I had a scenario, which in my mind is never enough. Then I finally found the question. The question exploded the story in my head.
Here is the scenario: In a place of two realities, a young woman is trying to get back to the other reality as it contains her family.
Initially it was, why would they do that? Does she suspect they hate her? Nothing was a good question. Then….
In her reality she is healthy, in their reality is she profoundly disabled.
Suddenly there are so many emotional based questions.
The one that has been dividing my family.
Would you be willing to abandon someone you love and never see them again if it gave them good health?
Second question: how much suffering would you be willing to endure to be with the people you love.
These are question with various possible answers and are perfect story question. So what you do, if you were my characters.
if the heroine needs to kill a disabled person in another reality to take her place, fine, let her do it! :)
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Sounds like a metaphor for East and West Berlin back in the wall days.
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Craig D Griffiths "Would you be willing to abandon someone you love and never see them again if it gave them good health?" and "Second question: how much suffering would you be willing to endure to be with the people you love." Dilemma. One of the most powerful tools in screenwriting. I'm really not sure what I'd do.
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idk, as a disabled person my love for my family trumps my pain every day. and I'm always looking for representation that doesn't make the "happily ever after" dependent on *not* having a disability.
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The last part of your comment reminded me of this blog, Ciara Smith: "How Hollywood Reacts To My Disability - And Why It Matters For You" www.stage32.com/blog/how-hollywood-reacts-to-my-disability-and-why-it-ma...
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Maurice Vaughan thank you for sharing that blog! I wholeheartedly agree. I became a literary agent to champion disabled and ND voices in the book world. And am bracing myself in screenwriting. My first screenplay was about an autistic and disabled person like me, so I'm going to be upfront right away and expect many hurtles lol.
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You're welcome, Ciara Smith. I think it's great that you became a literary agent to champion disabled and ND voices in the book world. Yeah, not every disabled character has to overcome their disability for it to be a happy ending. The character could learn something helpful that they'll use in the future, and that's a happy ending. I hope you don't have many hurtles as you pitch your script and hope you find the right producer, company, or streamer for it!
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Thank you Maurice Vaughan ! Honestly, I'd love to see stories where a person's disability has nothing to do with the plot. The story just unfolds and they move through it disabled as we do every day. I plan on writing many more stories with ND and disabled characters and confident I'll eventually find the right fit.
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You're welcome, Ciara Smith. I'll like to see and write that type of movie. Best to you with your scripts! Keep us updated on them.
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Craig D Griffiths, I read this as a family divided drama at the beginning.
Dramatic question, can they rid themselves of some members of the family and the form a cooperative group that can be(come) a loving family?
Dramatic Premise, who has gotta go?
Which of characters is the most honest broker?
If one character is in direct opposition to that most broker you have an Antagonist.
Can your most honest broker become Your Protagonist or are they there to move Your Protagonist to change?
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Interesting questions. First one, yes. It can happen that if you love someone you have to let them go. Second one, bit more tricky. There can be genuine love that can be worn down by the person you love, where it can become more a case you need to save yourself rather than the other person, or you sacrifice yourself for that love even if you don't know if it will save them. Or there can be a love that is corrupted, oppressive, maybe it's trapped the people.
I haven't seen it in a while because it is such a bleak film, but Requiem for a Dream springs to mind.
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Thanks everyone. Ciara Smith it is important that people can see themselves in the world. The work you are doing is important as a writer and as a rep, well done.
When I say two realities, think The Matirx. In the matrix the person is healed, but cannot see their family and the family cannot see them. It is not the matrix so there is no cheat or work-around. It is a permanent separation. Would people be willing to do it. My wife found it to hard to consider.
Christiane Lange I never saw the cold war Germany metaphor, that is incredibly insightful. Makes me look smarter than I am.
It is a question that once it looks like it is getting resolved in the story, is changed and complexity is added. As soon as the person thinks she has a way back to her family, she find something worth staying. She wanted to leave with all her heart and head back to her family no matter the cost. But now she has something worth staying, the cost is now increased. She is going to experience the pain her family did in letting her go.
I am going to team with my brother (a comedy writer, but retired) to come up with a lighter episode. Everything is a bit down in series so far. It is a cure for happiness.
Again, thanks everyone.
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Mark Giacomin I cannot bring myself to watch that film again. It is great, but so harrowing.
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You're welcome, Craig D Griffiths. Great topic.
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Craig D Griffiths I think that is why I have only watched it once. If you have not chanced upon it in your travels, I read a book that captured the darkness and light of human nature, 'The Ten types of Human' by Dexter Dias. At times it is not an easy read because it is non-fiction, but I am glad I read it.