[Naz Pankey]

What I learned is how to create the villain’s plan by using Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense. Creating an end goal, and the steps the villain will take to accomplish their goal.

1. To live happily ever after with the woman he loves.
2. Frame his neighbor for the murder and pretend to be someone else.
3. Pretend his woman is missing, frame his neighbors, hold the investigator hostage.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by  Naz Pankey.

[Naz Pankey]

Assignment 2
SOTL Stacking Suspense

What I learned from this assignment.
I have a much better understanding of Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense and how to incorporate it in every scene of my story. Silence of the Lamb kept me at the edge of my seat. The main characters had MIS. Does Doctor Crawford have a thing for Clarice? I think so, but the writer doesn't make it clear… it's still a mystery. Will Clarice catch Buffalo Bill? Will Hannibal escape and how? Will Clarice save Catherine? What happened to Clarice's dad? Why is she so tormented by it? Every scene had MIS in the characters and in the action. I also see where the villain has a secret and the audience has to find out what it is. I see where it's a mystery for the audience and a secret for the villain. One scene led to the other and continually built MIS throughout. The one main central question was Who is Buffalo Bill and where is he? That drove the movie to the end.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by  Naz Pankey.

[Naz Pankey]

Basic Instinct
Assignment 1
What I learned to help me write stronger thrillers –
Every scene should have Mystery, Intrigue, and Suspense. Not just the plot but the characters as well. Every scene of Basic Instinct left me wondering. Nick, the hero, was capable and unwitting. He had so many flaws and a mysterious background regarding killing tourists. Was he high on cocaine? Was it necessary? There were a lot of unanswered questions — Is Catherine a killer? Why is an ice pick under her bed? What's the deal with Catherine and Hazel? Did Beth and Roxy have a relationship? I wonder because Beth was into girls. There were a lot unanswered questions and I guess that's acceptable in a thriller so long as the mystery is solved. The mystery of who killed the Rock Star was solved, but there are so many unanswered questions. Most of the characters had MIS and were suspects as well. Also the stakes were high– life or death.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by  Naz Pankey.

[Naz Pankey]

What I learned doing this assignment is that my story must be like a mysterious puzzle that will not be complete until the end of the story. Every element such as the town and characters must have MIS.

Big Mystery: Where is the missing girl?
Big Intrigue: Who kidnapped the girl and why? Is it the weirdo Dick Looney? Who is Dick Looney? Why is he so weird? What are his secrets? Why are his bullies disappearing?
Big Suspense: Samuel needs to find the missing girl and the killer before he/she strikes again.

World: In a modern day “segregated” abandoned town, an inbred white man fits in with the black community.

Hero: Samuel Harrington
• Mystery: Will he find the missing girl before it’s too late?
• Intrigue: Samuel (a black investigator) risks his life unraveling town secrets to get to the truth, putting him in danger with the rednecks and black community.
• Suspense: Will Samuel survive and save the girl?

Villain: Judas
• Mystery: Who is Judas and why is he kidnapping and murdering people?
• Intrigue: Judas has been disguising himself as someone else so he could always have the upper hand against his foes. He’s a mastermind who has been deceiving everyone in town.
• Suspense: Will Judas win and get away with his crimes?

Red Herring: Dick Looney
• Mystery: Did he kidnap the girl?
• Intrigue: He’s an inbred that looks and acts strange. Always isolated except for work, and he has no alibi.
• Suspense: Will Samuel learn the truth and expose Dick before he kills the girl?

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by  Naz Pankey.

[Naz Pankey]

What I learned during this lesson is that the hero has to be unwitting, but resourceful.
I had developed my hero some time ago, but after this lesson, I learned I developed my hero all wrong.

The town’s weirdo is suspected of kidnapping a missing teen by a grief-stricken investigator. Things turn for the worse when the investigator wakes up partially paralyzed and the weirdo is his only hope for survival.

• Hero – Samuel Harrington – a dedicated investigator grieving the death of his once kidnapped sister.
• Villain – Judas – a strong methodical mastermind and killer.
• High Stakes – Samuel has to rescue the missing girl she’s murdered.
• Life and death situations: Missing girl’s life is at risk. Samuel is being held hostage, and his life is at risk. The waitress’ life is at risk.
• The story is thrilling because it’s suspenseful throughout as Samuel tries to solve the mystery of the missing girl and stop the killer.

Big Mystery: Where is the missing girl?

Big Intrigue: Who kidnapped the girl and why? Is it the weirdo Dick Looney? Who is Dick Looney? Why is he so weird? What are his secrets? Why are his bullies disappearing?

Big Suspense: Samuel needs to find the missing girl and the killer before he/she strikes again.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by  Naz Pankey.

[Naz Pankey]

Title: The Devil to Pay

What I learned doing this assignment is the M.I.S. elements of Thriller and how important it is to use throughout the story. Even the Hero and the Villain should be mysterious.

When her husband disappears, a struggling Appalachian farmer must repay his debt to a powerful local family before they hurt her son.

Hero: Lemon, a poor petite mother and wife who has lots of heart, fight, and resilience.

Villain – Tommy – A ruthless woman leader of a powerful family who looks like an innocent house wife.

High Stakes – Lemon’s son is held hostage until Tommy is repaid.

Life or death situations – Tommy will have Lemon and her son murdered if Lemon doesn’t find Tarlee and repay the debt.

Big Mystery – Where is Tarlee? Is he dead? What does he owe Tommy? Will Lemon be able to repay Tommy and save her son’s life?

Big Intrigue – Where did Tarlee go? Why didn’t he come back for his family? Is he dead? What does he owe Tommy?

Big Suspense? Tommy will kill Lemon’s son and bury her alive right next to him if Lemon doesn’t find Tarlee and pay his debt.
This was an excellent Thriller. I love that the Hero and the Villian are women. Two very smart women who are leaders. I also loved that they are stronger than they appear. The movie kept me guessing throughout. Loaded with mystery.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by  Naz Pankey.

[Naz Pankey]

Nadira Pankey – I agree to the terms of this agreement.

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.

[Naz Pankey]

Hey Everyone,
I’m Nadira
I’ve written 6 features (drama, dramedy, horror, and holiday).
I love thriller movies so I’m eager to write one.
I imagine becoming a famous singer even though I can’t sing. There’s always auto-tunes.