1. We’ll start the character off in the middle of the study, just starting the 2nd year. He’s exercising,
eating healthy-ish, but isn’t very enthusiastic about it. He’s sick of the prompting. He’s
wondering what will be new about the app in Y2. He’s surprised he hasn’t made as much
progress.
2. Flashback to the year before, showing how the character started using the phone and his initial
reaction to it. He predicted that, this time, he was going to be successful early on. THIS TIME he
was committed to change, and the study would help.
3. Back to the present. The character is still making an effort to exercise, eat well, but he’s
definitely slacking off. He’s wondering how he will succeed given that his progress in the first
year was not as great as he hoped.
4. Flashback to the year before. The character reacts to different foods as he realizes how
unhealthy they are.
5. Flashback to the year before. The character begins exercising, but perhaps in some odd ways.
6. Flashback to the year before. The character is struggling with learning how to cook and eat
healthy.
7. Flashback to the year before. The character has something great happen (meets love of his life?).
Starts taking the cityphone more and more seriously, until he finally decides that it’s a serious
commitment.
8. Flashback to the year before. The character is taking the cityphone very seriously. He’s following
the advice and getting results. Feeling good. Life is perfect.
9. Present day. What happened? The character’s motivation is extremely low. He’s gained some
weight. CITY nowhere in sight. We find out there was a breakup.
10. Present day. The character is slipping junk food into his diet without phone seeing. Realizes this
is crazy and counterproductive. We find out this behavior started with the breakup.
11. Present day. The character is sick of the study, and decides to give up on it completely. Probably
some external stressor causes this to happen (combo of work stress and financial stress)
12.
13. A time period when the character is completely off the study. He doesn’t use his phone. He lazes
around his house. He starts to regress.
14. His friends try to intervene and help him stay on track.
15. But then, in despair, something hopeful (what?) happens.
16. He decides that he will not make the mistakes of the past. He will start with small decisions that
he can integrate into his everyday life in a sustainable way.
17. For exercise, StepLively (our exercise app) comes to the rescue when he starts using it regularly.
He gets prompted to do just a little more each day. He likes it.
18. Cartoons about exercise and StepLively. (E.g., envisions self as rabbit with carrot in front, etc.)
19. The character puts the prior external stressors in context. They still exist, but he stops making
excuses and commits to the cityphone.
20. The character thinks back 10 years to how fit he was and ten years in the future. (Ghosts of past,
future, present). Hopes StepLively is a start to better fitness.
21. The character is also trying to eat healthier.
22. He’s still getting back on track again. He sees some (modest) weight loss!
23. He keeps going with the study. Something about persistence.
24. Although he’s losing weight slowly, it’s taking him a while to recover from his lapse, so he’s
discouraged.
25. Character dreams of fame and weight loss from being on Biggest Loser. Accepts that small
progress is more realistic.
26. The phone and his friends keep him going, though, so he pushes valiantly on.
27. He keeps going with the study. Emphasizes persistence.
28. He’s still sticking with the study.
29. He starts to notice that he’s feeling better. Healthier.
30. He starts to notice that he’s actually getting fitter, and skinnier.
31. He keeps going with the study.
32. He starts studying fitness and healthy cooking, to help with his effort.
33. He’s still sticking with the study. You can see now that he’s getting a little skinnier. But it’s very
gradual.
34. At the gym, he starts to take classes because he’s not embarrassed anymore. He meets a lot of
people!
35. He sticks to the study.
36. He sticks to the study and gets really into cooking, to the point where he starts cooking for
other people.
37. He starts slacking off a bit, again. His life has become too busy.
38. He quickly pulls himself back up again, though.
39. He sticks to the study.
40. He feels better about himself. Like he’s being more productive.
41. He’s still sticking to the study.
42. He goes to a party and slips up a bit. He feels guilty about it, but bounces back.
43. He’s still going with the study.
44. Still going.
45. At this point, he is noticeably a lot skinnier. Almost normal weight.
46. He keeps slipping up at this point, thinking, “Hey, I’m almost there anyway” but keeps chiding
himself.
47. He sees how many pounds he has left, and feels a bit down. But he gets over it.
48. He keeps up with the study.
49. He keeps going.
50. He keeps pushing on! He runs his first 5K. He finishes as one of the last people, which is
saddening. But he’s proud to have finished.
51. He keeps up with the study.
52. He is overwhelmed with emotion. He’s almost there! Yet, so far! How much more of this can he
take?
53. Almost in reverse psychology, being so close to the end, he starts to slip up again.
54. But he reins it in seeing how close he is.
55. Another week of staying with the study!
56. He’s almost at his target goal. He works out and eats healthily even more than before.
57. He reaches his weight goal of being normal weight. It’s an incredibly happy moment for him. He
also has an interest in nutrition, the culinary arts, and fitness? Or he’s discovered a passion for
something in parallel to his weight loss? This, of course, would need to be built up throughout
the entire year. I would love to make him a biology kid.