged slaves or their families

· Celt girls are raped by soldiers

C. Investigation:

· Audience knows who Taranis is (god of thunder, violence)

· What does Taranis require from Celt when Taranis says he wants to be the primary influence in Celt’s life?

· When does Celt have to ‘pay’? (Audience assumes going with the Romans NOW is part of Celt’s ‘when’.)

· Where? Celt goes to Rome

· How? Celt walks with Romans to ships.

· Parts Withheld:

Celt’ hidden past life/parts withheld

· times he shared psychic impressions and was ridiculed

· times he let down his father

· times he was jealous of his best friend

· time he was babysitting a sister and he lost track of her and she died

· times he was beaten up by Rudhek

Over Time Mystery

A. Cover up

· Other Celt divinities don’t like Taranis’ bargain, think it’s unfair to Celt

· Taranis doesn’t care where Celt uses violence, whether it’s as a soldier or a gladiator

· Celt resents Tyran for losing his one chance at freedom, forgets Tyran, feels freer when Tyran isn’t with him (but feels guilty when he realizes this)

B. Secret

· Celt could’ve been adopted by the people he assumes are his parents, but really is the child of psychic mother and father who were killed by Romans, and he’s never been told

· Celt could’ve stayed with village, would’ve made no difference to village’s ultimate survival/ safety

C. Reveals

· Who really has power over Celt?

· What are Celt’s most important and useful talents? What is Celt’s purpose once he’s protected his village? What will he be required to do by Taranis?

· Where will he live? Will he ever get to return home?

· When will he be free of Taranis and the gods’ influence? When will he come into his own?

· Why are the Celtic and Roman gods so interested in Celt?

· How will Celt use his gifts? How will he integrate into Roman society? How will Tyran be part of his life?

Long reveal (part of Oversoul/Writer’s reveal)

o Celt’s bargain with gods may have been a psychological projection to justify going with Romans.

Parts withheld

· Celt must discover/create a purpose for himself that gives his life meaning, once he realizes he can’t/won’t leave Rome.

· Celt must find way to adjust from matriarchal to patriarchal society

· Celt will be faced with decision to become a bestiarus (animal killer in colosseum) or gladiator (human fighter)

· Celt will have to find way to sidestep being permanent bestiarus

· Celt eventually capitulates/adopts certain Roman values, but hates himself for it

· Celt vows not to sire children who might become Roman slaves, but circumstances make him a reluctant father

· Handicapped/injured older Celt will have to decide how he wants to end his life-in the ring, or on a farm with his daughter

· Celt’s enslaved adult daughter will become a Christian, challenging Celt’s own views

· Dakarai’s son may be the gladiator who takes Celt out

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Show Mysteries (Assignment 1 only, #2 posted later)

Assignment 1 Module 1, Lesson 8 Creating Mystery

What I learned from assignment 1 is how beautifully clear, rational, layered (and ironic) the plot is for “Handmaid’s Tale”.

The Handmaid’s Tale

Instant mystery

Opening scene – Shocking event

Mother, father, child being pursued by sirens

· Who is chasing them?

· What is the purpose for chasing them?

· Where in the world is this set?

· When is this set?

· How did this situation come about?

· Why is this particular family being chased and separated?

Over time mystery

· Who are the groups that perpetuated this society (and who resists them)?

· What do the leaders hope to accomplish?

· Where do they want to take this society?

· When will a resistance form?

· How will June and others escape this, find her stolen child, reunite with husband?

· Why is this society attractive to its adherents?

June’s hidden past

· broke up a marriage to get her current partner

· was apathetic about political situation

· has activist/feminist mother she may have ‘let down’ by marrying and having traditional family

· current situation covering up June’s rage

Shocking ongoing events

· is raped routinely as a handmaid

· eventually finds true love in a hostile situation

Cover up

A. Cover up presented as reality

· the ceremony is ‘legalized rape, given a biblically-based cover

· June plays up to rapist/commander in order to expose regime, learns secrets to destroy it

B. Secret: Intriguing past event or secret is hidden.

· the commander’s wife was an architect of the society that now represses her (also a reveal)

· the chauffeur is really an ‘eye’ for the regime (also a reveal)

C. Reveals: We discover small bits over time. Clues are presented over time that challenge the “reality.”

· Chauffeur will betray/lie to regime to help save June.

· Commander will betray regime values/visit city for prostitutes to bed June in sexier way

· Marthas are architects of resistance

· Commander’s wife will challenge regime in small ways and pay the price

· Commander’s wife will betray commander

· Other commanders will betray regime

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Show Empathy/Distress

What I learned doing this assignment is that creating empathy/distress is one of the easier tasks for my project early on, and I want to continue that going forward.

Big Picture Distress – 13 Reasons Why

A. Undeserved Misfortune

Clay’s crush kills herself

B. External Character Conflicts

Intentional – Clay lies to parents to protect Hannah’s secret

Unintentional – Clay’s lying hurts mother’s feelings

C. Plot Intruding On Life

Other students (part of the 13) undermine Clay, steal bike, plant weed, to shut him up

D. Moral Dilemmas

Clay doesn’t reveal how deep his relationship with Hannah was or tapes existence to Hannah’s parents

E. Forced Decisions They’d Never Make

Outside of lying/concealment, haven’t seen this.

Big Picture Distress – Celt

A. Undeserved
misfortune.

Celt is torn away from family, made a slave.

B. External
Character conflicts.

Intentional-Taranis forces Celt into a bargain he doesn’t want to save his village

Unintentional-Roman Spurius’ insistence on Celt learning Latin leads to charges of enemy collaboration from his fellow Celts

Unintentional-Celt trying to cut out his own tongue from guilt leads to Spurius abandoning him

Unintentional-Tyran’s misperception of Dakarai’s behavior to Celt leads to Dakarai’s beating by pirates

C. Plot
intruding on life.

Roman entrance into village forces Celt to consider leaving it.

D. Moral
dilemmas.

Celt is offered chance to escape from Romans by his best friend, but can’t abandon Tyran who lost his twin brother, forcing Celt to remain slave.

E. Forced
decisions they’d never make.

In later episode, animal-loving Celt is forced to become a bestiarus (an animal killer/hunter in Colosseum).

In later episode, Celt has to choose between endangering the woman he loves (who’s carrying his baby) by keeping her in Rome, or by helping her to escape.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson Relationship Maps

(I wish you guys had a way we could just paste in the map with this info…)

What I learned from doing this assignment is that I seem to have a complicated way of expressing simple things when it comes to relationship maps.

13 Reasons Why Relationship Map

Clay to Hannah

Relationship Surface – Mutual Crush

Relationship Common Ground – Both like each other

Relationship Conflict- Clay doesn’t voice his attraction in time to prevent Hannah’s suicide

Relationship History- Meet cute at cinema job, but Hannah doesn’t initially see Clay as boyfriend material, then falls for him, but unable to be honest about what’s going on with her; devastates Clay with her suicide

Relationship Subtext – Unshared information about what’s going on with Hannah

Relationship Arc- Not knowing each other well to falling in love
to losing each other

Clay to Tony

Relationship Surface- Mentee, guide to tapes

Relationship Common Ground- Both know about tapes, were friends with Hannah.

Relationship Conflict-Tony won’t share info from tapes until Clay listens to them

Relationship History- Tony is keeper of Hannah’s tapes, shadows Clay to make sure he’s alright

Relationship Subtext- Tony is gay, has boyfriend but may be attracted to oblivious Clay

Relationship Arc- Tony starts out as father figure (calls Clay ‘son’), acts like stalker, but ‘saves’ Clay when he gets into trouble. From mentoring to friends

Clay to Bryce

Relationship Surface- Jock villain, Hannah (and other girls’) rapist

Relationship Common Ground-Both know Hannah, go to same school

Relationship Conflict- Bryce is arrogant, tries to bully Clay

Relationship History-Fearing what Clay will reveal, Bryce beats up Clay, but Clay secretly tapes Bryce admitting to rape

Relationship Subtext-Bryce is an insensitive bully, but unsure of what Clay can do.

Relationship Arc-Bryce seems stronger in all ways than Clay, but
Clay turns tables on him by using smarts, vs. brute strength. (From reluctant
respect to loathing

Living My Lives/Celt

Oversoul to Writer-

Relationship Surface-Designer of her life

Relationship Common Ground-Both working on same thing, one in heaven, one
on earth

Relationship Conflict-

Oversoul doesn’t want to get involved in writing

Relationship History- Believes writer doesn’t need them to realizing
destinies intertwined

Relationship Subtext- Unconscious colleague

Relationship Arc- From not paying attention to seeing her needs
intersect with its needs.

Oversoul to Celt

Relationship Surface- Designer of his life

Relationship Common Ground- Both want to purge regret

Relationship Conflict-

Celt can’t let go of regret, Oversoul must help

Relationship History- First life with complexity, competing religions,
active conscience

Relationship Subtext- One of best lives, didn’t realize it at time
(like Dorothy not knowing she was always able to get home)

Relationship Arc- From fondness to aggravation to respect

Oversoul to Tyran

Relationship Surface- Only connection is Celt

Relationship Common Ground-

Both want Celt to succeed

Relationship Conflict- Tyran gets in the way, seemingly limits Celt’s
options

Relationship History- Oversoul didn’t set up life for Celt thinking
Tyran would play such a big part, reluctantly has to adjust

Relationship Subtext-Interference

Relationship Arc- From taking him for granted to realizing he’s
important

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Elizabeth Dickinson’s Characters’ Emotions

What I learned from doing this exercise is that this is one of the easier exercises for me to do – the answers come more easily to me than they did for the other exercises. (So hope I did it ‘right’…)

ASSIGNMENT 1: 13 Reasons Why

Clay

A. Situational: Hope / Fear

Hopes that something he did unconsciously didn’t cause Hannah’s death/Fear that it did

B. Motivation: Want / Need

Wants Hannah back/Needs to know he didn’t let her down

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion /
Public Mask

Fears being judged/seeks justice for Hannah

D. Weaknesses

Toxic guilt, anxiety, depression

E. Triggers

Learning new information about how she was bullied

F. Coping Mechanism

Putting himself down, blaming himself

Hannah

A. Situational: Hope / Fear

Hopes more people will genuinely want to be her friend/fear that they won’t

B. Motivation: Want / Need

Wants to be liked for herself/needs to know she is worthy of love

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion /
Public Mask

Insecurity/confidence

D. Weaknesses

Needs the outreach to her to be ‘perfect’, withdraws if it isn’t.

E. Triggers

Someone being nice to her, then taking it away, betraying her

F. Coping Mechanism

Sarcastic humor

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ASSIGNMENT 2: Living My Lives/Celt

Oversoul

A. Situational: Hope / Fear

Hopes its work has paid off/fears it hasn’t

B. Motivation: Want / Need

Wants to become angel/needs to know it’s ready for transcendence

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion /
Public Mask

Hopelessness/eagerness to do what is necessary

D. Weaknesses

Impatience, minimizes importance of other lives’ wants

E. Triggers

Past lives not sticking to plan, others’ self-doubts

F. Coping Mechanism

Asks intellectual questions to avoid having to ask emotional ones

Writer

A. Situational: Hope / Fear

Hopes her work will pay off/fears it won’t in time

B. Motivation: Want / Need

Wants to find meaning in every life/needs everything to make sense

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion /
Public Mask

Over-reliance on her project to determine her worth/tenacity

D. Weaknesses

Self-doubt

E. Triggers

Bad writing days, contradictory information, feeling alone

F. Coping Mechanism

Refocus, over-focus

Celt

A. Situational: Hope / Fear

Hopes to be worthy of his upbringing/fears it won’t bring him happiness

B. Motivation: Want / Need

Wants to do things right way in accordance with divine will/needs to go home/needs to be loved no matter his actions

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion /
Public Mask

Doesn’t believe his efforts are enough/tries too hard as an adult, hardness/arrogance/what-the-hell attitude

D. Weaknesses

Guilt, self-blame

E. Triggers

Perceived dangers to other’s safety, abuse of people or animals

F. Coping Mechanism

Martyring himself for others

Tyran

A. Situational: Hope / Fear

Hopes to have fun/adventure/pleasure/fears it will cause negative judgment

B. Motivation: Want / Need

Wants to be with Celt/needs to be needed

C. Mask: Base Negative Emotion /
Public Mask

Excessive worry/too accommodating

D. Weaknesses

Hides true nature/feelings

E. Triggers

Danger to Celt

F. Coping Mechanism

Involving the powerful or avoiding the issue

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 1 Lesson 4 Intriguing Character Layers

What I learned doing this assignment is I’m not always sure the difference between the categories. Hidden agenda seems like something you want to see accomplished that you haven’t voiced. Conspiracy is joining with others to see something done that others wouldn’t approve of. Secrets are information others don’t know but that you don’t act on. Deception is actively hiding secrets from others by not telling the truth. Wounds can also be secrets or deception but are based on something hurting at your core. Sometimes the categories overlap – i.e. secrets based on wounds lead to deception lead to conspiracies, etc.

Also learned simply asking these questions stimulates new information for the story.

ASSIGNMENT 1:

1. Think about your Example Show. Make a list of the places you’ve already seen Character Intrigue in the previous episodes.

Going back to “13 Reasons Why” for this:

Hidden Agenda:

Clay wants some form of justice for Hannah’s suicide from the people responsible for it.

Clay lies to his parents about what he’s doing (listening to the tapes and claiming it’s homework, meeting other characters to discuss ‘homework’, etc.) Once Clay’s mother becomes the defense lawyer for the school, it ratchets up the consequences for Clay keeping the tapes secret.

Competition:

Clay is in competition with all the people who have already listened to the tapes. So they all have more knowledge than he does. Clay is the ‘wild card’ to them because the other characters know he deserves less blame than they do, and they fear what he’ll do when he knows Hannah’s full story.

Conspiracy:

Clay’s classmates who are part of the 13 are constantly conspiring to keep Clay quiet – by threatening, taking his bike, planting weed in his backpack, getting him suspended, etc.

Secrets

Clay secretly loves Hannah, and only expresses it when she’s dead. Sharing that with her might’ve saved her life. (Doesn’t get much bigger than that…)

Deception

Clay deceives his mother about the tapes and how well he knew Hannah, lies to Tony (starting with ‘borrowing’ Tony’s Walkman without asking and lying about it), etc.

Wound

Clay is too insecure to admit his love for Hannah directly.

Secret identity

Internally Clay thinks of himself as an awkward nerd, but at least some other characters see him as cooler than he thinks of himself.

2. Watch the next episode and see how Character Intrigue is being used to create the need to see more episodes.

There’s constant tension in this series because others in the 13 know more than Clay does, and each of them has a different take on the reliability of Hannah’s narrative. Clay is constantly trying to catch up, all the while dreading each piece of information – especially anything Hannah might say that could put the blame on him. The 13 disagree/interpret the information differently and the viewers are in Clay’s shoes – we don’t know what we don’t know, so we’re on the edge of our seats, trying to guess what the 13 are referring to.

ASSIGNMENT 2

Character Name:

Celt

Role:

Roman slave

Hidden agendas

Wants to return home without breaking bargain with Taranis and endangering village.

Competition

With Rudhek, on best way to deal with Romans. With Sirius, on how to work with Celt boys. With Spurius, for Acutius’ attention/approbation. With Xola for Dakarai’s attention.

Conspiracies:

With Taranis to save Celt’s people.

Secrets:

Celt’s psychic ability/visions. Celt’s desire to go home (from everyone except the gods). Celt’s desire to be free of Tyran.

Deception

Celt consciously says he wants Tyran in his life, but harbors unspoken doubts/reservations.

Wound:

Celt’s belief that his linguistic/interpretive ability couldn’t save lives. Guilt that he couldn’t save Tyran’s brother.

Secret Identity:

He identifies as Celtic even after he adopts Roman customs.

· Character Name

Oversoul

· Role

Designer of lives

· Hidden agenda

Wants to become angel without doing any more work on his past lives or in listening to them

· Competition

None so far

· Conspiracies

None so far

· Secrets

Doesn’t like all his lives equally, is impatient and/or embarrassed by some of them

· Deception

Won’t admit his dislike

· Wound

Believes feeling regret makes it weak, less likely to progress

· Character Name

Tyran

· Role

Celt’s tribal brother

· Hidden Agenda

Wants to be more than a brother to Celt

· Competition

Doesn’t like Spurius or anyone who takes Celt’s attention

· Conspiracies

Tries to undermine Spurius (how? Intercepting messages?)

· Secrets

Actually liked being a prostitute, at least some of the time

· Deception

Leaves brothel to find Celt, lies about it

· Wound

Believes he should have died, instead of twin brother

· Character Name

Abbess

· Role

Reluctant daughter left in nunnery, becomes powerful Abbess

· Hidden Agenda

Wants a life of fun and sex

· Competition

Other nuns who want her position/status. With political operative because she thinks she’s as good as he is.

· Conspiracies

Seeks to leave nunnery with lover

· Secrets

Likes power she wields, first sexual power, then administrative power

· Deception

Lies to political operative about her feelings

· Wound

Believes her family didn’t value her or think she was capable of a life on the run, so left her in nunnery

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 1 Lesson 3 Engaging Main Characters

What I learned doing this assignment is that I have a cool story, but I haven’t found the best way to describe it yet. While asking these questions can help refine it, my concept for this story is so multi-leveled, that at times I just have to write my way into it, and to revise it later…

I watched “Breaking Bad”, “13 Reasons Why” but those were used as examples for this exercise, so switched to “The 100” for this exercise.

A. Role in the show:

Clarke is the uber-responsible lead committed to keeping everyone safe on a radiation-saturated earth by (primarily) peaceful means.

Bellamy is a former would-be assassin also committed to keeping everyone safe, but who prefers violent means to do it, particularly against outsiders.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

Clarke has both medical healing and leadership abilities. Her purpose is to keep others safe.

Bellamy can inspire the 100 to follow him. His story purpose is to be a foil to Clarke.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

Clarke hasn’t forgiven those she blames for her father’s death. She is also attracted to Finn, but when his girlfriend arrives, feels she must give him up.

Bellamy hasn’t revealed he was the chancellor’s would-be assassin, nor that his motivation in stowing aboard the pod was to be with his sister. He doesn’t necessarily want the adults to arrive on earth, because under the Ark’s rules he would be executed.

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they
crossing?

Clarke finds that her anti-violent stance can’t hold in a world where others espouse violence.

Bellamy will do anything to save his sister, even if it means sacrificing others to do so.

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

Clarke-discovers that violence sometimes gets her what she wants.

Bellamy-what will he do to conceal his past as assassin and protect his sister?

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

Clarke- her motivation is so good, she really cares about people. She lost her father to ‘floating’ when he was only trying to do good by informing people of things they needed to know.

Bellamy – he promised to care for his sister from her birth, and will do anything to protect her, even though she’s ungrateful most of the time.

My show “Living My Lives” with first season called “Celt”

1. Tell us the journey of your show.

From cranky Oversoul with a single minded desire to stop its earthly incarnations to an Oversoul who’s concerned about helping each life purge its unique regret.

Celt’s journey is from a naïve, psychic, boy who second guesses himself to a powerful, arrogant gladiator, who ultimately has to reconcile what he’s become with his original spiritual beliefs.

2. Who are the main characters that will sell your show?

Oversoul

Celt

Writer

3. Answer these questions for each of those characters.

A. Role in the show:

Oversoul – the character who can’t become an angel until it discovers and helps purge each of its past lives’ dilemmas/regrets.

Celt- the first season subject who subjects himself to slavery to save his village from harm.

Writer – the woman who wants to solve the plot and to help the Oversoul become an angel, so she can evolve.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

Oversoul-chose the blueprint for each lifetime, knows the ‘stories’ of each lifetime.

Celt has ability to adapt to changing circumstances, to see/communicate with gods/goddesses, to learn languages easily, and is physically strong.

Writer – works in tandem with the Oversoul, shares knowledge of the lifetimes.

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface?

Oversoul is not very fond of human reincarnation, and not very fond of its lives. Oversoul doesn’t understand why it has to focus on them.

Celt regrets volunteering to go with the Romans and wants to return home. He feels guilty because his linguistic skills don’t keep his fellow slaves from harm.

Writer- has the power to change the plotline more easily than the Oversoul.

D. Moral Issue: What moral boundaries are they
crossing?

Oversoul doesn’t want to listen to its characters nor to intervene.

In order to fit in, Celt first hides his psychic abilities from his tribe. Later, to fit into the paternalistic Roma society, he has to betray his matriarchal values by demeaning women and animals.

E. Unpredictable: What will they do next?

Oversoul – what is it willing to do to help its various lives change the course of their history – or to change their perceptions of it?

Celt – how can he succeed without using his tongue? How will he succeed in Rome as a bestiarus/gladiator without betraying his own principles? How will he deal with his own guilt when he adopts Roman ways?

F. Empathetic: Why do we care?

Oversoul – the more it delves into its own lives, the more we understand about why it doesn’t want to be human any more.

Celt – gave up his own freedom to save his village, and pays dearly for it. Agonizes how he could do things differently at every step.

Writer – wants to fulfill her destiny and feels getting story right is last chance to do so.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Day 2 Assignment

What I learned doing this assignment is that I’d like to integrate the subsidiary characters in each season of my show as reincarnations of previous characters in other seasons, not just the main character. But that I don’t think I can do that until the first season characters are completely set. And that there are a whole bunch more characters who need to be fleshed out first.

ASSIGNMENT 1:

A. Main Characters Circle: 13 Reasons Why

Hannah – the suicide who starts at a new high school as a confident, off-beat, secure person and who deteriorates through bullying

Clay – the socially awkward nerd consumed by guilt who loves Hannah and who seeks justice on her behalf

B. Connected Circle:

Hannah’s parents

Clay’s parents

Tony

Justin

Alex

Jessica

Tyler

Courtney

Marcus

Zach

Ryan

Bryce

Mr. Porter

C. Environment Circle:

Jenny

Kat

Andrea

Wally

Ms. Antilly

Mrs. Bradley

Skye

ASSIGNMENT 2:

1. Three circles of characters for my show.

A. Main
Characters Circle (in framing of story)

Oversoul – a soul who who needs to listen to the wisdom of 6 previous lives and help them purge their regrets so he can stop reincarnating

Animal Companion – the animal who accompanies him and who changes form as needed

Female writer – the unconscious element bringing the Oversoul and his lives together by writing their story

Season 1 main characters

Celt – the small 1^st century Celt boy with unwanted psychic ability who makes a bargain with a Celtic god and volunteers to go with the Roman legionnaires/slave traders to save his village, who becomes a slave, and ultimately a gladiator

Tyran – the even smaller, insecure boy who goes with Celt, who supports Celt, but who alternately feels like a burden or a support to Celt.

Season 1 connected characters

Coran – Celt’s best friend

Aiolfe – Celt’s crush

Sasha – Celt’s youngest sister

Clu – the Celt trader/leader who collaborates with the Romans

Rudhek – the older, war-like boy from Celt’s tribe who despises Celt for learning/teaching the Roman language

Spurius – the Roman legionnaire and senator’s son who believes in Rome using soft power, who teaches Celt Latin

Cletus – the Roman legionnaire who wants to buy Celt as his servant

Carbo – Cletus’ father who teaches Celt in the colliery

Dakarai – the Greek-educated Aethiopian slave who guides Celt

Acutius – the Roman head of the gladiator school who buys Celt

Decebal – Acutius’ brother – the lead smith at the gladiatorial school

Spurius – a cross-eyed, gossiping messenger slave for Acutius who both advises and is jealous of Celt

Elderly aquari – publicly owned, water-bearing slave

Xola – initially Dakarai’s friend, later Celt’s rapist

Taranis – the god with whom Celt makes a lifechanging bargain

Brigit – the female Celtic goddess of prophecy and smithing

Other Celtic and Roman divinities

Narek – Cilician pirate captain

Quaestor – runs slave market

Olive-skinned girl who collects public urine for washing clothes

Emer – Celt’s first horse

Unnamed horse – the horse with whom Celt learns to speak

Servius – the female servant who takes care of Celt when he is banished and hurt

Livia – Celt’s high born lover

Livia’s husband

Livia’s daughter who gets Celt’s daughter as her personal slave

Celt’s first slave lover

Celt’s second slave lover

Celt’s daughter by the second slave lover

Celt’s daughter’s Christian husband

Head horse trainer

Martial- famous Roman epigramist/poet who meets Celt at a dinner party

Carpophoros – famous Roman bestiarus who takes Celt under his wing

Season 1 environment circle

Marta – female head of Celt’s village

Celt’s parents

Roman legionnaires

Roman gladiatorial personnel

Roman ship captains

Slave buyers

Cilician pirates

Roman crowds

Season 2 main characters- The Reluctant Abbess

9^th century Abbess – initially an exuberant young girl temporarily left in a nunnery to protect her from war, who becomes the powerful head of a nunnery

Abbess’ young love – the builder who initially gets the young girl to run away with him

Political operative – the clever, ugly usurping king’s advisor and would-be husband of the young girl – the only alternative to the young girl’s wish to avoid the religious life.

Viking leader – the raider who falls for the Abbess

Season 3 main character –

14^th century Torturer – the young boy born in extreme poverty whose only option is to join the king’s army who loses his way and becomes a torturer because no one else wants to do it.

Season 4 main character

19^th century Welsh actuary – the young man who becomes an alcoholic after being bullied by his family to become one of the first actuaries, when his real dream is to become an architect and construct decent homes for the poor.

Season 5 main character

WW2 half Jewish, half Catholic female Polish journalist/activist/freedom fighter who stays in Poland to warn everyone against, and to work against Hitler, eventually losing her life – but not before she smuggles out microfiche to America showing the reality of the Holocaust.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

Module 1 Homework

What I learned from doing this assignment:

“13 Reasons Why” showed how using a potentially unreliable narrator and ‘hiding the ball’ (sharing information out of context/out of order) builds suspense, mystery, and intrigue.

1. What is the big hook of this show? (“13 Reasons Why”)

The big hook of this show is that a high school girl who committed suicide leaves 13 cassette tapes with instructions to pass them sequentially to the people who let her down and caused her to take her life.

2. Amazing and Intriguing Character

What makes these main characters intriguing and interesting?

The tapes are primarily interpreted/presented through the suicidal girl’s viewpoint and through the eyes of a boy who had a crush on the suicide, and who himself is the subject of one of the tapes. He is wracked with both his own guilt (What warning signs did he miss? Could he have saved her?) and anger at the other characters who hurt her.

The supporting characters each have compelling backstories (popular jocks and leaders and losers who are not what they seem); and earnest and helpful adult figures who are at a loss to understand the situation – and who are misled by the teenage leads.

The two leads engage in charming banter, have obviously fallen for each other, and yet somehow keep missing opportunities to develop a full-fledged relationship.

The male lead is attractive in his desire to get justice for his almost-girlfriend, and puts himself in physical and social danger to fulfill his quest to have the truth revealed.

3. Empathy / Distress

We feel both empathy and distress for the leads
Ask this: What situation causes us to feel both empathy and distress for this character?

From the very beginning, we understand the lead has committed suicide, and that it’s affected the whole community. We become part of that community and both look forward to (and dread) hearing the reasons why.

4. Layers / Open Loops
What questions are created by this first episode that can only be answered by watching the entire season?

We know (along with all the characters) that we only will learn the entire truth of the suicide by watching every episode.

5. Inviting Obsession
Ask this: How does this pilot create the need to see every single episode?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

This was on NPR yesterday:
https://www.mprnews.org/amp/story/2022/07/19/npr-netflix-second-quarter

“The binge watching model needs to be modified. The report gushes about the success of “Stranger Things,” which emerged as its biggest English-language TV hit ever in its fourth season, with 1.3 billion hours viewed. What the report doesn’t note, however, is that the show’s most recent season debuted in two chunks, ensuring that fans remained interested in the show over several weeks, keeping episodes in the streamer’s Top 10 for a long while.

As much as some fans might enjoy the ability to access all episodes of a show’s season at once, it seems healthier for more series to stretch out the release of episodes — allowing conversation about good shows to build, while giving potential fans more time to find a show.”

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

When I click on the lesson discussions, it says both that there aren’t any, and that I can’t start any. Support hasn’t responded to emails left last week, including the ones sent through my email program and sent through the online form. I included Cheryl’s email on one of them. Not sure what to do. I also noticed that a lesson that earlier was supposed to be available today has now been pushed back 2 days. What’s up?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

I’m also not seeing a place to post our work yet. Where should we go to do this?

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

1. Elizabeth Dickinson

2. I’ve written 3 full-length screenplays, 3 short screenplays, 1 solo stage show, 1 play, 1 completed novel, 1 in-process novel, a serial pilot and 2 additional episodes.

3. I hope to get much more clear about the framing for my tv pilot, take my writing to the next level, gain representation, get my work produced, and work in a writers’ room for historical fiction/fantasy.

4. I’ve run for political office and have won a number of amateur ballroom dancing championships. Additionally, I have worked as a professional actor (member of all the unions), a counselor and life coach, a lobbyist for progressive nonprofits, a landlord, and as a community activist/organizer. I’m also a member of Screenwriters Workshop, where I give and receive feedback on my work, have taken over 2 dozen writing courses from multiple organizations including the Loft Literary Center, FilmNorth, UCLA, etc., and have placed at semi-final level for most of my screenplays. My favorite genre to both read and watch is historical fiction/fantasy. I enjoy writing both novels and scripts and find I can sometimes solve creative problems by switching back and forth by writing the same work in both formats.

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

I agree to the terms of the release form.

Elizabeth Dickinson

[Elizabeth Dickinson]

My feedback to your short pitch is that it could describe almost anyone, so be sure to include at least a couple of unique-to-you compelling details that would suck in a producer/manager…🙂