NANOWRI PREP

Assignment 5: Screaming Disaster of an Outline

Chap OUTLINE GOAL
1 Introduce Main Characters Warren Thomas Miller
a. Identify goals Romantic relationship
b. Identify a conflict Only one he wants is the one he can’t have.
2 Event motivating incident Save best friend from dating an ex-convict
a. What happens to set his course of events in action Introduction to Craig, and can tell right away he lies and only wants to use his friend
b. Intro 2nd major character Laurie Clair Mans
3 Turning point for main character Warren introduces Craig to an old girlfriend (Bonnie) who he commonly refers to as Queen Bonnie.
a. Send him or her into new direction By dis-entangling Laurie from Craig, He will have to Give Laurie a better target, such as himself.
4 Decides to act on 1st major event Has to physically get in between Laurie and Craig.
a. Detail the scene: action/ reaction/conflict/ decision This may mean the end of the friendship
5 2nd major event Friends forever
a. Advance / retreat scene. Visually use scenes to ease out of tense scene into a slow or calm one. Bonfire warms the heart and the grog. Patch things up as good friends do.
6 Lay groundwork/journey/ confront / explore Bonfires also start new friendships.
a. Mid-point for main characters cross purpose. Laurie meets Jim and Warren meets Rose
7 Exploration Warren and Laurie use each other as sounding boards for the new romances.
a. Scenes should have been escalating in intensity over first 2/3 of story. How many times can a man stand to hear about the other guy before he breaks? Or take this to the funny side. Not sure what that looks like just yet
8 More exploring/problems Stick in something funny, like not asking for directions when really should have. Too much coffee and it starts to rain. What do you do when there is no station break?
a. Group significant actions into tightly connected series of scenes Good place to share war stories about the stupid things they did.
9 Gets Bad Bio Mom to the rescue
a. Something important crops up or a sub plot shows up to throw a monkey wrench into the works How much trouble can this woman cause. It would be funny if it were not real
10 Gets worse Bring in Bio Dad to fix things
a. Cliff hangers, foreshadowing, restate problem, worry the reader, flat stop the scene How much trouble can two vacation bio parents cause.
11 New Considers going back to finish up college. What are the options.
a. Mid-point needs something new/change of scene/tension / plausible red herring Why is finishing something so important. Or is it an escape?
12 Gets worse Bio Mom is moving back in with her parents, the ones Jim calls Mom and Dad
a. Add conflict/ make it harder for character/ give new or unexpected crisis/toss in moral conflict and have to make instant right/wrong decision Bio Mom can cause a crisis without problem. Something will come to mind.
13 Gets worse Recollection day
a. Chronology progression. Hold something back to build realization scene Trip down memory lane.
14 Realization scene/ tie it all together Declaration day
a. Declare love or reveal something, but wait there’s more Jim has to choose between amping it up or keeping feeling for Laurie as just friends.
15 Darkest hour begins
a. Reader has to believe there is no way out for main character
16 Make it bigger
17 Turning point facing final turning point
a. Main character must take action
18 Decision climax
a. Set up situation where mc must choose between two specific but concrete alternative courses of action. There must be a reward o punishment. What does the main character deserve or get
19 Resolution
a. The main character has to make a decision between right and wrong or good and evil. Reader wants to see that decision process. Deliver punch line in one line
20 Reward / tie up Happily ever after

Rough nuts to fit into outline
Introduce Warren
a. Wants: Romantic Relationship with Laurie.
b. Problem: Laurie is best friend and can’t cross that line
Introduce Laurie
a. Wants: Romantic Relationship
b. Problem: Can’t pick a winner to save her life.
Introduce Jim
a. Wants: Out of relationship because she has too many problems
b. Problem: Small tight community, always running into each other.
Introduce Mother
a. Wants: To be taken care of
b. Problem: Wasted her young and pretty days on losers
Major Conflicts
Old boyfriends
Old girlfriends
Needed at home, quit school or quit ranching
Laurie is dating an ex-convict. Has to get between them and risk friendship to save Laurie’s future.
Bio Mom is asking for something.