I hope you’re already dreaming up an inciting incident for your favorite premise! I know I am.  But before we do that, we need to know who our characters are.  Yesterday, I outlined the hero and heroine of the Talk Show Host and the Teacher.

 

Today, let’s take a look at the Actress and the Park Ranger

 

Who is our Actress?

 

Our Actress has worked hard to get where she is.  She was a good girl, a hard worker growing up, and her parents put her through school.  She moved to Hollywood to follow her dream, and was an overnight success.  She married an A-list star and life seemed to be going her direction…until she decided to make an indy film exposing the flesh-for-sale industry overseas…and the fact that it is frequented by American businessmen.  She did it out of a desire to be taken seriously in the industry – after all, her last movies have been high-action thrillers. Besides, what good is her fame and money if she can’t use it to help people.  Her desire was to raise awareness, but someone in Hollywood is trying to derail her movie.  It’s been blacklisted by several movie chains, and worse, while she was gone, her husband ran off with his co-star on a recent movie.   Most of all, she’s broke. 

 

And not just financially, but in spirit.  Hollywood and her values has made this star question her own.  She was raised with Christian values, and her recent actions have disappointed her hard-working parents, not to mention compromised her own vision of herself.  She’s lost, and desperately needs to refocus her life.  With a contract for a new thriller in one hand, and her foundering indy film in the other, she heads to the East Tennessee retreat set up by her manager, hoping to sort out her next step.   

 

Greatest Dream:  to be respected in the industry…but really to respect herself.  This is represented in winning the upcoming “Sparrow” award from independent film makers.  But to do so, her movie must make a theater run.  Ultimately, she wants to have God’s “respect.”  To know that she is using her gifts as He intends. 

 

Greatest Fear:  that she’ll be trapped into making thrillers for the rest of her life, or worse, that she’s really a b-list actress and director.

 

Goals:  to make an impact on the world, to get her indy film out in theaters to raise awareness, money and to fight this horrible industry.

Motivation:  while she was in college, a dorm-mate went on a trip and disappeared.  She was going to go with her, and she always feared what happened to her friend, and what might have happened to her.  More, she was raised to help others – she’s a small town girl at heart.  Finally, by doing something for humanity, it might justify all those years doing things that compromised herself. 

Conflict:  She can’t seem to please anyone – the Hollywood community doesn’t like her indy film, the hometown group hates her thrillers…and the Park Ranger thinks she’s a diva. Can she stop playing a role, and decide just who she wants to be? 

Why/why not:  why does she love the Park ranger?  He’s true, right down to his core, and the small town boy reminds of everything she one was…and now misses.  He also forces her to shed all her “roles” and be herself.  And, he believes in her – not in her ability to be someone else, but her ability to be herself, and that’s good.  Why not?  He has small-town dreams, and wants to raise a family and put down roots.  She can’t have an acting career in small-town Tennessee.  Besides, he’s so cut and dry…and the world has shades of gray.

 

Okay, so now we know a little about our Acrtress.  We can tweak and hone as we get into the story. 

 

Let’s move onto our Park Ranger:

 

Who is he?  The last thing he wants to do is be in the limelight.  He had enough of it when he was awarded (some sort of military award) after saving his fellow soldiers and a village when they were attacked by the Taliban in Afghanistan.  He still hasn’t told the complete story of what happened that night, and just wants to put it in the past.  He finished his degree and has since become a park ranger near his hometown in East TN.  He just wants quiet, and to live out his life helping others.  It helps him forget to work with the youth from church, or deliver meals on wheels to veterans.  Lately, too, he’s been tapped to organize the memorial day celebration for the 65^th anniversary of V-E day.  He doesn’t even own a television, yet he agrees to look after his talent-manager’s brother’s client, some fancy actress out of a favor to his brother.  He doesn’t really think she’s in danger out here in the hills, but sure, he’ll keep an eye on her. 

 

Greatest Fears:  Death.  Taking lives shook him in a way he’d never expected.  He just wants to get as far as possible from death.  Perhaps he fears his own death…Or may he just wants to understand it (hence, his relationship with the elderly vets).  He especially never wants to be in the position where he has to take a life again. 

 

Greatest Dreams:  To shake off the memories of the past, or at least learn to live with them.  to get as far as possible from that moment.  If he can just create a world that is opposite the one in his nightmares – safe, ordered, peaceful – then he won’t have to revisit those emotions again. 

 

Goals:  To organize the celebration – and honor the vets – it’ll make him feel like he’s honoring the REAL heroes.

Motivations:  He doesn’t see himself as a hero, and desperately wants to get the limelight off himself.  He wants to just “restart” and live his life in peace and quiet.

Conflict:  This actress that is suddenly in his life comes with a backpack full of controversy, photographers, and yes, wouldn’t you know it…trouble.  And, because he made a promise, he’s stuck trying to keep her out of trouble, and even, alive.

 

Why/Why not?  He loves her because after he gets past all her “press” he realizes she’s a lot like him – pushed into a role she doesn’t want, trying to figure out who she is.  And, she does see him as a hero – not for his so-called heroic acts overseas, but for his everyday acts in his hometown.  She makes him feel like the man he hopes to be.  Why not?  She brings into his world everything he despises – fame, scandal, and danger.

So again, those bios will be deepened, tweaked if the Voices choose this story.  But it’s something to get us started! 

 

So…now your job is to vote!  We’ll announce the results, and our story, on Monday.  And don’t forget to go to Voices and add your suggestion for the cast in our Casting Call discussion!

 

Vote!  Every Voice counts!