Four sets of Chinese mothers and their first generation Chinese American daughters tell their stories of negotiating identity in a changing cultural landscape.
King Lear, Play, Written by William Shakespeare
A retiring King forces his daughters to tell him how much they love him in order to receive a portion of his Kingdom. The two daughters who spew their love for him wind up removing him from his position of power. Conversely, the one daughter who truly loves him but refused to play his game of pride fueled game, will do anything to save him from her treacherous sisters.
The Last of Us, Game, created by Naughty Dog
A PlayStation 3 platform based game in a future dystopian world where a fungus has infected mankind, turning them into flesh eating monsters. When a smuggler encounters a girl whose immune system may lead to finding a cure, he will do anything to save her.
The Legend of Zelda, Game, created by Nintendo
A young knight searches through the Kingdom of Hyrule, defeating monsters and collecting items, as he fights to save the Princess Zelda from the evil Ganondorf.
The Lego Movie, Film, Screenplay by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
After falling down a hole and getting attached to a strange object, an ordinary construction worker learns of a prophecy naming him as “The Special,” a hero who will destroy an evil Businessman and save the Lego empire.
The Lord of the Rings series, Novel and Film series, Novels written by J.R.R. Tolkien, Screenplays written by Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens
Three book series in which a small creature known as a Hobbit must overcome monsters, men and his own inner demons in order to save the world.
Love Actually, Film, Screenplay by Richard Curtis
A series of vignettes about various couples (both romantic and not) living in modern day London and how their love develops, blossom, falls apart or ends happily.
Memento, Film, Screenplay by Christopher Nolan, based on the short story Memento Mori by Jonathan Nolan
A man who can’t create new short-term memories must piece together the clues surrounding his wife’s death.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Film, Written by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin
King Arthur and his very silly Knights of the Round Table set off on a quest to find the Holy Grail. Along the way, they encounter damsels in distress, creepy bridge-keepers, vicious bunnies, angry Gods, and some very rude Frenchmen.
Moulin Rouge!, Film, Screenplay by Baz Luhrman and Craig Pearce
A romantic writer moves to Paris to find love, but when he falls for a courtesan, his idealistic notions of what true love means are tested.
The Name of the Rose, Novel, Written by Umberto Eco
In a monastery in Northern Italy, a string of murders surfaces in which monks are found dead with black fingers and black tongues. A friar and his assistant seek out the clues that lead to uncovering the murderer and his dastardly modus operandi.
National Treasure, Film, Screenplay by Jim Kouf, Cormac Wibberley and Marianne Wibberley
An eccentric historian uses clues left on National Treasures, such as the Declaration of Independence, in order to find a long-lost buried treasure. He must hurry, however, since a violent thief also pursues the treasure, and he’s willing to kill to get there first.
The Notebook, Novel and Film, Written by Nicholas Sparks, Screenplay by Jeremy Leven
An old man tells a story of young love to a woman with Alzheimer’s. The young lovers must overcome class issues and their own miscommunications in order to find their happily ever after.
Paranormal Activity, Film, Screenplay by Oren Peli
A young couple set up a video camera in their bedroom to figure out the source of strange noises in the night. The camera footage reveals that the noises aren’t caused by neighborhood kids, but by something demonic.
Pride and Prejudice, Novel, Written by Jane Austen
After an offensive first meeting, a carefree young woman and a socially lacking yet extremely wealthy gentleman fall in love despite the obstacles keeping them apart. These obstacles include her poor financial situation, his preconceived notions about people living in the country, her eccentric family and their pride.
The Princess Bride, Film, Screenplay by William Goldman
A grandfather reads a story of epic proportions to his sick grandfather. The story includes “fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true loves, miracles” and a lot of humor.
The Proposal, Film, Screenplay by Pete Chiarelli
When threatened with deportation, a powerful executive editor at a publishing company blackmails her assistant into marrying her for a Green Card. The only trouble is that, as she gets to know him, she falls in love with him and his family along the way.
Pulp Fiction, Film, Screenplay by Quentin Tarantino
A nonlinear collection of four stories involving crime and violence in which the lives of two hit men, a boxer, a mob boss and his wife intersect amidst the transportation of a strange, glowing briefcase.
Romancing the Stone, Film, Screenplay by Diane Thomas
A romance novelists travels to Colombia in order to pay the ransom for her kidnapped sister. When she arrives, she gets lost in the jungles of South America and only a rough, American bird smuggler can help her find her way to her sister and to a long lost treasure.
Se7en, Film, Screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker
Two detective, one at the end of his career, the other at the beginning of it, hunt down a serial killer who murders his victims in line with the seven deadly sins.
Silicon Valley, Television Series, Showrunner Mike Judge
A group of nerd friends band together to create a new software company, but their futures are threatened by their own business inexperience, an eccentric and unpredictable investor and a competing Google-like powerhouse business.
The Stand, Novel, Written by Stephen King
After a super virus wipes out the majority of mankind, the survivors gather together for the ultimate battle of good versus evil.
Supernatural: Season One, Television Series, Showrunner Eric Kripke
Two brothers seek for their missing father, all the while hunting supernatural monsters and a yellow-eyed demon responsible for murdering their mother.
The Sweet Hereafter, Film, Screenplay by Atom Egoyan, based on the novel by Russell Banks
A lawyer pieces together the events surrounding a school bus accident that resulted in the deaths of a small town’s children.
There Will Be Blood, Film, Screenplay by Paul Thomas Anderson, loosely based on the novel Oil! By Upton Sinclair
A miner turns to oil in his pursuit for wealth. In his bid for power, he destroys everything in his way.
The Time Traveler’s Wife, Novel, Written by Audrey Nifeneger
A man who time travels against his will forms a lifelong romance with his wife. Together, they face the same trials and tribulations faced by all couples, but they are forced to deal with them out of order.
The Town, Film, Screenplay by Peter Craig, Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard, based on the novel Prince of Thieves by Chuck Hogan
A recovering drug addict begins a relationship with a woman he was forced to kidnap during a bank robbery gone wrong. He wants nothing more than to leave his crime life behind and run away with his new love, but a crime boss gives him a choice: participate in a dangerous heist that’s sure to get him killed or see the love of his life murdered.
Toy Story, Animated Film, Screenplay by Joss Whedon, Andrew Stanton, Joel Cohen and Alex Sokolow
Jealous of a new toy introduced into his owner’s bedroom, a cowboy doll pushes the new spaceman action figure out the window. He then must go on an adventure to rescue the spaceman from an evil next-door neighbor before their owner realizes they are gone.
Twilight, Novel and Film, Novel by Stephenie Meyer, Screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg
A
teenager girl moves to Alaska where she meets and falls in love with a local vampire. As their relationship grows, so too does the danger around them, especially when a group of troublemaking vampires come to town.
Twilight: New Moon, Novel and Film, Novel by Stephenie Meyer, Screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg
After her beloved vampire leaves her, a young teenager will do anything she can to get him back, even if it means starting a relationship with a local werewolf.
The Vanishing, Film, Original screenplay by Tim Krabbé (based on his novel), Updated screenplay by Todd Graff
After his wife goes missing, a man becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to his wife. When he meets her killer, he’s given a choice: go through exactly what she went through or never know the truth
The West Wing, Television Series, Showrunner Aaron Sorkin
A day-in-the-life drama about lives of the staff working in the most famous office in the United States: The West Wing.
The Wizard of Oz, Film, Screenplay by Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf, based on the novel by L. Frank Baum
After a tornardo transports her home from rural Kansas to a magical land, a young girl must find a way home.
Wreck-It Ralph, Animated Film, Screenplay by Phil Johnston and Jennifer Lee
An arcade game villain fights to win a medal in order to prove to his game-mates that he’s a hero. Unfortunately, when a sugared up race car gamers in another game steals his medal, he has to learn that there is more to being a hero than he first thought.
You’ve Got Mail, Film, Screenplay by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron, based on the play Parfumerie by Miklós László
A small bookstore owner’s shop is threatened when a corporately owned megabookstore moves in down the block. She fights for her company, never realizing she’s been having an online romance with the company’s owner.
Appendix B
What Was That Word Again?
Below is a quick guide to some of the vocabulary covered in this text.
Act One: the first thirty pages (or 1/4) of a motion picture screenplay in which the writer establishes the genre, main characters and main conflict of the story. This section is also known as the Setup or the Exposition.
Act Two: the middle sixty pages (or middle 1/2) of a motion picture screenplay, usually divided into two “quests.” This is the meat and potatoes of the film, and as a result, it is the Conflict.
Act Three: the last 30 pages (or 1/4) of a motion picture screenplay in which the final big battle of the film occurs and all lose ends are resolved. This section is also known as the Resolution, even though it contains more than just the resolution of the story.
Active protagonist: A protagonist (see separate definition) who actively pursues a goal and takes an active role in his/ her fate.
Ally: a friend or acquaintance of the protagonist who aids the main character as he or she pursues the goal.
Antagonist: The character whose goal most directly conflicts with the goal of the protagonist. This term is not synonymous with villain, as the dramatic function of the antagonist has nothing to do with good versus evil.
Bonding Character: The most important secondary character whose actions result in the protagonist eventually winning the main goal.
Catch Phrase: A standalone phrase a character says that reflects the identity and personality of the character in that one statement. This is the kind of phrase which would appear on a T-shirt for marketing purposes.
Character: a combination of traits, morals, personality and attitudes that make up the individuals who exist within our stories and serve as a gateway of identification for readers and viewers
Character Arc: A pictorial representation of the process of development a character goes through over the course of a narrative.
Character mechanics: The technical tools a writer can use, especially in dialogue, to shape how a character appears to a reader or viewer
Climax: The moment where a protagonist wins or loses the main goal of the story. This should occur as close to the end of the narrative as possible.
Comic relief: A character whose primary dramatic function is to alleviate tension in a text. This character can be used merely for entertainment purposes or to reflect on broader themes or meanings within a text.
Crisis Point: A Point of No Return for the character that can vary based on the kind of story the writer wants to tell. The Crisis can be an emotional peak (high or low), a moral decision/crossroads or a source of new information.
Defining Action: The physical action a character performs when the reader/viewer is first introduced to the character. This first impression should help define the personality of the character for the reader/viewer.
Delivery: The method in which a character’s meaning is conveyed to a listener.
Diction: Word choice. In regards to dialogue this can relate to the educational quality of the words, to the use of slang, or any cultural, economical or other influential factors.
Dramatic Function: The purpose a character has for existing in a text. This purpose refers to how the writer plans on using them as a narrative tool in the story and not to how the character interacts with the other characters or the plot.
Dues ex machina: “Machine of the Gods” is an expression from ancient Greek theater referring to a convenient ending that seems a little too coincidental to be believable or satisfying
Emotional Climax: The moment of cathartic release a reader or viewer experiences at the culmination of the B-story. This is usually not the same thing as a Major Dramatic Curve Climax (see above definition), but it can be the same in some narratives.
Expositional Character: A character whose dramatic function is to provide necessary information, explanation or backstory to the reader or viewer.
Falling Action: The short section of narrative after a climax when any remaining lose ends are tied up for the reader/viewer.
Freytag’s Triangle: A pictorial representation of the dramatic functions of each of the five acts that made up the common theatrical productions of the 19th century.
Goal: Also called a Want, this is the tangible object a character fights to win or influence over the course of a narrative story.
Hero’s Journey: Also known as a Monomyth, it is an underlying narrative structure based on mythology which was developed by Joseph Campbell
Imagery: The choice of visually description phrases a character or writer might use as part of his or her descriptions
Inciting Incident: The external event that launches the protagonist after his or her goal. This should occur approximately 1/12 of the way into any narrative.
Love Interest: A character whose dramatic function is to enter a romantic relationship with the protagonist
Major Dramatic Curve: A pictorial representation of the character arc that found its roots in the theater but have developed to have practical applications for any kind of narrative format including films, novels, short stories and games
Major Dramatic Question: A question that unifies the protagonist’s goal and must be answered with a yes or no at the Climax. (i.e. Will Dorothy return home?)
Midpoint: In screenplay writing, an impactful event that divides Act Two into two separate quests.
Need: An emotional motivator for why the protagonist fights so hard to win his or her external/tangible goal/want.
New Place of Rest/Resolution: The protagonist’s character as it stands after going through the adventure of the main narrative. This should be a reflection of where the character existed at the beginning of the tale.
Obstacle: Something that stands in the way of a character’s attempt at winning a goal or in the way of a character succeeding at a tactic.
Personality: The combination of “Lego building block” traits that equate a unique and three-dimensional being
Plot Point One: In screenplay writing, the major event diving Act One from Act Two. This is usually where the stakes are raised, and the protagonist beg
ins his or her most active attempts towards winning the goal.
Plot Point Two: In screenplay writing, the major event diving Act Two from Act Three. This is usually a Point of No Return, after which time the character can never go back to who they were at the beginning of the narrative. This is sometimes the same as the Crisis Point.
Plotters: Writers who plan out everything before they begin the main writing of a narrative.
Protagonist: The main character whose actions to win a goal most directly results in the main plot of the narrative.
Purgers: Writers who do not plan before they write and “discover” their characters and plot on the page as they go along.
Reactive Protagonist: A protagonist (see separate definition) who does not actively pursue a goal but instead reacts to the event happening around her and him. This character is usually much more passive and reflective.
Red Herring: A character whose dramatic function is through the reader or viewer of the trail of another character (i.e. a murderer).
Resting Period/Initial Place of Rest: Also known as the Ordinary World, this is the period of the Major Dramatic Curve in which the reader or viewer meets the character and the world of the narrative before the inciting incident.
Crafting the Character Arc Page 14