Rising Star Adventures and Beyond

Outline Revision 2

Plot: Outline Revision #2

(1) Review your plot elements thus far and organize them into your outline.
(2) Add a chronological timeline to your revised outline, using whatever measure of time is appropriate in your story. Determine when plot events happen in time (which is not necessarily when you will reveal them in your novel.) See this example composed by JK Rowling while outlining one of her famous Harry Potter novels.

Note: I also need to determine when Ruth will experience what emotions from her grief. Yeah, I need to continue to fine tune this timeline. I need to figure out where to plug in holidays and significant dates that Ruth needs to process grief through throughout the year.

I. Chapter one: Mike's Legacy
(This chapter is about the death and funeral of Ruth's husband, Mike)
         A. Death (Saturday, September 3rd, 2016 will be the day of Mike's death. At this point, Ruth is sad, but she is in shock and denial.)
                   1. Church service (Ruth goes to church feeling numb and lost)
                   2. Sunday Afternoon (As more family and friends hear of her husband’s death, they come by to visit and bring food.)
         B. Funeral planning (September 5th, 2016, Ruth just goes through the motions with her daughters and family)
         C. Funeral Service (September 8th, 2016)
                   1. The church memorial service
                   2. The burial at Sherwood Cemetery
                   3. The fellowship meal
                   4. Everyone Goes Home

II. Chapter two: Alone! (September 8th and 9th, 2016)
(This chapter is about Ruth coming home to an empty house)
Ruth is all alone. (with Grief - I think this is where I will introduce grief as a spirit of grief. I think I will personify grief here.) I will have her grieving by herself a couple of days at home before she begins to brave sorting through her husband's belongings and affairs. This is where she can come out of shock/denial and go through the bargaining stage of grief and maybe a little anger at the Dr because he had expected a full recovery and not death. At some point, I think I need to introduce a lawyer to help her sort through the legal/financial affairs and possibly have a will. I need to do some more research here.

III. Chapter three: Mortgage?
(This chapter is where Ruth will find out about the mortgage on her house and start sorting through her husband's records and assets.)
         A. A Mortgage? (Monday, September 13th, 2016, Ruth receives a notice in the mail concerning the mortgage on her house that she did not even know about.)
         B. Rental Properties (September 14th, she will check out her husbands rental properties and try to decide what she needs to do. She will meet the families living in these properties.) Here is where she will become angry at God, her husband for leaving her like this, and life circumstances in general.
                   1. House on main street
                   2. Country Cottage
                   3. House on 2nd street
         C. Expenses
                   1. Hired contractors
                   2. Building materials
                   3. Other expenses
                             a. Insurance
                             b. Inspections and permits
                             c. Utilities
                             d. College tuition
                             e. Transportation
         D. Houses needing repairs
                   1. House on Elm Street
                   2. Lake House
                   3. Community Center
                   4. Duplex
                   5. Ruth's own house

IV. Chapter four: Sherwood’s Grocery
(In this chapter, Ruth will experience hunting for a job and trying to come up with ways to pay her bills and mortgage.)
         A. Yard sale (October 1-3, 2016)
         B. Job hunt (starts October 4th, 2016 after the Yard sale)
                   1. Applications (Ruth will go through the job hunt process and by now she is still in the anger stage of grief and will soon enter depression.
                   2. Interview
(Halloween)
         C. Ruth starts her new job. (November 1, 2016)

V. Chapter five: Julie
(Ruth works with her church youth girls. One of the girls Julie, discovers she might be pregnant.)
         A. Dead beat boyfriend
         B. Furious Parents
         C. Should she get an abortion?

(Thanksgiving)

VI. Chapter six: Flipped
(This is Ruth's first experience ever trying to sell a house. She discovers that profit is taken by property taxes.)
         A. Selling a house
         B. Property taxes

(Christmas/New years)

VII. Chapter seven: Homeless!
(Ruth decides to continue volunteering at the local homeless shelter once a month. She meets a homeless family and decides to help them out.)
         A. Starving
         B. A helping hand

VIII. Chapter Eight: Lock-In
(This chapter will be about a lock-in with her church youth girls.)
         A. Tammy’s loss
         B. An argument between friends
         C. Sally's delima

(Anniversary/Mother’s Day)

IX. Chapter Nine: Betty
(This chapter will be about a church rumor gotten out of hand started by the church gossipper, Betty)

(Father's Day)

X. Chapter Ten: Nancy Sue (July 4th, 2017)
(This chapter is going to be about Ruth helping an annoying neighbor.)
         A. The fire
         B. Burned

XI. Chapter Eleven: Wanting to Die
(This chapter is about depression and helping others with grief.)
         A. Depression
         B. Suicide hotline
         C. Professional help

XII. Chapter twelve: Relentless Pursuit
(In this chapter, Ruth decides to go on a date with Luke who has been chasing her since her husband died.)
         A. The invitation
         B. The Date

XIII. Chapter thirteen: Surprised (August 26th, 2017)
(This is going to be the chapter where her financial worries are resolved.)
         A. Birthday Plans
         B. Surprise party

(Death anniversary date)

XIV. Chapter fourteen: Sun Shines Again
(This will be the final chapter where Ruth is finally able to accept life without Mike and all issues are finally resolved.)