Here are my answers. Really looking forward to this conference:
1) Story Statement:
In 1981 New York City, 14-year-old Lilly is left to navigate life on her own, grappling with a whirlwind of chaos that threatens to upend her world. Her parents’ reckless decisions only add to her growing sense of helplessness, making her feel like a hostage to circumstances beyond her control. But everything takes an even darker turn when she becomes a real-life hostage after her wayward biological father unexpectedly appears and kidnaps her. It’s a shocking, life-altering twist that changes everything she thought she knew about trust, family, and survival.
2) Antagonist:
Lilly’s dad, Jerry, pops in and out of her life with all the predictability of a game of Whack-a-Mole. He’s inconsistent in his communication, his love, and his follow-through. He weaves elaborate stories of gifts that never materialize, vacations they never take, and visits that remain figments of his imagination. For Lilly, each broken promise feels like a blow, yet she keeps returning, hoping this time will be different. He seems oblivious as he continuously wounds his daughter with drunken phone calls and emotional manipulation, creating a simmering anger inside of her. He uses his charm to reel her back into his web as he continuously tries to turn her against her mom and stepdad. She learns to ignore the crater she feels when he goes away and the constant feeling that she doesn’t matter enough. Despite everything, there’s something intoxicating about him. Jerry is devilishly handsome, with a personality that makes her want to believe anything he says. He zips around in his sleek black Corvette, travels to exotic destinations, and has a Playboy Bunny girlfriend that only adds to his larger-than-life persona. People can’t help but gravitate toward him—his booming laugh and endless jokes earning him the nickname “Captain Fun.” Unfortunately for Lilly, the fun ends where the heartache begins. All hell breaks loose when Jerry takes his antics to a shocking extreme. In a scheme that blurs the lines between impulsiveness and cruelty, he kidnaps Lilly from under her grandmother’s nose, whisks her onto a plane bound for California, and effectively holds her for ransom (or maybe just to traumatize her mom; Lilly’s not quite sure which). Through it all, Lilly comes to understand the painful reality of their relationship. Jerry’s life might be a rollercoaster, thrilling and dangerous, but she’s tired of being a passenger, powerless against the twists and drops. This life-altering event finally opens her eyes to the devastating toll her father’s love—or lack of it—has taken on her.
3) Breakout Title:
80s Baby
They Never Even Asked Me
Can Anyone Hear Me?
4) Genre and Approaching Comps:
Genre: Young Adult
Comps:
A) Eleanor & Park, Rainbow Rowell
--Both set in 1980s, similar themes, challenges of being young in the midst of family dysfunction, personal struggles like isolation and bullying
--Both have abuse in their lives by father/stepfather
--Resilient female protagonist
--Eleanor has Park as her confidant, Lilly has her grandmother and a 56-year-old train conductor, Murphy
--Style: character driven storytelling, emotional strains, relatable details
--Characters speaking: casual voice that directly addresses the reader. Helps build a strong relationship.
--Emotional vulnerability, exploring internal feelings with conflicts
--Vivid imagery in writing, small details that bring things to life
--Highlight what’s left unsaid in relationships
--Processing through their worlds through introspection
The Summer of Bad Ideas, Kira Stokes
--Both feature protagonists with complicated relationships with their fathers
--Bad decision making and emotionally distant parents
--Feeling torn between family members
--Desire for stability
--Family tension and emotional disruption
--The impact of unpredictable parental behavior
--The feeling of being out of control and unprepared for impact of family decisions
--Both show protagonist’s journey of figuring out who they are in relation to their family
5) Hook/Log Line:
Lilly struggles to find her place amidst the turmoil of her parents' decisions and relentless bullying at school. But when her estranged father's shocking scheme turns her life upside down, she must confront her deepest fears, build resilience, and reevaluate her understanding of family, abuse, and her own identity.
6A) The Conditions for the Inner Conflict Your Protagonist Will Have:
Lilly struggles to make sense of her biological father’s erratic behavior. During their phone calls, he showers her with affection, calling her “Baby,” spinning tales of his adventures and making grand plans for their future together. But his love is as unreliable as it is intoxicating. Promised birthday gifts never arrive, and dream trips are never planned. She tells herself she’s used to the disappointment—until he takes it to a devastating new level: after spending hours excitedly plotting for her to move in with him in California, he blindsides her by telling her mom and stepdad that he doesn’t actually want her after all.
6B) Sketch a Hypothetical Scenario for the "Secondary Conflict" Involving the Social Environment
Lilly is desperate to fit in at her new school, but it feels like everyone hates her from the moment she arrives. Despite her best efforts to stay invisible, she becomes the target of relentless mockery and ridicule. Things go from bad to worse when the school bully singles her out, turning her life into a daily nightmare. Just when she thinks she’s reached her breaking point, her heart soars at the sight of a love note from Tony—the hottest guy in school and her secret crush—only to discover it was all a cruel, calculated joke.
7) Setting:
--1981 New York City: a gritty, dirty, and dangerous city that’s no place for 14-year-old Lilly to be out alone in the dark. Dirty cabs with creepy drivers, streets lined with garbage, and a gritty and wild Times Square being terrorized by a serial killer. The local deli and newsstand all provide the neighborhood of Lilly’s life. Central Park, an oasis in the middle of the city during the day, is a dark and terrifying abyss that swallows people alive.
--Tarrytown: where Lilly’s parents bought a house without telling her. Tarrytown is dull and beige, devoid of anything loud, crazy, or interesting like NYC.
--Lilly’s new home: It looks like a house from a television show, where perfect parents raise perfect kids, and there’s lots of laughing, big family dinners, and board games (the complete opposite of Lilly's family). A big kitchen with fancy new, white appliances and cabinets that perfectly match the ceramic tile countertops. Everything is painted pea green and cream with beige wall-to-wall carpets.
--Lilly’s new school: An ugly, intimidating red brick building perched at the top of a hill. It looks like an inescapable prison, its imposing walls stretching out. The frames of the windows look like bars, and the stone steps seem like they lead to a place where happiness isn't an option.
