As the title suggests, I'm trying to come up with some definitive plot lines to follow in my story. If anyone could throw me some ideas, that would be AMAZING. :] My synopsis is as follows:
"Jude was supposed to be a boy. She failed at that. She was supposed to do well in school, go to college and get a degree in something that would earn her a lot of money, get married, have kids, and be successful. She failed at that, too. Working at her sister's bar as a single mother with no real love life to speak of, she's got a lot of growing up to do, and it's going to be now or never."
The story's chapters bounce around, on purpose, to show different parts of my character's personal growth and history. Basically, she wasn't a very good student in high school and had one of those high school romances that she thought would last forever; she got pregnant, and he left. She didn't go to college, and now works as a bartender at her sister's bar. A guy comes into the bar one night and starts making small-talk with her. She's used to this, and humors him, but he starts coming in a lot, and they eventually date. She sleeps with him and two months later, realizes, "Hey! My period is late!" (No, she's not pregnant - I can only handle SO much drama.) While she's at the store buying a pregnancy test, however, she runs into the former love of her life/the father of her child, and passes out. Severe embarrassment ensues. After that, I want him to try to rekindle something with her, but she'll have none of it, and at the end of the story she ends up with no one. I don't like those happy endings where the guy always gets the girl - they get old after a while.
I guess my question is... how do I go from there? What other sorts of drama can I add into this? Or, rather, how can I tweak the plot to make sure I reach my 50,000-word limit? Any help that you can give would be GREATLY appreciated.
Here's a little more info: Jude is named appropriately after St. Jude, the patron of lost causes. I figured it was appropriate since bartenders typically will hear about people's crappy lives (and I think this is going to be a central theme in the book). Throughout her life, she's been a constant letdown for her parents, and they've basically given up on her. She's pretty irresponsible a lot of the time, but loves her child (who currently is nameless - and any name ideas would be awesome!) and is trying to make better decisions. I sort of want this to be a story about a twenty five-year old woman who's trying to learn how to grow up.
Sorry for all the babbling...
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Words: 11,512 (38,488 to go) || Chapters: 9 || MCs: 1 || Freak-Outs: 2 || Sanity Level: 89%
11,512 / 50,000
Nov 3, 2009 - 17 01
Anyone?
----------Words: 11,512 (38,488 to go) || Chapters: 9 || MCs: 1 || Freak-Outs: 2 || Sanity Level: 89%
43,700 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 00 41
Not sure I can help you, but some questions that might trigger something in you:
- What drives her? Does she have a dream? Does she even want a love life?
- Is there something unique about her personality?
- Is she a reliable narrator?
- Does she have a history of (physically or mentally) collapsing when faced with tough situations? (Ie failing high school, failing love life, fainting when meeting ex-boyfriend). If so, can you see her having a big, tough situation ahead of her, that might be a big test for her? (Where she, in line with your not-too-happy–ending, doesn’t succeed, but takes comfort in not collapsing)
- Is there a bottom line to this story? Ie do you have a message to give to the reader? “Even single moms can manage to get through tough times, without having a man by her side” ;) or similar?
11,512 / 50,000
Nov 4, 2009 - 12 41
Hm. Some of that helps me a little bit, I can probably work with it. Thanks!
----------Words: 11,512 (38,488 to go) || Chapters: 9 || MCs: 1 || Freak-Outs: 2 || Sanity Level: 89%