# Writers' Crossing --- Using Story Beats
%title Using Story Beats

## Dramatis personae

* Billy the skunk
* Corrin the Capybara

## Outline

* Goal or agenda:
    * Billy doesn't have time for love, too busy being professional skunk - twinge of loneliness b/c no +1
    * Corrin has body image struggles because she's shaped like a capybara
* Meet cute:
    * Office party b/c they are coworkers
* No Way #1:
    * Billy: Corrin is in a different department and doesn't have a great working rep
    * Corrin: He's so handsome...*too* handsome, the suit may mean he's a jerk
* Stuck together:
    * Broken elevator
    * Corrin kind of freaking out b/c this is making her late to a meeting her job is riding on
    * Billy offers story for why she was late, showing that he understands more of her troubles on the job
    * Billy learns about Corrin's lack of self esteem
    * Corrin learns why Billy's so motivated
* No Way! #2:
    * Billy doesn't want to get distracted. Trying to help the company as a whole, and maybe that will help corrin, but he can't let that get in the way.
    * Corrin tries to play it off, he was just being nice, but she still harbors doubts. Two options:
        * Corrin hears from a friend that she should go for him, but resists that idea
        * Corrin hears from a friend that he's really good at acting nice but is actually terrifying
* Bone Town™:
    * A frank exchange of opinions and fears over skee-ball at Dave and Bustersn
    * Swaps numbers, but pen explodes over tie
    * Billy is self-conscious about what others will think of this relationship; embarrassed that this felt good
    * Corrin is optimistic; scared but relieved
    * There's some mixed signals re: expectations for each other and feelings for each other
* Seed of doubt:
    * Billy
        * Wallow #1: Texting/DMs with college buddy, bouncing off this idea that he's embarrassed (also gives other character chance to give billy some backstory)
        * Retreat: Starting to feel for her, but it turns out she really isn't a great employee (but based around anxiety attacks), so it could reflect poorly on him as upper management if they were to go out
        * Choose fear: work is too important to try and make relationship work, etc
        * Wallow #2: light-hearted: getting drunk at the jazz bar; darker: pulling all-nighters at work b/c that way won't have to think about it
    * Corrin
        * Wallow #1: She got Billy's number, but balks before actually texting because she's still scared about the possibilities.
        * Retreat: Finally tries to reveal soft spot for Billy, but texts the wrong number, retreats.
        * Choose fear: he *gave* me the wrong number because suit = jerk; maybe she got fired and it looks like it came from him (if only in the heat of the moment)
        * Wallow #2: catharsis of eating garbage food/screaming into karaoke
* Choose love:
    * Billy: distraction is not happiness, work is just distraction
    * Corrin: can't tackle self image without validation, and hey, Billy gave her that; finds out that it wasn't an intentionally wrong number
* Plan and risk:
    * Corrin: fuck it, gonna go buy him a tie
* Grand Gesture:
    * Corrin: replaces Billy's tie (maybe with something outrageous b/c quirky)
    * Ends with yes:
        * puts on tie, looks terrible on him, laughs, smooch
* Payoff:
    * Asks to go on vacation w/ because he's a workaholic.
* Hope:
    * She looks at herself in the mirror, frowning at the thought of beachwear, he hugs and comforts, they go for a walk on the beach.

## Tools

* <a href="/assets/romance-caduceus.pdf">Romance Caduceus</a>
* [Scrivener template](http://gwenhayes.com/free-stuff/romancing_the_beat/)
* [Romancing the Beat (free on Scribd with trial account)](http://gwenhayes.com/books/romancing-the-beat/)

