1. Develop your own Story Structure: Sample
CONCEPT STATEMENT
Title: Grandmafia
Characters: Four elderly Italian women. The main character is Lucia Tortola, AKA
Comare Tortola, and “the Godmother”. The other three characters are her friends that she
spends time with on a daily basis. Their names are Francesca Messina, Vincenza
Morronne and Anna Corona.
Locations: Takes place in Windsor. It is mainly set in a cozy warm dinette area. The
furniture is from the 70’s but is very clean and in good shape.
Situation: While having an espresso and chatting these women end up getting into an
argument. The argument insinuates that they were all involved in some heinous mob
crime.
Story Outlined
Thesis: The first characters introduced are Lucia and Vincenza, Lucia is teaching
Vincenza how to hurt an attacker, and actually hurting her in the process. The other two
characters Anna and Francesca walk in one after the other saying “hi” in their own
special way. They all sit down at the table and Lucia pours the women some espresso
when she gets to Anna she accidentally spills some espresso on her. Anna starts swearing
in Italian. She then mentions a bloody knife and how Lucia is responsible for what
happened.

2. Antithesis: The conflict arises when the women start arguing over a bloody knife. Lucia
retaliates by saying sorry and insisting that she isn’t responsible for what happened with
the knife and that it was Francesca’s who was responsible for the knife incident. All the
women battle it out. Francesca in her high-pitched voice denies any responsibility.
There are a lot of hand gestures and extreme movements between the women. Vincenza,
who was sitting there quietly the whole time, decides to speak.
Synthesis: In Italian Vincenza yells, “Shut up!” All the women sit down quietly.
Vincenza then follows them by sitting down. She pulls off her sock and plops her foot on
the table. She is missing her baby toe. She tells them to look at it and tells them she is
the one who should be angry since she lost her toe. Lucia then fesses up to being
responsible for what happened. She also adds to it that it wasn’t really her fault and gets
into another horrible situation they got into starting a whole new argument.

3. Concept Statement #2
Title: Head Space
Characters: A cashier named Debbie; she’s around 20 years old. She is 5’5 and about
130lbs. She has dark hair pulled back, bags under her eyes and is wearing a slight snarl
on her face. An elderly man named Tony. He’s a little on the heavy side and he has
silver hair. His wife died three years ago. And several other minor characters who play
customers.
Locations: Takes place in Suburban Canada. It is mainly set in a large department store.
The focus will be around the cashier’s register.
Situation: Debbie goes into another day of work unenthused and ready to have a bad day.
She has a whole bunch of awful customers until she comes into contact with Tony.
Story Outlined
Thesis: The story starts out with Debbie walking toward her register and impatient
customers scooping her out. She can feel their eyes on her. As she is turning on the light
to her register a customer rushes their way over just as she gets the light on. In awkward
voice the customer says, “Good timing, eh?” an in a rather unenthused voice Debbie says,
“Yeah aren’t you lucky” and in her head she’s thinking, “kill me now.”
Antithesis: Throughout her day Debbie comes in contact with many unwanted
customers. To name a few there is a cat lady that turns a bright shade of red when
Debbie throws her cat food in the bag. There is also ‘the bag lady’; she needs her bags
sorted in a specific and ridiculous way. Then there is the pervert; he asks Debbie what

4. size underwear she wears after checking out her butt. While she is interacting with these
characters she is having the worst thoughts about them. In her head she is saying what
she really wants to say but actually saying what she is supposed to say to the customers.
By now Debbie is looking drained and has started mumbling to herself. She is on the
brink of actually going off on a customer.
Sythesis: A customer, Tony, then comes into Debbie’s line. He has noticed the music
playing in the background and asks, “Do they play this song often?” Debbie replies in an
uninterested manner, “I don’t know, why?” The customer then explains to her that it is
from the 50’s and that it was he and his wife’s song. Debbie actual looks up with
interest. Tony then goes on to say that his wife had died three years ago and he truly
feels that she is saying hi to him through this song. A tear rolls down Debbie’s face.
Debbie responds by telling him that she thinks he’s right because she doesn’t remember
ever hearing that song before. He smiles takes his receipt and makes his way out of the
store. Debbie then thinks in her head as she is taking the next person through, “Every
once and a while I get a customer who shows me what life is about and that not all people
are bad.” She is actually smiling now.