an object or device in a film or a book which serves merely as a trigger for the plot.

This morning we brainstormed two objects, we had to explore ideas of what the object is and can be used for using lateral thinking, then we had to write a short story surrounding that object.

McGuffins in movies:

The ring in Lord of the rings

The story is based around one ring which controls The rings of power. It has affected anyone who’s ever came into contact with it including Smeagol who is then turned into Gollum.

For the second part of the lesson we brainstormed ideas again based on pictures and we had to write another story based on it

Idea 1: A hostage situation between a negotiator and the hostage taker. It’s set in an abandoned house which has been broken into and where the criminal stashes stolen items. The negotiator knows about the hostages so they try to talk (Initial phase, Negotiation phase and termination phase) In the background there is tactical backup surrounding the house this can end up with the hostages freed and the hostage taker is arrested and the stolen items recovered or the hostages are killed and the hostage taker flees and the stolen items are recovered or the Hostages are killed and the hostage taker gets arrested, or the hostages are freed and the hostage taker flees.

Idea 2: Dog walking service but one day they go to pick up a dog but when they arrive at the house the door is left wide open with the owner inside sitting on the hallway floor with a dog next to them dead. So the walker has to try and comfort them but its very difficult, this means it could end in very different ways for example they could figure out who killed the dog (it could be the owner) or the owner gets more upset or the walker cheers the owner up.

Idea 3:  Charity workers for LGBT youth – A teenager who is not out to her parents answers the doors and the worker has to help her come up with ideas to help her come out but she is scared that her parents won’t accept her for who she is. The worker is really considerate towards the girl by listening to her speak about her feeling and fears about the situation. Her parents come up to the door and question whats going on. It can end with the girl not saying anything and her running up the stairs or the girl coming out to her parents and they not understanding why, or the girl coming out and her parent accept her or the girl coming out and her parents kick her out of the house.

Idea 4: Pyramid scheme worker- A person who works for a pyramid scheme knocks on peoples doors to try and escape the business they’ve been sucked into but the person at the door also works for a pyramid scheme but they are CEO for the same scheme.

Idea 5: Entitled parents – An entitled parent answers the door and she has a child with her and her child demands to have the phone I’m holding

Two teens Michael and Marlene live in a mental institution, Michael is hiding something and so are the workers, Marco and Lorenzo. When they go on an outing the secrets come out and Marlene is the one who finds out

Derelict Spaceship: 

The object landed right in front of me, it glistened in the sun. As I walked closer to it, it made a high pitched screeching sound that stopped me dead in my tracks, so i did what anyone would do and went to investigate. I knocked on the object, it was really hollow so I went to look inside. This object was practically empty apart from a podium that stood alone with an individual spotlight shining on it. There was a single letter that read:

LOOK AROUND,

BETTER BE QUICK,

IT’S GOING TO BLOW.

I look at the bottom of the paper and see a timer drawn and written on the paper counting down in seconds. I quickly run out, the door shutting behind me but nothing happens so i walk back up to it and tap on it. Nothing happens. I try to go back inside but the door is sealed, I can’t open it. To the left of me something catches my eye so i go and pick it up. There’s another letter but this time it looks like its been pulled out of the ground, it was covered in wet mud but I went to open it anyway. You would think that in a spaceship there would be some advanced technology but clearly not. I look on the paper trying to figure out the words but its all a sloppy mess so I threw it on the ground  and the thing fucking exploded.  As I fall on the ground I look between my hands and see a key of some sort it was old and rusty and probably broke, anyway I walk back to the weird spaceship object to investigate it.

Character Bio

Liam Jansen:

Age: 38

Eye colour: Blue

Hair colour: Black

Hairstyle: Short

Height: 5’6

Strengths: Smart, Good listener, Empathetic

Weaknesses: Cares too much about everything, doesn’t cope with failure

Jake Olsen:

Age: 24

Eye colour: Brown

Hair colour: Dark red

Hairstyle: Short

Height: 5’5

Strengths: Headstrong, hardworking, loving

Weaknesses: repressed, short tempered

Jakes life story:

When Jake was five, he went surfing in the Caribbean on a family holiday. On the third day, Jake was dragged under water by a large wave. It wasn’t until he was washed back up on the beach his parents saw him. Ever since then Jake has been afraid of doing water-based things.

Liam’s life story:

When Liam was 17, he had the urge to help people because his family didn’t really care about him and he didn’t want to follow on from his family. Liam worked hard to get where he is now.

It’s 2017. Two teens; best friends Marlene and Michael, live in a mental institution… but Michael is hiding something and only Marlene can uncover his secrets…

Secrets come out eventually; you’ll see…