Hello guys!
Today I’m sharing my very first outline of the Sleeping Beauty story with you. There are, obviously, spoilers. But we all know how it ends: with the words “and they lived happily ever after” 😀
First of all, I “stole” my outline from Katytastic’s 3 act, 9 block, 27 chapter outline. This is my first time using an outline to describe an ENTIRE story. I am a little worried that using a three-act structure will make the story formulaic, but I think that in this case it makes sense, seeing as how I have three narrators: one per act. Here’s a link to Katytastic’s outlining videos:
Katytastic’s best outlining video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94F-3Z6CJJw
Katytastic’s first outlining video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUlPUHxr2oc
Katytastic’s writing process including outlining: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyrJEmneaHQ
Katytastic’s outlining process with story example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ee3dYG32YA
For those who have Scrivener: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ryXJ18eUp8
Outlining live show 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hialqv6sfP4
Outlining live show 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBKO-t6_Caw
PLEASE do check out her page. She inspired me to finish Nanowrimo
Now, without further ado, presenting my spectacular, incredible, unforgettable outline of my own version of Sleeping Beauty (which is obviously a working title :P)
Sleeping Beauty: Basic Outline
Act I: [POV of Flammia, the Warrior Fairy]
Set up – Introduce Hero [Flammia in this section] and ordinary world [fairy court]
Introduction [Fairy counsel regarding the birth of the new princess and her christening]
Inciting Incident (conflict) [to invite Malicia, the evil fairy, or not?]
Immediate Reaction (resolution) [They will not invite Malicia]
Conflict – A problem disrupts the Hero’s life [Malicia curses Clarity and Flammia modifies the curse]
Reaction (set up) [The fairies arrive at the christening]
Action (conflict) [Flammia is stopped from giving her gift to Clarity by Malicia who curses the princess]
Consequence (resolution) [Flammia modifies the curse, the kingdom must change to suit new circumstances]
Resolution – Hero’s life has changed direction
Pressure (set up) [the fairies will watch over Clarity, the kingdom is going through extreme changes, there’s fear everywhere]
Pinch (conflict) [Revolutions, fear and panic]
Push (resolution) [Flammia helps calm the crowds and is instrumental to solving some of the kingdom’s problems, she becomes one of Clarity’s principal guardians]
Act II: [POV: Clarity, the cursed princess; Ending – POV Flammia]
Set up – Hero [Clarity] explores new world [her kingdom]
New World (set up) [Clarity is now a teen; she’s growing more beautiful and more curious]
Fun and games (event/conflict) [something involving Clarity and nature, showing her scientific side, maybe to do with weaving and clothing?]
Old world contrast (resolution) [There has to be something about peace vs. fear, technology, curiosity, etc, not a full resolution]
Conflict – Hero encounters crisis of new world [Clarity meets Erissa the spinster?]
Build up (set up) – Clarity befriends the spinster
Midpoint (conflict) – the problem is that spinning wheels are illegal
Reversal (resolution) – Clarity hides the spinning wheel, perhaps in her secret space where no one will think to look
Resolution – Hero dedicates to finding solution [Clarity is cursed, Flammia watches over this]
Reaction (set up) – There’s a ball in honour of Clarity’s 16th birthday, Clarity is excited but nervous because it’s her first ball
Action (conflict) – Clarity is embarrassed at the ball and runs to her hiding place where she meets the spinsters, pricks her finger on the spinning wheel and falls asleep
Dedication (resolution) – Flammia and the other fairies find her. Flammia tries to fight Malicia/Erissa, but she takes Flammia’s necklace which contains her cursed lover. Malicia/Erissa turns into a giant dragon and the land is overgrown by thorns
Act III: [POV Drek, the half-ogre prince]
Set up – hero [Drek, Clarity’s kingdom] faces defeat, victory [saving the kingdom, Clarity, and Flammia’s lover] seems impossible
Trials (set up) – Many heroes have tried and failed to slay the dragon Malicia. In an African kingdom, Prince Drek hears of the curse from the fairies, who are looking all over for a hero to save Clarity.
Pinch (event/conflict) – Drek sets out on the quest, to prove to his kingdom that he isn’t a wicked ogre but a good man inside
Darkest moment (resolution) – After many trials and tribulations on his quest, Drek ends up captured by Malicia’s minions
Conflict – Hero must find power and take action
Power within (set up) – Drek escapes (possibly with the help of Flammia’s lover)
Action (conflict) – Drek receives magical items from the fairies, including the gift Flammia could not give to Clarity – fighting spirit
Converge (resolution) – He journey’s through the thorn field to the dragon
Resolution – hero fights and wins, resolving quest
Battle (set up) – Drek comes face to face with the dragon after facing great challenges
Climax (conflict) – Drek fights the dragon. His courage awakens Clarity who watches from the window. She runs down to the garden to help out however she can.
Resolution (resolution) – Drek slays the dragon but the sleeping curse passes onto him. Clarity kisses him – this is his first kiss – and he wakes up. Drek and Clarity’s actions awaken everyone in the kingdom.
The final version of my story will obviously not have 27 chapters. I will probably add chapters describing Flammia’s cursed lover, Princess Clarity’s childhood, Prince Drek’s quest to save her, maybe even a chapter about Clarity and Drek’s respective parents, Malicia’s perspective, or the Fairy Queen’s perspective. Obviously I will need to add to the ending to describe Clarity and Drek’s process of falling in love. I’m not 100% sure that those two will end up together, and that if they do they will be passionate lovers. They might end up in an arranged marriage whose relationship is one of close friendship rather than passion.
However, I will use the 27 chapter 3-act structure as my basis. This will be an interesting experiment for me.
If you have any ideas, email, tweet, or Facebook message me 😀
Have a lovely day
Your hard working,
Aleksandra
purplemouseblog blog 