Future Learn:

AN INTRODUCTION TO SCREENWRITING UEA (UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA)

"An Exercise to Develop Character Outlines"

MajorActions

1. Comforts Mr. Chambers 
2. Heads to the only safe place she knows.
3. Escape the Theatre via motorbike
4. Pulls Mr. Chamber from elevator
5. Shoots #2 Terrorist 
6. Shows us she speaks Albanian fluently    
7. Kills 1st Terrorist in hand-to-hand combat 
8. Leaves safety of custodial closet 
9. Falls into “old self” 
10. Makes it to safety with Mr. Chambers in “custodial closet” 
11. Pulls Mr. Chambers from his dead wife 
12. Pushes Mr. Chambers out of line of fire 
13. Notices something no one else would 
14. Leads Mr. Chambers to meeting
15. Meets Mr. Chambers 
16. Struggling to keep up at work
17. Morning routine
18. Flashbacks from previous life giving us clues to who she is 

Wants and Needs

Yes, in the since of she knows she wants to stay alive. Did she know she 

wanted to help someone through the loss of a loved one - probably not 

since she’s just working through that herself. 

Character’s Basic Psychology

She’s intelligent, hard working, eager to please, a novice at her new job, 

mysterious, youthful - but with “old eyes” as if she’s seen a lot but it hasn’t 

ruined her, brave, witty, caring, strong, & attentive. 

Character’s Superficial Affect

Nice girl-next-door type, bright future ahead, seems to have a good head

on her shoulders, but clearly running from something 

Physical Characteristics

Athletic - but not overpowering just capable, beautiful - but with a since of “obtainability” 

#FLscreenwriting 

Happy Late Mother's Day Mum!

It's been years since I've posted anything - but it's time to start again I think. Loads has happened since my last posting.

It would take days to catch up but here's a quick re-cap:
Graduated Troy University with my BSN - 2011 Started working as an RN - 2011 
Got Engaged - December 24, 2012
Got Un-Engaged - August 2, 2013 
Bought a House - June 2014 
Started MSN Program - August 2014 
MSN Graduation Date - August 13, 2016 (Can't come soon enough)

So that pretty much does it -- okay, well there's loads missing but it brings us to the story I'm about to tell ... 

If I don’t write this - I feel as though I might regret it. If I do - well it means that I am human & therefore experience emotions - which for some reason our society has deemed “uncool”. Either way it seems writing could defiantly help me work through this weekend. When I broke off my engagement a few years ago - my family always worried Christmas Eve would be a bitter holiday (because that’s when we got engaged) … We were wrong. 

Mother’s Day for the past few years, unbeknownst to anyone, has been a difficult day for me the past few years. Not so long ago I, too, was receiving gifts & cards on this holiday. My fiancé at the time had a daughter - who I loved dearly. We can call her "Maggie" for the rest of this story. I know it may have seemed to most people that I was pretty guarded around Maggie and at times seemed distant with her. I’m not sure now if it is because somewhere deep inside I knew long before the relationship ended that it would eventually come to that or if I’m just that terrified to open myself up to love.

I think it was more the first - but I’m sure the second reason played it’s part too. I did however love Maggie more deeply than I thought possible. While she still had a loving mother, I too was about to take that role on. It weighed heavily on my brain & heart as I contemplated, calculated & contrived some sort of idea of what I wanted me & Maggie’s relationship to be. I had no intentions of attempting to take her mothers place, but I didn’t want us to just be friends. I wanted that mother-daughter relationship - but how that would evolve I would have no idea. I fervently prayed over the 3 of us & how our relationship as a family would play out. 

It opened my eyes to a whole new world. My parents have set a great example of what a marriage should look like, and because of this I thought I knew what a marriage should look like. It’s not before you actually enter into one do you actually know what it is biblically about. I think the same thing could be said for parenting. Until you are about to have a child (in whatever form that my be - childbirth, surrogacy, adoption) do you really know what it’s all about. I thought I knew what parenting was about - because I’d had great parents. But it wasn’t until I was about to be responsible for an innocent life did I realize what it was about. I realized that during all my contemplating, calculating & contriving - that I had one goal as a parent - and one goal only. To raise a follower of Christ. 

My only job after that seemed simpler yet overwhelming terrifying. As Maggie would one day be left to make her own choice. It was my job as a Christian parent to lay the stepping stones for my child - so that when that day comes - it doesn’t seem like a conscious choice - but more of a of an unconscious one - a lifestyle. I want my future kids when asked “When did you decide to follow Christ?” to have a hard time finding an answer - because I want their answer to be “When was I not follower Christ?” 


SIDE NOTE: 
To the step-moms who are willing to love someone else’s child as your own. To open yourself up to heartache & the possibility of rejection - because after all the kids do have all the power. Thank you! You brave souls! I’ve seen a lot of great step-moms & some not so much - but the one’s that were great - always stick out. It’s as if those women somehow loved more - maybe because they had more to lose or it seems as if a greater risk was being taken. Because when you’re dating a man with children - you are never just dating him - you’re dating everyone. And should that relationship fail - it has failed for everyone - not just a man & woman. Great step-mom defy all boundaries! I salute you! To kids who love their step-moms & let them in — I thank you one behalf of them! You made our lives better! To the women without children - I can guarantee you’ve “mothered” someone in your life. Which in most cases, was done out of love, genuine caring, and responsibility. Nurturing is a natural emotion for women - even if some try & keep it hidden. Me & everyone you’ve ever “mothered” thank you! So “Happy “Mothering” Day” 

BACK TO THE STORY:

Me & my ex-fiance's relationship ended rather peacefully - both understanding that neither of us did anything "wrong" - we just weren't meant to enter into a marriage together. Just because someone hasn't done anything wrong - doesn't mean they're "Mr. or Mrs. Right" 

After everything, I know this - when the time comes for me to be a mother - I’m going to be brilliant! I’m not going to be perfect, but brilliant. I’m going to be awesome because I now know - wherever my kids come from, no matter how or when I acquire them - they will be loved. And loved unconditionally. I know that when it comes time to raise them that I’ve got God on my side; and He will gladly show me my flaws & my high points as a mom. He will lead me in finding the best way to show Him to my children - so that they know Him. I won’t be perfect - but I will be great, but only because He is great. 

Basically in a strange - round about way - I’m saying “thanks” to my mom. Who in my eyes is perfect. She somehow managed to raise two successful, educated, patriotic, contributing members of society, who are loving, funny, outgoing — but most importantly you raised 2 followers of Christ. 

I could not be the mother I one day will be - without of having you as a mom! So today, me & my future kids thank you! (No one worry - when I say future I mean WAY WAY WAY future - I’ve got loads of adventures to take before I take on the adventure of kids). I’m not sure that mine or Heather’s life is the one you planned out for us - but Heather & I could probably say the same thing, but I’m glad I’ve had you to share it with!

Happy Late Mother’s Day Mum! :)