New Toy: The Process of Rewriting “Hot Toy”

So before I go find my copy of Santa Baby, I think I need to get my rewrite plan in order. And I knew you’d all have opinions so here’s my plan:

Step One: FIGURE OUT THE STORY BASICS.

NOTE: THERE ARE MAJOR SPOILERS IN THIS STEP. SKIP TO STEP TWO IF YOU DON’T WANT PLOT DETAILS.

Main Plot

Protagonist: Trudy.

Goal: Get the Major Macguffin for her nephew.

Conflict: First she can’t find it (that’s really trouble, not conflict), and then when she finds one people keep trying to take it from her.

Antagonist: That guy. Reese. I need to read the book again to remember his name.

Goal: Pick up the spy codes from the Chinese.

Conflict: Trudy picked up the box with codes.

Subplot 1:

Protagonist: Trudy

Goal: Resist getting involved with Nolan again.

Conflict: He really seems to want to be with her.

Antagonist: Nolan

Goal: Get the spy codes back and keep Trudy from getting shot.

Conflict: She’s really holding onto that toy. Also, he’s really attracted to her.

Subplot 2:

Protagonist: Trudy

Goal: Get her family a happy Christmas, damn it, restoring everyone’s faith.

Conflict: Her extremely depressed sister is dipping gingerbread in alcohol.

Antagonist: Courtney

Goal: Drown her considerable sorrows in gin.

Conflict: Her sister is being aggressively positive.

Subplot 3:

Protagonist: Nolan

Goal: Get the spy codes

Conflict: That guy is trying to get them, too.

Antagonist: That guy. Resse

Goal: Get the spy codes

Antagonist: Nolan keeps getting in the way of his efforts to get the toy from Trudy.

Huh. It’s not a romance. It’s a family story with romance and suspense subplots. Who knew?

Step Two: READ THE BOOK AGAIN.

Because I’m a little hazy on the details.

Step Three: RUN A PLOT ANALYSIS

That’ll be a later post. Have to read it again first. But you all know the drill: start where the conflict starts, escalate through turning points, end big with a climax. I’ve just realized that the ending is all over the place because I thought it was a romance. So, that’ll need fixed.

Step Four: LOOK FOR MOTIFS, METAPHORS, SETTING, AND ALL THAT UNITY STUFF TO PULL IT ALL TOGETHER.

It’s a Christmas story, the thing must be lousy with metaphor and symbol.

Step Five: REWRITE.

Argh.

Step Six: GET A BETA READER. OR TWO.

Thank god I have a critique group. Fingers crossed a couple of Glindas have time to read a novella that’s probably going to be longer than it was before.

Step Seven: PROFIT.

So I have a plan. Now to see if I can find the book . . .