120 Page Beat Sheet

Workbook
Based on the book:
Something Startling Happens
By: Todd Klick

Workbook prepared by: Stefne Miller

Opening Image
Set-Up (1-10)

1. A5en7on
Tension to grab aAenBon.
Anxiety, hosBlity, sexual tension, unease, danger.

2. The Build
"Not only does "
Escalate the tension. Urgency. Threat. FrustraBon.

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3. The Ratchet
Not only that, but now
Anxiety, danger

Set up conBnues

4. Another Notch
If you thought that was bad
Threat of suicide, death. Envy, etc.

Theme Stated
Set up Cont.

5. Jaw Dropper
Something extraordinary/astonishing happens

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 Set up - cont

6. Friend or Fist
Hero and ally(s) bond or ght. Best friend, associate,
co-worker, friend

Set up cont.

7. Friend or Fist 2
Hero and/or ally(s) bond or ght more.

Set-up cont.

8. Something Startling
Happens
Audience gets a jolt.

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 Set-up cont.

9. The Pursuit
Hero discovers something extraordinary/astonishing
that must be pursued

Set-up cont.

10. The Discussion

Someone important to the hero wants to discuss
something signicant

11. The Warning

A warning or threat is made

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 Catalyst
& Debate Begins

12. Harsher Warning

A harsher warning or threat is made

Debate

13. The Submission

Final warning/threat is made and the hero
submits. Backs down, runs away, stays seated,
silent, walks away

Debate

14. Danger Watch

Docile hero watches danger approaching

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 Debate

15. Whew, That Was

Close
Hero experiences a close call while danger
approaches

Debate

16. The Big Concern

A troubled or anxious state of mind

Debate

17. World Upside Down

Bad guy turns a good persons world upside down

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 Debate

18. Trouble Turn

The event that will get the hero in trouble later

Debate

19. The Threat

Bad guy, or secondary bad guys, make a threat/
warning: obvious bad guy, inanimate object, family
member

Debate

20. Push Back

The hero shows backbone: anger, knowledge, irBng,
contrary acBon, shocking

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 Debate

21. The Great Aect

Something happens that greatly aects the hero:
PosiBve, negaBve, double-edged

Debate

22. Truth Declared

Moment of truth

Debate

23. Scary Stu

Hero experiences something scary with ally or love
interest

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 Debate

24. Scary Stu 2

Hero and/or ally/love interest experience more scary
stu

Break Into Two

& B Story

25. Scary Stu 3

Hero and/or ally/love interest experience even more
scary stu.

B Story

26. The Big Unexpected

Something big and unexpected

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 B Story

27. The Mini-Quest

Hero embarks on a small, preliminary quest

B Story

28. Big Quest Prep

Hero prepares for a bigger quest with ally

B Story

29. Big Quest Prep 2

Hero and/or ally prep for bigger quest conBnues

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 Fun and Games

30. The Need

A condiBon requiring relief; anything that is
necessary but lacking

Fun and Games

31. Distress Signal

Hero sees/hears something that distresses him

Fun and Games

32. Anxiety Map

Sought-aler truth or object is revealed and causes
great anxiety. Be careful what you wish for.

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 Fun and Games

33. Ominous Oh No
Hero sees/does/hears something ominous: The
foreshadowing of evil or tragic developments,
potenBally harmful

Fun and Games

34. Friend Aect

Allys behavior aects the hero

Fun and Games

35. Bait and Switch

Seems like this new world is posiBve, but is it really?
(dark undercurrent that keeps the audience o
balance)

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 Fun and Games

36. Hide and Seek

Main object of desire stays hidden. Feelings, treasure,
evidence, etc.

Fun and Games

37. Over His Head

Hero or ally realizes he may be in over his head

Fun and Games

38. Posi7ve Reconnect

Hero reconnects with ally(s) in a posiBve way. False
sense of security.

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 Fun and Games

39. New Journey Bond

Hero bonds further with main ally on the new journey

Fun and Games

40. Allys World

We learn more about the ally and their world: to
make us like then, to make us understand or fear
them

Fun and Games

41. Thorny Rose

Things may seem kinda rosy, but theres sBll ugliness
out there

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 Fun and Games

42. Surprise Reveal

Ally/hero reveals something surprising: negaBve or
posiBve surprise

Fun and Games

43. Surprise Reveal 2

Ally reveals something even more surprising; death
surprise, other kinds

Fun and Games

44. New News

Hero reacts to new news. Hero reacts to what
happened in the previous minute

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 Fun and Games

45. Out of the Ordinary

Hero does something brave and out of the ordinary
for him/her

Fun and Games

46. The Revela7on

4 types of them: rock the heros world, about the ally,
about the hero, about the bad guy

Fun and Games

47. The Escort

Ally takes, or will take, the hero somewhere fresh
territory

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 Fun and Games

48. Needed Knowledge

Ally gives/shows hero needed knowledge aids the
heros goal or situaBon, what he needs to do next

Fun and Games

49. Foreboding Fact

Hero is given more knowledge/warning, olen
ominous

Fun and Games

50. The Portent

Something potenBally deadly is seen or explained:
actual or death of a dream, relaBonship, etc

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 Fun and Games

51. The Engage

Hero and/or ally engage the enemy, the enemy
inBmidates the hero. Feelings, ghost, conscious,
death, etc

Fun and Games

52. Say Uncle

Enemy inBmidates the hero, almost defeats him

Fun and Games

53. The In7mida7on

Enemy inBmidates the hero

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 Fun and Games

54. The Lightbulb

New posiBve or negaBve revelaBon is made.
Something posiBve or negaBve

Mid-point

55. Sideswipe
Another jolt

Bad Guys Close In

Dark Twist Chat

Hero talks with a friend, and then theres a dark twish

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 Bad Guys Close In

57. Dicult Words

Dicult quesBons/request/statement is asked/made

Bad Guys Close In

58. Vital Event

Something alters the heros life: touching on past,
info is explained, reveals state of relaBonship, poses
threat

Bad Guys Close In

59. The Decep7on

Hero lies to: further career, avoid gepng caught,
ease concerns, advance relaBonship, cause problems

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 Bad Guys Close In

60. The Shocker

Draws a swil inhalaBon of breath from the audience

Bad Guys Close In

61. Plus Minus

A posiBve turns into a negaBve, or a negaBve turns
into a posiBve

Bad Guys Close In

62. Flir7n With Disaster

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 Bad Guys Close In

63. Ally A5ack

Bad guy, or a secondary bad guy, deeply aects
heros ally or love interest

Bad Guys Close In

64. Bad Guy Threat

Bad guy, or secondary bad guy threatens hero in
some way

Bad Guys Close In

65. The Resistance

Hero or ally aAacks/resists the bad guy

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 Bad Guys Close In

66. Posi7ve Step

Hero does something posiBve toward his goal

Bad Guys Close In

67. Hero Aect

Hero does something that will immediately or
eventually aect the bad guy

Bad Guys Close In

68. Ally Aid

Ally or love interest takes a posiBve/signicant step
towards hero

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 Bad Guys Close In

69. Cap7va7ng Concern

Concern with something more at stake

Bad Guys Close In

70. New Journey

Hero embarks on a new journey

Bad Guys Close In

71. Bad to the Bone

Bad guy shows aggression

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 Bad Guys Close In

72. Badder to the Bone

Bad guy shows more aggression

Bad Guys Close In

73. Baddest to the Bone

Bad guy, secondary bad guy ratchets up aggression
even more

Bad Guys Close In

74. Put Into Peril

Hero and/or ally is put into peril: life, respect, career,
dream, relaBonship, secret in peril

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 All Is Lost

75. Skull and Crossbones

Life, love, hopes are threatened to be taken away:
symbol or threat of death, death of relaBonship, etc

Dark Night of the Soul

76. The Grim Reaper

Symbols of death, threat of death, talk of death,
death of a relaBonship or dream

Dark Night of the Soul

77. The Rumble

Tension of death needs a release, comes in the form
of a ght

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 Dark Night of the Soul

78. Mystery Mission

Hero and ally interact, theres a mystery that needs
to be solved

Dark Night of the Soul

79. Mystery Mission 2

Hero and/or ally conBnue to engage/interact, more
mystery

Dark Night of the Soul

80. Tick Tick Boom

Explosion: emoBonal, actual

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 Dark Night of the Soul

81. Surprised Hero

Bad guy or ally surprises hero

Dark Night of the Soul

82. Surprise, Surprise

Follow up with another surprise

Dark Night of the Soul

83. Go5a Go
Hero hurries somewhere

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 Dark Night of the Soul

84. Gap Subtract

Gap between hero and bad guy or ally decreases

Break Into Three

85. Bad Guy Boo-Boo

The minute we see the bad guy is vulnerable

Finale

86. Worry Wound

Something worries main characters, wounds him

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 Finale

87. Damage Done

Bad guy provokes physical or emoBonal damage.
Retaliaion.

Finale

88. Double Damage

Done
Bad guy causes addiBonal physical or emoBonal
damage

Finale

89. Red Alert

Circumstances grow more serious for our hero

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 Finale

90. Rescuing Ally

Ally comes to the rescue

Finale

91. Suer the Weak

Moment of suering and weakness makes us feel
for them, relateable

Finale

92. Hugs and Kisses

Hero and ally/love interest show aecBon

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 Finale

93. Hugs and Kisses 2

Hero and ally express greater aecBon

Finale

94. The Aggressor

Hero or bad guy shows aggression

Finale

95. The Separa7on

Hero and ally separate

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 Finale

96. Death and Dying

Show or speak of death

Finale

97. Taping the Knuckles

Hero prepares for, or heads toward the baAleeld

Finale

98. Kiss or Spit

Hero or bad guy shows aggression or aecBon

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 Finale

99. Kiss or Spit 2

Hero or bad guy shows more aggression/aecBon

Finale

100. Kiss or Spit 3

Hero and/or bad guy shows even greater aggression/
aecBon

Finale

101. Deeper Deeper

Deeper into baAle/trouble.
Deeper in love, decepBon, responsibility, friendship

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 Finale

102. The Blow-Up

EmoBonal blast to jar the audience; physical or
emoBonal

Finale

103. The Blow

Hero or bad guy administers some sort of blow;
physical or emoBonal

Finale

104. The Upper Hand

Hero or bad guy gets the upper hand in an aggressive
manner

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 Finale

105. The Deceit

Against the hero, against the bad buy, against the
audience

Finale

106. The Dodge

Someone dodges or avoids something

Finale

107. Good Does Bad

Someone that seems good does bad

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 Finale

108. Sense of Finality

Impending Doom

Finale

109. The Extraordinary

Something extraordinary is revealed

Finale

110. Strong Statement

Verbally, visually

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 111. Turn for the Worse
Oh no!

112. Charging Shark

Bad guy takes aggressive acBon towards hero and ally

113. The Cage Slam

Bad guy takes another aggressive acBon toward
hero/ally

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 114. Gets the Be5er
Bad guy gets the beAer of the hero and/or ally

115. Bleak Meak

Looks like the hero will be defeated

116. Kick Em While

Theyre Down
Bad guy exerts tremendous eort against hero

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 117. Reprieve
Yes, but something gives a glimmer of hope

118. Hope Might Be Lost

It gets bad again

119. One Bullet Led

Hero fails, or needs help, as the bad guy closes in.

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 120. Powder Keg
Physical or emoBonal explosion

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