Wednesday's Brainstorm

Taken from York Writer's Sketch a Novel in an Hour Exercise

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What makes your character different or unusual? What makes him or her worth writing (and reading) about?

Kasey is part of a small LDS family, but she is not your everyday Molly Mormon, she has a talent that makes her unique, she has the ablility to see the future and the past, though her family does not know it. The story begins with the onset of that talent and her attempt to cope with it all while she is trying to get into the most prestigious gymnastics club in the country.

When the story opens, what interesting or exciting thing is he or she doing, or on the brink of doing?

Kasey, at the opening of the tale, is competing at a meet in Salt Lake City. Now this meet is a qualifier for the Nationals so there is much pressure on her to do well. As it happens, there are members of the top gym in the country there as well and her skills and grace catch the eye of their coach, who also senses something more about her. When she places third in the All Around the coach sees an oppertunity and offers to train her and fate seems to want her there, because her coach of ten years announces his retiremnet at breakfast on the day of the event finals.

What external event, beyond the control of the character, will influence the action throughout the story? This may not be their initial goal, but it is the one that will drive them through the bulk of the story.

I would have to say the awakening and the coping with her new found power. She keeps it secret from her parents and brother for fear of how they will react. The preminitions seem to get worse when she moves to Blue Star and in that happening she finds a whole new world when she also finds out about the coven that is made up of one of the assistant coaches and two teammates. Once she begins to get involved there she is forced to learn to cope not only with her powers, but finding the path and religion that is right for her.

For the time the story covers, what is your character's primary goal?

Proving that she is good enough to stay on the team at Blue Star and adjusting to life there and starting over.

What are at least three obstacles in the way of achieving your character’s goal?

*Her mother and uncle who both think she is not ready for this step yet.
*Her rivals, one who thinks she should be there instead and the other who wants her gone and will do whatever she has to so that it happens.
*Her Powers, which makes her struggle for control.

What qualities of the character will help or hinder him in meeting that goal?

Help:

*Determined
*Does not back down from a challenge
*Trusts her insticts

Hinders:

*Fear
*Homesickness
*Anger
*Naiveté

What is at stake? What is the cost to your character of NOT achieving his goal?

*The stake: Competing at the Olympics.

*Cost of not achieving the goal? She feels like she failed to live up to her father's achievement. She spends her life asking what if and someone else gets her glory and she never meets her soulmate and recieves no training for her gift.

How will your character change or grow as a result of confronting the obstacles and either overcoming them, or being defeated by them?

*Growth: She will learn about a new religion, learn to control her gift, make new friends, meet the love of her life, and find herself in the trials before her.

*Defeat by obsitcles: They will either make her fight more for what she wants or she will give up in defeat. They will either make her a stronger woman or they will break her totally.

What is the darkest moment?

Hmmmm. Could be the day that the coach from Blue Star comes to watch her workout and she lets her nerves get to her and has a disasterous workout and questions if she is good enough.

What outcome do you want to bring about? Will the character achieve his goal, or fail to overcome the obstacles?

In this book? Her making the team and meeting her new coaches and teammates. Maybe hint about a crush on the coach she falls for and drop hints about the coven and show her power growing.