second rewrite of Outline for Novel

Second BASIC OUTLINE OF NOVEL


No. 1


The setting is Panama. Don’t worry about the fact that you have never been there, Ty, you are writing a first draft.

I believe in you.

It seems Martin Ladd is having an argument.

He held his Luger casually out in front of himself. The six men who had formed a circle around him all took a step backwards.

“Okay,” said Martin, “a show of hands; how many here have a gun in their hands?”

The men disappear and Martin hides the gun somewhere on his way back to his boat

No. 2


Martin wakes up hung over. He is on his boat. Short description of boat.

Does three push ups. Does three Sit ups. One Leg-lift, stops jumps over the side of the boat and pees in the ocean.

He begins to swim out to sea. Pictures of himself flow through him as he strokes. He swims hard. Fast. He sees himself with a six=pact and biceps. He has a short white beard. People are sitting around him listening, HANGING, on every word. He is E. Hem.

He stops, turns, looks back at the boat which is a ways away.
Side strokes back, grunting and swearing.

Washes off with the outdoor shower.


No. 3

Ten year old kid out of the streets of Panama ZCity? Pcik pocket and good. Cute kid. Trys and fails to pick someone, trys and fails, again and again, nabs someone—a Gringo. Our own Martin Ladd.

No. 4

The office of whatever it’s called to get through the Panama Canal.

Three or four days. Maybe three or four weeks. The official isn’t sure. Martin, who we have seen already in the first scene being a total idiot, seems sane. Friendly. We are going to see him later in the book buying the official a drink and the reader is going to realize he’s a con man.

No. 5

Martin in the morning on board. Gets up, does three pushups, 3 sitt ups this time 2 leglifts, gets up, jumps into the ocean and takes a pee. Begins to swim and swim and swim; sees himself again as this stud talking to the ladies. Comes out on the beach. Retrieves his gun that he hid. Puts it in a baggy. Swims back to the boat.



Intro of the boy’s father as the boy comes home after running from Martin who spots him and gives chase. The scene follows the kid as he runs away from Martin and stays with the kid as he goes inside his shack of a home.

No. 7
Still focusing on the kid as the next chapter continues; the father comes out. Big, ugly, scary. Wants the kids “earnings” for the day, Kid has none. Slap- hard. Kid gets up. No biggy. Starts making dinner for his sister and him. Live chicken. Makes the little sister cut off the chicken’s head. No biggy.

No. 8

Matin getting lessons in how to sail. Disc. of man teaching Martin: salty, and kind and patient. The teacher has been around. Martin offers him a beer and the man refuses, saying alcohol and sailing don’t mix.

No. 9

The boat comes in early evening after a full day of teaching and leaning. Martin and the capt are bantering back and forth.

“Now do you want to have a drink?” Martin asks.

Capt. Says yes.

Martin sees something, reader doesn’t know what he sees, but there is a change in him. Everything seems normal afterwards.

They spray down the boat ande walk into town to get the drink.
Discussion on how in the tropics there is little “dusk” time. Just sunset and darkness.


Martin stops, hides, watches, one eye around the corner.

No. 10

Kid breaks out of the shadows when the coast is clear. It is dark now. Little boy walks slowly towards the boat. Walks on the dock toward the boat/ gets on the boat and begins to try to get inside. He slips the lock on the boat with a knife or something. Gets inside.

Suddenly there is a figure in the hatchway behind him. An arm comes out and grabs him by the scruff of the neck. We then see it is Martin, the kid dangling effortlessly from his outstretched arm as he deposits the lad over the side, dropping him into the water.

Big splash.

“Chinga tu madre!”

“Listen to me you little brat, I see you again I’m going to have your juevos in my back pocket!”

He sees the kid trying to hold onto the sugarscoop of the cat. Then after more threats by Martin, the kid starts swimming with effort to the shore.

Martin from where his boat is watches to make sure the kid gets up on the pier. The kid’s kinda cute for a thieving little fuck! Kid pulls himself up the bank and sees Martin watching him. Flips him off and runs into the darkness.

No. 11


Back on board with the Capt. Teaching something specific- (What, I don’t know—need to figure that out, maybe the lack of radio communications on board!)
Little bit of background as to who and what Martin is. His plans, his hopes. Show him as a man that doesn’t really give a shit about anything. He tries again to get Capt to go out to dinner with him. (Didn’t work out last time) Show him as being lonely.

Capt warns him of the dangers in trying to make it to the Polynesian Islands.

“Don’t worry about it,” Martin tells him. “I know what I’m doing.”

They talk about the trip through the Canal next week.

No. 12

The kid. The father. Snippet. Give a sense of their relationship. Father’s a criminal. Ugly, ugly, ugly man. Mean. {FILL THIS IN}

No. 13

The Street: Kid’s point of view. What he does all day. Street corner. Selling and begging from the tourists when they get off the big cruise liners. How he comes home and hates it there. He has no mother, just himself, his 16 year old sister and his father.

No 14.

Martin writes an email to his brother and sister. He tells them 7he loves them and is about to set sail across the Pacific, which could be a two week trip or a three week trip, or a four week trip, but in any case he will contact them all when he arrives in the Islands.

No. 15

Martin begins stocking the boat. He has money but not enough to live on for more than three or four days. A bit about when the money runs out he is through, literally. PEOPLE LIVE TOO LONG NOW ADAYS, ANYWAY.

No. 16

At the end of the day, Martin goes on his dingy into town and goes to the “Lost Pelican” which is a local’s bar where he knows no one. A woman begins to chat him up and he buys her drinks. Her name is “Martina” and she is ok looking with a pleasant face and wide hips and boobs that she is proud to show off with her low cut white blouse complimenting her tan.

They talk about themselves. She is a mother of a four year old boy. Martin is a father of a twelve year old girl that died not long ago.

Somewhere around midnight she asks him home to her house. Martin is at first hesitant. He asks about her son, and she tells him her son is fishing and won’t be back for several days.

“Where is your man>” Martin asks.

:You are my man,” she smiles. And they are up out of their chairs walking arm in arm down the dark unknown foreign street, weaving and singing with martina slapping his hand and giggleing several times…Then a lead pipe to the head and a knife pressed against his throat and Martin is pushed against an ally wall.

“Punta Gringo, dinero!”

Martina runs away.

Hands go through his pants and his wallet is removed, the money taken, and his wallet thrown over the wall into what turns out to be a woman’s home.

The masked five foot three thief with the recognized voice of the thief from the boat runs away.

No. 17

The kid is going to come back at night while Martin is sleeping. Therre is going to be a propation made regarding ripping off a rapist who did his sister. “His sister” is going to turn out to be Martina, who’s real name is Isabelle.

Nos. 18- maybe 30 is going to be about the “Con” they are going to pull. We are going to learn more about the kid. He is way beyond his years. He speaks perfect English. He is smart and self assured.


Inside the above there is going to become a love interest. Isabelle is every bit the con her little brother is, but doesn’t want anyone to be hurt.

Martin gives a shit about any one being hurt including himself. Figure out what the con is, it has to be big. Maybe it is about pretending to take the Rube on a test sail. Out on the open ocean, “The Father” shows up, and they are both (Rube and Martin) are kidnapped.