So, maybe it would help you know which way to vote if you knew who you were vote for.
Here’s a bit of Background on our characters, using the simple WHO method for developing all the key pieces:
Talk Show Host
Who is she? She’s a foster child with a fractured past, always inventing herself. Always tried to be all things to all people. She never wants attention for herself, so she’s good at stepping outside herself, and highlights other people. She doesn’t know who she is, so it’s hard to be true to herself. She is only confident as an interviewer and celebrity. She has the way of getting the true story out of people. Exposing the lies. Combo of Geraldo and Oprah. But she really doesn’t know who she is, and has never met anyone who could affirm the real girl inside.
What’s her Greatest Dream? To be the top-rated television talk snow in the nation, because then it will communicate to her that she’s loved. However, inside, she has a deep need to be unconditionally loved – she just can’t let someone in that far to see the real her.
Greatest Fear? To be rejected – as a professional, as a person. So, to mis-report something would be a terrible professional fear.
Goals: To stir up enough controversy to shoot her show to the top of the ratings. Specifically, to dig up dirt on the current golden boy.
Motivations: The emotional need for approval, but another celebrity has started a show in her time slot, so now there is competition.
Conflict: The town seems to be protecting our Hero…
Why/Why not? Why does she love the Hero? He sees through her façade of a tough reporter,/talk show host to a girl who is just trying to get people to like her. She builds a brave persona, yet he sees the essence of the true her – she truly cares for truth, because nothing in her life was ever truth. She feels safe with him, and wants to trust him. For the first time, she finds herself being honest – with herself, and someone else – and he still accepts her. Why not? Because she determined to find the “story” even if it costs him…and her. She has to look out for herself because no one else will. She’s desperately in need of unconditional love.
Okay, so that’s the bio of our girl. Of course, if we DID pick this story, we’d figure out a sympathetic situation to start her out in so people liked her. And we’d show that underneath she’s NOT a bad person…just driven for the “truth.”
So, who is our History Teacher hero?
He was a town hero even in high school. His parents were active in town, and recently left to become missionaries, his grandfather is a former missionary turned pastor. He went away to college with great aspirations of changing the world. However, life didn’t turn out quite as he’d hoped, and while he was working as an associate professor at a university, one of his students got into trouble. He was so intent on making a name for himself (perhaps by working on a book, or a paper), he ignored her subtle cries for help, and ended up dead. For a while, he was implicated in what looked like an improper relationship with a student. Although it wasn’t true, the shadow hovered over him. More than that, he blamed himself…but also saw how ego-centric he’d become. When his grandfather became ill, he moved home, and has since spent his time investing in the town. He is a singer/songwriter in his spare time, and plays every weekend in a local tavern or coffee shop. He also is a storyteller at the yearly storyteller’s festival. He loves his town, and loves kids, and loves history. He has no desire to ever leave or even become famous….the Teacher of the Year award took him by surprise. He believes that understanding your past helps you create a future…avoid the mistake, emulate the strengths. However, he has hidden the mistakes of his early career, not wanting them to tarnish today. He’s a hypocrite.
Greatest Dreams He wants to find someone to share his life with him, someone who wants to put down roots and build the life his parents had. Specifically, he wants to save the old Presbyterian church (or something along those lines), built in 1783, from being torn down. (it could be a historical landmark, if they could invest the money to fix it up).
Greatest Fear: That the town finds out about the scandal in his past, and he becomes a town pariah, and loses the funding for the school/historical landmark.
Goals: To make his grandfather proud of him by helping save the church.
Motivation: His grandfather got married in the church, and it seems like if he can do this one thing, he’ll earn back his grandfather’s respect (and possibly his own).
Conflict: This so-called “Talk Show” host seems intent on digging around in his past…
Why/Why not? Why does he love her? Beneath that crazy exterior, she likes the things he likes – bluegrass, and hot wings, and when he meets her, he doesn’t know who she is, and he likes what he sees. She’s like a mystery, and then a treasure worth finding, and it stirs up the “competitor” in him to know the real her. Not only that, but it seems he’s the only one who sees it, and that makes it valuable to him. She makes him feel like he’s the only one who she lets into her world. Why not? Because the OTHER girl is bent on destroying him…and she’ll never really want to live in his world, will she? And he certainly doesn’t want to live in hers…
Okay, so you can see we’ve stirred up great conflict by asking just a few questions!
I hope you can see our hero and heroine a smidge better now… Tomorrow we’ll talk about the Princess and the Park Ranger!
Don’t forget to vote! Every Voice Counts!