Quoted from MarkItZero The more questions, the better! Andrew's idea probably could work with almost any relatively common life change/life event. Whether it's moving/retirement/breaking up... if it somehow leads him to go on a murder spree... then I'd say the event might be a significant part of the story. The thing that doesn't quite work is having murdering someone as the life event.

Okay, well, I'll quote you here for clarification:

The event itself, or the aftermath, must play a significant role

I agree, cause murdering someone is not a normal life changing event per se cause sane people don't go around killing other people and it wouldn't make any usual list of high stress events, like moving, divorce etc.

The event or catalyst in Andrew's hypothetical scenario is moving far away to a new city. In the aftermath of that move the main character murders someone - for whatever reason - obviously that reason would need to be compelling, but then the resulting consequences or dire chain of events is the ensuing story, right? Without the move the murder wouldn't have happened.  ?

Good God, I want to use an alias for this.

I believe I thought of a strong opening for my script:

A young mother and her husband escape the hospital into their van, and drive away towards the highway. They have with them their recently born daughter. They are being followed by another car. The driver of the opposing car forces the family off the road.

The father attempts to fight off the two passengers of the other car. The mother runs into the woods with her baby. She sees some light from a bon-fire ahead. She runs towards the fire and calls out for help. The people at the fire are drunk college students.

The two men who chased her there arrive and the students attempt to help the woman. The two men pull out pistols and the students fear for their lives. They are convinced to help the two men take the baby away from the mother. She attempts to fight them off, though they manage to steal her baby and hand her over to the men. The mother screams in agony, being held back by the students and watching her baby being taken away.

Quoted from LC Okay, well, I'll quote you here for clarification: The event itself, or the aftermath, must play a significant role I agree, cause murdering someone is not a normal life changing event per se cause sane people don't go around killing other people and it wouldn't make any usual list of high stress events, like moving, divorce etc. The event or catalyst in Andrew's hypothetical scenario is moving far away to a new city. In the aftermath of that move the main character murders someone - for whatever reason - obviously that reason would need to be compelling, but then the resulting consequences or dire chain of events is the ensuing story, right? Without the move the murder wouldn't have happened.  ?

That also depends on who she murders. If she disconnects her mother from life support and runs - that's a loss and a murder.
Or if she murders her husband. Even a fiance counts as a loss as well as murder.

I can't recall a movie where killing (by the lead character) triggers some major action cos killing is already a major action and there's usually significant prior build up leading to that. And if it's somewhere in the middle of the movie then it's kind of not right for the criteria here.
But if it's possible to pull of something like that then I guess it answers the requirement. Especially if the one she killed related to her somehow and she suffers a loss.

Quoted from Arundel Good God, I want to use an alias for this.

Andrew was looking for someone to partner up.

@all
You people distract me from my studies.

Quoted from LC Okay, well, I'll quote you here for clarification: The event itself, or the aftermath, must play a significant role I agree, cause murdering someone is not a normal life changing event per se cause sane people don't go around killing other people and it wouldn't make any usual list of high stress events, like moving, divorce etc. The event or catalyst in Andrew's hypothetical scenario is moving far away to a new city. In the aftermath of that move the main character murders someone - for whatever reason - obviously that reason would need to be compelling, but then the resulting consequences or dire chain of events is the ensuing story, right? Without the move the murder wouldn't have happened.  ?

In Andrew's original idea he posted there's no mention of a character moving, so that's what I was referring to when I said it doesn't quite work.

Whereas, the example you're giving might work. Because now an event (moving) could be playing a significant role in the story.

Whether moving actually does "play a significant role" will I guess be up to the reader to decide. I don't intend for this to be a super competitive challenge, just managing to finish will be a victory. So hopefully people will be lenient on that.

Honestly, moving might not be the easiest one to do. Let's just be very lenient.

Have I completely confused everyone now lol.

Quoted from Zack Hank... Dude. Honestly, you've sort of built up a bad reputation here. You don't return reads. You wanna change that perception... Go read and comment of others work, preferably in OWC's you've entered. You owe writers in those OWC's quite a bit of feedback.

I'll second this

Quoted from eldave1 I'll second this

I'll 3rd this!!!

I will try to read and review the OWCs I missed in between working on this challenge.

Quoted from MarkItZero In Andrew's original idea he posted there's no mention of a character moving, so that's what I was referring to when I said it doesn't quite work. Whereas, the example you're giving might work. Because now an event (moving) could be playing a significant role in the story. Whether moving actually does "play a significant role" will I guess be up to the reader to decide. I don't intend for this to be a super competitive challenge, just managing to finish will be a victory. So hopefully people will be lenient on that. Honestly, moving might not be the easiest one to do. Let's just be very lenient. Have I completely confused everyone now lol.

Not in this - but to me the litmus test would be a) a seminal life event (e.g., divorce, bankruptcy, jilted, engagement, etc.) that TRIGGERS the story - sets events in motion. My view anyway.

Quoted from khamanna Andrew was looking for someone to partner up.

I've reached out to a few and they seem to have their own ideas already. I'm going to stick with mine. It's been tweaked and the tone altered since first inception so it least now it will be interesting to write.

Quoted from MarkItZero In Andrew's original idea he posted there's no mention of a character moving, so that's what I was referring to when I said it doesn't quite work....

James, I linked it to Andrew's first post:

Quoted from Andrew Really like this challenge. Having just moved Down Under, I can relate to the central theme.

Anyway, no biggie. I think most people get the idea.

One of the more morbid scenes of my script will involve the lead character convincing all her young relatives to unknowingly drink poison, then luring their parents to her home so she can murder them too by letting them listen to their kids dying over the phone lol. The other most morbid and surreal parts will be when the slave relatives are introduced to the story.

Another moment was going to depict Theresa's aunt trying to explain to her the contract their family is cursed by, only to suffer a heart attack and die before she's able to do so. This is to show how powerful the contract is and to give it a supernatural angle.

I recently thought of a more horrifying and satisfying approach to this scene:

When Theresa was growing up, her aunt always used to tell her never to have children. One day at a small family get-together, Theresa asks her aunt why she is so against bringing children into the world. The aunt is about to tell her why, even though the rest of the family is very against her doing so. Before the aunt can fully explain her reasoning, all her teeth burst out her mouth. She continues to try to explain herself, so her jaw falls off and she dies.

Quoted from Hank When Theresa was growing up, her aunt always used to tell her never to have children. One day at a small family get-together, Theresa asks her aunt why she is so against bringing children into the world. The aunt is about to tell her why, even though the rest of the family is very against her doing so. Before the aunt can fully explain her reasoning, all her teeth burst out her mouth. She continues to try to explain herself, so her jaw falls off and she dies.

Classic.  Can't wait to see that.

Quoted from Hank I will try to read and review the OWCs I missed in between working on this challenge.

(A) No, you won't. Stop trying to deceive your fellow writers and stop treating them like idiots.
(B) Don't bother reviewing past OWC. They are done and dusted with many reviews already, I doubt anyone will care about an extra review so don't waste your time.
(C) Personally I have no issue with you partaking in this challenge as it is not anonymous. I will simply ignore your entry unless I see you actually participating - Others will decide for themselves what to do.