Character Development

The hottest teen show in the world, “Life in Charleston”, couldn’t have been thriving more. It generated millions of engaged fans who had begged for a second season for months. While these fans could recite the entire script of the nine-hour season, screenwriter Amara Brown could barely remember her own name.

“Where is my script?” Director Smith erupted. “I understand it can be a lot of pressure. I mean, one day you woke up in the hospital and were demanded to write a script. But it’s been forever since the incident where you ended up diagnosed with short-term memory loss— it’s time to get over the accident and get writing.”

Amara let out a loud gulp that could be heard from miles away. She stared at the team of producers and directors with her large, dark brown doe eyes. Her long gaze clearly said that she had no idea what to do.

“Whatever you do, do something, and get to it fast.” Director Smith then dismissed Amara to complete a very important task.

Amara exited the grand studio, sweat dripped down her forehead, she had a stomach ache she thought would kill her, and the worst part, being mobbed by paparazzi. Mega fans blinded her with their expensive cameras.

“Amara, when is Season Two out?” asked the blonde lady right by her ear.

“Mrs. Brown, are you aware of how many fans are counting on you?” said the middle-aged man behind her.

After she stepped into her limo, she opened twitter, “#WeWantSeasonTwoBrown”. It was at that moment she considered that this might be more serious than she thought.

She entered her studio apartment with a blank stare. The neutral colored walls of silence couldn’t possibly evoke any bright ideas in young Amara’s mind. Above her desk hung her degree from Stanford for English. Somewhere in her vanity drawers was a printed version of her valedictorian speech that was asking her, “Where did it all go wrong?”

It all started on a snowy winter day. It was roughly twenty eight degrees Fahrenheit outside. The fireplace below her Roku TV was bright and lit. While practicing her Emmy speech, she dramatically walked into the screen door toward her balcony. Following that, she woke up in the hospital with not a single memory. A heart rate monitor to her right, a nurse call button to her left, and Grey's Anatomy playing on the floating TV in front of her.

Nevertheless, how she got here isn’t important. What’s important is finishing up this script. She stared at the blank document for thirty minutes, still nothing. Quick walk around the neighborhood with her GoldenDoodle Theo, still no ideas.

“Well Amara — Any progress?” Amaya’s best friend, Milani, who happens to be a part of the production team, asked starry eyed.

“I mean, I’ve at least created a Google Doc. That must count for something?”

“Amara, can you actually take this seriously?” followed with an immediate hang up

.

With Milani’s critical comment, Amara then decided about ten percent more effort may be required. So, she followed a step by step process.

First step, rewatch Season One. And it’d be an understatement to say Amara was a bit confused about her pre-accident creation.

“I don't get it,” Amara said with popcorn kernels stuck in her teeth. “If she’s the one who initiated the breakup, why is she playing the victim? What is with all the dramatic scenes? Why has the whole friend group been with each other? And what kind of name is Delilah?”

After ten hours spent binge watching the Season, watching fan theories, edits, and reading wattpad, it may have been time to get started on the writing. But just because it’s something she should do, doesn’t mean she has to. So, Amara made the genius decision to go partying with her girls.

The Next Day

At this rate, the project couldn’t have possibly been done in time.

“Theo what is my problem, I was given notice on this assignment months ago! Director Smith wants to see what I have in three days! We have to pack our bags because if I don't get this script done in time, it's goodbye to our New York City apartment.”

At about her third coffee, it seemed like the best thing to do was decompress, step away from the computer, and go to the gym. At her local gym, it was Throwback Thursday, which meant childhood films on every screen. While she was a mile in on the treadmill, right in front of her was Mulan playing on the TV. Amara never had more admiration than in this moment. Seeing the scene where Mulan was just kicked out of the army, but decided not to give up left a profound impact on Amara. She kept watching, as Mulan carried the large weights up the tall pole, securing her spot in the army. Going to the gym and watching the whole one hour and thirty minutes of it was the real game changer.

The moment the movie ended, she sprinted. She sprinted straight from the gym and one mile to her home. She breezed right past the paparazzi who attempted to keep up with her, but no one could match the adrenaline Amara felt in this moment.

After having that Google Docs tab opened for what felt like a million years, it was time to take a giant leap. At midnight, it was as if ideas were rushing to meet her. After three coffees, four puffs of her inhaler, and constant walking back and forth in her tiny bedroom, it was finished. What every trendy teen has been waiting for was finally ready.

“It's amazing!” The team cried out. “Amara, you have exceeded my expectations,” said Director Smith, flooded with emotion.

From The Perspective Of A Teen

“Have you watched the new season of Life in Charleston?” Dakota exclaimed to her best friend.

“I’m obsessed with it! But I'm a tiny bit confused, wasn’t the main character’s name Delilah? When did it become Damion?”

Dakota shrugged. “Character development?”