Outline for Shattered Dreams

The last few days have been rather busy and coming up with a post idea was difficult. While puffing away on a La Flor Dominicana Air Bender, I stared at my computer struggling to find something to write about. The only thing that came to mind was to post the outline I created for my Fiction Friday #152 post entitled Shattered Dreams.

I thought perhaps my readers could give me some pointers on what I used to create the story. In addition, I thought it might help answer some of the questions that were left hanging when I brought the piece to a close. Basically, I just started jotting down notes then dove right into writing, using my notes as a guide for the story.

A segregated audience at a school play leads to a town revelation.

Storyline Ideas:

• School Play takes place in a High School Auditorium
• Small School with a wildly popular performance that draws in nearby schools
• Because of the size of the auditorium, the play is done in multiple sets
• The town newspaper is there to praise the performers
• Student claims to have made up the play to gain admittance to college
• During the show, a senile old man begins mumbling the words to the play
• People around him get annoyed and curious
• Old man’s childhood flashes before his eyes, he stands up and begins reciting the words from the script before they are read
• The town realizes that this student they have been praising is a fraud.
• Play turns out to be something obscure from the 1940’s which was not popular due to masses being away at war.
• Old man was too young to join the service but was infatuated with theater and saw the performance in a neighboring town.

Character Names:

• Fraud Boy: William “Billy” Abrahms
• Fraud Boy’s Friend: Scott Thomasina
• Old Man: Benjamin “Old Man Benny” Olson
• Reporter: Tommy Craig
• Theater Instructor: Silvia Pratchet
• Principle: Elizabeth Walker

Story progress:

Beginning:

• Scene with Principle speaking to Theater Instructor about how excited she is to have so many people come to the school to see the performance. She goes on to mention how much money they are going to raise for Billy’s college tuition by selling tickets. As they talk, they walk down the hall to a classroom
• Inside classroom Billy is excused from class to walk with the pair to the auditorium and begin preparations for the big show after school. While there, the three speak with Reporter about the later show and talk-up Billy’s ability to write a play.

Middle:

• The play opens up and actors begin to speak. Point of view changes back and forth from Billy overseeing the play, to the reporter making mental notes, and the old man in the back row stirring to the words
• Break to the old mans theater-goer past and tell a little back story about him being too young to fight in the war and spending time in the theater to get out of his mothers hair

End:

• Old man begins to mumble the words to the play, before the actor speaks, and rouses attendees around him.
• As the play goes on the man gets more and more excited. Finally he stands up and rings out the words as if he was in the play himself.
• After a powerful line the old man has a tear in his eye while he apologizes for disrupting the play. He then goes on to say that he hasn’t seen this play in years and he thanks Billy for directing such a performance and making him feel like a child again.