Outline 005

PHILIP BLACKWOOD MYSTERIES #1
Outline 005

Sc 01 - BRITNEY BRIMES (25) is in the kitchen and sees a LITTLE BOY out of the corner of her eye.  She doesn't hear anything, just turns to see the boy running out of the kitchen.
Britney follows the boy, but he's not in the living room.  She walks on to the storage room, and finds the Little Boy standing there, staring at her, looking unhappy.  She tells him she's seen the little girl, but never seen him.  The Little Boy doesn't answer.
Does he know the little girl?  Is he is her friend?
The Little Boy says, "I'm not a boy," his voice deepens, his eyes become dark sockets, and he morphs, "I'm the Debbul."
Britney screams and flees.

Sc 02 - PHILIP BLACKWOOD (26) arrives at MISTY's house.  He has brought XAVIER, Misty's neighbor, with him.  Philip explains to Xavier that Misty has been bothered by monthly thumps on her roof that she feared were paranormal.  Xavier laughs, and also seems embarassed about this.  Philip takes Misty and Xavier out front to show Misty the tree at the edge of Xavier's back yard that hangs over the edge of her roof.  He explains that Xavier has a cat who, once a month when the moon is full, freaks out, climbs the tree and scampers across Misty's roof to get to the Benny family's back yard.  The Benny's have two cats that Xavier's cat, Lilith Puffysox, likes to play with.  But Philip suggests that Xavier explains WHY this happens every full moon... Xavier has a garden in his back yard, and he is Wiccan.  Every full moon he performs a ritual inviting the gnomes to bless his garden.  This activity freaks Lilith Puffysox right out, so she escapes Xavier's yard to play with the Benny's cats, and shows up the next morning on Xavier's doorstep.  MISTY has no idea Xavier was a witch; she and Xavier strike up a friendship.  Philip's phone rings: TIFFANI needs a favor.

Sc 03 - TIFFANI meets PHILIP at a food cart.  She asks how the movie-review show is going and Philip says it's fine.  Tiffani says Max and Noel miss him; he misses them, too.  Yeah?  Yeah, Philip misses all of it, the coffee, the sitting for hours in the dark, trying to act like a responsible adult around clinets, meetings at (insert cool Austin restaurant), the whole thing.  Tiffani asks if he can help them out with one more case.  Philip jokingly asks is there's any chance it's on a weekenight and Tiffani says "no" but rushes into the pitch: The Brimes Family are being tormented, but the group -- Central Texas Paranormal Investigators (CTPI) -- can't solve it.  It's too powerful to be residual or intelligent ghosts, it is actually hurting the family and their daughter, but 2 religious clensings have failed to exhile whatever it is, and no Catholic churches in the Central Texas area will area will sanction an official cleansing.  Philip wants to help, but James (the other overnight guy) hates working on his days off and Saturday is when they tape the show.  But Philip can see that Tiffani is really, really hoping for Philip's help, so he offers to look at the evidence CTPI has collected.

Sc 04 - PHILIP review's evidence:
1. A little girl, DODDY, actually converses with the team for a couple of minutes.
2. An inhuman growl is heard in EVP.
3. A night table in the baby's room is moved 17 inches on video.
4. A small shadow turns into a large, menacing shadow on IR video.
Philip is intrigued enough to help.

Sc 05 - TIFFANI takes PHILIP to meet CARLTON BRIMES.  Britney and Areil are at Britney's mothers.  If possible, Carlton would rather wrap this up before Ariel comes home.  (This is unrealistic, but Philip holds his tongue, though Tiffani is uncomfortable with this unrealistic expectation, too, he can tell.)
Ariel's Room: Ariel scratched, furniture moving.
Kitchen: Little girl seen.
Storage room: Little boy turns into "the devil".  Growl EVP.
Parents' bedroom: Aural conversation with Doddy.
Parents' bathroom: Banging on inside, not heard outside.
Guest bathroom (near Ariel's room): Guest pushed into shower.
Hallway: Shadow IR video.

Sc 06 - Thursday Night - As soon JAMES gets in PHILIP begs him to cover Saturday.  James obviously wants to say "no", argues in his head for a few minutes, then says he'll do it.  RELIEF!  Philip tracks down AMBER.  They banter (maybe even flirt?) for a bit, then Philip dives in: He gives her a jump drive with his scripts and video and begs her to forgive him for not being able to make it Saturday.  Amber becomes an ice queen.  philip tries to explain that he wouldn't do this if he had a choice, and Amber informs him he doesn't.  She's barely holding this show together, scrounging every bit of advertising she can con out of someone because the General Manager keeps hinting the show doesn't make enough money to keep it on the air, and now Philip is bailing, too?  He's not bailing, he just can be here Saturday.  "That's fine", Amber says, but Philip knows it's not fine.

Sc 07 - PHILIP meets TIFFANI to talk about the case.  He's going to tell her that can continue helping them on his days off, reviewing evidence or whatever he can do, but he just can't get the time off work, but Tiffani launches right in with the background: New house, no recorded deaths or psychic trauma.  Whole neighborhood was an empty field before that.  This fact interests Philip, but he won't say why just yet, he's still going to beg off the case.  Tiffani is worried this might be "inhuman", but since "civilian" cleansings didn't work, there might be nothing CTPI can do for the Brimes family.  (During their, the 2nd, cleansing, CTPI utilized an ordaned minister, so they're up against the wall.)  There is another aspect that makes Tiffani want to solve the case for the Brimes family, but she doesn't want to taint Philip's opinion.  Philip starts to explain that he can't do it, but the look on Tiffani's face won't let him.

Sc 08 - 6:00 pm - PHILIP, TIFFANI, MAX and NOEL arrive to investigate Brimes house.  Philip mentions that he thinks it would be really helpful to talk to Britney Brimes, and that seems to make CARLTON really, really nervous.  (This happens over dinner.)

Sc 09 - 6:55 pm - Setup happens, PHILIP & TIFFANI investigate Ariel's Room while MAX & NOEL investigate the Storage Room.  45 minutes of nothing.  (7:45 pm) TIFFANI & PHILIP investigate Parents' Bedroom while MAX & NOEL investigate Parents' Bathroom.  Another 45 minutes of nothing.  (8:37 pm) PHILIP & MAX investigate Guest Bathroom while NOEL fast-forewards through what they have of the Hallway so far and TIFFANI checks her audio to see if she has anything.  45 more minutes of nothing.

Sc 10 - 9:24 pm - CARLTON has been surfing the Net in the Study for the last two-and-a-half hours.  He seems nervous (acting suspicious) when PHILIP tells him they haven't found anything yet.  Philip mentions this.  Carlton explains that he never believed in this stuff before, and he's still not comfortable with it now.  But since...since he can't deny it now, he's been noticing all kinds of strange things.  He thought he saw...no, he's sure he saw a black panther at the edge of his property one night, only twice as large as a doberman, maybe larger.  Britney has always been interested in this stuff, as Philip can tell from her DVDs, and a giant back cat doesn't figure into it.  Philip explains that that's not unheard of in the paranormal world, but he senses that there is more to Carlton's unease.  Carlton is hiding something.

Sc 11 - 9:30 pm - Noel volunteers to watch the cameras (set up in the Study) while PHILIP, TIFFANI and MAX investigate the Kitchen.  Tiffani leads the EVP session, trying to engage Doddy.  Tiffani's questions are about what it was like when Doddy lived here.  Afer no responses, Max asks how Doddy died.  (Philip thinks this question is a mistake, but doesn't say anything.)  Max suddenly can't breathe.  They end the session and leave the room, and Max gets her breath back.

Sc 12 - 9:51 pm - CARLTON is worried that maybe they should end the investigation for tonight.  MAX absolutely does not want to!  NOEL worries about an entity that would attack Max.  Is it, maybe, that dark thing they saw in the hall last time?  The thing that growled?  (Assuming they are the same entity.)  MAX is excited they're getting a response; it it wants to attack her again, she's not scared.  TIFFANI doesn't want CTPI to stir up anything that they can't deal with, and then leave Carlton here alone afterward.  PHILIP suspects it wasn't an attack: He points out that Max asked how Doddy died; maybe Doddy was "showing" her.

Sc 13 - 10:01 pm - PHILIP, TIFFANI, MAX, NOEL and CARLTON are all in the Kitchen trying to contact Doddy.  10:44 pm rolls around with no results.  10:49 - 11:30 pm PHILIP and MAX investigate Ariel's room.  11:40 pm - 12:25 am PHILIP and NOEL investigate the Storage Room.  12:35 - 1:20 am PHILIP and TIFFANI sit quietly in the Hallway.  At 1:48 am Philip and CTPI have packed-up and leave CARLTON, Tiffani insisting he call her cell phone if anything happens or if Carlton needs anything.  They'll review the audio and video they caught tonight and let him know.  As Max and Noel drive off, Tiffani asks what Philip thinks.  He'll let the data inform his opninion, but right now he doesn't see anything especially odd about this haunting.  Tiffani isn't pleased with this assessment -- she clearly wants Philip to come to some specific conclusion about this case, but she won't tell Philip what's bothering her.

Sc 14 - Sunday night - PHILIP works.

Monday evening - Philip begins reviewing his audio and makes notes.  He gets about halfway through it because he places audio recorders in room where he isn't.

Monday night - TIFFANI calls to see if Philip has found anything.  She and the others found nothing, so far.  Some possible EVPs and a few "orbs" in pictures (probably dust), but nothing of interest.  However, Tiffani did some research and found out that there was a low-rent apartment complex on the land for a couple of years before the land was bought by the Tiger Group out of Japan.  This get's Philp's attention.  He asks her if she will keep digging, and if Noel can check out UFO reports in that area while she's doing that.  Tiffani asks what Philip is thinking but he's not sure it's even worth mentioning.

Sc 15 - Tuesday night - PHILIP hears an inhuman growl uttering "GET OUT!" from the recorder in the Parent's Bathroom.  He checks the time; it's right around when Max couldn't breath in the Kitchen.  He checks the time on his audio recording of the Kitchen incident: It's an exact match!  He picks up his phone to call Tiffani, but his phone rings right at that instant: It's NOEL...  Noel has an EVP from the Storage Room that Philip needs to hear...

Sc 16 - Wednesday evening - PHILIP meets CTPI at TIFFANI's house.  NOEL feels that the identical EVPs happening at the exact moment when Max couldn't breath indicates she was attacked.  MAX is uncharacteristically scared by the EVPs.  Philip points out "Then why didn't the religious cerimonies work?"  So, Noel wants to know, what's Philip's theory.  Philip doesn't have one yet, he's still analysing the facts.  Noel spells out the case for demonic infestation:

1. Ariel scratched
2. Little boy turns into "The Devil"
3. Parents' bathroom banging
4. Guest pushed into shower
5. Inhuman growl EVP
6. Night table in Ariel's room moves 17 inches
7. Small shadow turns into Large shadow
8. "Get out!" and Max can't breathe
9. Demons reported to pretend to be ghosts of children

But the religious cleansings would have worked if it were demonic.  Tiffani talked to Carlton earlier today and there wasn't anything going on in the house since the investigation, so they still have time to figure this out.  They just need to investigate again.  But Philip can't take another day off work...

Sc 17 - Thursday - At the TV station, PHILIP visits AMBER's office.  He wants to apologize again for Saturday.  Amber apologizes instead for her behavior: Amber is barely holding this show together, scrounging every bit of advertising she can con out of someone because the General Manager keeps hinting the show doesn't make enough money to keep it on the air, and Philip not showing up Saturday seemed like maybe he sensed the ship was sinking and was going overboard before it sank beneath them all.  A little flirtatiously, Amber asks if Philip DVR-ed the show.  He did, and he loved her changes to his segments.  Amber says she had to tweak his scripts a little because the way he writes is so... HIM.  (She makes it sound like a compliment...and maybe a come-on.)  Philip has to get back to work.

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Sc 23 - PHILIP and TIFFANI learn that CARLTON BRIMES thinks that BRITNEY BRIMES accidentally scratched ARIEL BRIMES and he wants them off the case!

Sc 24 - This is PHILIP's excuse to quite the case... But he can't.  He has to figure this out for his own reasons!

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Sc 30 - PHILIP walks into the kitchen to find BRITNEY staring, silent.  He asks what's up and Britney asks doesn't he see her.  Her?  Britney points.  Philip doesn't see anything.  Britney insists that "she" is right there!  Philip walks slowly toward the spot, his hand outstretched, feeling.  Philip stops cold when he feels a tiny hand grab his own hand.  He reacts physically and AT THE SAME TIME Britney says, "Did you feel that?  She just grabbed your hand!"

Sc 31 -
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Sc 37 - PHILIP makes a deal with the ELEMENTAL: Inside belongs to the Brimes family and outside belongs to the Elemental.

Sc 38 - PHILIP explains to POE that he doesn't have to protect Doddy anymore, no one can hurt them where they are now.

Sc 39 - PHILIP explains all.  The BRIMES Family is safe here.

Sc 40 - TIFFANI and PHILIP are having lunch to discuss how the Brimes family is doing now.  Tiffani asks Philip one final question about the Brimes case...

***

Okay, when I first started blogging back in the mid-2000s you could actually control what the time/date stamp beneath the blog post said.  But now I can't figure out what's going on.

So here's what this post is:

Last week I started working on finishing up my outline, but I NEVER work on Friday (the first day in my 3-day weekend) if I can avoid it, and Saturday I just wasn't feelin' it.  So I was going to take the enthusiasm I had built up from the previous weekend and just slather it all over Sunday!  I was gonna work my ass off Sunday and finish this outline right-the-fuck-UP!

But then...

...Sunday morning, as I was going to sleep,  I got a call from my boss: So-and-so called in sick, the other Overnight Guy is having to work a 15-hour shift to cover, so can I come in tonight so Other Overnight Guy can get some much-deserved rest?

Yes, I'll be there.  No worries.

Now, this is the type of thing Steven Pressfield might label as "Resistance" and cite as an example of why you ALWAYS write, WHENEVER you have the opportunity, NO MATTER WHAT!!!  DISCIPLINE, YOU SNIVELING WEAKLING, DISCIPLINE!!!

(Actually, that's an entirely unfair characterization of Mr. Pressfield, especially considering that he's trying to inspire us to succeed in achieving our creative dreams.  But if you've read THE WAR OF ART, you get that vibe, too, right?)

But I'm trusting in what John Vorhaus would call "the Process".  I've got the notes in my Norcom Composition book, but the essentials of what I really, really need to write this novel are here in my Outline.  So if I take 2 weeks off from writing -- be it my choice or not -- I can always come back here and catch up to where I left off.

NOTE:

Gurus who advocate the 3x5 Index Card method encourage us to write each scene as simplistically and as briefly as possible.  And if you're writing full-time, as a career, that makes a lot of sense!

But because I am writing as an avocation, and I have no influence over when I get to write, I tend to put as much detail into every scene as I feel I will need when it comes time to write the actual pages.  My method of collection is to print out a single page per scene for the printed version of my outline (which goes with me where ever I go, ever).  So my rule-of-thumb in outlining is that if I can print the entire scene onto a single page, it's a good scene.

Now, because I have arbitrarily come up with this "rule", I want to stick with it right up until the moment it no longer serves me.

And if I do, then I feel confident that I can write 2,000 words to 2,500 word per scene, giving me a grand total of between 80,000 and 100,000 words for my novel, the comfortable word-count range for a non-established, nobody, first-time novelist.

(To give you an example, my last blog entry came it at 1,382 words.  So if I have meticulously mapped-out my scenes, then I can hit 2,000 to 2,500 per scene without breaking a sweat.)  :)

So that's why I'm outlinng this way.

END OF NOTE.

So I originally intended for Outline 005 to be VASTLY different from Outline 004... but that didn't get to happen...

So I'm publishing it here, as it was, so you can calculate the minute differences, if that type of thing is helpful to you.

Okay, so now I'm going to post what I've been up to this weekend...