Holy plot outline, batman!
So this is what I’ve got so far for the Untitled Fantasy Western. I’m probably not doing this right. I’ve never really done a plot outline before.
And even though I’m treating this as a flexible outline rather than how it’s gonna be, you know… spoilers ahoy.
– Introduce our hero, Katherine Bishop and the spirit talker Lonesome Cooper. They’re hunting down a murderer who fled into Gargoyle territory.
– The train robbery. We meet Clayton Wells and the gang of bandits he’s thrown in with. Here we also meet Walter Hawkins as he escapes the attack as the lone survivor. Lockbox secure, the bandits head for Gargoyle country to meet with our villain Shady McBadguy (until I think of an actual name for him).
– Bishop and Lonesome return to what passes for civilization and hear about the train robbery. As this is her territory, Bishop investigates.
– Bishop questions Hawkins about the robbery and what’s in the lockbox. Hawkins convinces Bishop to let him help recover the lockbox and hunt down the bandits.
– Bishop etc gather local help and track the bandits into the Badlands. The Gargoyles resist their attempts to chase the bandits, seemingly allowing the bandits to go unmolested.
– Bandits meet Shady McBadguy and hand over the lockbox. He summarily has them killed. Death by Gargoyle. Clayton Wells escapes.
– Bishop etc find Gargoyles willing to help, and get indications that something bigger is going on than just a train robbery.
– Bishop etc find Clayton Wells and get the other half of the story. Clayton is willing to lead them back to Shady McBadguy for the cause of righteous vengeful retribution.
– Showdown between good guy posse and Shady McBadguy amid revelation of lost civilization in the Badlands (think Anasazi).
– Survivors of the showdown make the trek out of the Badlands and back to what passes for civilization.
For those of you wondering what’s in the lockbox… it’s the McGuffin. Its sole purpose is to pull the plot along, so what it actually is doesn’t really matter. Which is to say, I don’t rightly know just yet. I expect it will come to me. Something to do with that lost civilization.
I’d say that’s nanowrimo preparations 95% complete.
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