The Perfect Pitch Part II

I am continuing with Rachelle Gardner's Pitch Writing Exercise this morning. Check out my previous post to refresh your memory about questions 1 and 2. 

Question 3: Who is the protagonist and what is the most interesting thing about him / her?

Answer: Alexandra Merriweather is the protagonist and her Grand Plan is the most interesting thing about her. She is constantly revising it. By the end of the novel, she learns that Chase Montgomery, her love interest and co-protagonist, is her greatest plan, and he wasn't part of the original version of her GP. 



Chase is a widower and reluctant to remarry, wanting to remain loyal to the memory of his first wife. He is surprised and a mite bit hostile to Alex when she happens upon him at the Bridal Veil Waterfall scenic overlook where she intends to execute phase one of her GP. But then Chase gets a look at Alex and his libido kicks into overdrive. He does something crazy and impetuous, which is completely out of character for him. He challenges her to a kissing contest. 

Question 4: Who is the antagonist and how is he/she standing in the way of the protagonist?

The antagonist (or bad guy, if you will) is a psychotic homeless man illegally squatting in the remote regions of the park where Alex and Chase are both hiking. In his warped mind, he thinks Alex is a young version of his mother. He's furious when he spies Alex and Chase kissing, believing that it is his mother kissing another man who isn't his father. He trails Alex, and after Chase departs, the homeless man assaults Alex to "teach her a lesson." 

Though Chase is not around at the initial onset of the assault and battery against Alex, he arrives just in time to thwart the assault before it turns into every woman's nightmare. 

Eventually, the homeless man and his pal Martin make their way to Portland, stalking and threatening reprisal attacks against Alex.  By the end of the novel, when he is arrested, we learn that this man suffers from untreated paranoid schizophrenia. 

Stayed tuned for more later in the week....