Replies – Forums – K-onna Mason

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K-onna Mason

Member
June 24, 2021 at 7:03 pm in reply to: Post Day 7 Assignment Here

K-onna’s High Speed Beat Sheet

What I learned doing this assignment is it’s a nice quick way to get your story more fleshed out.

I commit to using the High Speed Writing Rules to get my script done at record speed.

INT. BAR – DAY

OPENING.

Vicky picks up a john.

INT. SEEDY MOTEL – DAY

The john is murdered.

INT. LOW-RENT APARTMENT – NIGHT

Jane sneaks out of the house; meets up with Vicky who goads her into going off with Vince.

EXT. OLD WAREHOUSE – DAY

INCITING INCIDENT: Vince meets with bad guys and is murdered; Jane escapes, meets up with Vicky

INT. SEEDY BAR – NIGHT

Vicky has get get her “go” bag; betrays Jane

EXT. BAR – NIGHT

TURNING POINT. Jane escapes bad guys

TE. Jane learns the hard way about not letting herself be manipulated

EXT. CITY STREETS – DAY

Jane see bad guy on tv. He is a big wig and has gotten away with murder. Maybe involved with her family.

NEW PLAN. Jane’s co-worker Linda tells about her brother’s friend John who works for the FBI.

TE. Jane makes proactive decision to meet John. Maybe he can help her.

INT. LINDA’S HOUSE – NIGHT

Someone is sneaking in. Jane goes on alert and almost shoots Linda’s younger sister.

INT. LINDA’S KITCHEN – NIGHT – LATER

Someone is sneaking in without keys. Jane knocks them down.

INT. LINDA’S BATHROOM – NIGHT

Bandaging and banter

INT. LINDA’S KITCHEN – DAY

breakfast scene with family

INT. CAFE – DAY

PLAN IN ACTION. Meets John and subtly plies him for information to see if he can help her.

PLACEHOLDER

John calls FBI buddy to do some research on Jane (maybe sees gun after the takedown?)

EXT. PARK – DAY

mask discussion, fireworks

INT. LINDA’S LIVING ROOM – NIGHT

Jane sneaks in to where John is sleeping

INT. LINDA’S HOUSE – DAY

Packing up to go home; John is concerned about Jane

PLACEHOLDER

guy who sneaks into Jane’s apartment

INT. JANE’S APARTMENT – DAY

John asks her about her furtive behavior. They end up having an important discussion.

TE. She starts to trust her own judgement during a discussion with John about the weather

MIDPOINT TURNING POINT. After John leaves, Jane discovers that someone has broken into her apartment. She starts to distrust John again.

She practices running.

PLACEHOLDER

Johns’ buddy tells him what he found out about Jane – thinks she might be Vicky

RETHINK EVERYTHING – PLACEHOLDER FOR SCENE

something changes her mind

INT. FANCY HOTEL IN NEW YORK – NIGHT

NEW PLAN / TE. She decides to stop avoiding life and accepts John’s invite to the big event where she plans to tell him who she is and ask for his help.

TURNING POINT. Jane finds John with the murderer

INT. MEDIUM BUDGET MOTEL – NIGHT

John comes to her hotel.

TE. Jane takes control of her situation by capturing John at the motel

TE. Jane stops hiding and tells John who she is

EXT. MEDIUM BUDGET MOTEL – NIGHT

CLIMAX. Fletcher finds her and they do battle.

RESOLUTION

INT. location undetermined – NIGHT

She battles Fletcher and John.

TE. She has to decide whether or not she can trust John.

Fletcher is dead. Truth is revealed. Bad guys are caught.
K-onna Mason

Member
June 24, 2021 at 6:00 pm in reply to: Post Day 6 Assignment Here

K-onna’s Transformational Events

What I learned doing this assignment is I needed to add some more old ways and it was useful to think in terms of what dramatic event will spur a specific change in the character. It’s also interesting to see how each new assignment helps the story develop (though it’s hard not going back to rework stuff!)

Old: 

no relationships; afraid of everything; always prepared to run; she feels powerless; she hates who she is; 

New: 

friends, boyfriend, family; no longer afraid; settles in

6 – 8 dramatic events or tests that could cause those changes for the character, in order

not be so easily manipulated = betrayed by Vickie

be proactive instead of reactive = agreeing to meet John

stop avoiding life = accepts John’s invite to the big event

trust her own judgement = “discussing weather” with John

stop letting fear rule her = sees John with the murderer

take control of her situation = John at motel

stop hiding = She tells John who she is
K-onna Mason

Member
June 18, 2021 at 4:11 pm in reply to: Post Day 5 Assignment Here

K-onna’s 4 Act Transformational Structure

What I learned doing this assignment is that I had to completely reassess the focus of the story. This changed the concept and main conflict.

Concept: After witnessing a murder, Jane is presumed dead and has been safely living under an assumed name, but when she meets John, a man who has secrets of his own, she must decide whether to run again or to trust him to help her bring the murderer to justice.

Main Conflict: Jane must figure out if she can trust John, while planning how to epose the murderer.

Old Ways: no relationships; afraid of everything; always prepared to run, keeping to the defensive

New Ways: no more running, going on the offensive

Act 1:

Opening: Jane sneaking off to meet with friends. She gets goaded into going off with Vince

Inciting Incident: She sees Vince get murdered

Turning Point: She escapes and becomes a new person

Act 2:

New plan: stay hidden, avoid connections; carries gun

Plan in action: avoids John

Midpoint Turning Point: Someone has broken into her home

Act 3:

Rethink everything: Decides to ask John for help

New plan: goes to NY to meet John

Turning Point: Jane finds John with the murderer

Act 4:

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: fighting for her life

Resolution: Murderer is caught and she gets to stop hiding.
K-onna Mason

Member
June 17, 2021 at 5:55 pm in reply to: Post Day 4 Assignment Here

K-onna’s Character Interviews

What I learned doing this assignment is…

I gained some ideas about my antagonist that will make him more believable and real.

I realized that my protagonist’s motivation is weak and needs to be adjusted somehow.

Updates to John

INTERNAL JOURNEY – deals with the guilt from a mistake he made;

WOUND – possibly he made a mistake at his work that got someone killed.
K-onna Mason

Member
June 11, 2021 at 1:13 am in reply to: Group Confidentiality Agreement

K-onna Mason

I agree to the terms of this release form.

GROUP RELEASE FORM FOR “THE 30 DAY SCREENPLAY”

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

1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, communications, lessons, and models of the 30 Day Screenplay confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, communications, lessons, and models of the 30 Day Screenplay available to anyone who is not a member of this class.

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

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

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

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

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

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

This completes the Group Release Form for The 30 Day Screenplay class.
K-onna Mason

Member
June 11, 2021 at 1:11 am in reply to: Post Day 2 Assignment Here

Subject line: K-onna’s Character Profiles, Part 1

What I learned doing this assignment is:

some specific protagonist and antagonist categories and that I don’t have a clear picture of my antagonist and how he is going to work. Yet.

Protagonist: Runner

Jane is running from her past. She keeps herself unencumbered by relationships and other “normal life” things.

Antagonist: Change Agent

John shakes up Jane’s world, making her want to stop running and make right the past.

Other necessary characters:

Villain – the reason for Jane running

Genre: Drama/Suspense

JANE

Role in the story: Runner

Age range and Description: mid 20s, blonde, athletic, ordinary-looking

Internal Journey: from fear to courage, from distrust to trust

External Journey: from hiding to confronting the enemy; from being alone to not being alone

Motivation: protecting her family

Wound: guilt, shame, trauma over witnessing a murder

Mission/Agenda: expose the murderer without risking herself

Secret: Everyone thinks she’s dead; she’s living under a fake name

What makes them special?: She’s not easily manipulated; she has taught herself how to survive

JOHN

Role in the story: Change Agent

Age range and Description: late 20s, confident, boy-next-doorish

Internal Journey: undetermined

External Journey: undetermined

Motivation: he senses a mystery surrounding Jane

Wound: couldn’t save his friend’s sister

Mission/Agenda: find out Jane’s secret, protect her, and get her to trust him

Secret: he works undercover for the FBI

What makes them special?: He is an expert at solving puzzles
K-onna Mason

Member
June 7, 2021 at 9:21 pm in reply to: Post Day 1 Assignment Here
K-onna’s Transformational Journey

What I learned doing this assignment is…
A clearer delineation between internal and external journey

Hero is Jane (generic name for now)

Jane’s Internal Journey: from untrusting (of others and self) and fearful to trusting and courageous

Jane’s External Journey: from silent witness to testifying in court

What are the Old Ways and New Ways?
Old: no relationships; afraid of everything; always prepared to run
New: friends, boyfriend, family; no longer afraid; settles in
- This reply was modified 4 years ago by K-onna Mason.
- This reply was modified 4 years ago by K-onna Mason.

K-onna Mason

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