[Karen Christine Angermayer]

The interview with Ben was a great experience.

As Producer, Ben's questions were very helpful, inspiring and got right to the heart of the things I hadn't yet answered. I learned from him that questions alone can be enough and that there is no need for feedback as we might be used to.

As Writer, it was fascinating for me to see how my own questions and ideas helped to flesh out important aspects of the character and some parts of the structure to add more tension.

The time and energy Ben and I invested into this call and into the stories of each other was more than well invested.

Thank you, Ben, for your sensitive and clear way of thinking and asking questions.

I wish you and your writing all the best and look forward to staying in touch in the future.

Best,
Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Title: BREATHING WATER

Genre: Psychological Thriller, Sci-Fi-Horror

Author: Karen Christine Angermayer

“The depth shows you who you are not.”

OC, 17, a tough and independent teen, is sent to an experimental underwater
research camp. What seems like a chance for rehabilitation and a fresh start for
her and four other teens soon escalates into a deadly game in the depths when
they discover the camp ́s true purpose.

OC has been in juvenile detention for six months. Innocent, as she claims. In prison,
things are brutal and inhumane. When she gets the chance to be relocated to an
underwater research camp, she says yes.

At the camp, five other teenagers are treated alongside her: Thomas, Jake, Sadie
and Luis, who have their own problems. The tests carried out at the camp are
designed to test human survival at great depths. The aim is supposedly to reclaim the
sea as a habitat in the near future.

Thomas, who suffers from diabetes and obesity, dies in the first few days, which
distresses the majority of the group. OC finds out that the supervisors don ́t tell the
total truth. In an abandoned wing, she meets Willie, in his mid-fifties, who has been
living down here in the depths for a long time. To her surprise, she learns to know
that he knew her grandfather, who spent his life researching the sea. His work was
so well-respected that, decades ago, a patent was stolen from him by his own
assistant. OC's grandfather is no longer alive.

Willie ́s the only person OC can trust. A feeling that she lost many years ago.
Through him, she learns that the creatures she has seen out at sea at night (which
the caretakers dismissed as hallucinations) actually exist. They are the horrible and
sad results of cruel experiments that never were monitored. As a result, the nocturnal
“water people” swim around out in the sea. During the day, they are locked up in an
area that is inaccessible to everyone except Willie.

OC is horrified and tells the other teenagers about it. They absolutely must escape
from here!

They have long since noticed that changes are also taking place in their own bodies:
Jake has panic attacks. Luis, a witty and creative hothead, has suddenly become
moody and aggressive. And Sadie is experiencing severe breathing problems. OC
finds out that she can stay underwater much longer than the rest of the group. Her
body is also less sensitive to the cold of the deep sea.

Jake and OC have developed a good, deep connection throughout the story. She
has been able to calm him down during his attacks several times, and it seems as if
they both have deeper feelings for each other.

Sadie and Luis have also been attracted to each other for quite some time –
however, his aggressiveness makes it difficult for her to really build a relationship
with him.

The counselors realize that the group has become suspicious and has found out
about the experiments. Without further ado, they destroy a large part of the remaining
oxygen bottles. Only hours later OC finds Willie dead. The counselors deny the
accusation of murder, but OC is convinced that Willie was killed by them.

Time is running out as the teenagers frantically hatch a plan to escape the deadly
game. The camp director has fled, but still remotely monitors them. Another
counselor, who wants to overpower her, can be incapacitated by OC and the group.

The oxygen is getting scarce. The flight has to done faster than expected – in the
middle of the night, when they can't see anything, and when the “Water People” are
on the move. OC has established a good relationship with one of these creatures.
But not all of them are friendly. Some of them show predatory traits.

They cannot stay in the camp, because the manager, who has been watching and
threatening them via monitor from her hiding place, is about to flood it by remote
control and destroy it forever.

OC leads the escape. They have to be quick and use every skill they ́ve learned in
the past days about surviving in the sea.

Only Jakes knows that OC will not accompany them back into life. She has decided
to stay here in the sea. She has discovered an underwater cave which will be her
new home. The camp furthermore taught her how to feed herself underwater.
In a touching scene the night before, she says goodbye to Jake and kisses him. Then
she helps him, Sadie and Luis to escape.

It is Jake who will tell us this story. We see him as an older man, looking out to sea
and remembering his love OC.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi everyone,

my name is Karen Christine Angermayer. I am living and working in Tenerife, Canary Islands, and also in Germany where I was born.

I have spent the past 25 years coaching writers, doing ghostwriting and writing more than 40 books that were published by Penguin Random House and others (audience: children and young adults). I also had my own publishing house for about 8 years, publishing other writers.

Right now I focus again on screenwriting, this is where I come from originally.

One of my scripts was optioned, and another script for a short film won an award for being the best children´s movie in an international contest.

My specialties are the creation of unique worlds with unforgettable characters, and a dash of humor and heart.

I am an Ocean person, and you can find me, whenever possible (and not at my desk or with my family), at a sunny Ocean thinking about my projects – or nothing at all.

Much fun and success for you all!

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer
I agree to the terms of the group release form.
I plan to do this class privately, because of other writing deadlines, but would like to leave my options open. Thank you.

GROUP RELEASE FORM
As a member of this group, I agree to the following:
1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.
2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.
I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.
3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.
4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.
5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.
6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.
This completes the Group Release Form for the class.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

PS: Hi everyone,

if anyone of you happens to know a nice person who is great at polishing dialogues in English or who could help me in general to go over my translations, I am very grateful for your recommendations.

Thanks in advance!

Best, Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Marketing Plan

What I learned doing this assignment is:
Writing the e-mail was easy for me. I look forward to marketing myself and my projects much more than I did in the past 25 years in my publishing business which I think is an interesting discovery.

Hi … (name),

I hope this e-mail finds you well.

Congratulations and all my best wishes for your upcoming launch of … (name of TV show starting)!

My name is Karen Christine Angermayer. I am a screenwriter, and my specialty is creating unique worlds with unforgettable characters, suspense, and also a dash of humor and heart.

I just created a concept for a mini-series.

Genre: Sci-Fi with horror elements
Audience: 16+

May I send you the concept and a short sample?

I am also available for:

· Script optimization
· Adaptations
· Creating synopses/screenplays based on your own ideas.

I look forward to your reply and to supporting you and your team with my ideas!

My contact details:
Tel:
E-Mail:
LinkedIn profile:

Best,
Karen Christine Angermayer (gattysglobal agency)

My plan for marketing:
1. Set up Zoom calls in January and February with producers I know from working in the industry to reconnect.
2. Asking a mentor in Los Angeles to read my concept, and ask for recommendations who could help me with polishing my dialogues and descriptions in English.
3. Preparing my pitch and my concept for a speed dating event in June, and for sending it out to producers.
4. Talk more (or at all!) about my screenwriting projects on Social Media and in my newsletter.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine's Plan for Increasing Perceived Value

What I learned doing this assignment is:
Over the last 13 years, I have successfully completed over 40 writing assignments for major publishers.
I have always had a very good experience working with editors and publishers.
Now, in the film industry, I am starting almost from scratch (4 paid scripts / concepts so far).
So I am aware that there is a lot of work ahead. I'm looking forward to it and have my sleeves rolled up 🙂
I feel very motivated after this course.

1. My specialty is Comedy in combination with a deeper message. In these days I am also exploring the Sci-Fi/Horror genre.
2. 2 producers.
3. Plan for:
Today: I invited a producer today, and my request was immediately accepted.
Next 30 days: Create an outline for my Sci-Fi concept and write a sample. Introduce more producers.
Next 6 months: Write and rewrite the first draft of the script, and create outline and sample for the RomCom. Introduce more producers, and meet producers on a speed dating in June.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Rewrite of Linda J Walton´s Treatment

What I learned doing this assignment:
I really enjoyed the interview with Linda. It´s fantastic talking about projects in confidence and sharing ideas to make the project even better. I would also like to thank you, Linda, for your time and dedication to my project. Much love for your wonderful script!

TREATMENT

Logline: In 19th century Iceland, an itinerant priest struggling with his faith becomes the unexpected investigator of a brutal murder and has to make a deadly decision.

Act 1

Opening:
On a dark and stormy day FATHER JACOBUS (32) closes down the local church in a remote outpost in northern Iceland. A flock of ravens is circling overhead in the sky. More ravens than churchgoers in his last services.

Inciting Incident:
The priest visits the farmstead and counsels the farmer, NATAN KETILSSON (38). It is clearly not their first session in which Jacobus is asked to help the farmer to find healing from and repentance for his past indiscretions.

First Act Turning Point:
While Natan is talking Jacobus is struck by an image of a bloody knife.
After the counselling we see Jacobus struggling with himself and God.

Act 2

Farmhand, FRIDRIK (25) is coming home from fishing. The catch is pleasingly large. He and his girlfriend, SIGGA (23) are planning to defraud Natan of money from the sale of the fish. Sigga is unsettled, and cannot wait to leave the farm as soon as possible. Fridrik is adamant that they bide their time to accumulate enough money to set up home.

Sigga looks forward to the arrival of the new housemaid with whom she can share ‘girl’ things until she and Fridrik can leave. Fridrik cautions Sigga not to mention their plan.

Jacobus welcomes AGNES (28), an enigmatic girl who has journeyed miles to take up the role of house maid. There´s immediate tension and dislike between them. Agnes makes very clear that she will have no time for him and his attempts at preaching.

Jacobus misinterprets her behavior as lack of faith.

Later that night he is struck by an image again. This time he sees bloody sheets. Shocked Jacobus gets up and tries to read the bible, but doesn´t find rest and answers. He wants to throw the Bible onto his bed, misses it, and the Bible falls to the ground. When he picks it up again, he sees the holy book is damaged.

Agnes settles quickly into farm life forming a bond with Sigga and evoking a rare kindness in Natan. He teaches her to make herbal potions to sell in the market.

During a long and enjoyable supper of lamb cooked by Sigga and Agnes, Jacobus observes a pleasant change in the farmer – and also a growing tension between Natan and Fridrik.

At the same supper Agnes surprises Jacobus with her knowledge of the Bible. She challenges him in front of all others. Jacobus tries to keep a gentle face but it´s obvious that Agnes has hurt and irritated him.

Unable to contain herself, Sigga confides in Agnes about the ‘fish’ plan. Agnes encourages her to leave.

In the coming days Jacobus tries to gently question Agnes about the reason for taking the job and her relationship with Natan. She refuses to open up.

Jacobus continues to counsel Natan and we discover he has had a long history of violence towards women. When they come to talk about Agnes and her talent in making the potions Jacobus discovers a desire in Natan´s eyes.

Midpoint:
Jacobus receives the third image, this time even more brutal than the previous. He sees a stabbing, and hears two voices screaming, male and female. It’s unclear who is the victim and who is the perpetrator, but the ravens above remind him that a conspiracy of some sort is at stake. What is his task? He gets no answers.

Natan encourages Agnes to produce more herbal potions and attempts some gentle physical contact. Agnes freezes but doesn’t reject him; she seems highly conflicted. Natan tells Agnes that he knows about Fridrik´s and Sigga´s plan.

Sigga becomes unwell and, on putting her to bed, Agnes sees her stomach is swollen and realizes that she is pregnant. Sigga begs her not to tell Fridrik but Agnes can’t understand why. She shares with Sigga that Natan knows their plans. Sigga is afraid.

Fridrik rages with anger when he hears that Natan knows their plans. Sigga decides not to talk about her pregnancy.

Second Act Turning Point:
Agnes seeks the help of Jacobus. This opens up a conversation about the nature of birth and Jacobus gently explores Agnes’ parents and birth circumstances. He learns that she never knew her father, was brought up by her mother who had recently committed suicide.

He shows compassion and invites her to pray. She laughs at him, maliciously, challenging him again, confronting him with his doubts.

At night in his room Jacobus, hurt and sleepless, tries to draw the three images he saw. There was a hand … He can´t see clearly to whom it belongs. Next to him lies the damaged Bible. Neither the moon nor the Bible provide him with any signs or answers.

Act 3

Sigga admits to Agnes and Fridrik that Natan is the father of her baby – the result of one unwanted attack. This enflames Fridrik who sees all his plans for their life together fall into ruins and he vows to take action. Agnes reacts in a way that we only understand later.

The next morning Natan and Fridrik, who is coming back from fishing, argue and fight. There´s a knife involved. Sigga interrupts them before anyone is injured. Jacobus has watched the scene.

Jacobus and Agnes argue about the concept of Christian forgiveness, and we discover she too is much more interested in revenge.

Crisis:
Later that evening, the brutal murder takes place, exactly as envisioned by Jacobus and though we still don’t know the attacker, we see the victim is Natan.

Jacobus accuses God of sending him images but no explanation to avoid the murder.

Due to the distance from capital, Reykjavik, the authorities cannot send a man of the law and Jacobus is instructed to initiate the investigations. He initially doubts that he is the right person, but then he questions Agnes, Sigga and Fridrik in turn – each of whom has motive, means and opportunity. Jacobus cannot determine who is guilty.

He prays, seeking help from God, but hears nothing.

Jacobus asks the three to prepare another meal during which he witnesses the dexterity with which Agnes uses the knife to skin the lamb and believes it is the same hand he ‘saw’ in his vision. Sigga confesses Fridrik was with her the night of the murder and therefore couldn’t have committed the crime, but Jacobus doubts her sincerity. Jacobus elicits from Fridrik that he wanted to kill Natan but that someone else had got there first.

Climax:
Jacobus receives notification from Reykjavik that he alone must decide who is guilty along with information that Agnes’ mother had been in a relationship with Natan. Tension rises in the farmstead.

To clear his thoughts Jacobus takes a walk to the church he closed. He sits down for a moment, trying to reflect all his observations. He still can´t hear God´s voice – but one detail in one of his images becomes clearer.

Back in the farmstead Jacobus asks Agnes about her mother´s relationship with Natan, but she refuses to talk. In a dramatic climax Jacobus names Agnes as the murderer which she doesn’t deny.

Resolution:
Agnes is hanged on the gallows which, ironically, stand on the hill next to the church. As the blade falls, we wonder if the verdict is right but a replay of the vision of the stabbing does indeed show Agnes as the murderer. Natan had destroyed her mother’s life when he left her for another woman, so Agnes had sought revenge. In the end, with bittersweet realization, we see that justice has been served and Jacobus is absolved.

Jacobus prepares to leave. The Bible in his hands we see him walking off into the distance.

Ideas for a new title:

The Still Small Voice

By Their Fruits (You Shall Know Them)

Faith’s Fragile Flame

Believe and Betrayal

The Judas Within

Jacobus and the Judas Within

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

PS: These are the aspects Linda and I discussed, and that I focused on during the rewrite:

– Jacobus should remain the protagonist.

– Agnes is the antagonist.

– Fridrik's role as a character and suspect should become stronger, as should his
conflict with Natan.

– The images that Jacobus sees should come earlier, and he sees several images.

– Jacobus' emotional journey should become more visible: At the beginning of the
story, he doubts his faith and falls deeper and deeper. He is also challenged by the
people on the farm.

– At his lowest point, he realises that he has been receiving answers all along – in the
form of the images.

– He leaves the story, once again strengthened in his faith. In his combination of
observation and wisdom, he has made the right decision.

– We also talked about the need for a new title that focuses more on Jacobus as the
main character. I've included some ideas in the treatment.

Thanks again, Linda, for this great pleasure of meeting you and bringing our stories forward in such a beautiful way.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi everyone, could you listen to the interview of Kevin Lee Miller?
I was not able to open the file (Adobe Flash player does not exist any more I was told).
Thanks for letting me know 🙂 Best, Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine is a Note Taking Professional!

What I learned doing this assignment is:
Looking at my story in this way was fascinating and great fun. I have discovered a new way of telling my story. I think it is very important to keep breaking free in the creative process in order to achieve the best possible results and to work successfully with producers.

Logline: Returning to her ancestral homeland in Sicily to claim an orange grove inheritance, Laura must navigate a web of family expectations and confront her deepest insecurities while fighting for her dreams.

Cut the budget in half: $1,5m to $750k

Reduce locations: No scenes in Palermo or with many actors, e. g. on the marketplace, at the beach, in restaurants.
Concentrate on the orange grove and on the house where the two main actors live (with Luca´s bar in the basement).

Write it for a different audience (quadrant):
It could be a movie for an audience below 25. So Laura´s little brother could accompany her – causing new conflicts, because he falls in love and gets into troubles while Laura tries to solve the family conflict around the orange grove.

Double the conflict:
Laura´s little brother or sister could fall in love with the daughter of a don (Mob) – the one that wants to buy Laura´s orange grove – which she will never sell to him, no matter the price. (kind of Romeo and Juliet conflict between the two teenage lovers)

Change the sex and age of the lead character:
Laura's little brother could become the main character – being torn between his new flame, and his older sister´s wish to turn the orange grove into a successful business.

Furthermore this would give Laura (our previous main character) the opportunity to form a strong bond with the girl her brother loves – who could have a problem with belonging as well (wants to leave her life, but can´t).

Change the genre:
Changing the story into a comedy fascinates me, because the family expectations and the scenes around Laura´s little brother could create many funny, heartwarming moments. Making him the lead character would open the story to a younger audience and add a fresh, modern note while the original topics from the logline – navigating a web of family expectations and confront deepest insecurities while fighting for dreams – are still addressed. I like that! Will continue working on this.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine's Decreased Budget

What I learned doing this assignment:
Thinking about a story with the aim of reducing the budget is fun for me, easy for me and puts a lot of the story to the test. It has given me the impetus to take my children's film in a whole new direction. A project can only benefit from everyone keeping an eye on the costs and trying to make the best/most out of as little as possible!

The high budget item in my script is the animation. Since it is a children's film set in a fantastic underwater world, the novel features mermaids, an octopus, a starfish and other talking animals that live in the sea.

I wanted to use this to bring a sense of humor and also the fantasy component into the story. I found out that I would also like to tell the story with real people.

This would be possible by choosing an old, run-down hotel as the location and pretending that it is underwater or in a rock cave in the sea, where all participants have enough water to breathe. If at all necessary, sea scenes could be added behind the windows or photos/stock footage could be used.
These sea scenes could be reduced to the minimum.

The characters could all be dressed in shades of blue and green, to give the film a special color palette and mood (steampunk feeling).
Characters like the lovable starfish chef and the powerful octopus lady Furia could show the features that are important and characteristic through their clothing and way of speaking.

The angry neighbor Furia could live in the deepest basement of the hotel – so there would be no need for an algae forest or an extra location for her to live in.

I also found a character that could be shortened.

And the entire beginning of the movie, as it is currently in the book, which takes place in Smeeralda's former home, could be deleted. This reduces the number of shooting days and actors.

Scenes with many guests at the moment could also be deleted and replaced by sound effects and a few actors.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

I would be very much interested to hear from you, if you are working with ChatGPT too, and to what degree. Thanks 🙂 Have a great day. Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Fantastic Treatment

Genre: Love Drama
Title: The Bitter and the Sweet

What I learned from this assignment: Since I didn't have an interview partner, I worked with ChatGPT, which I think saved me days of work and provided very clear ideas.

I took out Serena's father and made Laura and Serena's father one person to draw the conflict closer to them.
In addition, I took out an extra conflict with a lost child that Serena had because it was too much for the story.

I also strengthened Laura's dreams of creating something wonderful out of orange blossoms and fruit, such as her own cosmetics line, and emphasized her conflict of not feeling at home in either country, Germany or Sicily.

I feel that this clarification and sharpening of the story was a good thing.

Logline: Returning to her ancestral homeland in Sicily to claim an orange grove inheritance, Laura must navigate a web of family expectations and confront her deepest insecurities while fighting for her dreams.

Synopsis: 3 Act Structure

Act 1:

Opening:
Laura, 25, is a young woman caught between two worlds: the German life she has always known and the Sicilian heritage she barely remembers.

Inciting Incident:
When she inherits an orange grove near the picturesque coastal town of Sciacca from her late mother, it feels like destiny calling her back to her family’s origins. But her return is met with hostility. The locals have not forgotten her family’s departure in the 1960s, which they saw as an act of betrayal. Nino, an embittered and reclusive man, is particularly cold, while her aunt Serena, 55, sees Laura as an undeserving outsider.

First Act Turning Point:
As Laura tries to embrace her inheritance, she finds herself grappling with a debt of 25,000 euros tied to the land, left unresolved since her grandparents borrowed money to finance their emigration to Germany. Serena, who owns a small salon in Palermo and is struggling financially, demands repayment or the sale of the grove to Russo, a ruthless local businessman who seeks to exploit the land. Laura’s dream of transforming the orange grove into a sustainable business—perhaps even a luxury cosmetics line inspired by her childhood memories of oranges—now seems impossible.

Act 2:
As the tensions escalate, Laura battles more than just external challenges. She faces an identity crisis: having never fully belonged in Germany, she had hoped Sicily would feel like home. Instead, she feels even more out of place. This is compounded by her guilt over her parents’ sacrifices; her mother had dreamed of giving Laura a better life in Germany, but Laura now questions whether her true happiness lies in rediscovering the simplicity of her Sicilian roots.

In Luca, 28, a charming bartender and Nino’s nephew, Laura finds an unexpected ally. He provides her with a place to stay and shows her the beauty of Sicilian culture.

Midpoint:
As their relationship deepens, Laura begins to imagine a life where her dreams of love and belonging might coexist. Yet their budding romance is fraught with difficulties. Luca is torn between his growing feelings for Laura and his loyalty to Nino, his only remaining family. Meanwhile, Nino’s open disdain for Laura’s presence threatens to destroy any hope for reconciliation.

Second Act Turning Point:
Serena and Laura’s antagonism reaches a boiling point. Serena is not merely a distant relative but a direct representation of the family Laura never knew. Serena’s bitterness stems from a lifetime of hard work and perceived abandonment by Laura’s parents. The unpaid debt becomes more than just a financial burden; it is a symbol of old wounds and unspoken grievances between the family members.

Crisis:
During an emotionally charged Easter dinner hosted by Concetta, a 90-year-old matriarch who has become Laura’s confidante, years of suppressed emotions come to the surface. A structural collapse in the building nearly causes a tragedy, forcing the family to confront their vulnerabilities. Serena, for the first time, shows courage and compassion, saving Nino in the chaos. Nino, deeply shaken, reveals the trauma of losing his brother in an earthquake decades earlier—a wound that shaped his hostility and fear of change.

Climax:
The incident leads Concetta to share a long-held secret: she has saved a dowry of 25,000 euros, which she offers to Laura. But the gesture is not without conditions. Concetta urges Laura to use the money wisely, not as an escape, but as a chance to heal the family. Laura faces a moral dilemma: should she use the money to pay off the debt and secure her inheritance, or offer it to Serena, whose financial struggles are equally pressing?

Resolution:
In a moment of profound growth, Laura decides to give the money to Serena, accompanied by a heartfelt plea to work together rather than remain divided. Touched by Laura’s generosity and determination, Serena agrees to co-manage the grove, merging her practical skills with Laura’s creative vision.

Luca, inspired by Laura’s courage, finally stands up to Nino, asserting his right to build a life with her. Nino, softened by recent events, grudgingly gives his blessing. Laura and Luca’s love story gains new hope, now grounded in honesty and mutual respect.

The story ends on a triumphant note: Laura and Serena, united by their shared love for the orange grove, begin to transform it into a thriving business. The grove becomes a metaphor for renewal, not just for Laura but for the entire family. Through her journey, Laura not only finds her place in Sicily but also redefines what it means to belong—to a family, to a culture, and to herself.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hello Ben, congratulations on posting your writing sample. I'm a big fan of the family drama genre and enjoyed reading it.
I myself didn't find it easy to choose a passage, and it happened that in my sample the main character did not emerge clearly enough.

I have the same impression with yours. I would very much like to know more about Willie: Who is he, what does he look like? What does his mother look like? How do they live? And: How do we get a good feeling from these scenes that he is an active hero we want to follow through the story?

I think that's what a producer wants to read: Who is this character and how does he act under this pressure of responsibility?

And above all: he can't undo his father's death, but what does he learn for himself, what development does he go through? That would be interesting for me to read already in the set-up.

In your sample, I started feeling excited and curious with Willie's flashback. From this part on, the reading picked up speed for me and I wanted to know how the story would go on. Perhaps this is helpful for you to bring this part more to the beginning in the sample – or to begin the sample with it.

All the best for your writing and your project!

Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hello everyone, even without a producer interview, because apparently no one else is ready yet, I would like to share an insight with you. I haven't been able to implement it yet due to time constraints, as it requires major changes to the story. But my feeling is these two changes are important and I will work on them:

1) I realized that main character Laura doesn't have a conflict that is strong enough yet. Serena, the older protagonist, has the much more serious conflict at the moment. With Laura, it feels like she's just “not being liked.” Which, of course, is serious when you're building a new home, but in my opinion, it's not enough yet.

2) I also believe that Serena's father and Laura's father should be the same – simply to bring the conflict even closer to Laura.

Since I want to think this through carefully (I'm currently writing two books for clients with close deadlines), I don't yet have a treatment – but today at least this sign of life from me, to post something and stay in the creative process 🙂

Have a nice Sunday, all best to your projects,
Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Synopsis for the Producer Interview

Genre: Drama

Title: The Bitter and the Sweet

Logline: Returning to her ancestral homeland in Sicily to claim an orange grove inheritance, Laura must overcome deep-seated family resentments, financial struggles, and the pull of forbidden love, all while rediscovering her roots and the beauty of second chances.

Synopsis:

When Laura, 25, inherits an olive grove in southern Sicily from her mother, this gives her a reason to return to her parents' homeland after many years. The grove is located near the picturesque coastal town of Sciacca. Her initial joy is quickly dampened by reality: almost all the locals are very hostile towards her, because Laura's family left Sicily in the late 1960s to start a new life in Germany. For many of those left behind, this was an unforgivable act of betrayal – a true Sicilian never abandons her family.

Nino, an older, grumpy man, is particularly nasty to her, even in public. However, his nephew Luca, 28, who runs a small bar in Sciacca, offers Laura a room to rent. Laura and Luca quickly develop a connection characterized by mutual sympathy and understanding. Maybe love?

Laura feels drawn to him, and also to the orange grove, which seems like a piece of paradise. The beauty of the grove inspires her to process its fruits and blossoms into something special in the near future.

Soon her euphoria is dampened: an old land title encumbers the orange grove with a debt of 25,000 euros. Laura initially hopes that this is just a bureaucratic problem and that the money has long since been repaid by her grandparents or parents. But this hope is dashed when her cousin Serena, 55, a distant and domineering woman, finds a promissory note.

The debt stems from a loan that Laura's grandparents took out with Serena's father Salvatore in the 1960s to finance their new start in Germany. Serena, who runs a hair salon in Palermo and urgently needs the money, demands either repayment of the debt or the immediate sale of the orange grove.

Laura is faced with a dilemma: she doesn't have 25,000 euros because her parents' house in Munich recently needed to be renovated. Besides, she has fallen in love with the grove and doesn't want to sell it. However, Serena is adamant and puts pressure on Laura. The tense relationship between the two women reflects old family conflicts that originated decades ago between Serena's father and Laura's parents. These tensions even led Laura's parents to break off contact with Sicily over 20 years ago.

Parallel to this, Laura's relationship with Luca develops. He shows her the beauty of Sicily and thus helps her to find a deeper connection to her family roots. But their relationship is clouded and almost made impossible by Luca's uncle Nino. He openly disapproves of Laura's presence and her relationship with his nephew.

Luca, who feels loyal to Nino, his only relative, is torn. Laura is increasingly bothered by the fact that Luca only wants to see her in secret to avoid conflict with his uncle. Their love seems hopeless when it has only just begun.

Meanwhile, Serena suggests a potential buyer for the grove: Russo, a large-scale farmer from the region. He offers to pay Laura 25,000 euros, but demands that she replace the old orange trees with more productive varieties.

Laura rejects the offer, but the constant tension with Serena and her own financial difficulties increase her despair. In her childhood, oranges always had a special meaning for her – they still symbolize a piece of happiness and warmth that she does not want to give up under any circumstances.

The turning point comes during a shared Easter dinner, organized by 90-year-old Concetta. Concetta, a sharp-witted and warm-hearted elderly lady, has taken Laura into her heart. She invites Laura, Luca, Nino and Serena to a feast to ease tensions. But the meal ends in chaos when an old beam in the building collapses, triggered by the ongoing arguments.

Serena saves Nino at the last moment, while Laura and Luca help Concetta to safety. This dramatic incident forces those involved to confront their fears and traumas. Nino is confronted with memories of an earthquake in which he lost his brother and severely injured his leg (he still limps badly as a result), while Serena shows unusual strength and caring.

The next day, Concetta reveals an unexpected solution: she hands over an old dowry of 25,000 euros to Laura, which she has never needed since she never married herself – and now, at 90, probably won't do so either. Concetta offers Laura the option of keeping the money or giving it to Serena.

Laura generously decides to give the money to Serena, thereby settling the debt from the past. This gesture leads to a deep reconciliation between the two women. Serena is remorseful and apologizes for her behavior.

The story ends on a hopeful and harmonious note: the conflicts are resolved and Laura can look forward to a promising future with Luca by her side and the orange grove, now free of encumbrances, as a link to her past – and also as a symbol of love, growth and new beginnings.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi everyone, congratulations to you, Linda and Steven, for doing the interviews.

Those are great insights and developments. I´m very happy for you two.

I am still on board as well 🙂

Just chewed on my story a little bit, and tried out some genre changes, this took me a couple of days.

I am about writing the synopsis now.

This question is for all of you, the other participants as well, if you are still here:

Would anyone like to partner with me for the interview?

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Have a great week, Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi Steven,

Thank you very much for your writing sample, which I enjoyed reading. It´s great to see how differently we all write and how our creativity takes its own individual path. It's a lot of fun working with you and growing together. Thank you!

Regarding your writing sample: I am a big fan of comedy and love it when a movie makes me laugh and touches me deeply at the same time. I can already imagine exactly that with your story. Congratulations on your beautiful idea.

In an earlier lesson, you mentioned how Joselyn changes over the course of the story. Since we have only a small amount of space and time in the writing sample, I would definitely mention it in the Set-up as well – if only to end your set-up on a positive note (and not with cynicism).

I think the setting in the restaurant, with its fast pace, the expectations of the guests, and a lot of pressure from all sides, is very well chosen for your story.

Your title makes me very curious. Is there a reference to the title at the end of the movie? Was there something in her past, a feeling that she rediscovers and excavates? Or does she start all over again?

In Germany, we have the expression “yesterday´s snow”, which means that we should let the past rest and start over again. Does your title mean something like that?

Conventions of the genre:
We expect a lot of misunderstandings and obstacles in a comedy. I can see that you have this in mind, and I'm already curious to see how Joselyn gets out of this!

Could you imagine Ray having a second scene in the writing sample? Or another person whom she has a deep connection with? There are a lot of people in the current sample. I would want for Joselyn to have a nice moment (in the terms of taking a breath for us as audience) with one of them.

I remember Hal saying in one of his videos that comedy scripts should have at least one laugh per page. You could focus on that and ask: Which scenes makes the producer most probably laugh immediately, and put those at the beginning of your sample. E.g. the scene with the cheese grating is great and I could imagine it very well in an earlier position.

“Can we wait a round before we get existential?” – a brilliant sentence, congratulations on that! The relationship between the two characters seems to have great potential.

From a producer's point of view:

– I´d like to know how Joselyn looks like. We experience her as tough, quick-witted, sometimes snappy, and sometimes philosophical in her despair. I am curious what her appearance is like.
– Does she also have a vulnerable side or a flaw?
– At what point in your book are we here in the sample? How often has Joselyn been through the loop already?

– A question that helps me developing my stories: What does the character's journey have to do with me personally? The answer to that could add a nuance that makes it even easier for us as readers/viewers to identify with her.

– Is the restaurant cozy or stylish? A little more description would help me here to get the full picture.
– And what is it exactly that stresses J. so much? Is it the type of guests, their behavior that annoys her – or is it the endless loop? I would like to feel this a bit more clearly. For example, does she have experience in the service industry? Or did she start the job knowing nothing about it? (Which could lead to even more comedy potential and all sorts of conflicts…)

– What does flaca mean? I'm familiar with the Italian language, because my partner is Sicilian, but I don't know this term and couldn't find it in the dictionary.

– What exactly are J.s feelings for Ray? You say, she takes him for granted. Is he her great love (or was) or a very good friend? The way she speaks to him doesn't make that clear to me, yet. If she loves him, her disappointment at his fiancée may be even stronger, a real emotional low – also as a possible contrast to all the stress in the restaurant.

– Ray: I realized that he and his fiancée could also come to the restaurant instead of the Bar – that would be a strong conflict for J., and you could draw it close to the beginning of the writing sample. Maybe his fiancée (or Ray) also asks for the parmesan? Then you can combine these two scenes – and the tragedy/comedy can be increased even more if you want. Just as an idea … and in case you would like to reduce the number of characters.

Steven, that was a lot of details. I wanted to share every thought that came to me. I hope there is something useful for you in there. Good luck with your great story: In boca al lupo! 🙂

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine's CHILDREN´s MOVIE Writing Sample Plan

What I learned from this assignment:
To my surprise it was fun to free myself from the novel of this book that I wrote as well. I noticed that my writing is really picking up speed again. In the writing sample, I described the characters for you to give you a picture. This would normally happen in the first scenes of the script.

Set up: The writing sample is an adaption of my published children's book "Smeeralda and the 17 Waves".
Seagirl Smeeralda (10) and her mother Coralline move to the other side of the ocean, where Coralline has bought a former underwater grand hotel. But when they arrive, the hotel is totally run-down – they have been cheated.
Fortunately, the good soul Onda, a robust and energetic octopus lady, is on site. She encourages them not to give up. However, it soon becomes clear that they not only face tons of work, but that there is a nasty neighbor named Furia who plans to boycott the opening of the hotel.

Note: My native language is German. I did the translation using DeepL and then went over it again myself. I am aware that the descriptions and dialogues may not yet ‘sit’ as well as in the original. For a submission to a producer, I would work on it with a native speaker.

INT. HOTEL 17 WAVES, SMEERALDA'S ROOM – DOLPHIN´s FLOOR – DAY
Sea girl Smeeralda sits on the large windowsill, cell phone in her hands. She taps onto the name of her friend. The turquoise tips of her blonde hair fall into her face. No wave-fi. She sighs and looks outside. A large moving boat with painted octopuses has anchored there.

EXT. HOTEL 17 WAVES – REAR EXIT – DAY
Smeeralda swims through the hotel garden. Sand and algae have covered its former glory and splendor. The swing is rotten. Behind the hotel garden lies the algae forest. Smeeralda swims towards it.

INT. ALGAE FOREST – DAY
Curiously she ventures through a few of the meter-high threads of algae.
SMEERALDA
Cool place to play hide and seek here. If you had someone to play with …
Clattering and scolding make her pause.
FURIA (O.S.)
(nagging)
Octopuses bring furniture, and furniture brings terrible guests! Arrrghhhh!!!
The voice comes closer.
Smeeralda backs away, turns around, and has lost her orientation. The algae seem thicker and stickier than before.
SMEERALDA
(startled)
Oh, no!
Trying to free herself she swims in different directions. The algae wrap tighter around her.
SMEERALDA
(calls)
Hello? Is anybody there? I need help!
A foreign hand grasps her own. She wants to move hers away.
AZURO (O.S.)
(hisses)
Shut up and come with me!
Smeeralda is pulled away by the stranger's hand.

EXT. HOTEL GARDEN – DAY
Smeeralda and her rescuer, a sea boy with tousled black hair, arrive at the playground. She looks at him. Wants to say something.
AZURO
Don't talk, or she'll catch us!
SMEERALDA
Who are you talk- ?
The boy presses his hand over her mouth and pulls her further away to the hotel.
AZURO
(hisses) Your neighbor Furia! She hates other people!
SMEERALDA (incredulous)
Well, a hotel must have guests, otherwise it´s not a hotel!
AZURO
If you don't want to end up like the previous owner, you'd better pack your things again!
He turns and swims away.

INT. HOTEL 17 WAVES – KITCHEN – DAY
Smeeralda, Coralline and squid lady Onda sit at a large round table. Onda wrapped in a purple dress tosses her black curls back gruffly.
ONDA
Where's the food! I'm as hungry as millions of manatees!
MISTER FIVE STAR (O.S.)
One second …!
The big starfish with the white chef's hat comes running as fast as his belly allows. He slides a full tray onto the table.
MISTER FIVE STAR
Voilá! Seaweed patties with fine mussel cream and a hint of seaweed dill!
ONDA
(meaningfully)
I hope we're lucky …
SMEERALDA (to the starfish)
Where did you learn cooking?
ONDA
(grabs a pastry)
He´s been cooking for the whale king of Persia!
She takes a bite, chews and screams, her eyes almost bulging out of her head. Smeeralda quickly pushes her a glass of seaweed water.
CORALLINE
(worried)
Are you okay?
ONDA
(breathless)
Pepper!!!
She looks at the cook, her eyes red.
ONDA
You've done it again!
The starfish hangs its head.
MISTER FIVE STAR
So sorry …
ONDA (sighing)
Well, tell me, what did it say today?
Mr. Five Star, still standing, bends over the newspaper lying on a sideboard.
MISTER FIVE STAR
(reads)
By noon you will have made a few mistakes …
Onda shakes her head.
ONDA
When are you going to stop believing this nonsense!
MISTER FIVE STAR
I thought there would be something great in there today! I can't help it! Seeing the newspaper I have to read my horoscope!
Smeeralda nods.
SMEERALDA
My best friend's mother does that, too!
The starfish is relieved.
ONDA
(to herself)
Great. Start a self-help group.
Her stomach growls audibly. The starfish fishes the tray off the table.
MISTER FIVE STAR
I'll quickly arrange something new for you!
He runs away. Onda picks up a few crumbs from the table. Chews on them. Turns red in the face and coughs again.

Later in the day:
INT. HOTEL 17 WAVES – KITCHEN – DAY
Smeeralda, Coralline and Onda are sitting at the table. Empty plates and platters next to them, a floor plan of the hotel in the midst of them. In the background Mr. Five Star is washing up wrapped in a cloud of foam.
ONDA
If we get it right, the "17 waves" will become the shining star in the ocean that they once were. Grand will then become Grandissmo!
CORALLINE
(sighs)
Sounds wonderful. If there wouldn´t be so much work …
Onda pats her arm.
ONDA
Hey, don't give up before the fun really starts! Together we´ll rock the big wave child!
She snaps two of her tentacles.
ONDA
Andiamo! Get to work, lovelies!
(to Mister Five Star)
Old five-star – compliments on your seaweed pudding.
He is visibly delighted. She swims close to him, kisses him on the cheek and demonstratively takes the newspaper.
ONDA
I think I'll print them myself in future!
Smeeralda and her mother grin.

ASSEMBLY: (motivational music playing)
INT. HOTEL 17 WAVES – LOBBY – DAY
Onda's tentacles whirl through the air like lassos: She wipes surfaces and mirrors, sorts keys, throws old papers into a basket in a high arc – every time a hit.

INT. HOTEL 17 WAVES – DOLPHIN FLOOR – DAY
A horde of slowly working seahorse attendants sweep away piles of sand in the rooms and corridors. Smeeralda helps them. Two seahorse children are playing tag. They bump into Smeeralda and apologize. She plays with them for a moment. Then she decorates the windowsills with shells and plants.

INT. HOTEL 17 WAVES – KITCHEN – DAY
Mr. Five Star spruces up the kitchen. Coralline broods over a shopping list.
CORALLINE
(quietly to herself)
If the first 100 guests stay for a week and eat twice a day … How many vegetables do we need?
MISTER FIVE STAR
(without thinking)
50 kilos of seaweed salad, 120 liters of plankton soup and 7 quintals of soft-boiled sea potatoes!
She looks at him in surprise.

EXT. HOTEL SURROUNDINGS – ROCK GROUP – AFTERNOON
Onda stands gesticulating in front of a rock. A few crabs, fish and a moray eel listen to her.
ONDA
No more sleeping! The Grand Hotel needs your help. Tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. I meet all of you fins and fishbones in the lobby!
OLD CRAB
I can't lift anything! You know my discs!
ONDA
(waves off)
Come on, everyone! There's a suitable task for everyone. The grand opening is in 7 days!
(in the direction of the algae forest)
And this time we´ll make sure that our dear neighbor Furia doesn't ruin it again!

(end of assembly)

Later in the evening:
INT. HOTEL 17 WAVES – SMEERALDA'S ROOM – NIGHT
Smeeralda sits on the windowsill. She is drawing in a diary. As she looks up, she notices the faint glow in the algae forest. Coralline comes in.
CORALLINE
(admiringly looking around)
All your decorations are so amazing! What would I do without you?
She hugs her daughter and kisses her. Discovers the glow.
CORALLINE
Oh, look, we have neighbors! We could visit them tomorrow. What do you think?
Smeeralda avoids her gaze. She hears Azuro´s voice.
AZURO (O.S.)
If you don't want to end up like the previous owner, you'd better pack your things again!

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hello Linda, thank you very much for your writing sample.

Reading it is a great pleasure for me. I can immerse myself in the world of strong, courageous Caroline, whose motives I can immediately understand as a mother of two children.

Your clear style and fast-paced narrative make me want to find out whether she will achieve her goals. You've got me hooked! Even though, admittedly, I rarely turn to historical films or books.

The language of all characters rapidly gets to the heart of their feelings and their relationships with each other.

Your action paragraphs are admirably reduced – I feel with Steven here.

I would like to share a few things / questions with you:

1) I would like to receive a stronger sense of Caroline's nature and appearance. Though I understand her action and feelings, she remains somewhat in the shadows in my imagination (which I'm sure has a lot to do with the fact that the reading sample isn't at the beginning of the book). In the setup or in the first scene for us here / for the producers, you could say in a few words what she looks like. I think that already would take care of it.

The same goes for Melbourne, with whom there's this deep connection. I'd also like to feel their ‘chemistry’ more: is it more friendly or platonic or is there a real spark? Again, this is just a matter of a few words, I guess, which you will manage very well in your clear manner.

2) In the places where Caroline spends time (Surrey and her own home), a concise description would also help me to immerse myself even more emotionally in your scenes. You did this brilliantly in Sticklethwaite's office.

3) One question I asked myself: How much time passes after her visit to Surrey before she writes another letter? The events happen in very quick succession. Before she rings the doorbell in Downing Street, I imagined her taking a deep breath or expressing her despair and tension (in a way that suits her best). Because after all, these are big ‘chunks’ that she goes through in quick succession. This, too, can probably be resolved by taking a desperate breath, pausing before ringing the bell, or briefly observing another situation on the street.

4) I am grateful for Steven's impulse with the slug line. This is where I myself like to stumble over my awkwardness.

5) Lex est iusta: The sentence is probably easier to understand when read than when spoken. Could the words also hang as a wood carving, painting etc. above the entrance to Melbourne's door or his desk? When Caroline's gaze falls on it, a short translation could be shown on screen for the audience (we see this often). Idea: If she recognizes the sentence BEFORE storming into his room, this could create a small moment of hope – and we as audience can see: Something big is about to happen here. Just as an idea, because the image popped up in my head. Take it if you like it 🙂

Linda, I hope these thoughts and perceptions contain something valuable for you. Good luck, much joy and great success for your writing and selling this script!

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Key Business Decisions

What I learned doing this assignment:
I have been reminded of how important it is to have your audience in mind constantly.
From the video in week 2 I learned that there are “producer drafts” which are closely connected to budget and the lead characters (actors). I still feel a little insecure calculating budgets. For my own project it could be a TV show in short episodes of 25-30 mins, or one 90 min movie. I would like to gain more confidence here in the future.
I chose this project for the assignment, because I need a little more time for my Sci-Fi project.

Genre: TV movie or show for children, Family Entertainment

Title: Smeeralda and the 17 Waves (Episode 1)

Concept: When mermaid Smeeralda’s mother moves their family to the other end of the sea to reopen the dilapidated Grand Hotel 17 Waves, chaos ensues as they race against time to prepare for its grand opening.

Audience: children (5-9 years)

Budget: $50-100 million (all 3 episodes put together in a 90 min movie)

Lead Characters: Smeeralda is an imaginative, open-hearted mermaid who loves painting and photography in the underwater world. The unexpected move and the separation from her two best friends at the beginning of episode 1 are a big turning point for her that she refuses to accept.

Journey / Character: Throughout the story she realizes that the biggest changes in our lives can hold the greatest gifts for us.

Arc Opening / Ending: Smeeralda leaves her old home tearfully and with many worries about the future. In the end she will have found even more than one new friend: mermaid Azuro (same age), elderly octopus lady Onda who not only knows how to run a grand hotel but also has an open heart for all other matters, and star chef Mister Five Star. Smeeralda arrives at her new home and is looking confidently to the future.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s specialty – Sci-Fi: Watching the 2nd movie

Genre: Sci-Fi

Title: THE MARTIAN (2015)

Outline: Astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon) becomes stranded on Mars after his team assumes him dead. He must rely on his ingenuity to send a signal to Earth that he is still alive.

How it delivered on the genre conventions of Sci-Fi:

Purpose: Explores life and survival in an alternative world – here: planet Mars, especially unfavorable for survival.

Fantastic Worlds: The world of the story is dramatically different from ours, because we are not familiar with life on Mars – nobody is. Through the eyes of Mark we follow him in his attempts to collect water, and plant potatoes thus prolonging his food supplies on board. The process of planting and harvesting potatoes is similar to how we do it on Earth. The adventure is to see him doing this all by himself with a minimum of tools that forces him to show all his ingenuity (use his biological waste and that of his colleagues as fertilizer).

Science: Mark uses all his creativity when he is forced to communicate with his colleagues on Earth in still images and yes-no answers. Furthermore he manages to move around in a rover on Mars using plutonium and other aids.

Incredible visuals: This movie is not about other species in outer space, but about one man surviving with no help but his own creativity and knowledge.

Social commentary: The team on the ground argues whether Mark´s colleagues who are still on their mission should be informed about him being alive.

Sub-Genre Drama: Mark is challenged to the core by the emotional and technical struggles, e. g. when a strong gust of wind tears open the seal, his entire living area and the potato plantation are destroyed. A point where many people probably would give up – not Mark. It is an entertaining and inspiring experience to see him standing up again, continuing his fight for life.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s speciality – Science Fiction and Drama

What I learned doing this assignment is:
I discovered that the majority of my published books take place in worlds that are different from our world, e.g. underwater and in space.
My speciality in writing is my combination of humor, heart and fast-paced stories. That is what my fan base and my publishers love me for.

This assignment made me think about how I can market this in the future for a target group that is older.

I analyzed a project I am currently working on, which is more of a drama, and found out it has many elements of Sci-Fi (which surprised me).
So I watched DUNE.

Genre: Science Fiction (and IMDb says: Adventure, Drama, Epic)

Title: DUNE – Part One

Outline: A noble family becomes embroiled in a war for control of the most valuable commodity in the galaxy, while their heir is plagued by visions of a dark future.

How it delivered on the genre conventions of Sci-Fi:
Takes place in the far future. Technology in space and in the desert are dramatically different from our current world. Power struggles about the valuable resource “the Spice”.

Elements of the drama genre:
The plot includes many dramatic elements, such as betrayal, intrigue, and the difficult choices the characters must make. This gives the film emotional depth and highlights it as a character-driven drama.

Elements of an epic:
Sweeping and complex narrative that creates an entire world with its own cultures and mythology.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s CREDIBILITY CHECKLIST:

What I learned doing this assignment is:

My credibility in the publishing world is superstrong, for some people it might be overwhelming. I´ve been working very hard to build this credibility and to get at least one book published every year (this year there has been 4).

I´ve learned now that I should focus more on (and talk more about) the steps I accomplish right now in screenwriting and for the target group of young adults and adults – without diluting my other work and offers, because those pay my bills at the moment.

1. My Writing Sample
I am working on the sample right now.

2. Screenwriting Accomplishments
KNIGHT OR ANGEL, script for a children´s short film, first place in the international competition, Lugano (Switzerland/Italy)
TWO LIFES FOR BENNY: script optioned, children´s film, 90 min, family entertainment
GUARDIAN ANGEL, concept sold for an episode for a TV series, 45 min
Other scripts for family entertainment and teenage comedy
Concepts for TV-series (crime, family entertainment)

Other Writing Accomplishments:
40 published fiction books for children and young adults
More than 350.000 copies sold
Cooperations with 8 publishing companies in Germany (Penguin Random House, Harper Collins and others)
Licenses sold to more than 10 countries worldwide

3. The Google factor
At the moment there are many results on my publications for children and for my work as trainer and coach in writing. I will work on that to change.

4. Your Network
7 producers in my network
3 connections who are connected to producers

5. Education specific to screenwriting
10 programs at ScreenwritingU
Multiple Live Workshops with Syd Field, Keith Cunningham, James N. Frey and others
18 month long Screenwriting program in script writing for TV series, ifp Institute Leipzig, Germany
Other seminars at the MASTERSCHOOL DREHBUCH, Berlin, and Filmschule Köln, Germany.

6. Agencies
Represented by 2 agents

7. IMDB CREDITS
No credits at this point, because I focused on the publishing world.

8. Other forms of credibility that is related to screenwriting: (I took this a little further)
More than 40 books published in 8 publishing houses.
More than 50 books produced as book-producer and publisher.
More than 10 books written as a ghostwriter for entrepreneurs.
8 years experience as publisher (founded and led my own publishing house, leading a team of 8 in editing, graphic design, printing, distribution, marketing).
Hundreds of coachings, mentorings and script consultations in the past 25 years.
Frequent workshops (live and online) and speeches per year on writing and publishing non-fiction and fiction
2 years experience as producer assistant at ZEITSPRUNG Film + TV Produktions GmbH, Cologne, Germany

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s LinkedIn Profile is Amazing!

Well, it will hopefully soon be amazing 😉

What I learned doing this assignment is:

This is a great process, and I am already grateful for being in this class for the first 2 exercises.

Creating the credibility checklist I learned that my credibility in the book and publishing industry from my experience as writer, ghostwriter and former publisher is huge and includes a variety of skills – and I want to achieve that for the film industry as well.

So while keeping my projects that pay my bills and provide for me and my family, I will continually work on getting as much credibility and accomplished scripts on my list in the coming years.

I looked at my LinkedIn profile which I neglected in the past, because a) I was working 12-16 hours a day for my clients, and b) used Facebook more actively – if I used Social Media at all.

I created a Summary on LinkedIn and changed my job description, putting Screenwriter directly next to Author.

In the Summary I focused on my experiences as writer/screenwriter and as book producer showing that I am both a teamplayer and an industry expert, capable of making business decisions, dealing with deadlines etc.

Over the next 30 days I will go deeper into my profile and add a lot more details like all of my screenwiting and published projects, skills, services etc.

I will do all of this in English, because I will work more internationally from now on.

I found out that I accomplished so many things in the past 25 years, and never communicated them properly.
I am really happy with the new summary.

Looking forward to reading your insights!

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s projects and insights:

1) An adaption of my already published book “Smeeralda and the 17 Waves” (children, 8-10 years)

This is volume 1 of a series of 3. For mermaid Smeeralda, the world is coming to an end when her mother Coralline announces at the beginning of the summer vacation that they will be moving to the other end of the sea. Coralline wants to reopen the former Grand Hotel “17 Waves” there. But Smeeralda´s mother has fallen for a real-estate shark: The hotel is completely rundown and needs a complete renovation. The story is about coping with change, and about building new connections, written with humour, heart and action, full of colorful sea creatures.

Budget: 10-15 Mio. $ (I am not sure about this, because it is an animated movie)

2) The Light Of The Oranges
A story placed in Sicily (Italy), about a young woman who inherits an orange grove, and has no idea what awaits her, because there is more to this piece of land than meets the eye. It is a captivating and touching story about traditional obligations and longing for freedom, old debts and new dreams – a must for all those who long for sun, love and the scent of fresh oranges.
Budget: 5 Mio. $

What I learned from the teleconference:

Writing for a producer is a real job, and there are deadlines and other circumstances to meet (which I know from the publishing world).
There is a common goal – and in the best case everyone is working perfectly together to reach that goal and create something beautiful.
Budget is important, and to know how to work efficiently within a certain budget while still letting your fantasy and your creative crafts fly, is the key.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

I moved my projects to the Lesson 1´s section.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi everyone, great to read all your introductions and what you´ve reached so far. I live and work in Tenerife (Spain, Canary Islands) and in Germany where I was born. In my early twenties I used to be a producer assistant, since 25 years now I am an author, ghostwriter and coach. I have written about 5 scripts and several concepts for feature films and TV series. Two scripts were optioned, and did not make it to the screen. My screenplay for a short film for children in an international contest achieved an award (and was produced, yey).

I am grateful to say that I was able to publish more than 40 books for children and young adults in the past 13 years. I am cooperating in a great way with several German publishers.

I am also working in the non-fiction field, and help my clients (mostly trainers, speakers and coaches) to write their expert books.

Right now my heart is beating stronger than ever for the film industry, for my own screenwriting, and: for doing whale watching tours in an ecological and respectful way. You can find me close to a warm and sunny Sea whenever possible, in Tenerife or in Sicily where my spouse was born. I am looking very much forward to working and growing with you all! Good luck and great success to everyone (Hollywood calling).

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer
I agree to the terms of this release form
GROUP RELEASE FORM
As a member of this group, I agree to the following:
1. That I will keep the processes, strategies, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class confidential, and that I will NOT share any of this program either privately, with a group, posting online, writing articles, through video or computer programming, or in any other way that would make those processes, teleconferences, communications, lessons, and models of the class available to anyone who is not a member of this class.
2. That each writer’s work here is copyrighted and that writer is the sole owner of that work. That includes this program which is copyrighted by Hal Croasmun. I acknowledge that submission of an idea to this group constitutes a claim of and the recognition of ownership of that idea.
I will keep the other writer’s ideas and writing confidential and will not share this information with anyone without the express written permission of the writer/owner. I will not market or even discuss this information with anyone outside this group.
3. I also understand that many stories and ideas are similar and/or have common themes and from time to time, two or more people can independently and simultaneously generate the same concept or movie idea.
4. If I have an idea that is the same as or very similar to another group member’s idea, I’ll immediately contact Hal and present proof that I had this idea prior to the beginning of the class. If Hal deems them to be the same idea or close enough to cause harm to either party, he’ll request both parties to present another concept for the class.
5. If you don’t present proof to Hal that you have the same idea as another person, you agree that all ideas presented to this group are the sole ownership of the person who presented them and you will not write or market another group member’s ideas.
6. Finally, I agree not to bring suit against anyone in this group for any reason, unless they use a substantial portion of my copyrighted work in a manner that is public and/or that prevents me from marketing my script by shopping it to production companies, agents, managers, actors, networks, studios or any other entertainment industry organizations or people.
This completes the Group Release Form for the class.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi, my name is Karen Christine, and I will do this class privately. Thank you.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Good morning, and congratulations to all of you who kept up so far!! 🙂 This is Karen Christine, and I just wanted to say Hi and express my congrats to all of you. I have taken a break for the last 4 months, because of many other obligations for clients and publishers. I am still here, yeay, and will keep up with my show. Good luck to you all, have fun – and move on as you do so wonderfully! Enjoy your weekend <3 Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Horror: Lesson 2

Karen Christine´s Terrifying Monster

What I learned doing this assignment is how important it is to know your monster well to create great moments of horror.

My monster is a person with a split personality. One personality runs the resort in the woods, with a handful of beautifully crafted and decorated cabins. The other personality is a psychopath who misunderstood the principle of honoring nature, and saving our environment.

He (monster) believes he has to punish people that don´t appreciate our environment, especially trees and how they provide us with lifesaving oxygen – by turning them into trees he wants to “give back”, not seeing that he cannot support something living by sacrificing dead people.

Terror: The Tree-Man has already killed several guests by:

Locking them in the cabins, windows and doors closed, not leaving them out

Injecting something he calls the “tree-gen”, trying to transform people into trees

Selling his own nightmare to them that in the near future all trees evaporate only carbon dioxide and no oxygen any more, because we exploited and tortured nature. Nature will strike back now!

Mystery: The most mysterious thing is that this monster is hidden in a person that can be very friendly, charming and hospitable – and he can change within seconds to that totally different person who hates other people. So the main mystery will be a) how to find a moment to catch the good person, before he can transmute and become dangerous again, and b) how to convince the good person that inside he carries a bad version of himself and a monster who has already killed innocent guests.

Fear Provoking Appearance: When he is the monster, he is wearing green and brown clothes, because he identifies himself with a tree. Brown trousers, green shirt. He then reminds us of a forest ranger, while in his other identity he wears blue jeans and a white shirt. In his house there are 2 sleeping rooms. He talks of the other person as his “brother”. Not knowing that his brother is he himself.

Rules: He kills anybody who leaves trash in the forest.

He kills adults, because they don´t care enough about the future.

He kills kids and teenagers, because they do not have a future – in this polluted environment.

He hates his “brother”, because he lets other people into the forest.

His vision is a world where every human being has turned into a tree, so that Earth will have enough oxygen again, not taken away by stupid and thoughtless humans!

Mythology: His DID has its root back in his childhood. He saw his mother being raped by neighbor who worked in a lumbermill nearby. As a child he could not stand the view on the “naked” trees as he called the trees that had no bark anymore and were loaded on trucks to be sold and processed.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Episode List Rough Draft

What I learned: It´s interesting to watch how the story and each part now find their place, and how new elements come in. Focus and flexibility are both required.

Episode 1: Doing the right thing is not always good.

One day before his promotion to bank manager Wolf-Dieter is scammed in a big way. He is being told that his bank will be bankrupt in a handful of days, and he will be the hero having foreseen it and reacting properly. Convinced that he does the right thing to save all the money he follows the advice of the person on the phone who calls himself a manager of the European Central Bank – and transfers it to a Bitcoin account. Proud of what he has done. He really is and always was a good banker!

Episode 2: Party time – but not for him.

On the day of his official promotion there are no signs at all of a downfall of the bank – he realizes he has been scammed. He cannot enjoy his promotion party with many colleagues and friends congratulating, his wife prouder than ever … He experiences this day through a fog of shock and panic, trying to figure out a way to bring all the money back, before anyone notices. While everybody is making party, he´s in his office. Alone.

Episode 3: The gift that has no worth. And a huge company that is helpless.

It´s the weekend of his daughter Mia´s wedding. Argue with his wife Sabine, because he only brings a check, and not the romantic suitcase full of bank notes. The check is unbalanced – his daughter will find out soon. Wolf-Dieter lies and finds an excuse. He does not dare to talk to anybody about the scam and the big loss. First attempts to follow the money. But the company Bitcoin and not even the police (his old friend and neighbor Mike, police officer, was at the wedding party) can´t help him. The money is gone.

Episode 4: To pretend that it´s okay doesn´t make it ok.

Argue with Emma who works at the restaurant where he normally has lunch with colleagues. Wolf-Dieter is so stressed that everybody notices, in the office and at home (Sabine and Yannick, Mia has moved together with her husband) but he pretends everything is okay. He has a fit of dizziness at the restaurant. Emma helps him and calls a doctor. First wealthy clients call him, because they have noticed the money transfers. Wolf-Dieter does not call them back.

Episode 5: Pains, wounds and dreams.

Emma is deeply hurt by Jonas who does not want their baby. He tries to force her to abort it, but she won´t do it. Jonas dreams of a life Dubai. Juli who is working together with Jonas, has been there and praises it. The bank starts to investigate, because clients have noticed that their accounts are empty. Who caused all the transfers? Wolf-Dieter pretending he doesn´t know anything. Pressure rises. He meets Emma in town at night. They both open up and share their troubles.

Episode 6: The truth sometimes hurts.

Emma finds out that Jonas is not only dealing legally with crypto currencies like he told her, but has made a deal with somebody who promised him a huge share for a certain transfer. Is he the one who scammed Wolf-Dieter? She secretly opens his wallets. And is shocked as she finds transfers that fit to what Wolf-Dieter has told her. Should she tell Wolf-Dieter? She decides no, and investigates herself.

Episode 7: Not proud of being in the news.

Wolf-Dieter loses his job, because the bank accuses him of the transfers – they don´t want to hear anything of a call from the European Central Bank that warned him of the bankcruptcy. Stress with Sabine and kids. He has to admit. Loses their confidence. He is in the news and newspapers, cover page. What a shame for a good banker like him who never did anything incorrect.

Episode 8: Losing Sabine, Mia and Yannick, and a friend.

Sabine asks WD to move out. He cannot find a hotel, because of no money. His credit cards are blocked, his accounts all empty, because he trusted the scammer. His friend and neighbor Bernhard, police officer, will not help him either. Bernhard through the scam as well (he had an account at Wolf-Dieters Bank, and several loans to fulfill) has lost all his hardly earned savings of which he wanted to buy an apartment for his wife on Gran Canaria for his silver wedding. Wolf-Dieter sits in the restaurant where Emma works until late night. Because Jonas is in Dubai attending a crypto event, Emma offers WD to sleep on the couch for 2-3 nights.

Episode 9: Still trying to be good – and being arrested.

Wolf-Dieter breaks into his former office in the bank to safe client data and to find out if one of his co-workers has had information about the scam or some kind of bankruptcy.

He is still convinced that he works for the good – he´s willing to pay every Cent back as soon as he has found the scammers and the money. Police is coming, because someone from an office in the neighborhood saw him at night opening drawers … they arrest him and lead him out of the bank.

Episode 10: Jealousy and harmony. Both unexpected.

Emma is attacked by Jonas who comes back earlier, finding some traces of Wolf-Dieter in their apartment. Jonas is jealous, and believes Emma has an affair. Yannick and Emma meet in front of the jail for the first time. Immediate sympathy. Maybe more?

In jail WD gets unexpected visit of Yannick who tells him his mother Sabine started to date Axel. Axel was a former friend and colleague in the bank – until Wolf-Dieter uncovered some irregularities in the allocation of loans. Axel was fired. Right now he is manager in a Swiss private bank. Wolf-Dieter hasn´t thought of him again. Why does Axel appear right now?

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

What I learned:

At first I had no idea of how to fill 5 complete seasons, but I took one step at a time, as suggested. Still not sure, if I have enough (or too much) material for all the single episodes and how to arrange it at the end, but I am optimistic that it is doable.

I also wrote the descriptions, but since they are too long and I want to keep up with the assignments, I give you the building blocks here.

SEASON 1 START: Banker Wolf-Dieter is scammed in a big way and loses everything. Because the money has vanished into the crypto world, he searches for the scammers there to take revenge.

SEASON 5 END: Wolf-Dieter dies as the “good banker” and new leader of the crypto world, having created his own coins and loan-system, and leaving a legacy to Emma and his son Yannick.

Building Blocks:

Season 1: Abyss

A. From betrayed banker to future crypto expert
committed to find the scammers and scam them. <div>

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Hiding the scam and
searching for the money and the scammers without being detected by the
police, the bank and his clients.

C. Main Conflict: The crypto world is new to him,
and he cannot trust anybody.

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will he be successful and
bring the money back from the crypto world before anybody notices?

E. Cliffhanger: He has lost his job and the trust
of his family, but feels stronger than ever.

Season 2: Smooth Criminal

A. After he cannot count on the police and the
bank, Wolf-Dieter is helping himself. </div><div>

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Wolf-Dieter quickly
has to become an expert in the crypto world to play games with those who
betrayed him. On the way he loses the ones he loves: his wife Sabine, his daughter
Mia and son Yannick.

C. Main Conflict: The crypto world is risky, and scammer
Jonas is suspicious.

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Wolf-Dieter and Emma manage
to scam Jonas and Juli?

E. Cliffhanger: Just when both are ready to transfer
the money from Jonas´ wallet to Wolf-Dieter´s, Emma suffers from abdominal
pain. One day later, Jonas and Juli are gone to Dubai, and changed all
passwords. Wolf-Dieter finds out that a third party has hired Jonas. It´s
somebody Wolf-Dieter knows very well: Axel. He´s the one to chase from now
on!

Season 3: Old friends from far away

A. Wolf-Dieter spies on Axel, the new lover of Sabine.
And connects with the international crypto world under a false name, so
Jonas and July don´t recognize him. </div><div>

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Wolf-Dieter finds
himself in ups and downs in the crypto game. He decides to take over and
to develop his own coin.

C. Main Conflict: Whom can he trust in this new
circle? Who is connected to Jonas and Juli?

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will his new connections
help him to gain enough money – or are they dangerous and will put the
final nail in his coffin?

E. Cliffhanger: Wolf-Dieter is being arrested. And
meets an influential building tycoon in jail, who could very well need his
help. And likewise. In front of the jailhouse Yannick and Emma meet for
the first time, and fall in love with each other.

Season 4: Knocking on Heaven´s Door

A. Wolf-Dieter learns that his son Yannick is in
fact Axel´s son.</div><div>

B. Wolf-Dieter has a stroke in jail, and recovers
slowly with the help of therapist Martha. Emma and Yannick help him to keep
the business going. Sabine wants to return home.

C. How to run a crypto business from jail,
without anyone noticing? Does Yannick play a foul game?

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will Wolf-Dieter be able
to reach his goals, from jail and with his body still recovering?

E. Cliffhanger: Wolf-Dieter is set free. Axel paid
the bail. He makes an offer to Wolf-Dieter which he refuses. News arrive
that Jonas has disappeared in Dubai. Kidnapped?

Season 5: The Winner Takes it All

A. Wolf-Dieter, Emma and Yannick set up a virtual
banking house, and try to convince investors, collecting enough money to destroy
the bank that let him down. </div>

B. Big Picture Arc/Journey: Wolf-Dieter, Emma and
Yannick are successful with their new coin and start giving crypto loans.
But with their success also their enemies / dark forces are rising.

C. Main Conflict: Can he win the trust of the
people back, who suffered from his failure?

D. Mystery/Open Loops: Will he be detected, before
everything is safe and the ink dry? Will he and Sabine love each other
again? Or is this Martha´s chance? Will Jonas kill him?

E. Cliffhanger: Jonas dies, and soon after him
Wolf-Dieter. “The good banker” has prepared everything, and the ones who
supported him will receive a huge win. He´s all over the news and media. Emma
and Yannick become the CEOs of the new crypto bank, and it seems they are
facing a happy and financially free future. But then Juli appears in
Martha´s practice.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

A Quiet Place: Horror Conventions

What I learned doing this assignment is that if the puzzle pieces fit well together they make a great movie. I am curious to discover my own pieces!

Title / Concept: A Quiet Place

Concept: If you make a noise, they kill you.

Terrorize The Characters: A family of four has to be careful to not make any noise, because they are killed by a certain species.

Isolation: The family created their home and their way to town through a forest in a special way. They walk barefoot and quiet. The do not meet any other person outside their little “paradise”.

Death: They have already lost one child when he accidentally made a noise.

Monster/Villain: A species that attacked the area and already killed many people.

High Tension: Everyone of us makes noises in daily life. It´s almost impossible to avoid them. In addition to this the mother is pregnant – how can you go through a painful process like giving birth, without making any sound?

Departure from Reality: Monsters. A dead town. Giving birth without any sound. Killing someone by overmodulation.

Moral Statement: The „weekest“ member of your tribe can save you. (I am not sure about the statement.)

3. Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great horror film?

I liked the idea to put the movie in a certain contained setting. I learned from this that you obviously don´t need many locations to make a great horror movie.

4. With your concept, fill in each of these Conventions for your story.

Concept: A small group of families, one of them having a child with a deadly desease, want to enjoy a relaxing and teambuilding time in the woods when the forest suddenly starts threatening them.

Terrorize The Characters: The parents and children are told that oxygen is running out and they are not allowed to leave their cabins.

Isolation: Several cabins in a forest resort. No internet.

Death: Oxygen is life. Lacking oxygen means death. The have already found several dead bodies.

Monster/Villain: a person with a split personality

High Tension: will they survive this? Will they stay sane, while the villain tries to make them believe, that it´s dangerous outside and that they will die, poisoned by carbon dioxide?

Departure from Reality: feeling like you transmute into a tree, a psychopath making his experiments crossing human beings and plants, killing somebody by leaving someone alone in the woods

Moral Statement: The fine line between not caring about our nature and our future – and becoming fanatic about it, which can be as deadly.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hello everyone, my name is Karen Christine.

I have worked in the film industry in Germany several years ago and took a “side-step” into the publishing world for more than 10 years.

I have written and published about 40 books for children which have been translated into 10 languages by Penguin Random House and others.

I have been the CEO of my own publishing house in the past 8 years, and closed this company last year to concentrate on my writing and helping other authors and entrepreneurs to improve their writing and visibility.

I have written 3 scripts, and I am new in horror.

I love learning and discovering new skills. And I love the sea. That´s why I am living and working from a place in the Sun close to an Ocean whenever I can.

Much fun and good luck to all of you 🙂

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

I, Karen Christine Angermayer, agree to the terms of this release form.

GROUP RELEASE FORM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Binge Worthy Modul 2 Lesson 2: Assignment

Karen Christine´s Character Descriptions

My show THE GOOD BANKER

What I learned doing this assignment is that staying open and just filling in the blanks helps a lot to go through this process with ease. I also noticed that editing the short versions by starting anew and not clinging to the words of the previous version brings even deeper traits of the character to the surface.

Main character: Wolf-Dieter (55)

Role in the show: A scammed banker who has lost everything (money, family, reputation). Instead of giving up he chooses to detect the scammers, acquiring all that is necessary to be a scammer himself.

Noteworthy traits: brilliant, clear headed, responsible, maybe a bit too rational

Intriguing history: There used to be a competition with a fellow student that WD has long forgotten. WD got the job in the bank back then.

Intrigue: He is willing to fight for his reputation (interestingly more than for his marriage with Sabine), taking risks and breaking the law several times to find the scammers and get the money back – and so undo his failure.

Mystery: Finds out that his wife Sabine has a relationship with his collegue for years, it´s a man that is much funnier in public and riskier.

How do they support or drive the conflict with others: he keeps secret his investigation who the scam team is and where the money is, thus behaving strangely in the eyes of his co-workers, principals, and his wife/family, in his commitment to undo his failures he does not notice the estrangement of Sabine and his kids, and is bringing himself in situations that could be deadly, and cost him at least the rest of what he has

Irony: Re-establishing his reputation by becoming a criminal/gangster.

Opposites or paradoxes: absolutely stubborn and rational, deep inside wants to break free for so long (never talked about it, felt responsible for the family and the company), always true to his values

Opposing agendas: Trying to detect the scammers and transferring huge amounts of money while the police is behind him and no one must know

Unpredictable: This world is new to him, he makes mistakes, but also feels joy and new strength

Intriguing relationships: Emily, Jonas and his therapist Martha

Start: An always correct banker is scammed in a perfidious way, and loses his own money and millions of his clients. In the attempt to undo his failure, he secretly investigates, willing to do everything to bring the money back.

Middle: Clear headed and brilliant as he is, he manages to quickly become an expert in the parallel universe of crypto banking, and a scammer himself. All behind the back of his family, co-workers and the police!

Ending: Manages to navigate through this dangerous and hidden world (with some bruises and facing life threatening situations), develops unexpected joy and ambition in this former foreign world. After finding out that the scam was not about the money, but about him, and that he lost his wife Sabine long before that, he follows a completely different road, and breaks free in a new way.

Edited version:

Wolf-Dieter

Shortly before his promotion good banker Wolf-Dieter, over decades supercorrect, straightforward and caring for family, friends and clients, is perfidiously scammed. In his attempt to prove that it wasn´t his fault and showing that he´s still the person in charge, he is willing to do everything. Even become a criminal himself.

On his journey through the intriguing but tremendously risky crypto world, he discovers new strengths, respect and a joy he had lost. And: his power to destroy everybody who did not trust him and let him down – with only a few clicks.

Main character: Emma (19)

Role in the show: scammer, friend, mother of an unborn, lover

Noteworthy traits: Strong as hell. No doubts. No regrets. Clear vision of her future.

Intriguing history: Highly gifted, earned a scholarship which she did not use, because she got pregnant, no contact to her family,

Intrigue: leads a normal life at the counter of a fastfood restaurant in a mall, nobody knows about her parallel job in the scam team

How do they support or drive the conflict with others: short-tempered, radical, wants the baby that Jonas did not want and denies

Irony: Working on her financial freedom and independence, at the same time being dependent on Jonas, and working at the restaurant in a toxic environment

Opposing agendas/etc: was part of the scam team that betrayed Wolf-Dieter, now wants to help him without Jonas and Juli knowing

Unpredictable: After drinking and smoking joints she opens herself up – only to withdraw the minute after.

Intriguing relationship with one or more characters: Wolf-Dieter, Jonas, Juli

START: pregnant employee at a fastfood restaurant, sees her chance to make some quick money joining the team of her spouse Jonas

MIDDLE: discovering that they are scamming in a big way, she wants to leave the team, but is threatened by Jonas and Juli. She stays, secretly helping Wolf-Dieter to find his gone millions.

ENDING: We learn why she broke the contact to her family, and why she really refused the scholarship for an elite university. In Wolf-Dieter she learns a new trust in somebody, and finds her new place in life, being able to lay down the rebel and punk in herself – while at the same time being true to herself. She also gains a new kind of freedom and trust in herself (and her motherhood) she has never experienced before. Which not only arises from the financial freedom that used to be her main goal.

Edited version:

Emma (19) is the complete opposite of Wolf-Dieter (55). Short-tempered, intuitive, not caring about what others think or say.

Her job at the fastfood restaurant where snobby and boring bankers eat, and being part of the scam team (with lots of money waving at the horizon) is only a means to an end: freeing herself from Jonas, creating a good life for her baby, and finally forgetting the picture her parents had in mind for her, a brilliant future after attending one of Germany´s top elite universities. Her parents still don´t know that she never went there.

She´s surprised to find out that Wolf-Dieter is not the man she supposed, and commits herself to help him secretly to reverse the scam behind the back of Jonas, Juli and the third party who gave the order.

Risking her life and that of her unborn baby and fighting for justice side-by-side with Wolf-Dieter, who has become an unexpected mentor for her, though they often disagree, she discovers her new ability to love and trust herself and others.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Intriguing Concept and World

My show THE GOOD BANKER

First of all: Thank you, Jan, for the addition in the title 🙂

What I learned doing this assignment is to keep close to your main character while building a “big” world for him to act in.

1. Concept:

Having lost his money, his family and his reputation through a scam, good banker Wolf-Dieter has to immerge deep into the world of crypto banking.

In his attempt to detect the scammers he quickly grows from white-vest banker to ruthless wirepuller in a territory that is strange, speculative and free from rules and regulations.

Inspired by his unexpected success and admired by his competitors he gets a second chance to rebuild his reputation: by causing the downfall of everyone who has let him down, including the whole bank company.

Hook 1: How does a man who has lost everything survive in an unexplored world and quickly become an expert and influencer himself?

Hook 2: How does one person cause the downfall of a whole banking institution with literally few clicks?

2. World:

Unique Sub-World: the unexplored world of crypto banking where few clicks can decide on wealth or ruin.

Unexplored: Where all the money goes and how to get it back when you have been scammed.

Unknown: How rules and regulations have to look like in the future, and how you find perpetrators when all they need is a wallet and a password.

Unseen: Investigation in a world that is dangerously silent, building itself up all over the world and in places you would not recognize as “where the big money is being moved within seconds”.

Unheard of dangers: Everybody with a little luck, budget and strategy can become rich and the next ruler – if you want it or not. Huge power and pressure can go into the hands of persons and criminals you never see or hear from.

Reason to explore: The world of crypto banking is a huge gate that is already opened – delivering many chances and as many pitfalls.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Budget

What I learned doing this assignment is that it gave me an impression how my story world looks and feels like in the end. It also inspired me to leave out one character who could be heard on the phone, but not seen on screen. Great tool!

1. Decreasing the budget:

MAIN VARIABLES

Number of Locations: leaving the
car drive at the beginning and end out, just concentrating on the cabin,
the area around the cabin, the bunker and 1-2 locations in the forest near
the cabin
Expensive
locations: –
Number of characters: the
mother could be left out, this could even be more interesting, because
they might lie to her and remain silent about the danger, she misunderstands
that and thinks they don´t want to have her there
Special effects: the trees don´t
have to seem bigger, they could be shot at night and appear darker and
more threatening, at the end it could be only police officers and not the
resort manager
Number of pages: 90-100
Crowd
scenes: –
Stunts, Chase scenes, and Fight scenes: –
Special
sets: –

SECONDARY VARIABLES

Rights to music, brands, books, etc.: –
Explosions
and Firearm: –
Kids — shorter work days, tutor on the set: 1
kid, one teenager, maybe they could both be teenagers?
Animals – need a wrangler, more time to shoot,
Humane Society: –
Weather — Rain, snow, wind, tornados: the
tempest is not necessary, the blackout could be caused by something else
Water
and underwater scenes: –
Night
scenes: not
necessary
Helicopters, aircraft, drone shots: we
could hear the helicopter saving them, we don´t have to see it
Green
screen work: –
Extensive
Make-up: –
Archival
Footage: –
Anything else dangerous that increases
preparation time and/or Insurance: –

2. Budget quadrupled:

A-list actors for the parents

Expensive cabin in the woods

Drone shots from above showing the size and beauty of the forest

Helicopter that saves the kids and mother and helps them get out of the forest

Explosion of the bunker

A more expensive equipment in the bunker, kind of hightech

Special effects that show how one or more persons (maybe a whole family) are being transformed into trees

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Writing Great Hope and Fear!

What I learned doing this assignment is that it was a wonderful experience playing with Hope and Fear. It helped me create even more twists and profound moments throughout the whole story, and especially in Act 4. I found it extremely helpful to watch GRAVITY and to see how many fear-moments they built into the last minutes.

Act 1:

HOPE: The family really needs this time-out. All of them have emotional, financial or health issues. They deserve this vacation.

FEAR: The cabin is far away from all other cabins and the reception. What if Max´ illness gets worse?

HOPE: The forest is so beautiful and nourishing. This could be the place where they start anew.

FEAR: Since the big trunk lying in Max´ bed is too heavy to be removed the children share a room. Will they make it with their age difference and their permanent discussions?

HOPE: Lori and her mother Judy find knives and try whittling. It seems a nice activity to bond in a new way.

FEAR: Max suffers from breathlessness. They did not bring enough oxygen tanks, because they´ve presumed they wouldn´t need them in the fresh air in the woods.

HOPE: Mark has an idea on how he and his partner could save their project, their money and their reputation.

FEAR: But he cannot reach him, because there´s no Internet in the cabin. Will his partner perform well during the interrogation and manage to navigate this ship?

HOPE: The landlord provides them with a big gift basket full of delicious fruit and snacks. The gesture is kind, but why is he wearing a gas mask outside?

WARNING: The landlord warns them to go out. There has been an unexpected emission of carbon dioxide. He locks all doors and windows. Then he leaves.

Act 2:

HOPE: If they find a way to connect with somebody outside the can call for help.

FEAR: There´s still no Internet. And the trees outside seem to grow bigger and bigger and night. It´s overwhelming. What´s going on?

HOPE: Lori has found a place in the attic where she can send text messages.

FEAR: The moment they´ve decided to whom to send their SOS-calls, a tempest breaks loose and cuts of the Internet and electricity. They cannot cook and have no light except some candles and their flashlights from their mobile phones until they run out of battery.

HOPE: Mark has found a door in the cellar that leads to a narrow tunnel. Could this be her way out – under the trees?

FEAR: The tunnel leads to a bunker with lab equipment and notes and strange pictures of people half-human, half-tree. One girl on a picture wears the same bracelet like the tree in one of the beds. What does this mean? Who lived here or is still working here?

HOPE: At least they found 2 gasmasks in the bunker, they take them back into the cabin.

WOUND/DISPAIR: In a vulnerable moment mother Judy confesses to her husband her fears about Max´ coming death.

FEAR: Lori has taken the pictures from the bunker without her father knowing. Now she shows them what she has discovered: That the trees look like the ones that are lying in front of the cabin in strange positions. Are they dead people?

HOPE: The landlord brings another oxygen tank for Max and some “natural”. medicine. He also manages to turn on the electricity again.

FEAR: He reacts angry when they ask him about the bunker. He tells them about his brother who was a biologist and environmentalist with “some strange ideas”. He tries to calm them that his brother has vanished a couple of days (weeks?) ago. Mark and his family pretend to believe him and try to calm Max who is concerned – but they don´t believe it at all.

WARNING/DANGER: Lori stops her mother from giving Max the medicine. The bottle reminds her of the ones she has seen in the bunker. What did the brother of the landlord administer to the people?

Act 3:

HOPE: Judy finds a drawing from a child in a cupboard that shows the cabin, some trees and some kind of a radius. Does that mean that the trees behind that line are okay and not dangerous?

FEAR: Lori wants to go, because she´s an experienced climber. Her father won´t let her go. He doesn´t want to lose another child.

HOPE: With one of the gas masks Mark starts his way through the woods. But after few steps he´s trapped and injured!

FEAR: Lori and her mother feel that something went wrong. Judy wants to go, but Lori won´t let her. She grabs the second gas mask and leaves. Judy stays alone with Max in the cabin trying not to show her fears. But it won´t work.

HOPE: Max tells her how much he loves her and all she has been doing for him all her life.

HOPE: Lori finds her dead and his relieved …

FEAR: … only to find out that she cannot free him from the trap. It´s too strong and she didn´t bring tools. She hates herself for not thinking of this. Her father calms her. Instead of losing their time here, she must go and search for help!

WARNING: On her way back Lori hears a sound. She finds a man surrounded by tree bark. Is he the landlord´s brother. No, he´s a former visitor of the cabin. He is weak and can only say few words, but he warns Lori. The landlord´s a maniac. He´s a multiple personality. He and his crazy brother are one person! The tree-man dies.

DANGER/TICKING CLOCK: Should Lori run on and search for help? Or tell her mother and Max first what she just found out?

Act 4:

HOPE: If she arrives in time, she can warn her mother and brother and hide them in a room in the cabin.

FEAR: When she arrives the landlord´s already there and has taken her mother and brother hostages. He reveals his crazy vision to them – to save the planet by transforming people (who are way too many on this Earth) into trees.

HOPE: Lori manages to stay undetected.

FEAR: Her gas mask broke when she got stuck in a tree on her way to the cabin. There´s carbon dioxide flowing in …

HOPE: When the landlord leaves Lori finds a way to climb through the chimney and free her mother and Max. They quickly repair her gasmask and build two other improvisational ones with plastic bottles and other material they find in the house.

FEAR: The three manage to get out of the house. But it´s difficult fleeing with Max in the wheel-chair. He asks them to leave him there. But this is the last thing they will do! They have to take care of the traps.

HOPE: They are finding the empty trap. Has Mark made it to escape? Is he on the way for bringing help?

FEAR: The find a man dangling dead from a tree. Is it Mark?

HOPE: It´s not Mark. They find a purse, and a message on a mobile phone that was never sent. Only a few more steps then comes the line with the trees that are not damaged and don´t emit carbon dioxide …

FEAR: They hear noises, and find out: The landlord is behind them. They won´t make it with Max in the wheel-chair!

HOPE: Lori takes Max on her back, and climbs a near tree with him. With gestures she instructs her mother how to climb on another tree nearby.

FEAR: Her mother steps onto a loose twig and falls down. Right in the arms of the landlord! Lori and her brother would like to scream, but he holds her hand over his mouth, holds him tight and calms him.

HOPE: In the minute the landlord wants to kill Judy Mark arrives with the police and the resort manager. Mark tells his family that he managed to break free from the trap and sent out some SOS text messages. The landlord takes some of his self-made tree DNA, then he shoots himself, because the police can arrest him.

The family is being saved and returns home in their car. They are happy in a new way.

We hear that Mark is quitting his job, and wants to find a new position in environmental research – in a healthy way.

We also hear that the trees around the cabin will be protected and taken care of. The cause for the 180 degree change of the photosynthesis will take biologists some time to be explored. It has created a new kind of respect for the forces of nature.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s 4 Act Structure

What I learned doing this assignment is that this structure helped me to stay clear and focused on the story itself. Going several times over my first draft of the structure refined the plot more and more, and added one more layer.

1. Concept and Main Conflict:

Concept: A young family with 2 kids, one suffering
from a serious illness, goes on vacation in the woods. What is planned as
a relaxing and much needed out-time ends up in a life-or-death struggle.

Main Conflict: Their lives are threatened by the
surrounding trees that behave strangely, and a crazy biologist´s vision to
save the world by killing people.

2. The 4-Act-Structure:

Act 1:

Opening: Mark, his wife Judy and the kids Lori
and Max arrive at a beautiful forest resort. Mark hides that he is about
to lose a big project in his pharmaceutical company because of his partner
using falsified studies. Lori did not want to come with them onto this
trip. Wife Judy has emotional problems. The only one who seems happy is
Max who is facing death because of a serious illness. He needs a wheelchair.
Their cabin is decorated lovely but secluded. The young landlord seems
nice but strange. In one of the beds lies a little tree, reminding of a
sleeping person. A bracelet has grown into one of its twigs. They think
someone just left it there.

Inciting Incident: Some of the trees have remarkably
grown since they arrived and seem threatening. How long can they stay in
this cabin? The landlord does not answer the phone, and as they want to
leave, a tempest starts.

Turning Point: Son Max suffers from breathlessness,
and the trees outside have grown remarkably. The landlord appears wearing a gas mask as they want to leave again, holds them back and warns them. The air is poisoned from the carbon dioxide the trees emit. They won´t make it to leave the forest. He locks all doors and windows.

Act 2:

New plan: They try to call and text somebody, but
there´s no Internet.

Plan in action: They seek from roof to cellar to
find a way out of the house. Just as they are about to give up, daughter Lori
discovers a secret room that wasn´t visible from the outside. Inside the
room they find notes, lab equipment, two gas masks and pictures of dead people
that look like they are half human, half tree. A girl on one picture is
wearing the same bracelet like the tree in Max´ room. Are the other trees
lying outside the cabin in strange positions dead people?

Midpoint/Turning Point: Their landlord is coming
to look after them. As he discovers that they found the secret room he
tells them about his brother, a biologist and environmentalist, who vanished
several weeks ago. The brother was doing research on crossing human beings
and plants “to save the world”. He is always seeking for probands to
inject them sort of a synthetical DNA with the aim of turning them into trees.
More than that: His experiments have run out of control. The trees outside
have started to emit carbon dioxide instead of oxygen. Better for the family
to stay here and not to go outside!

Act 3:

Rethink everything: They have to think about a
plan to escape safely without being caught by the maniac, and overcoming
the oxygen problem.

New plan: In the lab of the landlord´s brother
they find a sketch showing the radius of trees that are affected. Behind
them the forest seems to react normal. If one of them makes it to these trees
with enough air to breathe, and find help in the resort they could be
saved. Lori wants to go, but her father holds her back. He is the one who will
go.

Turning Point: Father Mark is caught in a trap,
obviously designed by the landlord´s brother. After nothing happens Lori
leaves the cabin and follows her father´s traces (They managed to build some
oxygen tank with what they found in the house.

Major shift: Lori finds a tree with a man grown/woven
into. He can say some last words, then he dies. She thinks it is the
landlord´s brother – but he isn´t. He was a former guest in the cabin. And
he warns them. It´s his brother who is the maniac. He is a multiple personality.

Act 4:

Final plan: Lori cannot free her father from the
trap. He wants her to leave him instead, because of the oxygen running
out, and run back to the cabin to warn her mother and Max. Too late. The
landlord already has taken them hostages.

Climax/Ultimate expression of the conflict: Oxygen
becomes less and less, her mother and brother are facing losing their consciousness,
while Lori tries to keep the landlord from killing them all. He reveals
his crazy theory to them while he prepares the injections for all three of
them. What he has in mind sounds reasonable in some ways, and in other
ways totally crazy. And what already has become clear: Nature is fighting
back, and does not react the way he planned it, which is shown by the 180
degree change of the photosynthesis.

Resolution: Mark has managed to break free from
the trap and returns with help. The family is taken care of and is relieved
to be able to drive home safe. Mark and Lori have realized how much they
still love each other. Stubborn Lori has found a new connection to her
parents. Max, though dying soon, is happy he can leave them all in this
way, changed but happy. And Mark is calling his business partner to tell him
he will leave the company.

GO OVER IT:

I will make further adjustments in the course of the coming lessons, and also during the coming horror class of ScreenwritingU 🙂

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Delivering Multiple Layers

What I learned doing this assignment is that I had to define the key message of my story first. After I got this it was easier for me to create the different layers in plot, character and location.

Layers I´ve chosen:

Layer 1:

Surface Layer: Young family goes on vacation.

Beneath That: Maniac
experimenting with crossings of humans and plants.

How Revealed: Family
finding trees in strange positions lying around the cabin. Later discovering
a bunker with notes, outcomes and lab equipment.

Layer 2:

· Surface Layer: Loving couple.

· Beneath That: She has feelings for her life coach/therapist.

· How Revealed: She confesses it to her husband in a moment of fear and pressure.

Layer 3:

· Surface Layer: Mark is an approved scientist as well.

· Beneath That: His partner convinced him to use some false studies to confirm the outcomes of a new vaccination.

· How Revealed: His wife Judy has found a mail and was too scared to talk about this with him until now.

Layer 4

· Surface Layer: Some experiments of the mad biologist are successful.

· Beneath That: Nature has her own plan and doesn´t allow being experimented with.

· How Revealed: The trees around the cabin quickly grow bigger and enclose the cabin and the bunker emitting no more oxygen but carbon dioxide, taking everyone´s breath, until the family manages to stop that horrible experiment.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine is ready for feedback!

What I learned doing this assignment is that next time I will create a framework for a TV show I will take much more care to use less words from the beginning. It took me hours to get my results from previous lessons into the framework 😉

For me it was fascinating and rewarding to see how all the ideas and results now have found their place in the framework.

I also discovered one character I want to think about and maybe make some changes.

Right now, I am very happy with the result, and grateful to exchange some feedback with you. Good luck to you all with your frameworks – and Cheers to everybody who makes it!

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer

“I agree to the terms of this release form.”

GROUP RELEASE FORM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi everyone, my name is Karen Christine. Great to meet you all here.

I have worked in the film industry several years ago and took a “side-step” into the publishing world for more than 10 years, which fortunately turned out to be successful.

I have written about 40 books (series mainly) for children which have been published in 10 languages by Penguin Random House and others.

Each new book and contract is a great honor for me, and I am grateful every day.

In the past 8 years I have been the CEO of my own publishing house. Closed this company last year to concentrate on my writing and helping other authors and entrepreneurs to improve their writing and visibility.

I have written 3 scripts in my movie times back then. 1 was produced as a short.

My mother tongue is German, I am living and working in Germany and Tenerife/Canary Islands. I love to travel and learn languages.

Strange but maybe familiar if you are an Ocean person or know one:

I adore the Sea. Must have been a mermaid in former lives 😉 That´s why I always seek to spend as much time as possible by the water like the Pacific Ocean or the Atlantic.

And maybe unusual: I experienced a divorce and have been practicing the nest model as we call it together with my ex-husband for more than 10 years now. Which means that our 2 kids (now teenagers) always stayed in their home, and I am staying one week together with them and then one week with my new love who lives 250 miles away. I am very grateful that this has worked so well as well.

Good luck to you all with this class 🙂

PS: I will finish 2 other classes at SU next week, so I might be a little behind with the first lessons. I will keep up!

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Creating Irony

My own show THE BANKER

What I learned doing this assignment is that I am happy and relieved to have already discovered so many situations that are ironic. I will keep watching for some more!

1. WD has always been a responsible banker with a clean record, and now he acts like a criminal.

2. WD does not find understanding from his wife and his children, but from a pregnant girl that sleeps in the cellar of a mall.

3. His daughter is marrying, and all he can gift to her is a check without funds.

4. He has promised to buy a car for his son´s 18^th birthday, and cannot even pay one rate.

5. The false step from WD´s past now creates a situation that completely destroys his life.

6. His best friend and neighbor is a police detective, and WD cannot talk to him though he urgently needs someone to talk to.

7. WD has always been a person with a lot of empathy and understanding for his clients. No he has nobody that has an understanding for his situation.

8. On the day he should receive his promotion as the new bank manager he receives his dismissal.

9. He also was a great banker, bright, clear, rational and fast in his decisions. No he finds himself confronted with a whole new banking world where he has to work himself into. And he doesn´t have much time.

10. In losing everything he finds a new life and love.

11. The head of the scam team is his own son.

12. The woman he trusts is the spouse of the head of the scam team.

13. When his own bank lets him down and he cannot get the money back he decides to betray the whole bank.

14. By telling his wife all that has happened to win her confidence back he loses her forever.

15. Believing he would lose his children, too, when telling them everything he is surprised that they are angry but still love him. (the love will take a while throughout the show)

16. Being convinced he helps his wealthy clients to protect all their money he loses it all.

17. Instead of being the star at the end of his banking career he is the biggest loser.

18. At a point where he is sure to have lost everything including the love of his life he finds a new love.

19. Grieving about having lost his son he finds a new son (Jonas), only to lose him shortly after.

20. Having always been a rational man he finds himself behaving completely irrational when meeting his new love.

Oh, and there´s location irony as well: You wouldn´t believe that such a big financial loss and scam would take place in a bank where all the money should be safe – and happen to a banker who should know how to handle money issues with care and integrity.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Creating Irony

Example show BIG LITTLE LIES

What I learned doing this assignment is that how abound in irony this example show is and how this elevates and underlines the quality of every episode.

Oh, and I learned that the infinitive of to lose is “lose” and not “loose”. I used that word quite a lot in the past assignments. Hope everything else is readable and understandable for you 😉

Character Irony:

A) Jane wants to have a great first day at school, and he´s accused of attacking somebody.

B) The daughter of Madeline and Nate and Nates daughter he has with Bonnie both go in the same class.

C) Madeline is greetings some other moms friendly, and in her face or words we recognize that she hates them.

D) Celeste is a loving and caring mom and doesn´t manage it that her boys obey her. Her husband who is absent a lot needs only a word or sentence to let them be quiet.

E) Bonnie who seems to be a mindful and spiritual person has a partner that is not mindful and spiritual at all.

F) Ed is the caring and patient husband who´s always there for her, but it´s the director of the play Madeline has passionate feelings for.

G) Jane thinks that the guy at the bar is homosexual, but he isn´t.

H) Renata tries to combine being a great mom and having a career, but does not earn any acknowledgment.

Plot irony:

A) Jane thinks she will never meet the guy again who raped her, and it´s the husband of her friend.

B) Renata and her husband are very wealthy, and they lose it all, because he makes a mistake.

C) Later on: Perrys´s mother comes to help Celeste and the kids, but at the same time blames Celeste that Perry died.

Location Irony:

Monterey is such a beautiful quiet little town by the Sea. But so many bad and cruel things happen under this postcard surface.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Plot and Character Layers:

My show THE BANKER

What I learned doing this assignment is that the more I take the assignments and possible answers with ease and try to throw my ideas on the page as fast as possible, the more I discover other layers and “worlds” behind the surface world. Interesting and very rewarding!

PLOT LAYERS – Story beneath the story:

Major scheme: A banker is being scammed in a big way. His money and that of his wealthy clients is gone.

Mystery revealed: Wirepuller of the scam is the team around Jonas (he, Juli and Emma), instructed by someone even higher (whom we never see – or only at the end, and this is more than one person, it is rather an institution or movement).

Thought the story was one thing, but it is another: WD is being used to cause the insolvency of a whole bank – and maybe even more banking houses.

Major shift in Meaning: It´s not only about WD. It´s about the demolition of a whole banking institution.

Hidden history: There is a reason why WD was chosen. And the reason is false step in his past, way before he started his banking career.

Hidden plan: To destroy the banking world as it was.

Major betrayal: A multitude of people will be betrayed and scammed. And even Jonas, who is a relative of one of the big wirepullers, is being used (he is not the real son as the man found out, he sacrifices him).

2. CHARACTER LAYERS – identity beneath the identity.

Wolf-Dieter, WD

Secret identity: he is responsible for the huge loss of his own money and that of his clients, pretends to be the one that “will take care of it all” – maybe calls together a team of “experts” to help him (those experts will probably not exist, he does everything by himself and with Emma´s help).

Character intrigue: We admire how he sets this all up, and stays cool at the same time (the born problem-solver), though it extremely pulls at him. He manages to handle all the different levels – the bank, the crypto world, and becoming an expert in a formerly unknown field to straighten his huge mistake (let himself be manipulated).

Hidden relationships and conspiracies: with Emma, maybe for a while with his neighbor and old friend, who works at the police

Hidden Character History: he slept with a woman in his past long before he started his career. He forgot about it, and she never told him that she gave birth to a child. She didn´t even tell her spouse, until now. It turns out: The spouse (now husband) is WD´s biggest rival.

Emma:

Secret identity: She is part of the scammer team around Jonas.

Character intrigue: We like her from the beginning. She wants the best for her unborn child knowing that the father is not the right man for her on the longterm. Contrary to WD her perspective is more open. She is strong though in a week position right now (pregnant, only few money). We want to know if she can really help him get the whole money back – while she is still together with Jonas. And we want to experience how this whole story ends for her. Will she be happy in the end and get the life she deserves?

Hidden relationships and conspiracies: with Jonas (WD does not know at the beginning), with WD (Jonas does not know), with all of them (her boss at the restaurant and her family does not know).

Hidden Character History: have to think about this. First thought: Jonas´ father urged her to have sex with her. She wants to come back at him (second reason why she helps WD). Jonas does not know.

Jonas:

Secret identity: Thinking about this question I might try another path and let him decide not only to work for the inner crypto circle but to become a rival of the big wirepullers. Will let this sink a bit.

Character intrigue: He looks unconspicuous, and therefore we underestimate the damage he can bring to another person – like WD. Later we discover that he has a heart (contrary to Juli), and tries to somewhat save WD or protect him from more harm when he finds out WD is his real father. But it will be too late.

Hidden relationships and conspiracies: Jonas and Juli might create a hidden relationships when she manages to seduce him. And also on the scamming side they might develop an alliance against Emma without her knowing.

Hidden Character History: Jonas is the son of WD – result of WD´s false step at a very young age. Even Jonas does not know, but always had the feeling that something was not right in his family. Even is mother did not tell him and his father until now. Result of that was that Jonas acted out his feelings in his teenager years by torturing others. He was never caught and found guilty. This encouraged him to take the scamming and torturing to a much higher level now.

Juli:

Secret identity: The intelligent good looking young women is calculating every move she´s doing to get to the top of the crypto insider circle.

Character intrigue: She seems to fulfill Jonas´ orders, but behind the curtain there is more going on. Here and there we notice that she finds Jonas attractive and we get the notion that she would take what she wants, knowing well that Jonas and Emma are a couple and are awaiting a baby. Juli is a Machiavellian in a beautiful and appealing disguise.

Hidden relationships and conspiracies: She´s in a sexual (and merely that) relationship with one or even several of the big wirepullers. Jonas and Emma don´t know that. And even the different men don´t know that.

Hidden Character History: We will get to know later that she has a programming background and was popular and famous for her ability to program illegal stuff in college.

3. Organize them each into a possible sequence of reveals.

Plot Surface:

Layer 1: WD and his clients at the bank are being scammed in a big way.

Layer 2: While the police and the bank are investigating, WD is doing his research on his own.

Layer 3: The world of Jonas, Emma and Juli.

Layer 4: The inner crypto circle with the goal to destroy the banking world as it was and to create a decentralized banking system.

Layer 5: WD deciding to ruin those who ruined him: either his bank that did not trust him – or even the inner crypto circle with the help of Emma.

Layer 6: WD´s past and his relationship to Jonas´s mother and father.

Layer 7: End of WD´s marriage and family life as it was – and the beginning of his new love and path.

Character Surface Wolf-Dieter:

Layer 1: the clean banker who wants to put everything back into order

Layer 2: the husband who has fantasies about his assistant which he never lived out

Layer 3: the wounded personality that decides not to give up but to take revenge

Layer 4: the banker who dives into the crypto world to become an expert himself

Layer 5: the banker who changes allegiance and wants to destroy the bank that destroyed his life

Layer 6: the banker/crypto expert that now wants to take the next step and become the leader of the inner crypto circleDevelopment: from victim to man of action in a way he would never believed it, if you told him a couple of months ago.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s ASSIGNMENT 1 – Layers in BIG LITTLE LIES

What I learned doing this assignment is that I didn´t find it that easy to differentiate between what is a plot layer and what is a character layer. Especially in a show with 5 main characters that each have an influence on the plot. Well, I did my best 😉 And it cleared my view on my own project which I am grateful for.

Plot Surface:

The school year in Monterey, CA, has just begun. It´s the first school day at elementary school. We watch 5 mums and other parents bring their kids to school.

Layer 1: We watch from the beginning that a dead body was found. Who he/she is and what happened will be revealed much later. Police is investigating.

Layer 2: A little girl is attacked on that first day. A boy is accused. A competition starts: How is taking whose side?

Layer 3: After it´s been revealed what happened during the charity event and who killed Perry, the 5 moms conspire against the police and against whole Monterey. And: against Perry´s mother.

Character Surface: JANE

Jane is new in town. She is a single mom and her son Ziggy starts first grade with the other kids.

Layer 1: Hidden Agenda: She is running away from something.

Layer 2: Hidden Character History: She has been raped by Ziggy´s father.

Layer 3: Secret Identity: we do not learn much about her past, we only know that she does not answer her son´s questions about his father, and is still running away from what happened. After the death of Perry she is part of the conspiracy.

Layer 4: Wound: She still cannot trust another man and let him come closer.

Layer 5: Competition: with Renata, the mother of Amabelle who was attacked.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Assignment – my own project THE BUG

What I learned doing this assignment is that the intrigue and the suspense of also the villain and the red herring require some thoughts to make those characters on a par to the hero.

Part 1: My Big M.I.S.

Big Mystery: Who kills former strangers and puts them together as a family?

Big Intrigue: A young former paralegal whose aim is to take revenge for a trauma in his past.

Big Suspense: Will Tessa find and stop this psychotic guy? Will she save her children in time? Will she be killed by him? Will the life of her best friend who helps her be affected, too?

Part 2: Intriguing World I´ve selected:

The youth welfare service, the court and the chancellery of Tessa´s father where she worked for a couple of years until she quit.

Part 3: My characters:

HERO: TESSA

A. What is the mystery of this character: Will Tessa get her 2 children back alive? Will she find out who the kidnapper is and get her children back alive?

B. What is the suspense of this character: Will she be attacked by the kidnapper herself? Will she or someone close to her die? Does she have to pay for a decision her father made?

C. What is the intrigue of this character?

Tessa found out that her father took some illegal action in the past (in one case) to do somebody a favor. This one action is the cause for this series of crimes right now. How does Tessa cope with that? And how does she cope with the fact that a man whom she believed to be a one night stand is the father of her unborn child?

Side note: In addition to my thought and my logline from Assignmen2 I am actually thinking about her sister whose 2 kids could have been kidnapped while Tessa was witnessing. And Tessa herself could have made a decision the killer knows about in the past. He worked in her office and was her assistant. Tessa could be pregnant right know, carrying a child whose life by now has not been affected – which is the perfect target for the killer.

RED HERRING: ROLF

A. What is the mystery of this character: Has he kidnapped the 2 kids of Tessa´s sister? Why is he following them all the time?

B. What is the suspense of this character: Will he be arrested, because he was seen close to the latest crime scene?

C. What is the intrigue of this character: He is charming and does everything to get Tessa´s and her sisters attention.

VILLAIN: VIKTOR

A. What is the mystery of this character: Why does he kidnap and kill all these people? What is his motivation and wound?

B. What is the suspense of this character: Will he be stronger, faster and more clever than Tessa, her friend and the police?

C. What is the intrigue of this character: He has built a cobweb of possible victims – Tessa and the police have to go back in time and to unroll a lot of cases and family connections nationwide to find the root of his scheme. Intriguing to see is that in one point he is right: Some decisions the court makes are simply not good or helpful – they might be understandable from a rational side. But in Viktor´s case they did wrong. What makes him guilty is that he overtaxes his perspective and rage, and involves innocent people.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Assignment – my own project THE BUG

What I learned doing this assignment is that I started with a single picture in mind, and the questions led me to a whole story. Love it! And look forward to developing this in depth throughout the next days.

My logline: Lawyer Tessa has to witness that her kids are being kidnapped at a rest stop on the highway. Their disappearance is the beginning of a series of vanished children, teenagers and adults. Together with her best friend who might be a target for the kidnapper as well she starts the prosecution.

Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Tessa, 42, divorced, mother of 2 little kids. She used to be an advocate for family affairs. Her help in this case is not welcomed by the police, because she is a passionate, emotional and impatient woman.

Dangerous Villain: a young serial killer with a trauma from his past, wants to take revenge in a big way

High stakes: since the victims that appear are from all different ages there´s no sign how to escape from this killer

Life and death situations: After Tessa is interviewed by journalists and shown on TV she receives threats and the bloodstained necklace of her daughter (7). Her car is being rammed, and somebody is following her. The police refuse to give her protection since she used to have delusions during her marriage.

This story is thrilling because we see how a mother struggles to save her children before it´s too late, and before other people vanish and die. The story itself is about decisions and the impacts of decisions on other people´s lifes. Everybody whose decision influenced the life of the killer in his childhood is in danger. It takes a lot of cleverness and empathy for Tessa to find the connection between the victims – while the clock is ticking.

Big Mystery: Who kills former strangers and puts them together as a family?

Big Intrigue: A young former paralegal whose aim is to take revenge for a trauma in his past.

Big Suspense: Will Tessa find and stop this psychotic guy? Will she save her children in time? Will she be killed by him? Will the life of her best friend who helps her be affected, too?

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

… and here I am … catching my breath 😉

Karen Christine´s Assignment: The Postcard Killings: Thriller Conventions

What I learned doing this assignment is that watching a thriller with this clear mission helped me to stay clear in what I am looking for. Now and in future stories. Very helpful.

Unwitting but Resourceful Hero: Jacob Kanon, former US detective for more than 30 years, his married daughter and her husband were killed, they were the second couple within few days, all arranged in poses copied from famous paintings. Jacob in his despair feels the need to be part of the international teams investigating the murders.

Dangerous Villain: Surprisingly it is not the murder we think it is. It turns out to be a couple (with a secret that is being revealed later).

High stakes: If Jacob and the international police don´t find the murder(s) they will continue killing.

Life and death situations: The victims are all carved up, so we know that the murder will not hesitate to kill Jacob, too. A threatening situation evolves when they hit the car of Jacob and of Dessie, a Swedish journalist helping him. Dessie is in danger and the murders want her to be their final masterpiece.

This movie is thrilling because the killings take place throughout Europe in a very short time span. Jacob and his team have to react fast and be in town in time. And it is intriguing to watch because we feel Jacob´s pain and his desperate need to catch the person who did this to his daughter. In the last 45 minutes it is revealed who the killers are, and from there on the “whodunnit” becomes a “will we get them in time”, which kept my attention until the last minute. This movie is not a loud movie with a lot of action, but told quite quietly and at the same time compelling.

Big Mystery: Who killed Jacob´s daughter, her husband and all the other couples?

Big Intrigue: Why is the murder committing the killings in such a cruel and at the same time aesthetic way? What´s the message behind this?

Big Suspense: Will Jacob and his team be fast enough? Will Jacob find out who killed his daughter? Will they try to kill him?

Anything else you’d like to say about what made this movie a great thriller: The characters and their journey were very convincing. I liked the different chemistry and atmosphere the three police teams in England, Sweden and Germany created.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi, is anybody out there? Am I the only one posting? 😉

As I am in 2 other classes of ScreenwritingU as well, I will take care of some other lessons over the weekend and be back next week. Great days to you all, Karen Christine

Karen Christine´s Character Journeys

What I learned doing this assignment is how grateful I am that ideas are coming if you keep sitting at your computer and don´t run away, because you think you have no idea 🙂

Oliver:

Beginning: He is looking forward to this long awaited vacation with his family. At the gas station he gets a call that his pitch for a big project was not successful, and that faked surveys of his partner will have their legal consequences.

Turning Point: Something much more dangerous than a lost pitch is going on which at first he cannot understand.

Midpoint: He finds out why this crazy guy in the bunker does what he does. But he doesn´t know, yet, how to escape from him and save the life of his family.

Turning Point 2: He and Lori found a way to communicate with the outer world. One of them has to walk out and get the antidote.

Dilemma: If he leaves the forest, his family is in danger. If he lets his daughter go, she will be in danger.

3rd Act Climax: He must kill the crazy guy in order to save himself and his family.

Ending: He showed his family how important they are to him, he has let go of his company, and has to find a new way. He is insecure, does not know where this is all going to, but he´s relaxed.

Betty:

Beginning: She loves the idea of being together with her whole family, though she takes with her her insecurity about the feelings she has for her life coach, and her anxiety about the coming death of her son. Furthermore she doesn´t know how to communicate with Lori, every word seems the wrong one. She is more with the others (and concerns about them) than with herself.

Turning Point: She realizes that this journey is not about relaxation.

Midpoint: She “wakes” up from the thoughts and the world she has been in. She recognizes that her family needs a strong mum, but she does not how to manage this.

Turning Point 2: She knows that this is the time where she has to be honest – with herself and towards Oliver. She tells him her feelings for her coach.

Dilemma: She knows that she cannot go on like that, she has the feeling to die, if she stays in her old life. But stepping into something new also feels unbearable and frightens her.

3rd Act Climax: She helps Oliver to kill the crazy guy. Together again!

Ending: She rediscovered her love to her husband, and won´t see the life coach again. She honors what he gave her. She is happy about the new relationship between Oliver and Lori. She is happy about a new creative gift she found in the forest. She knows deep inside that she will be able to live on after her son will have died, though a tough time lies ahead of her. She senses that she will be guided by her intuition and something bigger which she never felt before. She has found her inner voice.

Lori:

Beginning: She hates going on this trip with her family. She knows exactly whats going on between her mum and her dad, more than they do. She is unhappy because her boyfriend posted something that stirs her up.

Turning Point: She feels that this vacation is going to be “interesting”. She has the idea that they won´t tell her brother about this. She suggests that they pretend it´s only a story that takes place in the woods, and that the crazy guy does not exist in reality.

Midpoint: She discovers how strong her dying brother is, when he says: “I am glad he exists. Because then we can defeat him.”

Turning Point 2: After an argument she runs away to get the antidote, thus taking the decision from her father of who should go.

Dilemma: If she shows her feelings, she can be hurt. If she doesn´t show her feelings, she is being misunderstood.

3rd Act Climax:

Ending: She drives home not knowing if the relationship with her boyfriend and girlfriend will go on. But she knows that she will survive it – no matter what. She developed a newfound bond to her family. She feels accepted and seen.

Max:

Beginning: He looks forward to this trip. It might be the last one with his family. He soaks it all in.

Turning Point: He notices something bad is going on, but his family won´t tell him.

Midpoint: He shouts at his parents that they don´t have to hide their problems from him – and he means the crazy guy as well as their personal problems.

Turning Point 2: He saves his sister by throwing himself in the way of the crazy guy.

Dilemma: He is sad, because his presence causes grief: If he dies, he makes people unhappy. If he lives on, his progressing illness causes grief.

3rd Act Climax: He is about to die, because the crazy guy has taken him hostage.

Ending: He has realized how important it is to face ones biggest fears to really live a life. Though he will die soon, this experience fulfills him and gives him peace and trust that he can leave his family behind in this way. Knowing they will be safe and happy.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Character Depth

What I learned doing this assignment is that filling in these blanks led to ideas as well as connections and possible conflicts I had not thought of before.

The characters are: Oliver (father), Bettina (mother), Lori (teenager daughter) and Max (8 year old son)

Oliver (42)

Internal Character Depth

Motivation: wants
his whole family to have a relaxing vacation
Secret: hasn´t told
his wife, yet, that his big project of his company is in danger (maybe additionally
a loss, he invested in crypto and lost it all) – and therefore their financial
future
Wound: lost their
second child
Subtext: I owe you
something, because I was absent over a long time (to his wife and kids)
Layers: loves his
job, put being the one who is responsible for the whole family, since his
wife stayed at home to take care of their ill son, he feels more the
pressure than joy and fulfillment, often wants simply to run away

Character to character

Conflict: wants to
keep his family safe, which he can´t in this cabin and the forest
Hidden Agenda: thought
that by investing in a trading company they all would be safe
Conspiracy: might
conspire with Lori to find the source of the threat
Intrigue: He is a
person that can stand a lot of pressure from outside, and still function,
but being confronted with his own fears leaves him vulnerable and nervous

Character Situation

Dilemma: feels the
urgent need to talk about all his fears, at the same time this would make the
trip and staying in the house even worse
Secret Identity: had
a short affair with an assistant which is already over, but he never
talked about it

Bettina (39)

Internal Character Depth

Motivation: Wants her
family and especially Max to have a good time in the woods
Secret: has had
feelings for her life coach which she tries to get rid of, but feels helpless,
only her best friend knows (and it will come out)
Wound: gives herself
the blame that she lost their second child (between Lori and Max), because
she did not stop training herself for a marathon
Subtext: I am guilty,
I am not worthy
Layers: is stronger
than she thinks she is, discovers her own strength facing her biggest fear

Character to character

Conflict: would like
to close the gap she feels in her marriage while the coming death of Max
takes so much of her focus and energy
Hidden Agenda:
Conspiracy:
Intrigue:

Character Situation

Dilemma: urgently
needs to relax and some sort of time-out, but cannot leave her family
alone right now, doesn´t want Max to day, but discovers herself thinking
sometimes that everything will be more relaxed and peaceful when he has
passed away
Secret Identity:
feels attractive and passionate in the presence of her life coach, wishes
the times back when she was studying and free

Lori (14)

Internal Character Depth

Motivation: No
motivation at all for this trip after a conflict she had with her
boyfriend shortly before they went on their way to the forest
Secret: she has a
web profile where she sells her own hand- and foot-pics, started this,
because she is a curious person, and found out it works …
Wound: her dying
brother, she loves him and doesn´t want to loose him, but he gained so
much love, support and attention during the last 2 years, that she is
often angry
Subtext: you don´t really
know me
Layers:

Character to character

Conflict: uses harsh
words and withdraws herself to hide her helplessness
Hidden Agenda: to
free the family from this threat – wherever it comes from, she will find it
Conspiracy: with Max,
he is he only one who knows that she sneaks out at night, this creates a new
bond between the two
Intrigue: her strength
and clarity at her young age is stunning and intriguing

Character Situation

Dilemma: would like
to run away from that trip on the first day (maybe she does, and they find
her, and bring her back), but feels this would make the situation for the
whole family worse
Secret Identity:
selling the pictures, playing with her “clients” who want to see more of
her body, which she won´t show, enjoying the might/power she has over them

Max (8)

Internal Character Depth

Motivation: to bring joy to his sister and family
though he will be facing death soon
Secret: he has taped some of their daily talks and
taken pictures which will be important one day
Wound: he doesn´t know who it is to die, and
though he´s playing cool on the outside, he sometimes would rather go out
of his body to avoid this experience
Subtext: I am your sunshine. Sorry that I am the
cause of your grief.
Layers: though he is a little boy he has made up
his mind a lot, seems like an adult in some ways

Character to character

Conflict: Does not want his sister and his
parents to suffer, but cannot change it
Hidden
Agenda:
Conspiracy:
Intrigue:

Character Situation

Dilemma: if he dies the family will grieve, if he
continues living his family will also be grieving, his whole being seems
to cause nothing but grief.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Assignment Right Characters

What I learned doing this assignment is that approaching my characters in this way and not thinking about details at first helps me to build a strong foundation for the story by not loosing sight of the hook and the main conflicts. A great way to develop a story, thank you!

Think about your
Concept Hook and Contained Setting.

For the contained setting I have chosen a cabin in a forest the mountains. The story plays inside and outside of the cabin, and in a shelter nearby.

With each of your
main characters, how can they uniquely fit with the Hook?

The main characters are father, mother (both in their thirties, beginning of forties), daughter (14) and son (8) of a family.

They fit with the hook, because each of them bring certain issues (emotional, financial, love related, death related) onto the trip that was planned as relaxing vacation for them all. It won´t be at all!

Thinking about the
conflict that hook creates, how does each main character enhance or cause
that conflict?

The story is about our greatest fears. Each of the main characters will be confronted with their fears throughout the story – which will be a life threatening experience. Since each of them goes through their own journey, they are not able (or only in some moments) to support each other.

The mother lost a child between her daughter and son. She is the character with the biggest wound.

The father, a freelancer, is about losing a project that would have brought them a huge amount of money.

The daughter seems to be the trouble-maker in this story, full of envy, because her brother who is suffering from a lethal illness gets so much attention of their parents, and she herself would rather have spent the vacation with her friend. At the end she will be the one who will find a way to escape the horror of the cabin and the forest.

Tell us what makes
these characters the “right ones” for this story?

As I feel it at this moment the characters are the right ones, because each of them represents a tremendous fear many of us have: The fear to loose a loved one, the fear to loose our financial existence and livelihood, the fear of not being loved enough, the fear of loosing our life.

I like this ensemble of characters, and I am curious what they will reveal to me in the coming lessons.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer

I agree to the terms of this release form.

GROUP RELEASE FORM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hello everyone, my name is Karen Christine.

I have worked in the film industry several years ago and took a “side-step” into the publishing world for more than 10 years, which fortunately turned out to be successful. I have written about 40 books (series mainly) for children which have been published in 10 languages by Penguin Random House and others.

I have been the CEO of my own publishing house in the past 8 years, and closed this company last year to concentrate on my writing and helping other authors and entrepreneurs to improve their writing and visibility.

I have written 3 scripts, and never a thriller, so I take this class as an exciting opportunity to grow and meet you all 🙂

My mother tongue is German, I am living and working in Germany and Tenerife/Canary Islands right now.

Something about me: I absolutely love the Sea (Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica and Atlantic Ocean in Tenerife). Must have been a mermaid in former lives 😉 That´s why I always seek to spend as much time as possible by the water and in the Sun.

And: I love learning and discovering new ways. That´s why I am in 2 other classes of ScreenwritingU parallel to this class, which are all great fun and already helped me to experience a quantum leap in my writing.

Thank you so much, Cheryl and Hal! Looking forward to meeting you in person one day.

Good luck to all of you 🙂

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine´s Great Hook

1) This process worked very well for me. I chose 5 different ideas and brainstormed around them. I found the question “What haven´t we seen?” not easy to be answered quickly. After a while (and especially in times I was not at my computer) new ideas popped up that were kind of interesting, and so I followed them.

I haven´t decided, yet, which story to take, I will do this in the following lessons. Most probably I am going to choose a mystery or horror concept playing around a family in a cabin in the mountains.

I have never written anything like that before, because I was more into family drama, romance and stories for children before.

I am excited to give it a try, and use all the helpful tools from this class!

2) What I learned doing this assignment is that a concept becomes the more fascinating and deeper the more different possibilities you brainstorm, and the more time you spend on layers (though there might be some kind of resistance sometimes to do this).

I discovered that though an idea might sound great at first sight, it appears to be flat or at least not as multi-faceted as it becomes when you allow yourself to create some alternatives, and follow completely different roads.

Furthermore not taking an idea too seriously right from the start helps me to prevent myself from building too strong boundaries, and to stay free to discover what else could be there.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer´s Assignment 2: Big Picture Open Loops for my show – THE BANKER

What I learned doing this assignment is that filling the blanks for me is the best way to come up with ideas that weren´t there before – or not in that depth. Answering these questions helped me to deepen my understanding for my characters and their actions. Trying to sort out what the big loops and the smaller ones could be helped me to get an idea how to design some of the episodes. Very clarifying!

1. Big picture open loops for my first season that I will use to keep the audience captivated.

GOALS:

New goals: When finding out that he won´t get the money back on the “nice” way, WD decides to deal with the scam by becoming an expert in the crypto world. Goals related to the big picture: getting the millions back in time, take revenge on Jonas and his own bank who has let him down Crushed goals: He won´t get the money back – as soon as WD and Emma find a way, Jonas´ wallet is hacked, and all the money will be gone. Time for a new goal: Finding the hacker, and get the money from his wallet. Competition / conflict around goals: WD is running against the time, and competing with Jonas and the hacker

CONSEQUENCES:

Are they going to be caught: It will come out that WD is responsible for the money transfers, so he has to hide, and the bank and police is after him. Even his own wife/kids don´t know where he is. Problems created from past actions: He behaved badly toward co-workers and his neighbour, which now redounds upon him. He doesn´t find any help in his surroundings and is all by himself. Emma is the only person who can help him – but he insulted her deeply. Good plans gone wrong: Emma got them the passwords for Jonas´ wallet – but his wallet is being hacked, before they can transfer WD´s money

SOLVING PROBLEMS:

What is the major problem for this character: He has 2 major problems: He has to make sure the money is back on all accounts of his clients. And: Throughout his life he always acted like somebody who new the answer to every obstacle. Now he doesn´t have a clue, and has to become an expert in a completely new world (crypto) – and: has to learn to admit to show his weaknesses and flaws, being completely vulnerable and naked.What are they trying to solve: WD and Emma are trying to bring the money back, before everybody takes notice. Further more they have to hide that the know each other and that Emma helps him. (new thought: maybe she is Jonas´ sister instead of spouse?) Later on they are hiding WD from the police.Major change imposed on character: He loses his carefully built up image as a responsible and “clean” banker. He thought he was at the end of his career – and now has to start all over in a completely unknown field. He finds himself – learning to know himself in a way that he would never have without this all happening.Previous solutions cause new problems: Talking to his friend and neighbour who is working for the police bring their attention to him. Hiding everything what happened from his family causes their withdrawal, anger and disappointment. (wife and the 2 kids all three reacting differently) Hiding everything from the bank has made him delinquent – the last thing he wanted at this point of his career. In his eyes it marks the end of his life if he doesn´t solve this.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Relationships in peril: Relationship to his wife, 2 kids, Emma, principals / colleagues / customers at the bank and to his closest friends in peril.New relationships forming: New relationship with Emma (friendship, almost like a daughter), a new love, maybe with Jonas (his son, not sure about that)Conflict inside relationships: Inside his marriage and family: He has always been the trouble-shooter. Now he has brought them all into huge trouble!Relationships changing: To his wife and his kids (from trust to estrangement to a new level of acceptance and clarity about who he really is). To his colleagues and principals (from disappointment and resentment to a new kind of respect at the end of the last season)

DANGER / SURVIVAL / RISKS:

Can they survive X: Diving deep into the world of scamming and hacking is a big risk for WD. And for Emma as well since she is in a relationship to Jonas. Suffering from gestational diabetes her life and that of her baby are in peril as well.Putting themselves in danger / making dangerous decisions: Hacking into Jonas´ wallet and into the system of the even bigger hacker is dangerous. Hiding the loss of millions after the scam is as well a dangerous decision, because he risks his whole career and reputation. Searching for Jonas when he hides, and searching for / visiting events where the big players of the crypto world are, is a big risk, too. There is the permanent risk that everybody in this circle can see behind the curtain of WD and Emma any time.Who else is pulled into their danger: WD´s wife and kids (especially his son), Emma, her babyInternal dangers (drug addiction, need for medicine, inner demons): At a certain time Emma needs medicine. (might be the pharmacist WD falls in love with)

2. My top 5-8 Big Picture Open Loops that could be in my pilot:

– Will WD get the huge amount of money get back in time?

– Will he be punished and go to prison?

– Will he loose the love of his wife and his kids?

– Will he be able to show he has been manipulated and therefore kind of innocent?

– Will he manage to learn all he needs to be able to pretend he is a crypto expert like Jonas to be able to scam him?

– Will he, Emma and her baby survive this?

Smaller Loops:

– Will Emma help him after he insulted her deeply at the beginning?

– Who is the father of Emma´s baby (if not Jonas)?

– Why did Jonas choose WD for his masterpiece scam?

– Will Jonas and Juli be punished or are they managing to escape with the money?

– What secret is Juli trying to hide?

– Will WD experience a new love?

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer´s Assignment 1: Example show – Big Little Lies

What I learned doing this assignment is that in this example show there are many open loops (I discovered 7 in the first season). This creates permanent tension, worry and wonder from the first episode until the end of season 1. The end of season 1 brings up another Big Picture Open Loop that becomes the subject over the whole second season.

Part 1: Big Picture Open Loops established early in the season:

1. Who died? Was it an accident or murder? Will the police find it out who did it?

2. Who attacked Amabelle?

3. How will the confrontation between Madeline and Renata end?

4. Can Jane start a new life in Monterey? Why did she run away from her last place?

5. Where do the marks in the sand come from – whose shoes?

6. What is wrong with Celeste? Why does she stay with this man?

7. Will Madeline find her peace with Nate and Bonnie? Will she loose her daughter?

Part 2: How those open loops are being used to create the need to see future episodes:

1. In every episode we watch the police interrogating parents and teachers. Over many episodes it is still not revealed who the dead body is.

2. Amabelle is being attacked again. Ziggy´s mom trusts him that he wasn´t the one who did it – but who did it then?

3. Madeline and Renata are in a constant competition: On Amabelle´s birthday Madeline invites many other kids from their class to a musical. Renata stars a petition against Jane´s son, and acts against Madeline´s play at the theater.

4. Janes refuses to answer her son´s questions about his dad. We want to know: Who is it, what happened, is he still alive? She opens herself up and tells Madeline that she was raped. Which opens the loop: Will they find him? And how will he react?

5. The traces in the sand appear at the start of every episode. Very lately we discover whom they belong to.

6. Celeste wants to start a therapy with her husband – which leads to the open loop: Will they succeed? Will this end his violent attacks? Will their marriage survive this? In later episodes the therapist will advise her to leave Perry and find a new apartment – which opens up the next open loop: Will she be able to make this important step? How will he and the kids react?

7. Madeline´s rage about Nate affects her own marriage with Ed. The plan of a dinner for all 4 of them creates a new loop: How will this end? Will Abigail move back into her home to Madeline or not? Will Madeline loose her or not? Madeline´s affair from her past experiences a revival – which creates the question: Will she leave Ed – or will he leave her, or how will this end?

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer´s Assignment 2: My own project – THE BANKER

What I learned doing this assignment is that it is worth digging for the Over Time Mystery. Keeping the question open helped me a lot.

1. Shocking Event Mystery:

A. Shocking Event: WD is being scammed in a huge way.

B. Secret: WD doesn´t tell anybody that he made all the money transfers, trying to hide his mistake. Instead he creates another story what possibly went on. Emma on the other side does not talk about Jonas becoming intemperate when angry. She hides her bruises.

C. Investigation:

Who: WD is investigating on his own who did this to him – when everything is blown up he creates / makes up another story to lead the police and authorities of the bank on a false track.

What: WD lost millions of his own and his clients´ money through a scam

When: during office hours in the bank

Where: at the bank in WD´s office

Why: not revealed over many episodes why Jonas chose WD as victim

How: via phone WD was convinced to transfer large amounts of money in order to protect them

Part Withheld: Why WD was chosen as victim and not any other colleague at the bank.

2. Over Time Mystery:

A. Cover Up:

At the bank: WD pretends right after the scam that everything is okay and nothing happened, until several clients call him, wanting their money.

Between WD, Emma and Jonas: Jonas is the son of a former rival/competitor at the bank of WD, his father felt suppressed by WD (without WD knowing it), always wanting to see him fail and fall, Jonas heard this over and over all his life

B. Secret:

– Emma does not tell WD over many episodes that Jonas is her spouse

– Jonas does not tell Emma over many episodes, that he scams. When she finds out he does not tell her that he did it to take revenge on WD, because of the past.

– WD and Emma don´t know that WD is the grandfather of her unborn child

– in her past Emma stole money from the cash desk (and food from the kitchen), because she had no money to buy food and pay her rent

C. Reveals:

Who: Jonas´s father is not his real dad

What: Chose WD as victim for his “masterpiece” (one of a kind scam), not knowing that he is betraying his own father

When: a couple of days, before Jonas is killed

Where: Jonas has found some documents in the cupboard of his dead mother

Why: she always wanted to protect her son from knowing the truth (and wanted to protect herself from regretting her marriage with the wrong man). Jonas wants revenge because he witnessed his father suffer for so many years.

How: through the perfidious scam that would destroy everything WD has built up in his life so far

Part Withheld:

It is being withheld throughout the first season that Emma has a connection to the person who scammed WD.

Emma herself doesn´t know anything about the scamming. She always thought Jonas would work successfully in the crypto business. Which he does, but way more than that.

We as audience discover before WD that Jonas and Juli are the ones who took all of WD´s and his clients money.

Also withheld until the final season: WD had a fling with Jonas´ mum more than 20 years ago which led to her being pregnant. Jonas´ father didn´t know either, but always felt that something was wrong.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer´s ASSIGNMENT PART 2:

First of all I apologize that I´ve chosen a show (instead of a movie) for doing this assignment, because this was the first that came into my mind.

I am in the Binge Worthy Class as well, and therefore have seen more shows than movies recently 😉 Hope this is okay.

What I learned doing this assignment is that is much easier than I thought to transform a normal movie (or in this case show) concept into one that follows the Covid Guidelines. It was fun doing this assignment and seeing how the message and power of the story could easily be produced in this seemingly reduced way. Thank you!

TITLE: Big Little Lies (TV Show)

AS THEY DID IT:

A. People: 5 mothers and their kids, 4 husbands, several teachers, other parents, 2 police officers

B. Stunts: no stunts

C. Extras: exclusive locations (some of them have homes by the Sea), many locations (5 homes, school, theatre, a restaurant by the Sea), crows of parents and teachers at the first school day

D. Wardrobe: normal to elegant

E. Hair and Make Up: negligible

F. Kids and Animals: many kids, no animals

G. Quarantine: I guess 14 days for each crew member before and after

COVID GUIDELINE VERSION:

A. People: concentrate on the 5 moms, regularly meeting at the restaurant by the Sea

B. Stunts: no stunts

C. Extras: no more location than the restaurant by the Sea and perhaps the office of the school principal

D. Wardrobe: provide each actor with outfits that are characteristic for them (Renata: most elegant of all)

E. Hair and Make Up: negligible

F. Kids and Animals: it would be possible to show only 2 kids (the one attacked, and the one who is accused of having her attacked)

G. Quarantine: less crew members, less locations and shooting time, therefore less risks

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer´s Assignment 1

What I learned doing this assignment is:

– It is interesting to see how many “one only” locations come up once you lean into the process.

– Outside locations in nature make your shooting be dependent of the weather conditions.

– A boat sailing on the sea may not be the easiest location (concerning where to put the crew members, cameras and stuff). Though I love the idea of my story playing on a boat 😉

– The “uniqueness” might be the most challenging part.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi everyone,

my name is Karen Christine. I am living and working in Germany and from Tenerife/Canary Islands.

My road in this business began 23 years ago in the film industry, and took a (successful) “side-way” in the world of prose. I have written and published about 40 books for children, and I am honored and deeply grateful to say that big publishing houses call me to create new ideas for them.

My heart never stopped beating for movies, I have written 3 scripts and worked as a producer assistant with two producers from the US and UK, and I´m now very happy and grateful to be part of this group and meet some writing fellows on the way.

If anybody of you is living in or close to Santa Monica, CA, please send my love and hugs to the Ocean!

Much joy and success for all of you with this class!

PS: I am in other classes of ScreenwritingU as well, and give my very best to meet all deadlines in time 😉

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer

“I agree to the terms of this release form.”

GROUP RELEASE FORM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer´s Assignment 1: Example show – Big Little Lies

What I learned doing this assignment is that the mysteries and reveals have to be set up really well to keep the audience permanently wondering and worrying. And: that one major reveal should be kept secret until the end.

1. Shocking Event Mystery:

A. Shocking Event: Event 1: Dead body found at a school event. Event 2: Renata´s daughter is being attacked by a boy.

B. Secret: Who did it? And is there a connection to Renata´s daughter being attacked?

C. Investigation:

Who: police are interrogating parents and teachers, we see a female police officer visiting some spots in the area, and watching some of the moms

What: Dead body found on the school ground, age and sex are not revealed over a long time.

When: during a charity event

Where: at elementary school

Why: not revealed over many episodes

How: not revealed over many episodes

Part Withheld: Was it an accident or murder? Who did it and why?

2. Over Time Mystery:

A. Cover Up: The “Monterey Five” present it as an accident.

B. Secret: They know who did it.

C. Reveals:

Who: The dead corps belongs to Perry.

What: He was pushed down the stairs.

When: In that night at the charity event.

Where: Stairs leading to the school ground.

Why: He wanted to attack Celeste and Jane.

How: Bonnie pushed him.

Missing before final episodes:

Part Withheld: Why Bonnie did it.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer´s Assignment 2: My own project – THE BANKER

What I learned doing this assignment is that it added valuable emotional layers and conflicts to the characters that I didn´t think of before.

Assignment 2:

Wolf-Dieter:

A. Undeserved misfortune: Lost all his money and that of his clients by assuming doing the right thing<div>

B. External Character conflicts: Trying hardly to keep his image, cannot talk to his family (wife and kids) and his co-workers/principals in his office about what happened, instead fighting his way through the crypto world to get it all back, before anyone notices

C. Plot intruding on life: A team of 3 young people lead by Jonas scams him brutally, taking not only his money but his freedom and all he created in his life for himself and his family. Later on his wife will have an affair with a colleague that always competed against him.

D. Moral dilemmas: I discovered 3 dilemmas.

Dilemma 1: He takes all sorts of illegal actions to get the money back, before anyone notices. Even after everything blew up he is still acting illegally (even to a much higher degree) – because he will do whatever is necessary to get the money and his life back. If he doesn´t act illegal – the money is gone. If he acts illegal – he will go to prison.

Dilemma 2: If he would tell his wife what happened (and that he lost HER money as well), she would turn away from him. If he doesn´t tell it – she turns away either. Same with his kids (he assumes).

Dilemma 3: If he doesn´t kill Jonas, he will kill him, Emma and her baby. (should he get to know before or after that Jonas is his son? Does this even increase the dilemma or is it too much? Have to think about this.)

E. Forced decisions they’d never make: Transfer huge amounts of money, without his wife/family and his clients/co-workers knowing. Killing somebody. Becoming the leader of his own big scam.

Emma:

A. Undeserved misfortune: Was not allowed starting to study her favorite program, because her application got lost at the university office, and all other application dates were expired.

B. External Character conflicts: got pregnant, wants the child, but his father doesn´t support her wish. Has to stand his coolness and cruelty, because she´s dependent on him.

C. Plot intruding on life: only job where she seems to make a sufficient amount of money is in Jonas´ team. She doesn´t know from the beginning that he started scamming, it was a crazy idea that came up at a party night …

D. Moral dilemmas: If she leaves Jonas he will take all her money, and her baby will have no father. If she stays with him she will suffer emotionally and physically.

E. Forced decisions they’d never make: Steal money. Helping WD to kill Jonas.

Jonas:

A. Undeserved misfortune: He is not the son of the man he believes to be his Dad. His father chose his sister to become CEO of his company.

B. External Character conflicts: Does not want to have kids at his young age. Prefers to be free. Always has/had the perception he has to fight for the love of his Dad. Nothing was/is enough.

C. Plot intruding on life: Someone told him about a scam that worked out perfectly. He wanted to try it out. It worked – and he got drawn into this, like an addict, wanting more and more money, taking higher and higher risks …

D. Moral dilemmas: If he kills Emma, he kills the mother of his child. If he doesn´t kill her and WD, they will bring him to trial.

E. Forced decisions they’d never make: Taking the guns from his fathers safe, and threatening his own mother.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer´s Assignment 1: Big Litte Lies

What I learned doing this assignment is how much undeserved misfortune and moral dilemmas cause us to feel connected to these characters and identify with them.

Renata:

A. Undeserved misfortune: her son was attacked physically at school, her husband lost their fortune

B. External Character conflicts: feels like the most of the full-time moms don´t accept her, can´t find out who attacked Ziggy

C. Plot intruding on life: her daughter is a victim of mobbing

D. Moral dilemmas: to keep silent on Perry´s dead

E. Forced decisions they’d never make: to leave Monterey, take Amabelle from school and sell their beautiful home, remain silent on a murder

Madeline:

A. Undeserved misfortune: the production of her play at the theatre is being threatened, her daughter Abigail seems to be friends with the new wife of Madeline´s ex Nate, Nate is the winner of the divorce in her eyes

B. External Character conflicts: can´t stand to see Nate and Bonnie, doesn´t like career-moms like Renata

C. Plot intruding on life: her play is being forbidden by the mayor, she develops feelings for Joseph, the director of the play

D. Moral dilemmas: loves her husband, but wants to have sex with Joseph, wishes her daughters to be happy, but cannot stand Abigail moving out to Nate and Bonnie

E. Forced decisions they’d never make: because of the injustice against Ziggy she invites all of Amabelle´s guests to another party

Celeste:

A. Undeserved misfortune: victim of the cruelty of her husband

B. External Character conflicts: wants to see her boys grow up happily, has to stand the physical attacks and the control of Perry, has given up her job as lawyer, though she loved it and is brilliant at it.

C. Plot intruding on life: Perry´s violence and control are increasing.

D. Moral dilemmas: Staying with Perry and not leaving him for the good of the kids, though it´s not good for her.

E. Forced decisions they’d never make: taking actions against Perry´s mother when being accused by her. Remaining silent on Perry´s death.

Jane:

A. Undeserved misfortune: Was raped and got pregnant.

B. External Character conflicts: can´t forget the rape, cannot trust other men. Cannot tell her son who is father was. Cannot return home to her family and friends.

C. Plot intruding on life: Ziggy is being accused of having attacked another girl on the first day at his new school. Ziggy´s father coming back into her life.

D. Moral dilemmas: loving her son and believing him, which makes her an outsider

E. Forced decisions they’d never make: remaining silent on Perry´s death.

Bonnie:

A. Undeserved misfortune: Madeline hates Nate – and therefore Bonnie as well.

B. External Character conflicts: Likes Abigail, knowing that this friendship will increase Madeline´s anger on her.

C. Plot intruding on life: she is responsible for Perry´s death, and is not able to live with it

D. Moral dilemmas: protect herself and her girlfriends while cannot standing the increasing pressure any longer

E. Forced decisions they’d never make: pushing Perry down the stairs, remaining silent, marrying Nate.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer´s Assignment 2:

Relationship map of my own project – THE BANKER

What I learned doing this assignment is that it quickly shows the weak spots of a character or his role in the show. For me this means that I probably will take out one character completely – or reduce his presence. Interesting and very helpful!

Wolf-Dieter und Emma:

Surface: They have a deal with each other.

Common Ground: Both know what it means loosing sth/someone very valuable.

Conflict: Different generation. Emma is much more sense-driven than in the rat-race like WD. She drinks and smokes while being pregnant – 2 no-gos for him.

History: He yelled at her when she short-changed him at the cash desk.

Subtext: They are helping each other in more than just a financial way.

Relationship Arc: From conflict to a deep understanding and friendship. At the end he will discover that he´s the grandfather of her child.

Wolf-Dieter and Jonas:

Surface: Enemy.

Common Ground: Both experts in the money world: WD in the world it was until Crypto came up, Jonas expert in the world of coins. What both don´t know for a long time: Jonas is WD´s son.

Conflict: Jonas betrayed WD, and has what formerly belonged to WD: his money and that of his clients. In trying to compete with his father he betrayed his real father.

History: The scam.

Subtext: Power struggle

Relationship Arc: WD outplays Jonas. From competition to bitter chase.

Wolf-Dieter and Sabine:

Surface: married.

Common Ground: Married for more than 20 years. Two kids.

Conflict: WD cannot talk to her about the scam and the huge loss. More and more estrangement.

History: She had an affair with his colleague years ago which still is an issue between them.

Subtext: Power struggle, despair

Relationship Arc: From marriage to estrangement.

Emma and Jonas:

Surface: couple.

Common Ground: Couple for about a year. Both work in the scam team.

Conflict: He did not want their child. She decided not to do the abortion.

History: Had a great night out which led to her pregnancy. She admired him. With his help she got the job in the team.

Subtext: Power struggle (“Me or the child”). Danger.

Relationship Arc: From lovers to enemies.

Emma and Juli:

Surface: Colleagues/friends.

Common Ground: Both work in the scam team.

Conflict: competitors for Jonas´ acknowledgment.

History: Emma cannot prove it, but has the feeling that there´s sth going on between Jonas and Juli. She saw them together.

Subtext: Aversion.

Relationship Arc: From Aversion to neutral: After Emma leaves Jonas she doesn´t care about his affair with Juli any more.

Emma and her parents:

Surface: Almost no contact, since she discovered a huge lie which hurt her deeply.

Common Ground: Emma always felt like she didn´t belong to this family.

Conflict: It hurts her to have no contact, but it seems so difficult that she has given up on it.

History: She moved out at the age of 16.

Subtext: Unexpressed love. Helplessness.

Relationship Arc: From misunderstanding to approach.

I´ve also created a map for a third character, and looking at the map, the character´s role and function in the show do not satisfy me any longer. As said above I am thinking about taking him out of the show or giving him a not so present role. Therefore I leave his map out here.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

What I learned doing this assignment is that in this example show especially two competitors/enemies cover a lot of common ground, and that the relationship arcs can mirror each other on different levels (business level, motherhood or marriage level). This map is very helpful showing precisely how the cobweb is perfectly woven in detail, which makes the example show so strong and intriguing.

Assignment 1: Big Little Lies

Madeline and Celeste

Surface: Friends

Common Ground: Both are moms with kids in elementary school, knowing the same people. Both where there when Perry died.

Conflict: Not a real conflict, but at the end they admit that they should have known much more about each other and their pains.

History: Not revealed how long they know each other. Seem to be friends for a while.

Subtext: Co-Conspirators.

Relationship Arc: Their friendship becomes deeper and more trustful.

Madeline and Renata

Surface: Enemies (sometimes pretending to talk to each other friendly)

Common Ground: Both are moms with kids in elementary school, knowing the same people. Both where there when Perry died.

Conflict: Fulltime mom against hard working, successful mom.

History: Not revealed how long they know each other. Seem to be competitors since their children were born.

Subtext: Major competition (motherhood level). Co-Conspirators.

Relationship Arc: From competitors to sort of friends.

Madeline and Bonnie

Surface: Competitors

Common Ground: Both are moms with kids in elementary school, knowing the same people. Both loved/love the same man. Both have a relationship with Abigail (daughter/friend). Both where there when Perry died.

Conflict: Madeline hates Bonnie, because she is so different from her, and seems to be perfect.

History: Bonnie is the new love of Madeline´s ex-husband.

Subtext: Major competition (marriage level). Co-Conspirators.

Relationship Arc: From enemies to friends.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

LAYERS OF CHARACTER INTRIGUE

Assignment 1: What I learned doing this assignment is how these 7 layers help us to create deep conflicts (inside and outside a character), twists and long lasting suspense.

Layers of Character Intrigue: Big Little Lies

Madeline:

Hidden agendas: to beat her former husband Nate

Competition: against Renata, mother AND successful in her job, against the town hall to get her play on stage, and against her own fears of loosing her daughters

Conspiracy: with Renata who accuses Jane´s son of attacking her daughter Amabelle

Secrets: love affair with Joseph

Deception: deceives herself, denying her feelings for Joseph, and her husband Ed

Wound: that Nate was the winner of the marriage, and that working half-time and earning less than 150.000 doesn´t count

Secret Identity: lover of Joseph

Jane:

Hidden agendas: trying to find Ziggy´s father without him knowing, running away from her past

Competition: with Renata in protection her own son

Conspiracy: ?

Secrets: she hasn´t told Ziggy who his father is, and until the end of Season 1 she does not know herself that it is Perry

Deception:

Wound: the cruel night with Perry

Secret Identity: over several episodes she keeps the secret that she was raped by Ziggy´s dad,

Common secret of Jane, Bonnie, Madeline, Celeste: how Perry died

Celeste:

Hidden agendas: ?

Competition: ?

Conspiracy: at the end of Season 1: develops a plan with their therapist to move out and leave her husband

Secrets: her aggressive and violent sexual relationship with her husband

Deception: Pretends that everything is okay in her marriage, both sons seem not to know it

Wound: Perry´s way of controlling and hitting her

Secret Identity: deep inside she´s still the talented, self-assured lawyer

Renata:

Hidden agendas: to beat Madeline and to show everybody that she is a great mother AND a successful business woman

Competition: with Madeline, wants her daughter to be loved and her birthday party a success, and in competition with the full-time moms

Conspiracy: with Harper to beat Madeline

Secrets: wish to be coveted by her husband more often

Deception: ?

Wound: not to be accepted as a good mother, because of her successful career

Secret Identity: ?

Bonnie:

Hidden agendas:

Competition: unwillingly in competition with Madeline about the love and friendship of Abigail

Conspiracy:

Secrets:

Deception:

Wound:

Secret Identity:

Bonnie is a very likeable person, and seems to have almost none of these layers. For this reason I assume that she is not one of the main characters in Season 1.

Maybe in Season 2?

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi everyone,

first of all I want to say thank you for the great experience to be in this group.

It´s amazing to see how each of our shows and their characters are growing in a unique way.

Doing this assignment I have a question. I don´t know if this is the right place in the forum to post it, so I try:

Designing my show concept I have to decide whether my main character is in his forties or better in his fifties.

Hal, you said in your class “Screenwriting over 50” (thank you for sharing your valuable insights!) that the majority of people watching shows is at the age 18-39.

My question:

How to we decide best as authors during the writing process, if we have two great actors in mind:

Go for the younger one – because it might sell the show better? (though this has an influence on the story and the tonality of the show)

Or should we put these thoughts aside and concentrate on the story first?

I am grateful to hear more about your thoughts and experiences.

Many thanks in advance 🙂

Have a great day, everybody, Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer´s THE ENGAGING CHARACTER MODEL – my own project THE BANKER

What I learned doing this assignment was that my original idea was not working in terms of “binge worthy”. I explored several ways, and decided to continue working on this concept at another point.

So I´ve put this idea aside, and created a new one.

Not the easiest moment saying good-bye to characters and ideas you had in mind for a while (you might have experienced this before) but a very necessary one 😉

Here´s my new concept:

Journey:

After becoming a victim of a perfidious scam successful banker Wolf-Dieter (42) has lost all his own money and the money of his clients. With the help of pregnant Emma (19) he is trying to get it all back, before his family, the bank and his clients take notice.

A. Role in the show: Wolf-Dieter (WD), husband and father of son (18) and daughter (22). He is the main character and hero who is betrayed and mentally manipulated. After overcoming the first shock he is willing to do what is needed to get his money back, passing borders he never would have believed possible for him. Transformation from victim to perpetrator.

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

Purpose: Despite everyone says it would be impossible to get the money back, he has decided to go after it, and follows this goal with the same accuracy and tenacity like he did all the past 22 years in his career (in a couple of days he will become the youngest management board member).

Expertise: He knows money and knows all around the money world. The more he feels ashamed and guilty that this could happen to HIM. Furthermore he has been manipulated by “Mr. Schulze”, member of the scammer team, not to trust anyone in his surroundings and not to say a word to anybody. His expertise is rooted more in the “old bank world”, and he has to dive deep into the crypto world to understand where money goes nowadays, if you want to hide tremendous sums.

C. Intrigue: Secret behind the surface is that WD tries to hide what has happened at all costs, not being able to talk to his wife, his kids or his principals. Another secret is with Emma not telling him directly that she´s part of the scammer team (she did not know he was one of the victims when they first met). A third secret reveals almost at the end of the show, when we find out that Schablonsky, boss of the scammer team, knows WD from the past, and has therefore chosen him as the perfect victim.

D. Moral Issue: Moral boundaries:

Cybercrime: WD transfers huge amounts of money from his clients – at that time convinced and through manipulation that he does the right thing to save them.

Honesty/Lie: WD pretends everything is okay at the wedding of his daughter (though she will not even be able to cash the check he is giving her, because he´s out of money. Also the car he “bought” for his son on his 18th birthday is only leased. WD tries to save his face at any moment, while a the same time close to a nervous break-down.

Burglary: He breaks into his own former office to get access to client data, after he has been suspended.

Blackmail: In order to get his money back he blackmails Schablonsky, “the Boss”, head of the scammer team.

E. Unpredictable: Until the scam happened, WD has had a superclean record. Discovering his own strengths now (never knew he could be so criminal, it´s his way to survive instead of giving up in a hopeless situation like this) he is surprised what he´s capable of – and we, too. Stakes are getting higher and higher, and WD seems unstoppable.

What he doesn´t see coming is also a new love already being on the way.

F. Empathetic: We care deeply for WD, though at first he seems like an careerist (not egocentric, but a little too self-absorbed and proud of what he has achieved in his life and job). Watching him while he is being scammed in a perfidious way gives us the feeling “This could have happened to me”. We feel his shame, guilt and paranoia (I cannot trust anybody, it could have been anyone who knows me well). And we follow him engaged, because we want to know IF he manages to reach the impossible and HOW. Does he survive this – physically and mentally and does his marriage/family life survive this?

We also care deeply for Emma: We see her dilemma being part of the scammer team, but then trying to help WD get out of this situation (and get his life and his reputation back which he both never will). Which will lead to herself being threatened by Jonas and Juli, her two co-workers on the team. Emma´s parents died when she was very young. She never knew how it is like to have money and don´t care about money. She doesn´t have a dad who only waves with his credit card to solve any problem. WD is kind of a father figure and friend to her. For this reason she wants to do everything she´s capable of to winning back his trust and trying to get the money before it´s too late. In doing this she risks her own life and that of her unborn child.

Even the “Boss” has somewhat of our empathy (or let´s say understanding), because he gave 3 young people the chance to get a well-paid job in these days, and having a life. Which doesn´t make him a good guy, but we see how everybody has their reasons in this show – and how this deeply affects the lives and fates of each other.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer´s Lesson 3:

THE ENGAGING CHARACTER MODEL

Sweet Little Lies:

Madline

A. Role in the Show: loving mother of two daughters, brings Jane into the group

of other women, sticks by Jane when her son is being accused of attacking

Renata´s daughter, inspires Jane to search for Ziggy´s father

B. Unique Purpose / Expertise:

a. Unique Purpose: justice is one of her core values, and that´s what she

wants for their kids as well

b. Expertise: She´s courageous and strong in her job, willing to produce a

controversial play, and the same force drives her to

C. Intrigue: What is secret beneath the surface? She had a love affair with the

director of the play, and still loves him

D. Moral Boundaries: What moral boundaries is she crossing? She doesn´t mince

matters, and it looks like she doesn´t mind crossing verbal boundaries. She

betrayed her husband Ed with her colleague.

E. Unpredictable: According to her play, her relationship with Nathan (her ex) and

her colleague, and also according to Amabella´s birthday party (where her

daughter Chloe and Ziggy are not invited) she is superfast in taking actions –

without caring about the effects or the tattle of other mums.

F. Empathetic: Why do we care? Because we notice how passionate she is about

everything she loves and does: her daughters, her play, her fight for justice for

Ziggy … though she obviously has to tilt at windmills in every area. We want

her to be relaxed, rewarded – and be loved.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer:

My project The Amazing Garden of Bellamy Potts

What I learned doing this assignment is – as I said in Assignment 1 – to clearly find out who´s journey it is.

At this point I am not sure, yet, if it is Elena´s or Frances´ journey.

A. Main Characters Circle:

Elena – real estate agent in her 30´s, of British-Spanish origin, workaholic, engaged with the son of one of the biggest construction companies in Tenerife/Canary Islands.

Frances – widow in her 70´s, used to geht any information she wants, plays a golf round not to get some fresh air but foremost information (though she´s a great player), former relationship to the (now dead) head of one of the 2 leading families on the island, their illegitimate child wasn´t born.

Sue Ellen – friend of Frances, they know each other since childhood, takes care of her bedridden husband (several strokes), admires Frances for her courage, is the only person Frances trusts, has a great voice, but never dared to step on the big stages.

Sir Paul – former commander of the Royal Navy, now enjoying the Sea and great Spanish wines and tapas. Had an affair with Frances when they were younger. Still some fire between them.

Bernardo – Italian gentlemen in his late 60´s, two times divorced, master in flirting and cooking pasta of all kinds, avoids talking about his former life in Sicily and NY. Connections to the Mafia?

B. Connected Circle:

Enrique – Elena´s spouse, charming and career-focused like her, though more relaxed

Luis – young gardener in the residential Sunset Beach, doing whale watching- and other tours for tourists (has many jobs, is a life-artist, as we call it over here), doesn´t care about money but about meaning, knows everything about the Sea, adores Elena.

Carlos and Ricarda, officers of the Local Police (he in his 50´s, she in her 30´s)

Other neighbors/residents of Sunset Beach (international)

C. Environment Circle:

Elena´s co-workers and boss at the real estate agency

Elena´s parents, living in Sevilla

Construction company of Enrique and his father

Staff at the little bar NAUTICO at the marina

Local authorities

Greenkeepers at the golf course

Tourists

Inhabitants of the island

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer´s Three Circles of Characters:

Sweet Little Lies

What I learned doing this assignment (especially in Assignment 2) is to really find out who´s journey it is.

A. Main Characters Circle: Madline, Jane, Celeste, Rebecca

B. Connected Circle: Nate, Bonnie, Perry, Rebecca´s husband, the kids

C. Environment Circle: teachers at school, other parents, the police, Tom (barkeeper at the port)

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

5 star model of Sweet Little Lies.

What I learned from this assignment: First of all that I love the 5 star model 🙂

1. Big Picture Hooks:

After a brutal murder during a charity event at elementary school of Monterey first grader Ziggy and his mother, both new in town, and 4 other families become embroiled in the investigation.

2. Interesting and Intriguing Character

There are 5 mothers, their husbands and their kids who all have their own stories, struggles and secrets.

Focussing on the moms:

Madline – calls herself fulltime mom though she works for 20 hours in a little theatre, fears to loose her 2 daughters (one a teenager and one just started first grade), still hurt and in rage about her first husband who is now in a relationship with …

… Bonnie – a spiritual and grounded person, wants to build up a good relationship with Madline, and is bestie with Abigail, Madlines first daughter.

Celeste – former lawyer, mother of twins, wife of Perry. Their relationship seems mostly sexual and violent (without their kids knowing). Perry adores their 2 sons, but shows signs of a control freak. Celeste herself is hiding something we do not know in the first episode.

Jane – single mother, new in town with her little son. She has had a different life before and she seems to have fled from her former place. Her son is sleepwalking. She trusts him when he is accused to have choked Renata´s daughter.

Renata – the “super woman” in this group, very successful in business, eagerly wanting to show everybody (and herself) that being successful and a loving and caring mom is possible.

3. Empathy / Distress

Madline – We feel that she deeply loves her daughters and her new husband Ed, while at the same time they all seem to withdraw. Strong sense of justice – which end in a fight with Renata and her supporters.

Jane – We feel sympathy that she loves, protects and trusts her son, giving her very best to create a safe and nice place for them to live. Avoiding to answer her son´s questions why they moved to Monterey.

Celeste – We feel empathy when we see how much she loves her sons, and how rude and rigid Perry becomes when told that Jane´s son is under a cloud of being violent to other kids.

Bonnie – we can feel her nice personality and understand why Abigail feels attracted to be friends with her. She becomes even more likeable when excusing and offering to start a new petition.

Renata – though she seems very tough we can feel her inner struggle and her doubts whether she´s a good mom. We also feel that Madline has many supporters and is a strong force and opponent in the attempt of stopping the mobbing of Jane´s son.

4. Open Loops / Questions:

Who has been murdered and why?

Who´s done it?

Which secrets carry Jane and Celeste?

Why has Jane moved away from her town and family?

Why has Celeste retired at such a young age?

Will Ed stay together with Madline – feeling the role Nate still plays in her emotions?

Will Madline overcome her fears of loosing her kids?

Will she overcome the feeling that Nate won it all?

Who attacked Amabella? Was it Ziggy though he denies it?

Is Perry a violent controlfreak, and will he and Celeste solve their problems in a therapy?

What kind of secret or burden carries Celeste?

Will Bonny and Madline manage to have a good or at least less emotional relationship?

Will Jane stay in Monterey or flee again?

What is with Ziggy´s dad, does he play a role?

Who will win the fight between Renata and Madline?

>> tons of questions, which is great, because I want to know all the answers, and watch every episode. I want this for my own pilot as well 😉

Which takes us to obsession:

5. Inviting Obsession:

We want to know who was murdered and why – was it one of the moms or a kid and who did it?

We feel the pressure and threat upon Jane and her son and also on Madline in her fight against Renata and others.

On each of the women – and obviously on their husbands as well – lies a pressure and the feeling that something important and life changing will happen. And if they are the victim of a crime – or the suspect.

The flashbacks of Janes former life and the scenes showing the interrogations add another layer that provides us with intriguing insights about the characters and how they are perceived from other parents.

Parallel to this I noticed that the setting by the Sea with his changing atmosphere, the pictures and music are perfectly put together. I am really happy to have watched this super well-crafted first episode.

Watching this episode for the second time revealed even more information I hadn´t noticed before.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi, I´m Karen Christine Angermayer. I am living and working in Germany and Spain. I´ve written and published about 40 children´s books with Penguin Random House and other publishing companies. I´ve worked in the film industry for about 3 years and have written 3 scripts. I am very grateful to be part of this class, and look forward to bringing my writing (for both books and screenplays) to a binge worthy level 🙂 Thanks for this great opportunity, Hal and Cheryl.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Karen Christine Angermayer

I agree to the terms of this release form.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Thanks, Ben 🙂

I look forward to staying connected.

Best, Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Steven, I love what you created here, in both versions, comedy and horror 🙂

Looking forward to talking to you in January!

Best, Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Thank you, Steven!

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Thank you, Steven 🙂

Here´s my e-mail: kcangermayer@gmail.com

And this is my mobile phone, I am also on WhatsApp: +34 619 693 206

Feel free to reach out to me any time, and we will find a great day.

All best, Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi Steven, it´s great seeing your project grow.

I just wanted to let you know that I would love to have a Zoom with you as well.

For this 2nd interview I am partnering up with Linda, and the first interview I will do with Ben.

I won´t make another call before Christmas/the Holidays. If you are interested we could find a time in January to exchange some thoughts about our projects.

I am working on an idea with horror elements as well. Looking forward to hearing from you 🙂
Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Ben,

thank you very much. I am looking forward to doing this interview with you.

We are connected on LinkedIn. I will contact you there to find the best working time for us.

Speak soon, Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi Linda, thanks for sharing. That´s the same way I use ChatGPT. I wouldn´t use it for writing scenes or prose (e. g. in a novel or childrens´book) either 🙂

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi Linda, thank you very much, and yes, of course, I would like to do the interview with you. I will e-mail you.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

You´re welcome, Steven. Thanks for explaining the Spanish slang and your title, that´s beautiful. I love Willie Nelson´s songs. All best, enjoy your weekend, Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi Steven, what a wonderful surprise to get feedback from you as well. Thank you so much for your time and energy! Yes, I see the points you mention very well and will take them into account. I, too, love these worlds that we can invent and explore 🙂 Many thanks, and Good Luck with your own project!

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hello Linda, thank you very much for your great feedback. I really appreciate your time, your input and your ideas. Reading your feedback encourages me to continue here. I’m with you in every point. It’s so easy to overlook all these things in one´s own work because they come so naturally to us as authors 😉 All the more reason for me to appreciate your clear and attentive view on my work. Thank you very much again, and have a nice evening!

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi Linda, good luck for your pitch. Isn´t life great? 🙂

Thank you for uploading your credibility checklist, I will upload mine as well tomorrow.

I do not use LinkedIn Premium. Does anyone else here in the group? It´s a question I came upon, too, today.

All best, Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi Linda, lovely to meet you here. Good luck for your 2 projects, and for your tennis match 🙂

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi Joe, nice to meet you here. Good luck for your online program at UCLA. Sounds great.

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi Steven, I love your mixture 🙂 I myself can only take a sip from a glass of wine or Amaro. I imagine yours tastes great!

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Thank you so much, Kristina, for your wonderful, motivational words 🙂 I wish you all the best for your great show. See/Read you soon! Enjoy creating, Karen

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi Rae, I hope you are well.

Just an update for you here: I decided to take the horror class that starts in these days, so I will write my outline of this project during that class, as many changes may appear on the way.

If I can help you in any way, and give you feedback, just let me know.

All very best to you and your great story,

Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Thank you, KZ 🙂

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi KZ,

thank you for sharing your learning.

It´s exactly what I experienced.

I had to put the framework aside for a moment, seeing it as a great treasure and resource, and I will make my changes in it later.

Let´s keep moving forward and filling in the blanks with ease 😉

Enjoy your day,

Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hey Patricia, thank you so much for reaching out 🙂 And my apologies for responding so lately … Talking about organization 😉

I have been on a business travel for a week, and finished some assignments in another class here at SU. After that my pillow was calling …

It sounds lovely what you write about Idaho. Won´t tell anyone!

Good luck with your writing, and have a wonderful rest of the week <3

And many thanks again for your lovely email!

Karen

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

James, thank you so much. So great to hear from you. I am glad you liked your time here 🙂

Please, excuse my late response.

I have been on a long business travel to Munich (drove past the stadium), and finished some assignments in 2 other classes here at SU.

Looking forward to keeping up now with the lessons here.

Wishing you all my best for your project and your writing, many thanks again for reaching out.

Karen

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi Rae, so sorry for my silence here, I am sadly lagging behind, because of a long business travel and other assignments that held my attention.

I will get back to my lessons (creating outline, I have already started with part 1), and will do my best to keep up.

Thank you for moving forward during the last days. It would be wonderful, if the two of us would successfully finish this class 🙂

All very best, enjoy the rest of your week,

Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi Ginny,

thank you so much. Great to have you in the group.

I think it´s a fantastic group. So happy to see and feel all of you here.

I am so with you on continuing learning and refreshing our skills … it´s so wonderful and rewarding.

My partner and his children (both grown up) are survivors of Covid-19, too. He and his daughter are still working on their condition … So I totally understand you.

All my very best to your health and strength! Just take your time here.

Karen

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hey Joanne,

thank you so much. So happy to be on this journey together with you in both classes 🙂

All very best to you and your cat <3

Karen

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Thank you, Rae. And, sorry, I just saw your message.

Would you like to send me an email? Then I can foward you all the previous emails of this class.

My email is: kcangermayer@gmail.com

I hope you can see it.

Let me know how I can help you so that we both can go side by side through this class together 🙂

All best,

Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi Rae, I hope you are well. In case you don´t get the lesson here, I recommend you to write a support ticket. Usually they respond very quickly. Hope that helps. All best, Karen Christine

[Karen Christine Angermayer]

Hi, KZ,

thank you so much.

This is very helpful, especially the juicy part 🙂

All best, Karen