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Story builder Experiment #1

What does she look like/wearing? She looks to be about 16-17 years old and probably a sophomore or junior in high school. She is about average height with long, brown curly hair. Her hair is in a low pony, and she is only wearing Chapstick- no makeup. She is dressed in an oversized black hoodie with medium-washed jeans and white Nike sneakers (that are a little scuffed). Her nails are short, and they look like she bites them. She has a Band-Aid on her left knuckle.

Where is she from? She grew up local here in West Des Moines, and has lived in the same house all of her childhood. It’s in a very safe neighborhood on a cul-de-sac. Most of her family lives within 30 minutes of her house. Her parents both graduated from the same high school she attends, and she is a very big homebody.

What does she do for work? She doesn’t work a whole lot. Her mom wants her to “enjoy her time being a kid.” However, she sometimes heads over to the neighbors’ to do some babysitting on a random night or weekend. She mostly saves the cash in a little box she was given as a child, and isn’t a big spender.

Where was she, and does she come here often? She was at the nail salon getting her nails done for the homecoming dance next week. This is one of her first times getting her nails done. She has no idea what she wants and keeps looking to her mom for answers.

What do her weekends look like? Her weekends are usually filled by running errands with mom and attending the Friday night football game for her high school team. She goes to the game with friends, but always rides home with her dad afterwards. Her mom drags her along to help with groceries every Saturday morning-then they stop by Starbucks and the car wash on the way home. She doesn’t hate this tradition.

What kind of friends does she have? She has a few friends that she hangs out with outside of school, but likes to keep everything pretty low-drama. Lauren-her best friend, is super artsy and loves to do Emma’s hair (when allowed). She also enjoys going over to the neighbor’s house and hanging out with Andrew, who is in the same grade as her. They play video games together.

What are her parents like? Her mom is a stay-at-home mom who is very involved in both Emma, and her brothers’ lives. Some would call her a “helicopter” mom. She wants her children to fit in and will do anything to make sure that happens. Her dad works downtown at Principal and is in finance. He isn’t around much during the week, but likes to catch up with the kids on the weekends by throwing a ball with her brother and helping Emma with dinner. Some of her friends think her parents are strict, but they would just call themselves loving and protective.

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Story builder Experiment 1 -

She looks like any high school sophomore, about 16-17, with long brown curly hair pulled into a low pony. No makeup, just Chapstick. She’s wearing an oversized black hoodie, medium-washed jeans, and some scuffed-up white sneakers. Her nails are short and chewed, and she has a Band-Aid on her left knuckle.

She grew up in West Des Moines, in the same house her whole life, tucked into a cul-de-sac where everyone knows each other. Her parents both went to the same high school she goes to now, which makes her kind of a homebody. Most of her family lives within a half-hour drive, and weekends usually mean arrands with her mom, football games on Friday nights, and Starbucks runs on Saturday mornings.

Right now, she’s at the nail salon trying to pick something out for homecoming. Her mom holds all the answers. This appears to hold true in almost every aspect of Emma’s life.

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“Wow…I can’t believe they’re getting married today.”

She said quietly, probably not expecting anyone to hear, but I caught it. It didn’t sound like surprise in a happy way-- it felt like it had a darker meaning. She used to be the bride’s best friend. Everyone knew that. They were inseparable back in college, and I had thought for sure she would be in the wedding party.

The line stuck with me throughout the night. It wasn’t jealousy, but I just couldn’t figure out what she meant by it. It was almost as if she was disappointed in the bride—like she was making the wrong decision. I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I chose to say, “Yeah, what a gorgeous wedding.”

Just after, the music started, and everyone turned their heads. The woman smiled when the bride walked by and cheered for the couple as they walked away. But I could feel the tension building. The questions were buzzing in my head, and I knew it was going to be an eventful night.

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“Wow… I can’t believe they’re getting married today.”

She said it so quietly, but I still caught on. I chuckled awkwardly, not sure what to say.

Everyone else seemed to be happy for the couple. I managed to reply with, “Yeah, what a gorgeous wedding, right?” I wasn’t sure what she had meant by that comment, but something felt off about it. It was necessarily jealousy, but almost concern.

Many questions started filling my head…How did she know the bride and groom? Who was she? Did she not want them to get married? The ceremony ended, and everything seemed to be alright again. She smiled as the bride walked down the aisle and cheered with everyone as the couple exited. I couldn’t get her comment out of my head. Alex and Abby were two of the nicest people I knew…Who wouldn’t want them to get married? We ended up sitting at the same dinner table. All of a sudden, it hit me. I knew her. It was the girl from the nail salon.

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I'm in the Glen Oaks Pro Shop. It's summer. June. The air is humid, but there is air conditioning inside that feels almost too cold. Avery is next to me working. She has long blonde hair like mine and a smile on her face. She's helping check a member in for their tee time. Chad, my boss is in the back offices making scorecards for an upcoming tournament. I hear the bell of the door going on diiingg. An old man enters, asking if we sell gloves. I hear paper tearing in the distance. It smells like freshly cut grass and old wood. The main desk is made out of old dark wood that has a sealant over it. The counter right behind it is made of copper and is cold to the touch. I sit on the counter, while Avery sits in the old creaky stool in front of the computer. As I look out the window I can see the chef setting up the grill for the day and I smell hamburgers cooking. I can also see hole 18 green, and the grass looks almost too good to be real. The colors are vivid green. At the counter, there is a steamer and a rack of clothes to be steamed. I hear the hissing for the steamer.

Object with a Secret - Bell on Door:

Dinggg the bell on the door chimes. I sit behind the counter, waiting for something or someone to come through the door. Nothing. Usually the bell is always followed by a rushed, or if we're lucky, pleasant, member. This time, the silence was louder.

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Causes: Emma has a crush on the older neighbor boy, Alex. Emma’s mother is very controlling–so this feels rebellious.

Effects: Alex is getting married, and now Emma thinks she’s going to die alone.

In-Scene Paragraph Write one paragraph showing your character in action, revealing something from the questionnaire or cause-effect map. There I sat. “The groom may now kiss the bride,” said the officiant. I knew it was over. I will never find love now. Alex was my one and only crush all throughout my teenage years, and just like that he’s married. Abby is so much prettier and more outgoing than me. I took myself outside, wanting to be alone. I found someone sitting by themselves on a bench. A weird urge came over me to introduce myself. “Mind if I join you?” I asked.

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Basic Information Name: Emma Lee Townly

Age: 17 Gender (if relevant): Female

Occupation or role: Student in high school

Where they live: Suburban Des Moines

Personality & Habits

Core strengths: Quick witted, stong, quiet

Biggest flaw or weakness: Jealous, keeps to herself

Quirks or habits: Video games, nail biting

Fears: Being alone

Desires or goals: Find love, move far far away from home

Relationships & Background Important relationships (family, friends, rivals): Parents are very controlling. She hangs out the most with the neighbor boy in her grade, Adam.

Childhood memory that shaped them: Her mom telling her she would never find a date to the middle school dance if she didn’t put herself out there like Lily.

Prized possession and why: Keychain that she got from Disney on joint family spring break…all of the neighbor kids have matching ones

Contradictions (ways they surprise others):

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Character: Emma Townsley

Character’s Goal: Emma wants to find love

Character’s Flaw: She’s coldhearted and thinks she’ll never find love, due to her mom being

controlling and over critiquing.

Main Obstacle: Her long time crush, Alex, is getting married to Abby. Alex is the only person Emma could see herself with.

Escalation Points

1. Emma hears her mom complimenting Abby on her figure, which makes Emma feel super insecure and resentful.

2. Emma is sitting front row watching Alex and Abby’s first dance, which makes her jealousy grow even stronger.

3. At the wedding, Emma is considering doing something to ruin the moment. The tension would be her debating whether to do it or not.

In-Scene Writing

My mom turned to me as Abby walked by. “Doesn’t she look perfect tonight? Alex is so lucky to have her.” Perfect. Her words stung. She’s never even said those things about me before. I forced a smile and gave a little nod, but was fighting back tears the whole time. How could it be that my own mother gave more praise to a girl she’s met twice over her own daughter?