I feel as if I’ve been slow with these blogs, but I have been busy with the writing. There have also been a few things to deal with that just couldn’t be put off. I’ve finished an outline for the story, but it’s not long enough yet. I would like to start into the actual writing, but to start it without a sufficient outline is likely to result in a manuscript that falls too short. I don’t want to start the story until I feel I have an outline long enough to get a novel from. However, I’m working on something to resolve that problem.

Remember when I mentioned the Abbey Theater produced Synge's The Playboy of the Western World in 1907? Well a little more research into the Abbey Theater reveals that it caused a riot. That's something I can use. It provides an interesting background for the story, and with the exception of those who studied Irish history, it’s not something many would be familiar with.

The riots happened at an interesting time in Irish history. While the riots themselves happened in January 1907, only about 13 months earlier the original Sinn Fein was officially founded. Now it should be noted that the Sinn Fein of this time was a different party than it is today. At that time, the IRA had not yet been formed. It wasn’t a party about violence but of politics formed with intent to preserve Irish heritage. This is important since the play deals with Irish culture, particularly the pagan aspects and the portrayal of the traditional Irish people. And that’s why the play and the riots are historically significant.

Now working with this event gives me a good place for the climax of the story, but it also gives me guidelines in which to work. I can’t create story beyond the riots or the ending would be anti-climactic. And since I’m dealing with a theater that also happened to be founded only about two years before the play, I can’t go back too far.

In fact, for the sake of this story it appears best to start sometime during the play itself. I decided to start during the rehersals because it would give me time to build up to the riots which peaked over the course of only four days. Granted I could write a story that took place over four days, but by going back about a month or two to rehersals, then I have more time to develop the characters. For instance, if I want them to go out to dinner, it would be best to do that at a time when they don’t have a play to perform that evening.

Because of the restrictions of where I can start and especially where I can end the story, this is a story that demands an outline. Without one I’m likely to reach the ending too quickly; Since I have a predefined ending, I can’t just write until the manuscript reaches ninty or one-hundred thousand words. It’s also possible that I might go too far, but with my writing that hasn’t been a problem and it’s easier to cut material than to add it.

Here is the first paragraph of my outline:

Violet Cambridge is going through a scene with Fred McKay when she becomes upset at his condescending attitude and storms off the stage. Fred likes Violet but finds her too simple since he comes from affluence and his comments cause problems. Jenny Heart, another actress, follows her to comfort her. Jenny and Violet talk. Violet reveals that she comes from poverty and that she hates Fred’s haughtiness but finds him attractive.

Note that the sentences are very general. Unfortunately, some of them aren’t general enough. With an outline, the more general the better since it’s from the outline the the story is developed. But it takes experience to write a good outline and I’m used to working without one.

Even though I have the outline which runs about a thousand words, it’s still not quite long enough. The problem with that is that some aspects in the outline can be handled with a full scene, but others would only take a few sentences. So I need something more than just the outline, I need something that will help guide me to write a full novel-length manuscript. If I worked with what I have I’m likely to come up short, so I’m developing a chapter outline to work with which I will talk about in my next post.