NOAH

Logline

An autistic prepper, vilified by his community, occupies the high ground when the water starts to rise.

When a . . . Blurb

When the waters begin to rise, the people of a small town must turn for help to an odd loner their community has always shunned.

Blurb

The end is nigh and Noah is ready for it. He can’t save “the” world, but he has prepared enough to save “his” world. He would love to have Angel to join him, but he only has room for one and she refuses to come alone.

Pitch

The Bride Test meets Leave the World Behind.

Genre

  • Genre: Literary fiction
  • Subgenres: anti-romance, thriller, disaster

Comp Titles

  • Leave the World Behind. Rumaan Alam. 2020.
    • ordinary people facing extraordinary situations
  • How High We Go in the Dark. Sequoia Magamatsu. 2022.
    • ordinary people facing extraordinary situations
  • The Bride Test. Helen Hoang. 2019.
    • male/female-autistic/allistic relationship

Length

  • ~80,000 words

Completion

  • Late 2026

Target Market

  • Commercial fiction

Literary Agent

  • None yet

Reader Access

Access to Noah is offered only to long term critique partners.

Current Status – At a Glance

ELEMENTPROGRESS
HookD2
Inciting incidentAll scenes plotted
Pinch Point 1All scenes plotted
MidpointAll scenes plotted
Pinch Point 2All scenes plotted
Plot TurnAll scenes plotted
All is LostAll scenes plotted
ResolutionAll scenes plotted

Development Diary

  • A beginning, middle, and end were sketched out.
  • D1s were written Ch. 1 and Ch 2. and submitted for feedback to CPs.
  • D1 of Ch. 1 was also submitted to Gina Denny’s First Pages Friday.
  • Feedback from CPs has been considered.
  • Only major concern was the readers might mistake the genre if they put the book down at the end of Ch. 1 without reading Ch. 2. Concern was that they might consider it a romance, not an anti-romance.
  • Ch. 1 and Ch. 2. were combined into Ch. 1 in D2 in order to address this issue.
  • D2 of Ch. 1 was put in the parking lot. It may be shared with CPs later.
  • I created a full commercial plotting tool created based on Gina Denny’s 8 Point Plotting System.
  • Each of the following eight elements was defined:
    • hook
    • inciting incident
    • pinch point 1
    • midpoint
    • pinch point 2
    • plot turn
    • all is lost
    • resolution
  • Hook is complete to D2 and is sitting in the parking lot
  • Inciting Incident will be one chapter which has been outlined
  • Pinch Point 1 has been plotted to chapter level in the plotting tool
  • Midpoint has been outlined in plotting tool
  • Pinch Point 2 has been outlined in the plotting tool
  • Plot Turn has been outlined in the plotting tool
  • All is Lost has been outlined in the plotting tool
  • Resolution is subdivided
    • Set up for the reckoning is outlined to chapter level
    • Reckoning is plotted to chapter level
    • Denouement is plotted to chapter level
  • Nine possible reckoning/denouement outlines were written and shared with CPs over the weekend with a view to determining which resolution was most satisfying. One was selected as most satisfying and outlined to chapter level as Ch. 29 to Ch. 32.
  • 7 MARCH 2026
    • Arc plotting is complete for protagonist and antagonist
    • Character sheets complete for all MCs
    • Major character cast set at four characters
    • Supporting cast sitting at 6 to 8 characters
  • 8 MARCH 2026
    • Inciting incident – 2 of 2 chapters plotted
    • Pinch Point 1 – 5 of 5 chapters plotted
    • Midpoint – Event outlining continued
    • Pinch Point 2 – Events outlined
  • 14 MARCH 2026
    • Deep dive on COSTY for MCs
    • Deep dive on Tether and Yearning for MCs
    • Tether created for MCs as a list of belief statements
    • Yearning created for MCs as single statements
    • Structural objectives for MCs reconsidered in view of refined tethers and yearnings
    • Personal stakes for MCs reconsidered in view of refined tethers and yearnings
  • 15 MARCH 2026
    • Event mapping complete for everything except the midpoint
    • Event mapping for the midpoint underway
      • FMC’s midpoint failure mapped
      • MMC’s midpoint failure mapped
      • Midpoint subplots developed
        • Emergence of the conspiracy
        • Emergence of the villainous backstory
        • Emergence of a visual metaphor (Hot Tub Hierarchy)
  • 21 MARCH 2026
    • Event mapping completed for Midpoint
    • Chapter plotting completed for Resolution
    • Chapter plotting completed for All-is-Lost
    • Chapter plotting underway for Plot Turn
  • 22 MARCH 2026
    • Chapter plotting completed for Plot Turn
    • Chapter plotting completed for Pinch Point 2
    • Chapter plotting completed for Midpoint
    • Chapter plotting refinements now underway
  • 28 MARCH 2026
    • 1st pass chapter refinements complete
    • Chapters being divided into scenes
    • Scene plotting underway
  • 29 MARCH 2026
    • Scene plotting complete for Hook, Inciting Incident, and Pinch Point 1
    • Scene plotting complete for Midpoint
    • Scene plotting underway for Pinch Point 2
  • 11 April 2026
    • Scene plotting underway for Pinch Point 2
  • 12 April 2026
    • Scene plotting complete for Pinch Point 2
    • Scene plotting complete for Plot Turn
    • Scene plotting complete for All-is-Lost
    • Scene plotting complete for Resolution
    • Scene review underway
    • Preparing for alpha read (structural) feedback
  • 18 April 2026
    • Scene review/refinement complete for Hook
    • Scene review/refinement complete for Inciting incident
    • Scene review/refinement complete for Pinch Point 1
    • Scene review/refinement underway for Midpoint
  • 19 April 2026
    • Scene review/refinement complete for Midpoint
    • Scene review/refinement complete for Pinch Point 2
    • Scene review/refinement complete for Plot Turn
    • Scene review/refinement complete for All-is-Lost
    • Scene review/refinement complete for Resolution
    • Ready for alpha read (structural) feedback

CURRENT SCENE MAP

Below is a full map to chapters and scenes. All scenes have been plotted. All scenes now being submitted to alpha readers for structural analysis. Tentative completion date: 30 May 2026.

Scene Outline

CH01 – THE HOOK

  • CH01.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: O&K’S STORE
  • CH01.S2 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: BUNKER

CH02 – SET UP FOR INCITING INCIDENT

  • CH02.S1 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: BUNKER
  • CH02.S2 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: SISTER’S CONDO

CH03 – INCITING INCIDENT THREATENS TO PUSH ANGEL OFF OF HER PATH

  • CH03.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: O&K’S STORE

CH04 – ANGEL IS TRYING TO STAY ON THE PATH TO HER OBJECTIVE

  • CH04.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: OUTDOORS IN CRAIG

CH05 – ANGEL IS TRYING TO STAY ON THE PATH TO HER OBJECTIVE

  • CH05.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: SC1&2 APARTMENT

CH06 – ANGEL IS TRYING TO STAY ON THE PATH TO HER OBJECTIVE

  • CH06.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: NOAH’S LODGE

CH07 – ANGEL IS TRYING TO STAY ON THE PATH TO HER OBJECTIVE

  • CH07.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: NOAH’S LODGE
  • CH07.S2 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: IN NOAH’S TRUCK
  • CH07.S3 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: RESIDENCE
  • CH07.S4 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: IN NOAH’S TRUCK

CH08 – ANGEL IS PUSHED ONTO THE NEW PATH

  • CH08.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: RESIDENCE
  • CH08.S2 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE

CH09 – BECOMING PROACTIVE ON HER NEW PATH

  • CH09.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE
  • CH09.S2 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: THE PROPERTY EXTERIOR
  • CH09.S3 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: BUNKER CONTROL ROOM
  • CH09.S4 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: BUNKER
  • CH09.S5 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: HIGH SCHOOL

CH10 – BEING PROACTIVE ON HER NEW PATH

  • CH10.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: HARLAN’S TRUCK
  • CH10.S2 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE EXTERIOR
  • CH10.S3 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE
  • CH10.S4 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE
  • CH10.S5 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE
  • CH10.S6 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: RESIDENCE

CH11 – BEING PROACTIVE AS NOAH’S PARTNER

  • CH11.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: RESIDENCE
  • CH11.S2 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: RESIDENCE
  • CH11.S3 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: PROPERTY EXTERIOR
  • CH11.S4 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: HIGH SCHOOL

CH12 – BEING PROACTIVE ON BEHALF OF HER FRIENDS

  • CH12.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: OUTSIDE HIGH SCHOOL

CH 13 – BEING PROACTIVE TRYING TO FABRICATE RELATIONSHIPS FOR NOAH

  • CH13.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE DECK
  • CH13.S2 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE DECK
  • CH13.S3 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE DECK
  • CH13.S4 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: RESIDENCE

CH 14 – BEING PROACTIVE TRYING TO TEACH NOAH HOW TO MEDIATE

  • CH14.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE DECK
  • CH14.S2 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: RESIDENCE

CH 15 – BEING PROACTIVE TRYING TO MEDIATE

  • CH15.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE
  • CH15.S2 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE
  • CH15.S3 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: RESIDENCE

CH16 – MIDPOINT FAIL – MEDIATION STRATEGY COLLAPSES

  • CH16.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: RESIDENCE

CH17 – MIDPOINT FAILURE REGRETS

  • CH17.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: RESIDENCE

CH18 – MIDPOINT REASSESSMENT

  • CH18.S1 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: BUNKER
  • CH18.S2 POV: ANGEL – SETTING: RESIDENCE

CH19 – MIDPOINT EPIPHANY

  • CH19.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE

CH20 – MIDPOINT NEW PLAN

  • CH20.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE
  • CH20.S2 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE

CH21 – PLOT TURN SETUP

  • CH21.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: BUNKER

CH22 – PLOT TURN SETUP

  • CH22.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: BUNKER

CH23 – PLOT TURN SETUP

  • CH23.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE

CH24 – PLOT TURN

  • CH24.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: GUEST HOUSE

CH25 – ALL IS LOST

  • CH25.S1 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: BUNKER
  • CH25.S2 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: BUNKER

CH26 – THE RECKONING & RISE FROM THE ASHES

  • CH26.S1 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: BUNKER
  • CH26.S1 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: BUNKER

CH27 – SET UP THE CLIMAX

  • CH27.S1 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: BUNKER
  • CH27.S2 – POV: ANGEL – SETTING: BUNKER

CH28 – SET UP THE CLIMAX

  • CH28.S1 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: BUNKER

CH29 – SET UP THE CLIMAX

  • CH29.S1 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: BUNKER

CH30 – CLIMAX

  • CH30.S1 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: BUNKER

CH31 – DENOUEMENT

  • CH31.S1 – POV: HARLAN – SETTING: OUTSIDE BUNKER

CH32 – DENOUEMENT

  • CH32.S1 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: HOSPITAL SHIP

CH33 – DENOUEMENT

  • CH33.S1 – POV: NOAH – SETTING: OUTSIDE BUNKER