NaNoWriMo Prep

OCT 1, 2016
Identify the following:
(1) Protagonist(s). Who is(are) your main character(s)?
Jody Jordan (central character), Jeff Scott (love interest), Dr. Gold (psychiatrist), Sarah Hildebrand (roommate), Sergeant Clark (squad leader), Sergeant First Class Fujiwara (platoon sergeant)
(2) Flaw(s). What is(are) the protagonist's major flaw(s)?
Jordan's flaws include not opening up, psych issues from war including suicidality, drinks too much, messy, become a bit of an adrenaline junky
(3) Goal(s). What does the protagonist want?
She wants to be normal again and to stay in the Army
(4) Conflict. What is keeping them from their goal?
Psych issues and difficult squad leader
(5) Antagonist(s). Who(what) is creating the conflict?
War trauma and an unwillingness to face it

Bonus
Identify the theme or moral of the story. Brainstorm ways you could resolve your conflict within the confines of the theme.
Life is worth living and you don't know what you have until it's gone. She eventually picks up a hitchhiker that threatens her life. When faced with the possibility of imminent death, she decides she doesn't want to die and finds the will to live.

OCT 2
Character List AKA Dramatis Personae. Draft a list of your characters and write a brief profile on each one (name, age, occupation or relation to main character(s) and rough physical description.) NOTE: You will have opportunities to revise the list throughout October, so this revision is not expected to be fully accurate or complete.
Listed on Excel spreadsheet

Bonus
Compile your character list into a format that is easy to update and expand. The point is organization, so your character information is easy to find during November. Later this month, you will write more detailed profiles on some characters. Keep your list handy for future updates throughout the Prep.
Listed on Excel spreadsheet as recommended

OCT 3
Complete a character profile of your protagonist. Include detailed information such as name, age, physical attributes, occupation, education, culture, religion, family, relationship status, personality, likes, dislikes, strengths, weakness, motivations and desires. The point of this exercise is for you to get to know your character inside and out before you write your novel. If you don't know your character, how can you expect it of your readers? Flesh out your pre-story character in detail. Keep in mind that your protagonist will grow in some way during your story.

CHARACTER INTERVIEW / PROFILE

Name: Jody Jordan

Background
Birthday: January 1, 1993
Place of birth: Springfield, IL
Parents: Paul and Marjorie Jordan, separated with Paul not in the picture
What was important to the people who raised her: Honesty, bravery, being true to yourself
Siblings: None
Economic/social status growing up: Lower middle class
Ethnic background: White
Places lived: AL, SC, GA, Korea, and Iraq
Education: Associate's Degree
Favorite subject in school: English
Jobs: McDonald's and U.S. Army

Friends: Sarah Hildebrand, Jeff Scott
How do people view this character: Fun-loving, dependable before Iraq but now unstable
Lives with: Sarah Hildebrand
Fights with: Sarah and Jeff
Spends time with: Sarah and Jeff
Enemies: Squad leader
Dating, marriage: Just beginning to consider dating Jeff
Children: None
Relationship with God: Believes, but is having trouble following Him these days

Overall outlook on life: Depressing
Does this character like herself: No
What, if anything, would she like to change about her life: Be happier
What personal demons haunt her: Memories of Iraq
Is she lying to herself about something: That she's okay and doesn't need help
Optimistic/pessimistic: Pessimistic
Real/feigned: Both, depending on who she's with
Morality level: High
Confidence level: Low

Physical appearance
Body type: Normal
Posture: Average
Eyes: Brown
Nose: Normal
Mouth: Normal
Hair: Brown, slightly below the shoulders, straight
Skin: White, but tanned from the sun
Tattoos/piercings/scars: Ears single pierced, dragon tattoo over her heart
Voice: Normal
What people notice first:
Clothing: Usually in uniform
Health/disabilities/handicaps: Depression and PTSD

Characteristics
Personality type (choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic, melancholy): Before Iraq she was more sanguine, but now she's sort of all over the map
Strongest/weakest character traits: Honest/ability to ask for help
How can the flip side of her strong point be a weakness: Can't keep her mouth shut about opinions sometimes
How much self-control and self-discipline does she have: Not a lot these days
What makes her irrationally angry: Threatening her career
What makes her cry: Memories of Iraq
Fears: Fear of losing her career
Talents: Making people laugh
What people like best about her: Her sense of humor

Core Need: Safety and stability
Corresponding psychological maneuver (delusions, obsessions,
compulsions, addictions, denials, hysterical ailments, hypochondria, illnesses,
behaviors harming the self, behavior harming others, manias, and phobias): Denies she needs help psychologically, drinks too much, has PTSD and depression, participates in risky behaviors

Bonus
Have your protagonist introduce themselves to us in first person using their own voice. Brainstorm ways to make their voice unique.
Hi! My name is Specialist Jody Jordan. I'm a Soldier and I love it--most of the time. I'm stationed at Ft. Benning, Georgia and just got back from deployment. I'm really struggling to figure out who I am and what's going on in my head. People who knew me before say I'm different. I suppose I am, but the problem is, I'm the one who now can make sense of the world and see it as it really is. They are the ones who live in a state of delusion, unaware of what the world really is.


OCT 1, 2017

(1) Protagonist(s). Who is(are) your main character(s)?
Protagonist: Jody Jordan, a Soldier and war vet with a lot of war issues

(2) Flaw(s). What is(are) the protagonist's major flaw(s)?
She's often suicidal and has anger issues. She also drinks too much.

(3) Goal(s). What does the protagonist want?
She wants to stay in the Army. In the beginning she wants to help the hitchhiker, but then doesn't, then does.

(4) Conflict(s). What is keeping them from their goal?
War issues, anger, depression

(5) Antagonist(s). Who or what is creating the conflict?
The hitchhiker who threatens her.

(6) Premise. Write a provocative one-sentence description of your story.
War-torn Soldier, Jody, picks up a hitchhiker one night, but when he threatens her, he gets a reaction he didn't expect.

OCT 2

(1) Describe your protagonist's life in the beginning ("Ordinary World" or "Stasis") of the story. Brainstorm ways you could establish normality through action and dialog to avoid boring your reader.
Jody's world is a normal world on a military post and in a military city. Perhaps we can show normal through the fact that she's in her car, maybe she starts out from leaving work. Perhaps even having an exchange with her squad leader or a love interest or someone before she leaves work. Someone could remind her about an upcoming mental health appointment or bring up something about deployment to show where she's been. They might even warn her about picking up hitchhikers. In her car, perhaps she fiddles with the radio. Perhaps she goes through a drive-thru.

(2) Describe the inciting incident or trigger ("Call to Adventure") that prompts your protagonist(s) to embark on this story's journey (whether literal or metaphorical) and face the conflict. This incident could be large and obvious like a death or disaster, or it could be seemingly insignificant, such as an offhand comment by another character.
When the hitchhiker she picks up pulls a gun and tells her where to drive and threatens to kill her. Does she get angry or does she not even care? Can I make her feel both during the story?

OCT 3

(1) Describe any initial refusals on the part of your protagonist(s) to accept the journey and face the conflict.
She either doesn't care that the hitchhiker wants to kidnap and probably kill her or she gets mad. Either way, she doesn't see the reality of the danger she's in.

(2) Describe the moment when your protagonist(s) makes the choice to embark on this story's journey and face the conflict.
Is the hitchhiker my protagonist? He's the one that faces things and changes, I think. I don't see Jody as changing much, but maybe I'm wrong.

(3) Describe the moment when your protagonist(s) crosses the point of no return and cannot change their mind about accepting the journey and facing the conflict.
I don't know. I don't see how this works in my story since I don't see how they are making a choice about embarking on the journey. But I do need to consider if there is a way I can take them from unconcerned about being killed to angry or vice versa.

OCT 4

(1) Theme. What is the theme (see below) or moral of the story?
I think I have several themes, war, power, and freedom. There are a few morals: Someone can't have power if you refuse to give it to them and don't hitchhike as the person you get in the car with might be just as dangerous.

(2) Resolution. Brainstorm ways you could resolve the conflict(s) within the confines of the theme. You are not required to identify a chosen resolution from your list of possibilities yet, so really think outside the box! Anything goes.
She doesn't allow him to push her around. He doesn't understand her response, why she's not afraid of him.

OCT 5

(1) Create a list of characters in a format easy to edit and expand.
Jody Jordan--Main character, Soldier with PTSD/depression
Davis--Hitchhiker,

(2) Write a brief profile on each character.
Name Jody Jordan
Age 23
Occupation Soldier/Behavioral Health Tech
Relation to the main character(s) Self
Rough physical description or image Slender, brunette, green eyes, average height

Name David
Age 20
Occupation Unemployed
Relation to the main character(s) Antagonist/Hitchhiker
Rough physical description or image Slender, brunette, brown eyes, Average height

OCT 6

Expand the profile on your protagonist. Include detailed information such as name, age, physical attributes, occupation, education, culture, religion, family, relationship status, personality, likes, dislikes, strengths, weakness, motivations and desires. Use Google Images to find an image of your character. The point of this exercise is for you to get to know your character inside and out before you write your novel. If you don't know your character, how can you expect it of your readers? Flesh out your pre-story character in detail. Keep in mind that your protagonist will grow in some way during your story.
Name Jody Jordan
Age 23
Physical Attributes Slender with brown hair and green eyes
Occupation Soldier/Behavioral Health Tech
Education Associates degree in general studies
Culture White, Southern, middle class
Religion Raised Baptist, currently not practicing
Family Parents divorced, father not in the picture, not close to mother, somewhat close to bro
Relationship Status Single but occasionally sleeps with Jackson
Personality Used to be fun, spontaneous and happy, now angry, brooding, and depressed
Likes Used to like travelling and hanging out with friends, now watches TV, reads, and drinks
Dislikes Used to dislike messes, angry people, and complainers, now PT, crowds, and work
Strengths Knows about mental illness and people
Weaknesses Has PTSD, drinks too much, is battling depression, hates herself
Motivation and Desires Wants to make herself feel better through helping others

OCT 7

Write a story about your protagonist that takes place outside of your novel. Make your readers relate to him or her in such a way that we would be devastated if he or she were to experience conflict (which, ultimately, sometime in November, he/she will.) The object of the contest is to make your judges root for your protagonist!

OCT 9

(1) Create a list of definitions in a format easy to edit and expand.
PTSD: To be diagnosed with PTSD, an adult must have all of the following for at least 1 month:
At least one re-experiencing symptom
At least one avoidance symptom
At least two arousal and reactivity symptoms
At least two cognition and mood symptoms
Re-experiencing symptoms include:
Flashbacks—reliving the trauma over and over, including physical symptoms like a racing heart or sweating
Bad dreams
Frightening thoughts
Re-experiencing symptoms may cause problems in a person’s everyday routine. The symptoms can start from the person’s own thoughts and feelings. Words, objects, or situations that are reminders of the event can also trigger re-experiencing symptoms.
Avoidance symptoms include:
Staying away from places, events, or objects that are reminders of the traumatic experience
Avoiding thoughts or feelings related to the traumatic event
Things that remind a person of the traumatic event can trigger avoidance symptoms. These symptoms may cause a person to change his or her personal routine. For example, after a bad car accident, a person who usually drives may avoid driving or riding in a car.
Arousal and reactivity symptoms include:
Being easily startled
Feeling tense or “on edge”
Having difficulty sleeping
Having angry outbursts
Arousal symptoms are usually constant, instead of being triggered by things that remind one of the traumatic events. These symptoms can make the person feel stressed and angry. They may make it hard to do daily tasks, such as sleeping, eating, or concentrating.
Cognition and mood symptoms include:
Trouble remembering key features of the traumatic event
Negative thoughts about oneself or the world
Distorted feelings like guilt or blame
Loss of interest in enjoyable activities
Cognition and mood symptoms can begin or worsen after the traumatic event, but are not due to injury or substance use. These symptoms can make the person feel alienated or detached from friends or family members.

(2) Optional: Brainstorm and describe an object critical to the plot. Add to definitions list.
Vehicle: 2017 Ford Escape--Shadow Black, $24,000, 21 city/29 highway, auto start, Charcoal Black interior

OCT 10

(1) Complications. Brainstorm additional things that could go wrong for your protagonist. You are not required to resolve any problems yet, just create them. Remember: The more hardships your main character faces, the more readers will cheer them on!
Hitchhiker threatens her and ties to get her to go down a deserted road. He hits her when she refuses.

(2) Identify allies and enemies encountered along the journey and describe how they help or hinder your protagonist(s). Add any new characters to your character list.
The hitchhiker is the only other character.

OCT 11

1) Select a desired outlining strategy from the list below.
Normal outline

(2) Review your plot elements thus far and organize them into your outline.

(3) Flesh out your outline by adding more details.
I. Jody is released from formation, but SFC Fujiwara wants to talk to her.
A. SFC Fujiwara is worried about Jody.
B. Jody says she's fine to get released.
II. Jody leaves work.
III. Jody goes for a drive.
IV. Jody sees a hitchhiker and picks them up.
V. They talk a while.
VI. The hitchhiker tries to kidnap Jody.
A. She doesn't care, but refuses to drive down a deserted road.
B. He gets angry and hits her.
C. She gets angry and gives him what for.
VII. They begin talking.
VIII. She talks him into turning himself in.

OCT 12

(1) Expand or add profiles for one or more minor characters.
SFC Fujiwara is the MC's platoon sergeant. She's kind and understanding, but expects a lot from her Soldiers. She's aware the MC isn't doing well, but hasn't been able to get her to open up. She's not sure if the problem is deployment related and is unaware of the extent of the problem. She's 30, athletic, and has long brown hair and brown eyes.

(2) Spend some time updating your character list with new information, images, etc.

OCT 13

Expand the profile of your antagonist(s) using a more detailed character profile template.
The antagonist is currently unemployed, but was last employed at a fast food chain. However, he was fired for arguing with staff and customers and for being late to work repeatedly. He's naturally slender with brown hair and eyes. He's 20, but drinks regularly and often heavily. His parents were never married. He has a chip on his shoulder and feel like the world owns him something, though he doesn't recognize this.

OCT 14
Write a story about your antagonist that takes place outside of your novel. The object of the contest is to make your judges understand and empathize with the antagonist's motivations.

OCT 16
(1) Spend at least fifteen minutes clarifying things.
(2) Update your characters and definitions lists as needed.

Research: For reality-based fiction, research aspects of your novel that will lend credibility to your writing.

OCT 17
(1) Brainstorm possible solutions to your conflict and complications using the list of literary devices below or your own ideas.
Repetitive Designation: An object or fact appears over and over. Title may be "Escape," she drives and Escape

(2) Identify a mentor or helper who aids the protagonist(s) in achieving their goals.
No one helps her.

(3) Identify any other literary devices from the list you could use to enhance your writing.
Alliteration is a literary device where words are used in quick succession and begin with letters belonging to the same sound group.
Amplification refers to a literary practice wherein the writer embellishes the sentence by adding more information to it in order to increase its worth and understandability.
The word anecdote, phonetically pronounced an.ik.doht, means a short verbal accounting of a funny, amusing, interesting event or incident.

OCT 18


OCT 19


OCT 20
Describe the cultural, political and/or religious setting in your novel, regardless of whether the cultural setting is fictional, historical, or modern.
(1) What do your societies believe?
It is a military society. They believe they are often superior to, but also serve the civilian population.

(2) In what practices do they engage?
They do PT 5 days a week. They make fun of those injured from PT, but not those injured in war. They hold formations and greet with salutes, as appropriate.

(3) What laws or rules of society are in place?
Do what those above you say, as long as it's legal, moral, and ethically correct. Do not be overweight. Do not be out of shape.

(4) Who/what enforces the laws and rules and how successful are they?
NCOs and officers enforce the laws and they are pretty successful.

(5) What technologies are in use?
The protagonist is in a medical unit, so she doesn't have access to the most high-speed technology used in the military, mostly just computers and vehicles.

(6) How does the setting impact your protagonist(s) in their pre-story lives?
Because she's a Soldier, she went to war and is now has PTSD and depression.

(7) How does the setting impact the plot of your story?
She is out for a drive after a difficult day and sees the hitchhiker.

OCT 21


OCT 22


OCT 23


OCT 24


OCT 25


OCT 26
You are a journalist. The story of your novel is complete. Interview your protagonist and ask the following questions:
(1) How is life for you now, compared to life prior to these events?
You know, it's interesting. I've had a number of revelations about things. I came back from Iraq feeling both defeated and invincible at the same time. In some ways, this experience only strengthened those feelings of the world being a dangerous place and that people can't be trusted. I went out of my way to help someone and it nearly cost me my life. On the other hand, how many times will I escape death? There are times in the darkest night that I sometimes wonder if I can even die. Other times I know it's just that God hasn't decided it's my time yet, but still, there's an amazing sense of invincibility that goes along with escaping death. It's almost dangerous. On the other hand, I've also seen that people can change. That's an important life lesson. We all need to remember that. Will I pick up any more hitchhikers? I honestly don't know. I realize that for most people this would swear them off it forever. But for me, it was a rush that nothing but a brush with death can deliver! Hopefully I won't pick up any more dangerous habits looking for that rush. That's a large part of what started the picking up hitchhikers thing. I guess only time will tell.

(2) How did the events of your story change you?
I feel like I got off topic in the last answer and pretty well answered this question as well. Hahaha

OCT 1, 2019
Every good story starts with a 'what if'. What if a young boy discovers he's a wizard? What if a girl discovers a world hidden inside her wardrobe? What if there was a cemetery where pets came back to life if they were buried there? What if dinosaurs were real again?

In this exercise, imagine your story and your main character(s). Who is(are) the character(s)? Why do we care about them? What happens to them, and why is it a problem? (If it's not a problem, it's just life, not a story. *Wink*)

Spend at least 15 minutes imagining all the possibilities in your story. Make a list of every possible 'what if' you can think of. Nothing is off limits here - let your brain go.

What if a vet with PTSD picks up a hitchhiker? What if he threatens to kill her? What if she's already suicidal and doesn't care? What if she gets mad that he threatens to kill her? What if they come to an understanding? What if he takes her off and kills her? What if she falls in love with him? What if he admires her? What if she kills herself? What if she tries to kill herself and he stops her? What if she's scared of him? What if she's not scared of him? What if he hits her and makes her angry? What if she hits him back? What if she doesn't take him seriously? What if she refuses to do what he says? What if she kicks him out of the car? What if she takes him to the police? What if he wants to go to the police? What if he feels guilty? What if she has survivor's guilt?

OCT 2, 2019
Now that you've brainstormed the general story idea, let's identify some story elements:
(1) Setting(s). Where does your story take place?
(2) Protagonist(s). Who is(are) your main character(s)?
(2b) Flaw(s). What is(are) the protagonist's major flaw(s)?
(2c) Goal(s). What does(d) the protagonist(s) want (or want to avoid)?
(3) Conflict(s). What's keeping them from their goal(s)?
(4) Antagonist(s). Who or what is creating the conflict(s)?

Just for fun: Write a provocative one-sentence description of your story.
Example: "A young, mistreated orphan discovers he is a wizard and must face the evil villain Voldemort to fulfill his destiny."

(1) The story takes place mostly or completely in the main character's car.
(2) The main character is a female Soldier suffering from PTSD from war. Her major flaws are that she is currently depressed and emotionally volatile. She also doesn't have good mental or emotional processing skills right now. She doesn't know it, but her goal is to decide whether or not to kill herself.
(3) She doesn't realize her goal and is too much of an emotional mess to make good decisions.
(4) The conflict with her emotions is created by war, but the physical person that creates tension and brings up realizations and emotions is the hitchhiker.

A war-torn Soldier faces herself and her desire to both live and die through a dangerous hitchhiker.

OCT 3, 2019
(1) Theme. What is the theme or moral of the story?
(2) Resolution. Brainstorm ways you could resolve the conflict(s) within the confines of the theme. You are not required to identify a chosen resolution from your list of possibilities yet, so really think outside the box! Anything goes.

(1) Hopefully I can have more than 1 theme--Effects of the past and War
(2) I had planned to resolve the conflict by the main character not responding as she is expected to and this opens a path of discussion and realizations for both her and the hitchhiker. Other options: he could try to kill her, she could survive and then realize she wants to live. She could be killed. She could be pushed over the edge and kill herself. She could push him to kill her. She could crash the car in an attempt to kill them both. She could kill him.

OCT 4, 2019
Draft a profile of your protagonist. Include detailed information such as name, age, physical attributes, occupation, education, culture, religion, family, relationship status, personality, likes, dislikes, strengths, weakness, motivations and desires. Use Google Images to find an image of your character. The point of this exercise is for you to get to know your character inside and out before you write your novel. If you don't know your character, how can you expect it of your readers? Flesh out your pre-story character in detail. Keep in mind that your protagonist will grow in some way during your story.

MC is a 24-year-old white female, single. She's a brunette, average height and athletic build. She's a Soldier with a couple of years of college, born and raised in the USA. She's not particularly religious, though she was raised Baptist, but her deployment caused a lot of conflict between her thoughts and beliefs. She's not especially close to her family, though she is on speaking terms with them. She has a brother and both parents are still together. She used to be friendly and outgoing and always up for an adventure. Now she's quiet and brooding much of the time. She makes a lot of irrational decisions and often craves adrenaline. She's no longer social and spends a lot of time alone. She now has a temper, something she didn't have before. She's no longer sure what her motivations or desires are. She's vague and confused and unsure of life now.

OCT 5, 2019
Write a story about your protagonist that takes place outside of your novel. Make your readers relate to him or her in such a way that we would be devastated if he or she were to experience conflict (which, ultimately, sometime in November, he/she will.) The object of the contest is to make your judges root for your protagonist! Simply put: the character we like best wins. If your protagonist is a drug dealer or someone similarly "unlikeable" (a.k.a, an "anti-hero"), never fear! I love Vlad Taltos, the professional assassin. You can make us love your character, too.

OCT 6, 2019
FREE DAY

OCT 7, 2019
(1) Describe your protagonist's life in the beginning ("Ordinary World" or "Stasis") of the story. Brainstorm ways you could establish normality through action and dialog to avoid boring your reader.
(2) Describe the inciting incident or trigger ("Call to Adventure") that prompts your protagonist(s) to embark on this story's journey (whether literal or metaphorical) and face the conflict. This incident could be large and obvious like a death or disaster, or it could be seemingly insignificant, such as an offhand comment by another character.

(1) SPC Jordan's life is a mess, but she doesn't fully recognize it. She drinks too much and struggles to be on time for work and other activities. She goes out for long drives to clear her head. She spends a lot of time alone but does spend some time with SPC Jackson, a guy she deployed with and sleeps with sometimes.

(2) Her inciting incident is when she picks up a hitchhiker and he tries to hijack/kidnap her. He holds a gun to her and tells her where to go. She's not in the mood.

OCT 8, 2019
Where is your story going? Describe the climax, the point at which everything changes and the tension of the primary conflict is finally resolved. Use the "What If" brainstorming exercise to create a list of possibilities, remembering to consider the growth of / change in your main character(s) as a result of this event. The climax can be as hidden and seemingly tiny as that moment when your character finally makes that decision they've been dreading or avoiding for fifteen chapters, or it can be as huge and obvious as an exploding planet. Sometimes, the climax is a little hard to pin down. Was it the moment Ender won his game? Or was it the moment he realized the moving images on his screen were not a simulation, not the game he thought it was, and that he had just personally wiped out an entire alien race?

I think the climax is when he hits her and she gets angry and lets loose on him. What if she kills him? What if he kills her? What if they fall in love? What if he falls in love with her? What if she talks him into turning himself in? What if she just kicks him out of the car? What if she finally agrees to go where he wants and lets him do what he wants?

OCT 9, 2019
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?

(1) When the hitchhiker first pulls the gun on her, she's suicidal and doesn't care. The gun is only powerful if you fear it.
(2) She decided to face the conflict after he hits her, but she's not afraid to die, so turning on him doesn't scare her.
(3) Maybe when he hits her is when she crosses the point of no return?
(4) I'm not 100% sure how she will go from the point of no return to the climax, but am now not sure I know what the climax is.

OCT 10, 2019
(1) Select a desired outlining strategy from the list below.
(2) Review your plot elements thus far and organize them into your outline.
(3) Flesh out your outline by adding more details.

1. She's gassing up and goes into the store to pick a snack. She grabs some water, but the candy choices overwhelm her and she leaves with nothing.
2. She's driving along and changes the radio station from "Shiny Happy People" to "Goodbye I'm Sorry" by Jamestown Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnCMnsPH6d0
3. She stops to pick up a hitchhiker, turning off the radio first.
4. They have some small talk.
5. He pulls out a gun and tells her to drive to a certain place.
6. She doesn't even look at him and she refuses.
7. He shows her that he has a gun and she doesn't care so he pushes it into her temple.
8. They get into an argument and she yells that he can go where she's taking him or he can shoot her, that she really does't care because he'd be doing her a favor anyway.
9. He hits her and she slams on the breaks and really goes off on him about what she's done for the country and for him to have the freedom to do what he's doing then she orders him out. Or she drives like a maniac because she doesn't care.
10. He refuses to get out because they are so far away from where he needs to be.
11. They sit in silence for a while and he finally puts the gun down and asks her to take him home.
12. He apologizes.
13. He asks her to take him home and she's not sure what to do because she wants to take him to the police.
14. The police pull them over and he's recognized and arrested.

OCT 11, 2019
Draft a profile of the antagonist(s) you identified in the "Premise" assignment. If your antagonist is a situation rather than a person, choose another minor (but significant) character to profile.

He knows a lot of folks who do drugs, are criminals, or have been to jail/prison. He's done things, himself. He's a high school dropout. His parents were never married. He's from a bad neighborhood. He's impulsive and thinks he's tough. He doesn't care much about most other folks and just takes what he wants. He's in good shape. He's about 20 and doesn't have a job. He runs with gangs.

OCT 12, 2019
Write a story about your antagonist that takes place outside of your novel. The object of the contest is to make your judges understand and empathize with the antagonist's motivations.

If your antagonist is a situation rather than a person, write a background story about that. The Tom Hanks movie "Cast Away" famously features only one character (unless you count Wilson), and his antagonist is loneliness. Could you personify loneliness? Why does loneliness exist? What motivates it? How would a lack of loneliness affect survival of the human race? How did it drive main character Nolan to survive for years alone on a deserted island? Loneliness has a job to do. Make us believe it's a valid one.

Wrote "Andre" 

OCT 14, 2019
Spend at least fifteen minutes clarifying things through "What If" brainstorming, mind mapping (see resources at the bottom of the calendar), freestyle writing, lists, drawings or research as follows:
World Building: For fantasy, science fiction, or other speculative fiction, develop the history, geology, ecology, and/or maps for your world.
Research: For reality-based fiction, research aspects of your novel that will lend credibility to your writing.

You may also choose to use this time to finish a previous assignment that needs more time.

What if they stop at a cemetery? What if he wants her to pick up a friend? What if she tries to psychoanalyze him? What if she shares a personal story? What if he shares a personal story? What if she explains why she is the way she is? What if he explains why he is the way he is? What if they crash during the speeding part? What if, instead of scaring him, he's exhilarated by the speeding? What if he doesn't care if he dies either? What if he challenges the police officer when they are stopped? What if he pulls the gun on the officer? What if he's killed at the end?

Ft. Benning Rd. left to Cusseta Rd. not far from cemetery and several churches Christian Fellowship Church and Macedonia Christian Ministries and Cusseta Rd Church of God and Church of Christ Cusseta Rd and Macedonia Baptist Church and Pentecostal Church II and (Kwik Stop Groceries to pick up Andre) Grant Chapel AME Church, to right on 10th Ave. to right on MLK Jr. Blvd. turns into Brookhaven Rd. and see Lawyers Ln on left then right onto Buena Vista Rd and quick left onto Morris Rd for high speeds--after I-185, quick jog/fork to left to stay on Morris--Morris becomes Elm Dr. then right on Macon Rd. and see Parkhill Cemetery on left before Winn-Dixie

OCT 15, 2019
Describe the cultural, political and/or religious setting in your novel, regardless of whether the cultural setting is fictional, historical, or modern.
(1) What do your societies believe? Set in the modern day, there are two societies at work here. The middle class and military society of the protagonist which believes in doing what is right, protecting others, and generally taking care of your responsibilities. Then there is the society of the antagonist who grew up in a bad part of town and where responsibility and hard work weren't coveted and where "right" is a matter of who has the gun.

(2) In what practices do they engage? The protagonist's society works hard, exercises a lot, isn't in one location for more than a few years, and is very regimented. There are ceremonies and rituals to mark events. The antagonist's society is an "every man for himself" sort, with the exception of gangs which he is only peripherally attached to. His society steals, lies, and gets government checks.

(3) What laws or rules of society are in place? The protagonist's society is strict and has a lot of laws, even such as not putting your hands in your pocket when in uniform, no matter how cold it is. The antagonist's society is more lawless. While there are laws to be abided by, typically only the older generation does so. The younger generation sort of runs wild.

(4) Who/what enforces the laws and rules and how successful are they? In the protagonist's world, the military enforces the laws and rules and do so fairly successfully. In the antagonist's world, the police and elders of the community do, both with very limited success.

(5) What technologies are in use? As a modern society, there are modern conveniences such as cell phones, police radar, and cars, all of which will probably play a part in the story.

(6) How does the setting impact your protagonist(s) in their pre-story lives? The protagonist is in the military and thus has issues from deployment.

(7) How does the setting impact the plot of your story? The way the antagonist is raised sets him up for his behavior. The protagonist's deployment sets her up for her response. If either had been in the other's setting, the entire story would be different.

OCT 16, 2019
(1) Identify allies and enemies encountered along the journey and describe how they help or hinder your protagonist(s).
(2) Create a list of characters in a format easy to edit and expand.
(3) Write a brief profile on each character new character.
- Name
- Age
- Occupation
- Relation to the main character(s)
- Rough physical description or image (try a Google Image Search or comparable)

NOTE: You can revise this list at any time, so this revision is not expected to be fully accurate or complete.

(1) Allies--The police catch the protagonist after she's been speeding and they recognize the antagonist so he's arrested. The antagonist is the whole purpose of the story. He gets into the car and tries to kidnap her, but she refuses to be kidnapped and since she's in the driver's seat, literally, he can only do so much. He threatens her and hits her to try to make her compliant.
(2) Protagonist--Jordan?, Antagonist--Andre, Officer--No name
(3) Protagonist--Jordan?, 24 yrs old, Soldier, is the MC, brown hair, athletic build, average height, average looks. Antagonist--Andre, 19 yrs old, no occupation, no previous relationship to MC, dark complexion, short curly hair, dark eyes, muscular. Officer--No name, 34 yrs old, police officer, no relationship to MC, island skin, dark eyes and short straight dark hair, large and muscular.

OCT 17, 2019
(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.
(3) Optional: Brainstorm the best chronology(ies) for your story and work it(them) into your outline.

Chronology Strategies
- Linear Narrative - the story is told in the order the events occurred.
- Non-Linear Narrative - the story is told out of order.
- Reverse Chronology - the story is told backwards.
- In medias res - the story starts in the middle, goes back to explain how it got there, catches up, and then resolves.
- Flashback/forward - individual scene(s) that take place prior to or after the current action.

Note that the difference between these chronological devices can be minute. Read the examples below to see how most stories use more than one style of chronology. Your job is to plan the order in which you will tell your story to the reader. Don't get hung up in the nomenclature.

I could do in medias res where I start in the middle of the story, after she's picked up the hitchhiker or I could do flashbacks. That seems better to me. I'd planned on doing a straight linear narrative. She'd be driving around, pick him up, etc. That makes the most sense to me, but I suppose I could do flashbacks to link some of the reasons behind their behavior to what is happening currently. It might also be good filler since I question my ability to get 50k words out of this idea.

Timeline
- Final formation ends and she gets into her car to go for a drive. Perhaps she got yelled at in formation. She needs to clear her head.
- After driving 15-20 minutes she sees a hitchhiker and gives him a ride.
- After 15-20 minutes of riding together, he pulls out a gun and tries to hijack/kidnap her, but she's suicidal and doesn't care.
- Perhaps a flashback here to Iraq?
- After just a few minutes of her not caring, but refusing to do what he says, he gets angry and hits her.
- She gets pissed off and yells at him, then starts racing the car like crazy.
- A few minutes later they get pulled over by the police, he's recognized and arrested.

OCT 18, 2019
(1) Create a list of settings in a format easy to edit and expand.
(2) Add brief descriptions, drawings, images or Google Maps coordinates (find the location on Google Maps/Earth and record the URL) for each.
Formation--Outside command headquarters in a parking lot area in front of the building.
Car--Late model, purchased with deployment money, 2-door Mustang with leather seats and the latest features. She couldn't normally afford it, but she blew her whole deployment savings on it.
Stopped by Police--in front of a convenience store that is well lit, but sort of raggedy with a couple other cars in the parking lot and, of course, now a lot of gawkers.

OCT 19, 2019
Describe a setting in words. Use all five senses and make your reader experience the setting as if he or she were there.

Protagonist's New Car--The smell of leather, mixed with that "new car" smell encouraged riders to breathe in deeply, almost tasting the luxury of deployment savings. The leather seat, slick beneath, featured both heated and cooled seats, but in the night air, neither were needed. The engine, at an idle, was so quiet she sometimes forgot to turn it off until the car's reminder would cry in complaint as she stepped out with the engine still running. But when she pressed the accelerator, the muffler growled to life and announced its presence in a way that turned heads everywhere. The lustrous paint exterior and black leather interior smacked of money, belying the fact that the owner was up to her eyeballs in credit card debt, always just one paycheck from disaster.

OCT 21, 2019
Complications. Identify additional things that could go wrong for your protagonist. You are not required to resolve any problems yet, just create them. Remember: The more hardships your main character faces, the more readers will cheer them on, and the more engaged and invested the reader will be in your story. Brainstorm a list of problems you could throw at your protagonist(s) throughout the story, using "What If," mind mapping (see the resources at the bottom of the calendar), freestyle writing, or any other form of brainstorming you prefer. Hint: Other characters are a great source of realistic strife, since characters often are driven by conflicting motivations.

What if they crash? What if that's how he gets caught? What if she gets a call from her 1SG? What if he gets a call from his mom? What if she gets a call from her friend with benefits? What if they run out of gas? What if they have car trouble? What if they hit an animal?

OCT 22, 2019
(1) Create a list of definitions (see below) in a format easy to edit and expand.
(2) Optional: Brainstorm and describe an object critical to the plot. Add to definitions list.

(1) PTSD and TBI--She has troubles with impulsivity, drinking, being jumpy, poor decision making, inability to put off positive reinforcement, depression, anxiety, crowds, memory, focus, attention, and nightmares.
(2) She owns a new sports car (possibly a Ford Mustang), fully loaded (including black leather interior), which she purchased with her deployment money. It's black, the most militaristic color she could get because it doesn't come in olive green or cammo. It still has that new car smell.

OCT 23, 2019
(1) Expand or add profiles for one or more minor characters.
(2) Spend some time updating your character list with new information, images, etc.

(1) Officer--The officer who pulls them over is the only other character. He's large with broad shoulders. He's calm and "put together." When he recognizes the hitchhiker, he asks them to get out of the car and he arrests the hitchhiker. He's a family man with teenagers, so nothing seems as scary to him as that. He's been married 19 years to his high school sweetheart.
(2) Protagonist--Has PTSD and a TBI, drinks too much, sometimes sleeps with her friend who isn't a boyfriend, often gets in minor trouble with her command for things like a messy barracks room or her boot laces not being tucked in, is often suicidal, but is currently refusing to seek help, despite her friend's suggestions.
Antagonist--Grew up poor, with no stable home life, older brother did some time in juvie and is still doing illegal things such as theft and selling drugs and antagonist does the same, but in an effort to express his power and show he's got balls, he decides to hijack a car and kidnap the passenger with the probable intent to take her to the woods for a sexual assault, but he hasn't thought further than that

OCT 24, 2019
(1) Brainstorm possible solutions to your conflict and complications using the list of literary devices below or your own ideas.
(2) Identify a mentor or helper who aids the protagonist(s) in achieving their goals.
(3) Identify any other literary devices from the list you could use to enhance your writing.

Literary Devices List
- Foreshadowing: Hints of something to come.
- Chekhov's Gun: The gun on the wall in Scene 1 is eventually fired.
- Repetitive Designation: An object or fact appears over and over.
- Symbolism: Small facts, objects, or characterizations represent something bigger.
- Self-fulfilling prophecy: Protagonist attempts to thwart prophecy but in attempting, fulfills it.
- Poetic Justice: Good guys are rewarded and bad guys are punished.
- Plot Twist: Surprises the reader with something unexpected.
- False Protagonist: The protagonist dies or turns out to be something other than the protagonist.
- Red Herring: A false trail diverts the reader's attention from what really happened.
- Unreliable Narrator: The narrator has been misleading the reader all along.
- Irony: The exact opposite of what the reader expects happens.
- Reveal: A hidden connection between characters or facts is revealed in time.
- Plot Device: Advances the plot forward, often pushing the main character past a hurdle.
- Object of Power: Either the protagonist wants it, or the object drives the plot of its own accord.
- MacGuffin: Something the protagonist wants for unknown and unimportant reasons.
- Quibble: Following the letter of the law, contract, or agreement instead of its intent, changing the outcome.
- Narrative Hook: Story opening that grab's the reader's attention.
- Cliffhanger: Ending a scene, chapter or story in the middle of action, hooking the reader.
- Ticking Clock Scenario: The threat of impending doom if the protagonist's objective is not met.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: A character speaks directly to the reader.
- Or anything from this list: http://literary-devices.com/

(1) They get pulled over by police. They crash. He decides to give himself up. She overpowers him. They fall in love.
(2) Police officer at the end arrests antagonist.
(3) Irony--because of what she's been through, she responds very differently from what he expects when he pulls out his gun. She's supposed to be scared and do what he says but she's suicidal and doesn't care about what happens to her. And when he hits her, instead of becoming submissive, she gets pissed off.

OCT 25, 2019
(1) Review your plot elements thus far and organize them into your outline.
(2) Fill in any gaps in your outline template and/or flesh out more details.

1. She's gassing up and goes into the store to pick a snack. She grabs some water, but the candy choices overwhelm her and she leaves with nothing.
2. She's driving along and changes the radio station from "Shiny Happy People" to "Goodbye I'm Sorry" by Jamestown Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnCMnsPH6d0
3. She stops to pick up a hitchhiker, turning off the radio first.
4. They have some small talk.
5. He pulls out a gun and tells her to drive to a certain place.
6. She doesn't even look at him and she refuses.
7. He shows her that he has a gun and she doesn't care so he pushes it into her temple.
8. They get into an argument and she yells that he can go where she's taking him or he can shoot her, that she really does't care because he'd be doing her a favor anyway.
9. He tells her she's crazy and makes fun of her.
10. He hits her and she slams on the breaks and really goes off on him about what she's done for the country and for him to have the freedom to do what he's doing then she orders him out.
11. He refuses to get out because they are near a cemetery. She takes off and starts driving like a maniac.
12. He starts begging her to stop and telling her she's crazy. (Or they sit in silence for a while and he finally puts the gun down.)
13. He apologizes and she finally slows down.
13. He asks her to take him home and she's not sure what to do because she wants to take him to the police.
14. The police pull them over and he's recognized and arrested.

OCT 26, 2019
Write a story that sets up your plot. EXAMPLE: The Lord of the Rings story revolves around the One Ring, its significance, and how it's destroyed. But how did Frodo get the One Ring in the first place? We learn that in The Hobbit. You obviously can't write a full-scale novel in 15 minutes, but you could write the scene where Bilbo encounters Gollum and stumbles across the ring. That would be a background story that sets up the plot in Lord of the Rings.

"Specialist Jordan" 

OCT 28, 2019
(1) Spend at least fifteen minutes clarifying things through "What If" brainstorming, mind mapping (see resources at the bottom of the calendar), freestyle writing, lists, drawings or research. You may also choose to use this time to finish a previous assignment that needs more time.

(2) Update your characters, definitions and settings lists as needed.

(1) What if they sit in silence at some point? What if he was suicidal, too? What if they don't get pulled over? What if he begs for his life? What if the gun goes off? What if she starts to cry? What if he starts to cry? What if she misunderstands him when he first threatens her?
(2) Characters--SPC Jordan is the Soldier/protagonist, Andre is the hitchhiker/antagonist, and there is a police officer at the end.
Definitions--PTSD--Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and mTBI--Minor Traumatic Brain Injury...which has a lot of overlap with symptoms of PTSD
Settings--Briefly the gas station and the side of the road where she picks up Andre, but mostly the car.

OCT 29, 2019
(1) Identify your story type from this list of story types or define it with your own nomenclature.
(2) Describe your target audience. Identify a demographic profile of your ideal reader (try using your character profile template!) Explain in detail what aspects of your novel will appeal to this particular audience and why. Please read this blog post to understand the importance of marketing, and why targeting "mass appeal" or "all readers" isn't good enough: "Building Your Brand"
(3) Write a synopsis of your novel using the same narrative voice you will use to tell the story.

(1) I think the story is a thriller, but maybe action.
(2) My target audience is military aged 18-35, especially those who have deployed. I think many will understand my main character's feeling of being lost and confused, suicidal, angry, etc. I think they will understand why I normally sane person would pick up a hitchhiker. I think they would understand her thoughts and behaviors more than a typical civilian.
(3) SPC Jordan has returned from deployment recently and is feeling lost and confused. She can't seem to get her feet under her, metaphorically. She goes out for a drive and decides to pick up a hitchhiker as she feels a need to help and for adrenaline. At first all goes well, but then he pulls a gun and threatens her. She, being suicidal, doesn't care if he wants to kill her, though she's not about to allow herself to be sexually assaulted before hand. Eventually, he hits her but this only makes her angry. She starts yelling at him and driving like a maniac. He freaks out and apologizes. They are pulled over by the police and he's arrested.

OCT 30, 2019
You are a journalist. The story of your novel is complete. Interview your protagonist and ask the following questions:
(1) How is life for you now, compared to life prior to these events?
(2) How did the events of your story change you?

(1) I'm so glad you asked about my life now, prior to these events. I feel I've really grown. The incident actually lead my command to force me into counseling. I didn't want to attend, but ended up finding a fabulous counselor who really understood me and what was going on, far better than I did. lol I've still got a long way to go, but I've quit drinking and no longer sleep with my buddy, though he's not fully thrilled with that change. lol I'm doing much better now, starting to open up about what I experienced with both the hitchhiker and on deployment and I'm starting to understand it all, as well as myself, much better.
(2) Well, I think how I've changed is pretty much summed up in my last answer, but to add to that, while I still feel suicidal now, I don't so much want to follow through. I now realize I've had the chance to die and didn't take it. It still tempts me, but not like it did before. There are other things in life for me to experience and I hope to be around for a long time to do so.

OCT 31, 2019
Now that you have spent a month planning your novel, revise your initial premise. Identify the following:
(1) Setting(s). Where does your story take place?
(2) Protagonist(s). Who is(are) your main character(s)?
(2b) Flaw(s). What is(are) the protagonist's major flaw(s)?
(2c) Goal(s). What does(d) the protagonist(s) want (or want to avoid)?
(3) Conflict(s). What's keeping them from their goal(s)?
(4) Antagonist(s). Who or what is creating the conflict(s)?
(5) Resolution. How does it all turn out in the end?
(6) Theme: What is the theme or moral of the story?
(7) Outline: Update your outline as needed.

(1) The story takes place primarily in the protagonist's new car. Though maybe she'll stop at a cemetery for affect.
(2) SPC Jordan is my MC. She's got PTSD and isn't good at regulating her emotions. She's also pretty suicidal on a regular basis. She drinks too much as well, but isn't drinking during this story. Her original goal with picking up the hitchhiker is to help him and get a bit of an adrenaline rush. She accomplishes both, with the 2nd being more than she anticipated.
(3) The antagonist is the hitchhiker and he tries to kidnap her, but he's also a part of helping her achieve her goal by giving her a good dose of adrenaline.
(4) The antagonist and her ability to think clearly.
(5) In the end, they get pulled over...maybe even with a police blockade, and the antagonist, Andre, is recognized and arrested.
(6) The theme is war and the pain it causes as well as good conquering.
(7) Consider a police blockade for the ending where they get pulled over.