zk/diary/2021-11-09-wc-beats.md

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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.

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