As promised, here’s a little more detail about the plotting wall I did for Phantom.  I made it D&E this morning, despite not getting to sleep until after 11 PM again.  Sigh.  Please don’t ask how many cups of coffee I drank today!  Only 700+ words but openings are hard, and I completed the first scene.  It’s rough but down.  Moving on.

Okay, so this is a close up of the first three sections I plan to work on: 

The yellow stickies just have the information I need to figure out. Blue is the hero, Erik. Pink is the heroine, Christel.  The opening scene sticky doesn’t really give the details of what I wrote this morning — that’s actually on the back.  *wg*  But it was important that I set the scene correctly.  Atmosphere is so important, and I’m definitely going to need to revise what I have so far.

To compare and contrast, you might find it interesting to see what the outline looks like.  I’ve never written an outline before, not exactly.  This more resembles “the Block” I used to do but got away from because it was too involved and technical for me personally.  This is the opening section only.

Act 1

1.1       Opening Image:  In the Tunnels (Erik)

Set the mood:  dark, creepy.  Main character (Erik) is hiding, spying on Rafe.  Rafe always takes the same route each day to his car in the parking garage.  Today, Erik is eavesdropping on what seems to be an important and extremely frustrating and possibly dangerous conversation that Rafe is having with an unknown person.  “I’m working on it.  I’ll get the money somehow.  The sale will be final…”  [Meaning the sale of the family estate, but Erik doesn’t know that – he believes it to be an arms deal]

Erik has been texting Gerri “tips” from the “Phantom.”  He receives an incoming text:  I’m calling in reinforcements.  My daughter will get to the bottom of this once and for all.

Emotions:  Slow burning fury to glee that Christel is coming.  He’ll use her to defeat his enemy once and for all.

Conflict:  Erik wants to prove Rafe’s guilt and punish him severely for killing his family.  Rafe seems to have everyone fooled about what a great guy he is.