MY IDEAS:
Plan not only for this novel but for novels that follow. Will they have same characters? Same location (ala a Faulkner?), same issues and OBJECTS/THEMES. Big 3: characters, locations, objects/themes/concepts (most ill defined). THEMES. Will future novels be generational from this family, forwards *or* backwards? This is *1st* novel. The cornerstone, the foundation.
I think novel should basically be in chronological order to avoid confusion. Many characters and situations already. Imp. to differentiate siblings and not see them as group. Each is individual — they are KEY in way. What are their jobs, their interests, do they have rivalries, are some closer to each other than others? You can build back to Jacob and Opal and Sarah through siblings. Quentin might be a key too — only non-family member, although he becomes family member later. Love interest of other siblings? Marriage? What is their motivating forces in life? WHY did Samuel not keep in contact with them after leaving?? That may be main KEY. Why is he separate from the others? What makes him “special”? He is only one who handles in story that survives the snakes.
MAIN CHARACTER LIST:
⁃ Jacob and Opal: Grandpa and Grandma to the SIBLINGS (my note: it all revolves around the siblings??)
⁃ Sarah and Albert: Jacob and Opal’s children. Sarah is the siblings’ mother; deceased
⁃ Siblings, in order of age: Eddy, Samuel, Ben & Joel (twins), Jessie
⁃ Quentin: Samuel’s best friend from childhood. MARRIES EDDY
TIMELINE:
• Samuel leaves in 2004 – Jessie is 10, Samuel is 16, twins Ben and Joel are 13, Eddy is 17.
• Jacob dies in 2010 (AGE OF JACOB?)- Jessie is 16, Samuel is 22, twins Ben and Joel are 19, Eddy is 23.
• Present time, England- 2018. Jessie is 24, twins Ben and Joel are 27, Samuel is 30, Eddy is 31.
SPECIFICS:
Mid 90s (Sarah dies Sept 18 1994)
• Jacob is preacher at snake handling church
He and Opal take their kids to this church – Albert and Sarah.
Sarah resists the church as a teenager, then
embraces it again. She feels she has to prove herself to
God after husband leaves her and kids. She is judged by
the rest of the church as lacking after that happens. Not
submissive enough, not the wife she should be. Also, pretty
sure she’s having an affair.
• Jacob decides Sarah is chosen (WHY?). Sarah dies from being bitten
while handling snakes
Dies trying to prove she is worthy. She’s grown up
believing she has to be worthy of God and feels she’s made
many mistakes so wants to atone.
• Church splits up
There are a number of issues before Sarah dies, but it is the last straw. Jacob and Opal go with the toned-down
version. Lots of rules and set apart, but not isolated as
snake handlers/Pentecostals are.
• Grandfather blames his daughter’s lack of faith for her death
It makes his belief even stronger because he blames her
and not God.
• Grandmother blames the church as well as herself and husband,
but doesn’t leave Jacob.
She is torn between what she’s always believed – women
are submissive, God is always right, Jacob is always right (JACOB = GOD) — and
what she’s seen happen to others and finally to Sarah. She
feels she’s to blame for what happened too, that her own
lack of faith resulted in Sarah not being strong
enough. That would be the core of why she has stayed,
after the church split. She feels the non-snake handler
version is more forgiving but at the same time she
can’t forgive herself. Jacob grooming Samuel is the breaking
point for her – realizing it will happen again (HOW CAN HE TELL THEY HAVE THE GIFT?). Also, if
Sarah was having an affair, Opal would blame her but also
feel she could have stopped it, been a better mother
herself maybe.
Early 2000’s (2004)
• Grandparents are still taking kids to slightly more
mainstream church that split from snake handling one.
Less Pentecostal but still very strict and
isolated. No snakes. No tongues. Lots of rules but more
a part of the world than snake church. Strict upbringing.
• Jacob is also a preacher there
• Jacob has started secretly going to revived snake handling
church (DOES HE PREACH THERE?)
Probably once a month or so. Keeps it a secret from Opal.
She may find out from friends/neighbor/someone else who has
a connection with it.
He has his own crisis of faith making him go back
to the snakes. What is it?? WHAT IS IT?? Also makes him decide
Samuel is chosen.
• Samuel discovers he can handle snakes.
Samuel discovers he can handle snakes. He is
already very interested in aliens, UFOs, the time
machine, etc. Does not want to be snake handler
• Jacob takes Samuel to secret snake-handling church twice,
second time with Ben, Joel, Albert, Quentin (AGE OF SIBLINGS HERE?)
Albert remembers it, and tells Samuel and Quentin
when they visit the abandoned church. Samuel and Eddy
are old enough to remember being at the service
when she died, but didn’t see it happen and the memory
would be confused. The night they all go to the snake
church Albert talks about it in front of Joel and Ben (WHAT DOES HE SAY ABOUT IT?)
— also alluded to by Opal at dinner
• Samuel leaves (CHOOSES NOT TO DIE FROM SNAKES, UNLIKE MOTHER SARAH)
After he’s realizes what exactly happened to Sarah
and handles snake himself in front of
congregation. He’s pleased to be special and
chosen, but once he knows what happened he can’t keep
on.
The UFO encounter makes him realize what he has
to do, which is follow the UFO/Alien path. That’s how
he’s special, not because he can handle snakes.
Handling snakes is a dead end that could literally
get him killed – like his mom. Ufos/ aliens etc is
how he can act on his specialness.
Opal helps him leave- gives him money she’d gotten from their father’s death, helps with
somewhere to go. Intended to return when things
cooled down but didn’t. (WHY?)
2010
• Joel and Ben are living/working in Atlanta (AGES? JOBS?)
• Eddy and Jessie still at home
Eddy works in the diner, Jessie in high school
• Jacob dies – everyone back for funeral (DIES OF SNAKES LIKE DAUGHTER SARAH and, if he didn’t run away, SAMUEL. WHAT IS HIS AGE? POETIC JUSTICE?)
Bitten by snake in the barn, mild
dementia. Jessie got snake box down from the loft for
him and feels terrible guilt afterwards.
Current time- around 2018
• Opal has been in nursing home a couple of years (DIDN’T SHE REVEAL SAMUEL IS ALIVE TO A CHARACTER?)
• Jessie has been living in DC, moves to London for work (WHAT WORK?)
Comes home before leaving for England to see Opal
• Eddy and Quentin are a couple. Albert lives with them. They
are living in Asheville (NOTHING IN OUTLINE ABOUT ALBERT’S “GIFT”)
• Joel and Ben are still in Atlanta (THEY LIVE TOGETHER?)
• Joel has been hunting Samuel for awhile online, finally
finds him
Finds Samuel’s Crop Circle/UFO/Alien Blog by remembering long ago link to
the name (OIL CAN WHAT?) (MAYBE YOU SHOULD OUTLINE HIS *BLOG*)
• Joel goes to England and tracks Samuel down
Stays with Jessie a few days, goes and finds Samuel at The Barge – he’s working with
Crop Circle Info group (FOR HOW LONG? HAS HE HELD OTHER JOBS WHILE ABROAD?). Brings him back to London to see Jessie.
• Opal dies
• Jessie, Joel and Samuel find out while in England.
• Everyone comes back for funeral, including Samuel
Drama!!!
WHAT HAPPENS??? SOUNDS LIKE YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE A RESOLUTION AND THE OUTLINE IS COMPLETE?
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NEED MORE ON EDDY AND QUENTIN AND ALBERT
SAMUEL IS KEY; HE ESCAPES CYCLE OF DEATH BY SNAKES THAT KILLED GRANDPA (2nd) and MOTHER (1st).
SAMUEL”s TIME MACHINE: HOW FIGURES IN HERE?
DIFF. BETWEEN TWINS BEN AND JOEL?
CHARLESTON? NOT QUITE YET…..
Sunklands 