#fmc

In the header, I put the characters/the plot line, and then below, I write every major plot and what chapter they'd be in.

This is very helpful if you want to tell more than one story simultaneously.

I also highlight common plot events in the same color, so it's easy to see where my character's journeys intersect.

You can be as detailed or as vague as you want in the outline, but I recommend leaning on the more detailed side, as it helps with writer's block when it comes to actually writing the story.

I am neurodivergent-minded, so this might not make sense to everyone or for writer that just like to write with the flow. But I thought I'd share this anyway to help that one writer that's having trouble writing that first sentence.

You got this!

Let me know if you have any questions, and happy writing!

Sadie had no plans on going out tonight. It was a Thursday night in December. Not like much would be going on, but this was fucking New York. Look hard enough, and you’d find some sort of party, event, or disaster happening somewhere.

It was 7:30 p.m. when she got the text.

She’d already changed from her work clothes into a silk matching green pajama set and curled up in her recliner beside the large window of her condo with a book resting lazily in her lap. The fire crackled softly in the fireplace while slow flakes of snow drifted from the midnight blue sky outside, its stars nearly drowned beneath the disgusting white glow of the city lights.

Sadie raised an eyebrow as her phone chimed, the bright screen lighting up against the dim apartment.

Onyx.

Her pale fingers wrapped around the phone, curiosity immediately stirring in her chest as she opened the message.

Onyx had run through a muddy rain puddle with his black Mustang a few weeks ago, splashing filthy water all over her while she waited for a taxi outside her shop. He’d come back the next day looking far too amused with himself while offering to pay for her coat.

That small interaction somehow turned into exchanged numbers.

Then into weeks of nonstop texting.

A few calls.

And even a couple dates.

Now here she was, staring at a text that read:

I’ll be over at 9 sharp. Get ready, little fox.

Nothing else.

Sadie blinked at the screen before scoffing softly under her breath.

Sounds a little demanding if you ask me.

Onyx’s response came within minutes.

Absolutely. So hurry up, little fox.

The response made Sadie’s stomach twist in a way she absolutely hated.

Or loved.

Maybe both.

Warmth crept into her cheeks as her heartbeat fluttered unevenly against her ribs.

Fine. But if I’m murdered tonight, all signs will point to you if the cops go through my phone.

It was a smartass response, but a response nonetheless.

Sadie tossed her phone onto the couch cushions before standing, removing the faux fur blanket from across her legs. She moved quickly after that, showering before falling into the familiar rhythm of getting ready.

Hair.

Makeup.

Jewelry.

Routine.

She brushed blue-toned silver eyeshadow across her lids before blending soft smoky black into the corners, finishing it with sharp winged liner and black in her waterline. Rose-pink lipstick followed after. Her ginger-orange hair with pale blonde highlights fell around her shoulders in messy waves once she loosened the curls with her fingers.

She kept the outfit simple since she had no idea where Onyx planned on taking her.

A black off-the-shoulder long sleeve shirt hugged her figure, the neckline lined with lace that traced along her collarbones. Dark blue flare jeans sat snug against her hips, paired with black pointed-toe pumps and a thick leather belt around her waist.

Last came the coat.

A large white faux fur jacket draped over her shoulders, the bottom nearly brushing the floor behind her.

Right as Sadie checked the time, her phone rang.

Onyx’s name flashed across the screen.

She answered quickly, pressing the phone between her shoulder and ear while grabbing her purse from the counter.

“I’m outside, princess,” Onyx said smoothly, his rough voice curling low through the speaker.

That voice still did something stupid to her stomach.

“I’m on my way,” Sadie replied, unable to stop the small grin tugging at her lips as she locked the condo door behind her.

“Better hurry before I come get you myself.”

His voice sounded rougher than usual, smoke dragging through every word. No doubt he’d already gone through half a cigarette while waiting.

“Something tells me that threat isn’t as playful as you’re making it out to be.” Sadie teased as she headed down the stairs.

Onyx chuckled lowly.

“Someone’s got good instincts.”

The sound settled warm and heavy in her chest.

“If I did, I probably wouldn’t be getting into a car with someone I barely know at nine p.m.,” Sadie shot back, flicking her hair behind her shoulder as she stepped outside into the cold.

The black Mustang waited at the curb beneath the glowing streetlights, headlights cutting through the falling snow.

All Sadie could hear was Onyx’s dark chuckle before the line disconnected.

She lowered the phone slowly, staring toward the car while snowflakes melted against the sleeves of her coat.

“What the hell are you doing, Sadie?” she muttered to herself.

But despite the warning in her own voice, she still took a step forward.

Then another.

Then another.

Each one inching her closer to a night she may never forget.

AHHHHH. This is the second non-fanfiction work that I'm posting here. I hope it goes over well. LMK what you think in the comments. Don't be afraid to let your freak flags fly! Princess chaos out! <3

A faint purple glow lit the room she was in. It was just barely enough to make out the interior as she slowly sat up and looked around, groggily wiping her eyes. The light came from a crystallamp to the left wall of the room, and it felt irresistibly familiar and comforting. As the blur in her eyes cleared up, she could make out a somewhat large, yet very filled-up room; a small round table sat some distance off, piled high with books, and in fact almost all the room’s walls were set with bookshelves chock-full of them. 

A slight chill made her shiver and gather the thick silken chemise she wore together, and the pleasant fragrance of flowers and fruits permeated the air. Flowervines curled down the walls, drooping lazily, and Meldrene instinctually recognized them all; wisterias, hyacinths, paperflowers, roses, and more.

The sheer sense of peace she felt would have been enough to send her right back to sleep, if she didn’t feel something dreadfully wrong the entire time. Something prodded uncomfortably at the back of her mind. This isn’t right. She didn’t remember going to sleep here. She didn’t remember what she was doing before she woke up here. 

Slipping her feet off the right edge of the bed and facing the bedstand, her hands instinctually reached out for a cord above it with a movement that felt like muscle memory. That was a bizarre feeling, almost like it was a set routine. But when she tugged at the cord…

The purple light was stripped away, replaced by a stronger, warm glow that finally lit up the place enough to see properly.

Now that there was a proper light inside, Meldrene could see everything in it’s original colors. There were those walls of deep, rich, reddish brown wrapping all around her; they looked like living wood. The source of the warm light was a chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling that bore the most magnificently-cut glowcrystals. The flowervines displayed their hues in full glory now; purples, pinks, reds, blues, yellows, oranges and many shades inbetween. 

As she looked around the room, a slight feeling crept up her neck. And then with a jolt, it hit. 

This was her room. The one she had grown up in as a child for years. This was Larralin Keep.

The flowervines framing the walls had been grown by her. The books in their dozens around the room were hers; books both for her education and her leisure, memorized to a word each. And the soft bed she sat on was irrevocably hers. She would recognize it’s feeling any day.

But Larralin Keep doesn’t exist anymore. She thought with a looming feeling of panic and confusion seizing herself. Larralin didn’t exist anymore. She had seen it all razed to the ground, along with every person in it. Only she had survived. And then after that, she had been…

She had been…

What had she been doing? Her memory of what had happened after that was fuzzy for some reason. There was something there, she knew, but what exactly?