L E May

Once upon a time...

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Quirky and Unusual Boy Names

Alasdair   Auburn Badger Bay Baylor Bloom Calcedon Caradoc Caspian Cirrus Cloud Clove Cobalt Copper Cordovan Cove Cyprian Danger Dante Dashiell Davey Django Dodge Equinox Escher Falcon Fate Finch Forest Fox Frost Garneau Hale Harvey Hawk Hawthorn Heath Indiana Kite Knight Loxley Malachite       Marduc Maverick Mayhem Melchior Merlin Midnight Milan Monroe Northern Oleander Orchard Oriole Orion Orpheus Pegasus Rainier Reeve Rio Robin Rocket Rousseau Rune Samhain Samoset Sincere Stellan Sterling Tanner Theron Thunder Vega Venture Wiloughby Zeus

Unisex:

Ash Bayou Cameo Caraway Cloud Crescent Crimson Fifer Garnet Kit Linden March Marvel Quenby Quill Rain Ramsey River Rowan Sage Seven Shadow Silver Sparrow Tatum Weaver Zenon

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Quirky and Unusual Girl Names

Aberdeen           Alaska Alezae Allifair Amaranth Amaryllis Amaya Amethyst Amoret Artemis Arwen Avalon Avis Avonlea Bardot Bellamy Belphoebe Bette Bijou Blanche Blossom Bluebell Blythe Briar Briony Burgundy Calantha Calypso Cambria Canary Carlisle Cascade Caspienne Ceridwen Cerise Cerys Charis Charm Cherry Cheryth Circe Claret Cloud Clover Coral Coralie Coraline Cordelia Cosima Day Dove DuskEmber                 Emerald Eris Essence Eulalie Evergreen Eyre Fable Feather Fern Frostine Geneva Glow Guinevere Hallow Heather Honeybee Hypatia Indigo Ioana Isabeau Isabelline Iris Ivory Jada Jessamine Jessamyn Jewel Juniper Juno Kestrel Kismet Lavender Leda Lilac Lilikoi Lux Lyonesse Maeve Mahogany Maiden Maisie Mandolin Maple Matisse Meadow Muse Neri Nightingale Ondine Ottilie PeridotPetal Phaedra Plum Poet Poppy Primrose Prospera Raven Remember Resonate Reverie Romilly Rowena Sable Saffron Sansa Savvy Seawillow Snow Solace Soleil Sonnet Spring Starling Strawberry Story Sula Sunset Sunshine Swan Symphony Synnove Tempany Tempest Temperance Temple Thisbe Thistle Tigerlily Tilda Tressa Valentine Velvet Vesper Villette Waterlily Wendy Whisper Windy Windsor Wintress Zorah

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Master Outline Reminder

The Better Novel Project is a guide. And it should only be used as such. It is a hand to grasp onto when lost, a light to point the way. It is not a bible. Freedom is an awesome thing. Freedom creates bestsellers. Books that copy the fold of what-was-done-that-one-time are very often lacking in originality. And as such, are never seen to be as successful. (Opinion: The Hunger Games vs. Divergent. The vastly more popular original piece outshines the twin astronomically.)

63 million copies of the Hunger Games Trilogy has been sold.

6.7 million copies of the Divergent Trilogy has been sold.

See the difference?

This is, of course, not to say Divergent is not an enjoyable book. Not at all. But when compared to a senior, already published book that follows the same pattern with the same atmosphere with the same general themes and troupes, it is quite obvious how people’s taste sway to something different, something more “original” than what they have already sampled.

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STAGE THREE

BEGIN “HOMEWARD BOUND“ SECTION FROM CHAPTER 19.5 UNTIL THE END(the average return period occupies 8% of the end of the example novels.  The length of endings have the largest variation: Harry Potter’s ending = 3% of the novel, Twilight’s ending = 15% of the novel, and The Hunger Games = 7% of the novel)

Chapter 20

symbolism: the hero changes back in to clothes of homeland

theme card: death (acceptance of fate / sacrifice for love)

Chapter 21 (Optional Epilogue)

scene card: ending with closure that hints at a continued threat

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STAGE TWO

BEGIN “AWFUL-AWESOME LAND” FROM CHAPTER 4.5 TO 19.5 (the average initiation period occupies the middle 71% of the example novels)

Chapter 5 (PRE-MIDDLE)

scene card: Trial #1 (WIN): social acceptance “ceremony”

character card: introduce the Wise One

symbolism: the hero shares someone’s jacket

scene card: the hero receives advice

theme card: Good vs. Evil (hero doesn’t know whom to trust)

scene card: hero anticipates danger

Chapter 6

scene card: Trial #2 (WIN)

character card: introduce sidekick (appearance, background, share food, sit quietly)

symbol card: hero enjoys some strange food

scene card: the hero makes preparations

hero trait: the hero is the reluctant center of attention (everyone stares)

character card: the bully

setting card: the cafeteria

theme card: racial or ethnic tension between groups

Chapter 7

scene card: Trial #3 (DRAW): hero takes a “pop quiz”

scene card: hero’s everyday goal overshadowed by threat from Villain; goal priority moves to survival

character card: the sidekick acts as magical guide; the sidekick and the hero have  a sleepover

scene card: Wake hero up with a foreshadowing nightmare.

scene card: Star-Crossed Lovers (introduce antagonistic attraction/love interest)

symbol card: use music to show magical elements, humor, authority, beauty, or a celebration

Chapter 8

scene card: Trial #4 (DRAW)

hero trait: another character praises the hero’s talent and good looks

hero trait: hero doesn’t recognize his talent or good looks

scene card: force the hero to spend time with the love interest

character card: The Shapeshifter

setting card: the cafeteria

Chapter 9

scene card: Trial #5 (WIN)

character card: the sidekick acts as magical guide

hero trait: hero breaks some rules

hero trait: hero is a talented athlete (and changes clothes when playing sports)

scene card: love interest Q&A session

female character trait: the main female character cries alone

Chapter 10

scene card: Trial #6 (DRAW)

scene card: hero’s family/friends reject her when she chooses to go after Villain; Hero cannot explain situation to them

scene card: hero has a sleepless, stressful night.

symbol card: ancient myth

theme card: Good vs. Evil (the hero conflicts with good authority figures)

setting card: the cafeteria

Chapter 11

character card: the sidekick and the hero are compared athletically

theme card: socioeconomic status (show the hero resenting or lashing out at someone wealthier)

scene card: (Trial #7 (WIN)) the hero is rescued by a minor character

character card: the Healer

Chapter 12

symbolism: the hero changes clothes prior to obstacle

scene card: Trial #8 (DRAW)

character card: the sidekick protects the hero from future harm

scene card: the hero has a horrific vision.

character card: the bully

Chapter 13

character card: the sidekick acts as magical guide

scene card: (Trial #9 (FAIL)) the hero attempts to rescue a friend.

theme card: death (philosophically questioning death)

Chapter 14

scene card: (Trial #10 (DRAW)) the hero plays hide-n-seek with the villain’s henchmen

character card: The Shapeshifter

theme card: Good vs. Evil (other good characters conflict with each other)

scene card: sweet make-out session (first kiss)

Chapter 15

scene card: Trial #11 (WIN) (hero trait: demonstrate “Chekhov’s Gun“)

character card: the sidekick’s family/hometown sends hero a gift

scene card: hero risks life to protect her family/friends from Villain

symbol card: use music as a symbol to show care, show connection, solve a problem, or trigger a memory

Chapter 16

scene card: Trial #12 (FAIL/DRAW) the hero incapacitates a friend.

scene card: hero lies to protect someone (withholds information)

dark/enchanted forest setting

theme card: Good vs. Evil (the villain cannot control every bad guy)

female character trait: the heroine flirts to receive information

Chapter 17

scene card: (Trial #13 (WIN)) the hero is rescued by a major character

scene card: hero can’t ask for help (withholds information)

scene card: hero sleeps next to the love interest

theme card: Good vs. Evil (society turns on the hero)

character card: the Healer

Chapter 18

scene card: Trial #14 (WIN) the hero passes the Gatekeeper

scene card: Trial #15 (WIN) (hero trait: fire “Chekhov’s Gun“)

character card: the sidekick is badly hurt

symbol card: ancient myth

theme card: death (immortality)

female character trait: the heroine emotionally manipulates someone

Chapter 19

scene card: final battle in villain’s lair; twist revealed; villain explains himself

scene card: TKO, wakes up in hospital, asks what happened, gets cover story

scene card: love interest declares love for hero

character card: the Wise One

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STAGE ONE

BEGIN “DREARY HOMELAND” FOR CHAPTERS 1 THROUGH 4.5 (the average separation period occupies the first 21% of the example novels) 

Chapter 1

hero trait: introduce hero’s age, body type, hair and eye color through meaningful description

hero trait: hero’s parents are dead/unavailable

hero trait: introduce Hero’s everyday goal

hero trait: explain how Hero’s life is missing love/friendship/care

scene card: open on a bittersweet celebration day

character card: introduce villain

theme card: socioeconomic tension (show the hero is poor)

symbolism: briefly describe hero’s clothing as introduction

Chapter 2

scene card: a day in the life (pleasant/normal errand)

hero trait: introduce “Chekhov’s Gun”

symbol card: hero prepares his family food

character card: introduce Herald

scene card: hero receives invitation for adventure

Chapter 3 (PRE-MIDDLE)

scene card: hero takes a short trip

scene card: hero says goodbye to his family

scene card: hero boards mass transit to awful-awesome land

theme card: socioeconomic tension (show the hero embarassed or mocked for being poor)

theme card: racial or ethnic tension between groups

scene card: clue #1

character card: the Healer

Chapter 4 (PRE-MIDDLE)

symbol card: introduce element of magic/fantasy/sci-fi

theme card: death (fight for survival)

symbolism: the hero changes clothes

scene card: hero receives backstory through questions

scene card: hero learns something that foreshadows the climax