True to my word from yesterday, I started outlining the story on note cards today. I was up and at it at about 5:30 am and worked on it until about 7:15 when it was time to start rousing the kids for school, and getting ready for my day job. Even so, I was able to get  the entire first act outlined on note cards.

I am very encouraged by what I was able to get done this morning.

Taking the existing material and tweaking it the way I am seems to have created a story that flows quite well so far. I still need to outline the rest of the story, but I feel very good about what I’ve done so far. I am using Celtix to write the script, and there is a note card function in that software package that I’m using, and it works quite well. It color codes the cards so that you can keep track of A, B and C plots. That way it’s easy to see if the story is paced well in terms of the subplots.

Essentially, and without giving away any details of the story, I believe that I have set up a scenario where both of the main characters (the hero and the character that will turn out to be his mentor) will have much more character depth and personality, thus giving the audience more reason to root for them or empathize with them than was in the original draft. One of my concerns after reading that draft was the development of the main character. He’s supposed to be a troubled teen who has had to move to and from several different foster homes over the past several years, but there was nothing in his personality that indicated any kind of effect on him other than disappointment when he finds out he has to move again. He was essentially still too nice of a kid, and too polite to be realistic. The challenge is to make him likable, but believable as well. This is where Blake Snider’s “Save the Cat” moment comes in, and give him a chance to do something that will get the audience on his side, even though he has these other issues that threaten his likability.

The mentor’s personality is headed in the right direction in the initial draft, but it needs to be pushed further. I feel like the outline has given me a good start in terms of pushing that personality where it needs to go, and I’ve added a scene that will continue to push it even more. The goal with this character is to give him a complete character arc that will allow him to gain redemption for past transgressions and old wounds that continue to haunt and scar him.

Another problem with the initial draft is that it wasn’t clear what the main character wants or why he wants it. This led to a problem with the overall structure of the story since it wasn’t clear where the second act started and the adventure began. The outline has helped me to solve that problem, and now I feel like I have a solid grasp on the overall direction the story needs to go, whereas until this morning, I was a little unclear.

This script should turn into a journey for both of these characters where they grow together as human beings and become more complete people at the end of that journey.

So far, my outline is headed in that direction.