Timeline for Story (Plot)

Amalee John-Baptiste

October 16th, 2019

ENW 302 – Prof. D.W

 

Plot (due by 10/17): Create a timeline of events that will take place in your story. Be sure to indicate when you’ll have scenes vs. summaries and when you’ll be in the present vs. a flashback.

 

Chapter One

  • Yelena has a flashback of her morning (Picking up the folder) which leads to another flashback of when she first met her husband (this is in a summary form).
  • A present action (water drops) brings her back to the present.
  • A scene begins with Yelena opening the folder and interacting with Grey.
  • The restaurant scene is written in the present.
  • Grey notices a scar on Yelena (she notices him staring at it) This causes a transition to writing Yelena’s history with her father in the past tense as a summary.
  • The summary is followed by a present scene with Yelena trying to get to know Grey more. They make plans to hang out outside of work.
  • They leave the restaurant and a new present scene begins when Yelena is left alone again to watch the pictures carefully.
  • The chapter ends with Yelena during a present scene leaving to go home.

 

Chapter Two

  • The chapter starts off in the past as a scene (Yelena dreaming about a memory of her husband.)
  • Flashes to the present when Yelena’s alarm goes off.
  • Remains in the present as a scene until Grey picks her up. 
  • Yelena’s spots someone looking at her and makes an excuse to leave grey.
  • The story remains in scene mode until she gets home.
  • Past summary of the first time her husband found her.
  • Present scene with the person following her entering her house.
  • Present scene with Grey coming by to see if she’s okay and seeing the guy enter.
  • Present scene with Yelana and stalker
  • (Unsure of what comes next.)

Character Build

Character 1: Josie Porter

Image: Josie is a petite 27 years old female with a sharp face and straight black hair. She wears only designer suits. She’s Russian and has green eyes. She’s very serious at all times and does not know how to relax.

Voice: Josie has a very strong Russian accent but her voice is honeyed (sweet but slightly untrustworthy) and give a feeling of suspicion.

Conflict: Josie wants to live a regular life while working in the city but she can’t seem to get away from her past which is a life full of drugs and crime due to the career of her ex husband who keeps trying to find her.

Desire: She wants to be a new person and have a normal family with a great husband and kids.

Action: Josie was part of the crime life and has experience dealing with the danger of her past. When her husband keeps looking for her she takes it into her own hands to get rid of him. She plays the role of a detective to find out her husbands plans and rejoins her life of crime in order to reach him and to get money to disappear.

 

Character 2: Mark Reynolds

Image: Mark is 29 years old. He is tall and has a slim athletic build. His hair is dark blond and his eyes are blue. He’s very basic is his outfits. He likes to relax and have a good time and write but he’s also adventurous.

Voice: His voice is modulated (controlled and pleasant) and he speaks a bit fast.

Conflict: Mark wants a life full of adventure and thinks the answer to his prayers is Josie’s interesting life. He wants to be a successful writer but hasn’t gotten a big hit but after meeting Josie and feeling like she hiding something, she becomes the muse for his new story as he attempts to follow her around.

Desire: His desire is to find out what’s so special about Josie and to find out what she’s hiding while trying to write his novel.

Action: He’s nosy and is always trying to find a way to talk to Josie at work. He places a recorder in her office in an attempt to get closer to her. When she starts to like him he uses that as an advantage to go further in her personal life.

7-Eleven

Jenny was standing in 7-Eleven with her hands full when she realized she had forgotten to make a cup of coffee. With no basket and unable to place her items on the counter due to the person ahead of her being checked out, she turned to look at the person behind her. She noticed they only had a bag of chips.

“I’m sorry, do you mind holding these for me,” she desperately asked. If jenny didn’t get her daily cup of coffee she would not be able to put on a kind face. “I just forgot to get coffee,” she tried explaining herself. The older woman looked at her strangely before speaking.

“I don’t even know you,” she spoke. Jenny couldn’t help but feel ashamed as the woman looked at her. For the first time Jenny noticed a little girl tugging and the shirt of the lady. She smiled at the child right before the lady softly slapped her hand of her and pushed her slightly behind her. “Why don’t you just get a cart,” the lady asked. She turned to say something to the little girl.

“There are no baskets,” Jenny stuttered, but the lady was still talking to the girl and did not say a word to her when she straightened up. “Do you mind holding my spot in line then? I’ll be super quick,” she tried addressing the lady again.

“Look just pay for the coffee when it’s your turn and go make it after your things are in a bag. I can’t hold all of this I also have to watch my,” she paused, saying this part much more quietly. “My child,” the lady looked away from Jenny and towards outside. Jenny felt bad. She felt as if the woman was praying to get away from her. She turned around and resumed her spot in the line. The woman ahead of her was taking a long time deciding between getting a Reese’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup or the White chocolate version.

“Why don’t you get both,” Jenny mumbled under her breath but the woman heard her and turned around.

“If you’re wondering, I don’t have enough for both,” she said before turning back around to continue her decision making process. Jenny let out a sigh. Of course she would find herself in this position stuck between two intolerable people. In fact, she didn’t even want these things anymore. She got off the line and threw the stuff onto a random shelf in the aisle behind her and left the store. She would get coffee elsewhere.

Best Friends

Jonathan came bursting into my room. His eyes were frantic as he looked my way. I was frozen on my bed with my phone in my hand. He walked towards me in quick, wide steps.

“I can’t believe you would say something that is so hurtful!” he spat as he pointed at me. I rolled my eyes and sat back against my head board. My older brother was always so dramatic.

“What did I do now?” I asked curiously. “I’ve been in my room all day.”

“Did you or did you not speak to Jessica today?” he was staring at me closely. I placed my hand on my chin and pretended to think. His stare was making me uncomfortable but I ignored the feeling. He sighed and started pacing around my room. He walked back to me. “Let me see your phone.”

“What? No! It’s my phone. Why do you even care? So what if I spoke to Jessica, she’s my friend!” I stood up and kept my phone behind my because he was still eyeing the darn thing.

“Did you really have to tell her I wasn’t worth her time?” he cried.

I laughed, “Well are you?” He paused and took a step back. Looking into his eyes he looked a bit sad that I nearly reached out to touch him.

“But that’s really uncalled for Jenna,” he choked up. He shook his head when I didn’t respond. As he turned to walk out I grabbed his arm.

“Look,” I said slowly. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have said that. But, I was only looking out for my friend. Johnny, you’re my brother and I love you but it’s a bit weird that you’re trying to date my best friend especially when I’ve seen your track record. I live with you dude.”

He looked at me with understanding. He touched my shoulder softly and spoke quietly. “Did you really think I wouldn’t take things seriously with your best friend? Trust me I’m not trying to ruin your relationship with her. I’m just trying to build one with her. I serious about her Jenna. She makes me happy.”

I flicked his fingers from my shoulder. “Fine I’ll talk to her. Just don’t break her heart or I’ll crush yours,” I warned as I hopped back on my bed. He thanked me and smiled before walking out.

Old Beginnings

Katie took a deep breath as she stood in front her childhood home. She hadn’t been there for nearly a decade. After her parents passed away she sold the house. It was finally back on the market again and she had a change of heart. She was ready to start a family of her own and what better way to start it than beginning where she herself did. The house on the outside was just the same when she was a child. It was wooden and painted a pale blue which was chipping away. A little work and it would be good as new. Katie had reservations though. The neighborhood wasn’t the same as before. Just looking around gave her goosebumps. She hated how quiet the area was. Once filled with children laughing and playing outside she now had an eerie feeling. The neighborhood felt almost abandoned. The grass grew high not only in her home but the neighbors too. Katie wasn’t one for gardening, in fact she shivered at the thought of her even holding plow sheers. She belonged behind a desk.

She searched her bag for the key she collected from the old owners a day ago and proceeded to enter the house. The brown doors let out a creaking noise when she pushed it open. The pale, wooden floors copied the same sound when she stepped forward. She stood at the door to take a good look at the place. She was standing in the living room. It was dark and the air was dusty. She could tell not much living went on from the last owners. The house smelt like moth balls and bubblegum cotton candy. She walked over to the huge windows that faced the front yard and drew back the heavy beige curtains. The new light coming in made the room look even dustier. Katie looked around again now that she could see better. Although the previous owners had taken most of their furniture they left the things they didn’t want. For the first time Katie noticed the various paintings of sad clowns on the walls all around her. She quickly made her way out of the living and into the kitchen praying that the theme wasn’t a reoccurring one in any other part in the house.

The kitchen was probably the most best kept place in the house. It looked nothing like when she lived here as the previous owners had renovated it a couple years ago. The wooden counter tops were now white marble and the cupboards that were once green were white too. While it looked beautiful there was a part of her that wanted to revert the room back to its original way. As she stood there she started to remember the many times she sat on the counter top begging her mom to let her go to the mall or to some party that all her friends parents let them go to. But her mom never gave in ever.

After looking around the house Katie knew renovations were going to take some time but she really wanted to bring life to her old home. She was excited to begin but made a mental note to hire gardeners to fix the outside. She would not be stepping foot in the backyard until she could see her toes when she stepped onto the grass.

Stranger On The Train

I gaze as I sit besides her on the train. Like a peach her cheeks look slightly fuzzy. I see the fine hairs as the sun shines it’s red-orange hue on her skin. Her even, light tan complexion gives off yellow undertones. The sun compliments her skin as she sits there, clueless of her newest admirer. Her eyes dance as she watches her surroundings. Amused by the performers on the local train, she cracks a slight smile. Covering her mouth she seemed ashamed of the braces I caught a glimpse of as she giggled. I turn, realizing I can see her face completely from the reflection of the window. Her ash blonde brows are groomed, still thick and compliment her slim face well. She wore mascara, making her lashes appear darker than her brows. I glance at her hair; glistening, long and blonde. Her loose curls, disobeying direction as she pushed some of them behind her ear. The action reveals shiny diamond studs in her ears. They match the one on her nose that wielded a tiny stud embedded in her flesh. She turns; I am caught. Seeing her eyes up close, I am amazed as I see the details I’ve missed. The reflection withheld the light brown freckles she that spread across her face, from cheek to cheek. Her eyes, not only green, but flecked with yellow gold. The other side of her face bore a scar through the tail of her brow, small but noticeable. I stare, lost for words.