2021 Nano Prep

Oct. 06: - Plot: Rising Action ֎

(1) Describe any initial refusals on the part of your protagonist(s) to face the conflict.

When Doc passes away from pancreatic cancer in his 90s, his great-grandson, Gregory decides that maybe the old man wasn't really crazy. Maybe he did have a device to travel in time. He tells Angela that at the funeral and she discounts him. Plays it off, like Doc was a bit off his rocker.

Gregory convinces a girl (with some needed cash) that was in the same children's home that he went to school with to earn Angela's trust and find out about the time travel. She hears it from the other boy, Stevie (aka Journey - Steve Perry). Gregory follows them for a while and eventually ambushes Angela and her bro and takes the device.

Great-grandson, Gregory Watts, gets interested in Doc because of rumors from Mom and grandma about how crazy he was and to stay away. He was disgraced and kicks out of the last university he was teaching physics at because of all the time travel talk and writings.

Angela met Gregory once at the children's home. He was asking a lot of questions when he was fourteen. Now he thinks Angela is very attractive. He thinks this might be a way in to finding out the extent of his success in developing this rumored time travel device.

Great-grandpa thinks he's a spoiled and privileged brat. Really doesn't like the boy. He has not had much contact with the Grandson as he made disparaging comments when Doc as released from the University. His son is dead. Why? Heart attack at age 40, right after grandson was born. Gregory tried to look to him more like a grandpa but the two didn't mesh, or I should say Doc didn't care for the boy, as he was a brat. Crying, loud, tantrums, all of the things that kids do to get on your nerves and as his age, he had no patience for it. Plus the family thought Doc was nuts, and the boy didn't have a lot of contact.

So, this child wants to believe Great-grand, as he calls him, did manage to figure out the time travel thing. He pesters and pesters, which just makes Doc dislike him even more. Even though he is blood, he does not trust him. It is like Gregory feels as though it is owed to him by his great-grandfather. Even more of the reason to keep it from him. He would be an irresponsible child with it as he in in real life.

Angela discounts the threat, and she shouldn't. Some years prior she mentions to Doc that she had seen him outside her apartment, and he impressed upon her the need to be careful. That he is a dangerous boy.

It is not about wealth really, for Gregory. It is power. The ability to change the world, and likely not in a good way.


(2) Describe the moment when your protagonist(s) makes the choice to face the conflict.

When Gregory reveals his true self, and the threat that he would pose is he got his hands a hold of the device. What if he shows up at her apartment again? This time he tells her that he wants the device. That he knows that it exists and he will take it from her one way or the other.

(3) Describe the moment when your protagonist(s) crosses the point of no return and cannot change their mind.


When Gregory tells her he will get the device, she is convinced that he is a legitimate threat to her. It is the look on his face, his intensity, the crooked grin. She is on the far side of her car when he starts talking to her. She can't get in without him being able to get in as well. A neighbor comes out to their car. Angela walks over to the neighbor and as soon as she does, Gregory walks off. She says, "oh I'm sorry, I thought you were someone else." Then gets in her car quickly, locking the doors and looking around for where he went.

(4) Fill in some of the blanks: How will your characters get from the point of no return to the climax?

She takes off to the lair she has in west Texas to consider her options. She wants to continue working on gaining her wealth for the foundation, but he is a serious threat. She said aloud looking up, "I wish you were here to help me Doc." She leans back in the chair and works on a plan to get Gregory in the future where he can't hurt anyone. Putting him in the past could be dangerous to her family and Doc's. In the future, what could he do?

Gregory talks that girl he met at the children's home into working for him to get the scoop about something that rightfully belongs to his family, him specifically after his great-grandfather's death. She bites. Takes the money.

She can follow her to the airport, but she won't know the flight or have a ticket. So she'll just have to follow her to some other place where they can "accidentally" bump into each other, have dinner, and gossip about those they knew in the children's home. This bonds them. And the girl might actually feel a little bad about this ruse as she really likes Angela.


Oct. 06: - Plot: Rising Action (How does the story get there?) ▼

Oct. 06: - Plot: Rising Action (How does the story get there?)

Review your notes from the ""Premise"" and ""Beginning"" plot exercises, and tweak the conflict(s) and inciting incident as needed before proceeding with the ""Rising Action"" plot exercise, as follows:

(1) Describe any initial refusals on the part of your protagonist(s) to face the conflict.
(2) Describe the moment when your protagonist(s) makes the choice to face the conflict.
(3) Describe the moment when your protagonist(s) crosses the point of no return and cannot change their mind.
(4) Fill in some of the blanks: How will your characters get from the point of no return to the climax?