Fools Errand outline
Ghoti
This is my first time publishing fiction. Publishing the outlines for each chapter along side hopefully might give some insight into my thought process in creating FE which i hope could help new writers with their story boarding process. Generally I did as follows:
- create a fairly brief overview of the main plot points that I want to hit
- fill in some points in between each major plot point just to make sure i can logically get from A to Z without contrivances or plot holes
- create another more in depth outline for the current chapter im working on
- write the chapter
I often times would come up with new scenes to write while writing the chapter after the outline was done. In some cases I would go back and update the outline but only if it caused a major change in the direction of the story or the scene included some piece of information that needed to be referenced in the future.
For instance Medic Saxis does not exist in the main outline (this page you're reading now) but was created in chapter 2 which enabled a lot of new content in later chapters.
I also realized in chapter 3 that Huntress Tassis was in many ways an unfired Chekhov's gun and was able to reintroduce her later to create organic pressure to drive the story forwards. Don't be afraid to change your story, just make sure to update the outline with your change to ensure it doesn't create plot holes or threads that don't get tied up by the end of the story. You'll see that many of the later chapters' outlines do not match what was actually written because things were added or cut that did not directly affect the main path the story was taken. This is especially true for chapter 4 which was split into chapters 4 and 5 with 5 having a lot of the same content in the chapter 4 outline. - opening, MC pov
....A. anon is in camp in the woods in the lower hills of north appalachia
........a. army never bothered to come aid anon's small backwater town in appalachia.
........b. its the middle of winter and very cold here, slowing the daxy
........c. anon and company formed a militia
........d. anon knows its a fools errand and everyone will be taken or dead eventually. he wont say that out loud but his arguments make it obvious
........e. anon has a disagreement with friends. he wants to keep surviving. they want to go out with a bang and assault the daxy head on.
....B. anon goes off to relieve himself
........a. unbeknownst to the camp, daxy have found and targeted them
........b. a pheromone gas mortar drops on the camp and everyone but anon is quickly disabled
........c. anon is mildly affected by the gas as he watches the daxy subdue the other camp members
............I. could shoot but doesnt want to be detected or left his gun in the camp
........d. a guy exits a tent having been able to get a gas mask on before taking a full dose
............I. gas mask hits a daxy with a shotgun, its not lethal
................i. she has different markings on her armor and seems to be the leader
............II. she returns fire with a well placed pheromone dart and drops him
................i. anon now has first hand experience of pheromones and direct injection
................ii. pheromones feel really good. injections turn you into a blubbering husk
........b. daxy celebrate conquest and patch up squad leader
............I. mention of martial bridalry for exposition sake
....F. anon is not detected and daxy leave
........a. anon scavenges the camp and leaves - enter daxy MC and daxy antagonist, daxy pov
....A. Daxy are holed up in the town hall
........a. a small detachment for a small town
........b. main force left after the majority population was collected
............I. theyre just cleanup on the way out
............II. no male left behind
........c. group hierarchy:
............I. commander- she often defers to the huntress who has more experience
............II. huntress, daxy MC
................i. huntress is slightly above daxy MC because experience and social hierarchy, as she has much greater physical prowess vs runt daxy MC
............III. 6-8 no name foot soldiers excited to take a mate
....B. daxy mc is a noncombat comms officer
........a. no chance of getting herself a male by conquest (maybe gets hazed for it?)
........b. somewhat smaller than other daxy, still large for a human
........c. notably less physically capable than other daxy, a runt, hence noncombat role
........d. premature lightening of her scales, she is blue grey
....C. she is very religious and very against males being hurt. can be self righteous at times
........a. she thinks direct injection should be an absolute last result and is over used by lazier daxy. its almost sinful. over reliance on it IS sinful.
....D. Daxy squad enters the building triumphantly, carrying males over their shoulder or bridal carrying.
........a. squad leader is leading mask guy by his shirt collar.
............I. she is a huntress
....E. daxy mc and huntress have a terse exchange
........a. she uses direct injection too much
........b. she doesnt care for males like axilis wants
........c. "Hey, whatever gets the job done."
........d. "They love it anyway."
........e. "I'm just being efficient."
........f. she is flippant, pragmatic, and calls herself efficient. (shes really not that great by huntress standards. no wonder shes out here)
........g. they think they have all the males in the region and are about to prepare to leave
........h. mask guy interjects that he doesnt see anon
........i. they know there is one more out there
........j. they have collected at least one radio and know the human's operating frequencies from whats programmed into it. - anon alone, mc pov
....A. comms officer starts broadcasting asking anon to turn himself in
........a. she doesnt want him to die of exposure in the cold
....B. anon doesnt respond
....C. insert a few days of survival fluff.
........a. he resorts to using his rifle to take down small game but has to keep on the move because he is worried daxy will investigate the shooting location
....D. daxy mc is discouraged that anon isnt coming in and wont respond to her. she starts singing human and daxy lullabies every evening at sun down
........a. anon knows that he should turn off the radio. he doesnt
........b. he is worn down from fear, exposure, and exhaustion
........c. he knows theyll get him
........d. there isnt anywhere safe to run to
............I. driving out is a no go. they certainly have the roads monitored
............II. there a barren mountain range before him and daxy at his back
........e. he knows the pheromones will feel good if he submits
........f. he could stop fighting whenever he wants and give in
........g. he is falling for the propaganda - hunted, both pov
....A. anon finds a hunter's cabin deep in the woods
........a. its stocked with food
........b. its much better shelter than sleeping in a tent in subzero weather
....B. anon finally responds to daxy mc one night and they have multiple conversations over the following evenings
........a. "why are you doing this?"
............I. the daxy (especially her) truly care about males, their safety and happiness.
............II. he doesnt believe her
........b. angry that his sisters and mother are taken
............I. she tries to reassure him that the separated females are not harmed, just segregated from males
............II. human females didnt treat males right anyway. she acts righteous
........c. in a moment of weakness he admits his fear of slavery or injection, hes bargaining without making any direct arguments
............I. she says injection isnt right and only a last resort.
............II. if you turn yourself in willingly we wont do that to you.
............III. "if we have to capture you in we will do everything to not use injection but we will if we have to"
............IIII. "youll be happier with a wife. she will love you and take care of you. You'll never be like you are now- cold, uncomfortable, and afraid."
................i. it hits hard but he doesnt let it show
........d. he doesnt want to be assigned to some brute
............I. not all daxy are like that
............II. some souring line about who he could be assigned to. it was not a good comment.
....C. antagonist huntress is redeployed
........a. against her better judgement, daxy mc warns anon
............I. "I know how important it is for you to not be injected. She has injected most of the males she has caught. If you dont want that fate you should just come in willingly. I know your afraid but its what's best for you."
........b. a few nights later anon wakes to the sound of someone trying to enter quietly
............I. silhouette of a daxy
............II. first shot stuns her
............III. she tries to dart him but hes faster
........c. anon loses the sanctuary of the cabin. he loads up and leaves under the moonlight
............I. daxy know where the cabin is now and its not safe
............II. it wasnt the huntress that he killed
........(maybe have the daxy arrive during the day?)
........D. daxy mc is exasperated that he wasnt brought in, nearly begs him to give up
............I. "i dont want you to die out there, please!"
............II. "youre not even mad that I killed one of your own?"
............III. "she knew what she was getting into. She wanted whats best for you. You could be safe and warm right now, why keep fighting?"
................i. he isnt sure why he is running anymore. his fear of injection is renewed by the close call
................ii. he doesnt want to be assigned to a brute
................iii. he remembers how good the pheromones felt
................iiii. he wants it all to be over and this feeling is staring to overcome his survival instinct
........E. insert something to increase pressure
............I. dont know what to do here yet
............II. maybe have a nightmare dream sequence with claws and needles
............III. another close call with the huntress
............IIII. bad weather maybe - end game
....A. anon is at his wit's end
........I. he feels stuck between a rock and a hard place.
............i. hold out a bit longer and get injected eventually or avoid injection and marry some terrible brute now
....B. anon's brilliant idea
........I. "If you capture a human yourself you get to keep him right? I heard them talking about it at the camp."
........"You were that close?"
........"Thats not important now. Its true isn't it?"
........"Yes, if you have a specific daxy in mind here I could arrange for you to surrender to her, or I could try to choose the nicest one here."
........"Im not letting one of ours fall into a trap though. You have to tell me where you are and I can relay only to her to come find you."
........"How am I supposed to know this isnt a trap?"
........"If anyone is taking me it has to be you."
........"You could just be scheming to pick me off"
........"I dont ever want to go a day without your songs. If I'll come in it has to be for you. I need that guarantee."
........"I dont decide who you get assigned to. I'm sorry. Who ever it will be, she will love you. I'm sure of it."
........"She wont have your voice"
........"Again I dont see how it could be me. I'm not cleared for activity in the field."
........"I know you're using the town hall as your base. You know the field behind the building? Cross that and come to the treeline in the morning 2 days time"
........"what, so that I can be an easy target for your rifle?"
........"I wouldnt ever silence your beautiful songs- maybe if you were coming at me with one of those darts but even then I dont think I could do it."
........II. more back and forth where he wins her over
............i. "I want this to be over. If we do this I know I wont be put into the claws of someone terrible. I wont get get injected. You get a mate and your team doesnt have to be out in the cold searching for me. Everyone wins, Especially the two of us."
............ii. she gives in
............iii. they talk ones more the night before.
................a. "I'll see you in the morning"
................"Not through the scope of your gun I hope"
................"just bring a radio" - ending
....A. daxy mc anxiously walks through the empty field that morning. Any step could be her last. She is putting a great deal of trust into a human that has killed before.
........I. "I see you now."
........she is filled with fear
........"keep going further"
........"stop there"
........he descends from a tree stand and approaches her silently
........they stare at each other for a moment, not sure what to say.
........he holds out his rifle for her to take. between the cold and fear he is trembling uncontrollably
........"Well, come and take your conquest then."
........she hugs him and guides him across the field back to base
........hes already feeling warmer
........they arrive at her station
........she recalls the huntress and other search crew claiming anon has come in.
........the huntress is not happy that her catch was stolen by a runt
........her protests over the radio are ignored
........"Come on, its too warm for all that gear your wearing. Come take your coat off"
........she removes her armor
........she sits and has him cuddle up to her. he knows whats about to happen and accepts, somewhat reticent
........he remembers his family, he wont see them again
........the pheromones from their close contact starts to work its magic
........hes finally warm for the first time in weeks
........the anxiety dissipates
........the fear of injections and brute wives washes away
........its replaced with feelings of safety, warmth, and love
........he has truly given up on his fools errand and given in
........he starts to sob
........she shushes him and starts to sing for him again
fin