It is a Truth Universally Acknowledged that a Single Bunny in Possession of a Good Plot...
Someone, I can unfortunately no longer remember who, asked me how I went about plotting an Alternate Reality/Time Branch Shift story and what made it different than any other type of fanfiction? Silly person. Now everyone’s going to be forced to see my crazy outlining skills. For those of you who are curious, this is my basic set-up for the original skeleton outline for an Alternate Reality. This is an incomplete events/consequences outline for a Pride and Prejudice alt that’s been eating my brain…
A Key Event/Consequence Web for “Most Truly the Gentleman”
Title taken from Chapter 30- “Colonel Fitzwilliam, who led the way, was about thirty, not handsome, but in person and address most truly the gentleman.”
Blurb: After the ‘Ramsgate Affair’, Fitzwilliam Darcy decides that the best course to avoid a potential scandal and to remove his sister from traumatizing recollections is to take Georgiana and embark on a two-year tour of the Continent, returning just as the time nears to prepare her for ‘coming out’. Although he oversees his estate affairs as best he can, he maintains poor contact with his family and friends and is shocked to discover on his return that both his best friend and his closest cousin have married in his absence. Charles Bingley has married a beautiful, quiet gentleman’s daughter by the name of Jane Bennet and Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam has married her sister- an impertinent, fiery woman with the finest eyes he’s ever seen….
Key Event Change: After Ramsgate, Darcy takes Georgiana on a two-year tour of the Continent.
Immediate Canon Consequences:
1. Darcy does not come with Bingley to Netherfield.
2. Darcy does not meet the Bennets, does not encounter Wickham in Meryton and does not go to Rosings the following spring.
Canon Supported Extrapolations:
1. Bingley returns to Netherfield from London immediately following his business there and proposes to Jane. Wedding follows in due course (probably that summer given the time of proposal, the length of appropriate wait after posting the banns and the difficulties of dealing with Mama Bennet).
a. Although his sisters were against his marriage, it is stated several times in text that it was Darcy’s comments that Jane did not care for him that swayed Bingley to not return since he was ‘humble in his affections’.
b. A good part of Caroline’s opposition to Jane was a) the hope that Georgiana would be married to Charles, increasing the chances of her own marriage to Darcy (both nearly impossible if the Darcys are gone to the continent for an indefinite period of time) and that b) she was hoping to separate Elizabeth from Darcy since her ‘affection for one sister was greatly outweighed by her dislike of the other’ due to jealousy. Again, without Darcy, Jane would actually be a good match for a wealthy tradesman as the daughter of a gentleman and would at least meet the lower ends of the sisters’ expectations or not be seriously enough below for them to voice too much opposition. Most objections were only voiced after Darcy had indicated an interest in Elizabeth.
2. Elizabeth is still proposed to, and still refuses Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins still proposes to and is accepted by Charlotte Lucas who still asks Elizabeth to visit her in her new home (i.e. the Rosings Park visit still proceeds as planned).
a. Darcy had nothing to do with the Collins’ side drama and it is unlikely that his absence would have affected the events in any significant way. The most he is mentioned in connection to this is Lizzie’s mortification at Mr. Collins’ unsolicited approach of him and his apparent disapproval of Mr. Collins’ dancing style.
3. Colonel Fitzwilliam still meets Elizabeth at Rosings. Without the ‘protection of her heart’ that she would have had in the original (see Naphy’s Wishful Stretches Number 1), Elizabeth is even more involved in engaging the ‘charming man of gentlemanly appearance’- enough so that it pushes the Colonel over the thin line that prevented him from proposing in the original.
a. The visit to Rosings is described as a ‘yearly event’ at a similar time. Even without Darcy, the timing of both visits would still overlap.
b. Although this is discussed in more length in Naphy’s Wishful Stretches, Elizabeth would probably have come to Rosings far more open to affection than in the original. Without Darcy (who there are strong hints was the actual reason that her heart was protected against the Colonel, even then, since she admitted later to not particularly loving Wickham and finding her heart protected somehow even against him) Elizabeth would be free of both a) worrying that Colonel Fitzwilliam was Darcy’s cousin and b) having Darcy occupy time that could be spent getting to know the Colonel better (i.e. the walks and his silence occasionally putting a damper on conversation). Even in the original, she is a ‘little fluttered’ that the visitor who turns out to be Darcy might be Colonel Fitzwilliam having changed his mind- the basis of attraction for a relationship is definitely there.
c. Colonel Fitzwilliam was obviously very close to proposing in the original- the comment that ‘younger sons can not marry where they choose’ was not one that would be made to someone without serious thought that expectations had been excited. If nothing else, it would be almost enough to force them into marriage by itself if the other party was conniving enough. It seems likely that a little further effort on either side in addition to their compatible personalities, might have made the Colonel give serious consideration to where he could ‘choose to marry’.
Naphy’s Wishful Stretches:
1. Elizabeth is not taken in by George Wickham and is able to view his actions with somewhat clearer eyes than in the original.
a. As is mentioned several times in canon, a large part of Elizabeth’s initial interest in Wickham was to subconsciously spite Darcy. While still believing him to be an attractive man, she wouldn’t have had any further biases in his favour when she initially met him, and would have had a bit of a negative bias against him being a red-coat, if her censure of her sisters’ behavior is to be believed.
b. Whether or not Wickham would have brought Darcy up if he weren’t in the area (I personally believe that he would have told his sob story to gain maximum sympathy), without the strong bias against Darcy to start with, it is likely that Lizzie would have listened to the tale with a bit more of the judgment of the ridiculous that she shows on other occasions. Many of the objections that she realized later, would probably have occurred to her at the time if she were not already biased against the person described. If Darcy had been mentioned as a dear friend of Bingley’s (who would have been near to being engaged to Jane at that point), it would have been even more likely that she would view Wickham with some suspicion. In particular, it is more likely that Lizzie would have compared the impropriety of raising such points at a first meeting with the impropriety of her cousin Mr. Collins’ speeches. Not a particularly favourable comparison :) Result? Elizabeth would have probably have been slightly more suspicious of Wickham, found some of his affectations amusing, and gone to Rosings relatively fancy-free.
2. Lydia does not elope with Wickham.
a. Simply put, the timing as I have it, would prevent her from accompanying Colonel Forster to Brighton. This isn’t so much a stretch as a fact that would arise from the sequence of events I’ve laid out. If Jane’s wedding was held in mid-summer (the most logical time), Lydia would be forced to remain at home in preparation and to meet ‘other rich young men’ coming for the wedding. As well (and this is a wishful stretch), I believe at least part of Wickham’s motivation to choose Lydia (since she was a gentleman’s daughter and not without protection- all previous conquests with the exception of Georgiana had been mentioned as lower class), was sparked by the thought that he might somehow hurt Darcy since he was connected to the family or had been connected to the family, at least through his friend.
Character Effects
Elizabeth Bennet: While still charmingly impertinent and often insightful, Lizzie wouldn’t have experienced the sea change that the humiliation and hard experiences that accompanied the Darcy saga brought her. Although Colonel Fitzwilliam would have brought her to a different kind of maturity, she would have never have had her generally astute characterizations of someone completely overthrown and thus would not have learned that her quickness of mind was not always a good trait. In turn though, she would have learned independence, sexual maturity and the ability to move both in military circles as the wife of a rising officer and in a higher level of society as the wife of the younger son of the Earl of ___.
Fitzwilliam Darcy: By going to the Continent, Darcy would essentially be running away and not actually dealing with what had happened. It is likely that the events that drove him to take his sister overseas would still be at the forefront of his mind when he returns and that the bitterness he felt would have hardened rather than healed in his absence. It is unlikely that his tour would have changed his views on class or his pride in regards to his connections, particularly when recalling the fortune-hunting techniques of Wickham….
Richard Fitzwilliam: By choosing a wife on the basis of affection and compatible personality rather than fortune, the Colonel would be forced to do some late-stage maturation both in justifying his decision to his family (although it wouldn’t cause quite the mess that Darcy or his older brother would in making the same decision) and retrenching his life to be able to accommodate his wife.
This is just part of the initial NP3 tree (No Plot, No Punchline, No Point), but should give you a pretty good idea of my style of Alternate Reality outlining. Basically, I try to upgrade everything in the Wishful Stretches to Canon Supported Extrapolations and eliminate them if I am unable to find enough canon to twist. Now if I ever get around to actually *writing* the story….
As a side note, if anyone knows of a good, relatively straightforward reference (most of the ones I’ve found make Naphy’s head hurt) for military life and military society in Regency England (and that would be army as opposed to navy life) I would be forever in their debt. Normally I’d just ask my brother, but it turns out he’s not into ‘frockcoats and furloughs’. Middle Ages Elitist. -Pouts-
A Key Event/Consequence Web for “Most Truly the Gentleman”
Title taken from Chapter 30- “Colonel Fitzwilliam, who led the way, was about thirty, not handsome, but in person and address most truly the gentleman.”
Blurb: After the ‘Ramsgate Affair’, Fitzwilliam Darcy decides that the best course to avoid a potential scandal and to remove his sister from traumatizing recollections is to take Georgiana and embark on a two-year tour of the Continent, returning just as the time nears to prepare her for ‘coming out’. Although he oversees his estate affairs as best he can, he maintains poor contact with his family and friends and is shocked to discover on his return that both his best friend and his closest cousin have married in his absence. Charles Bingley has married a beautiful, quiet gentleman’s daughter by the name of Jane Bennet and Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam has married her sister- an impertinent, fiery woman with the finest eyes he’s ever seen….
Key Event Change: After Ramsgate, Darcy takes Georgiana on a two-year tour of the Continent.
Immediate Canon Consequences:
1. Darcy does not come with Bingley to Netherfield.
2. Darcy does not meet the Bennets, does not encounter Wickham in Meryton and does not go to Rosings the following spring.
Canon Supported Extrapolations:
1. Bingley returns to Netherfield from London immediately following his business there and proposes to Jane. Wedding follows in due course (probably that summer given the time of proposal, the length of appropriate wait after posting the banns and the difficulties of dealing with Mama Bennet).
a. Although his sisters were against his marriage, it is stated several times in text that it was Darcy’s comments that Jane did not care for him that swayed Bingley to not return since he was ‘humble in his affections’.
b. A good part of Caroline’s opposition to Jane was a) the hope that Georgiana would be married to Charles, increasing the chances of her own marriage to Darcy (both nearly impossible if the Darcys are gone to the continent for an indefinite period of time) and that b) she was hoping to separate Elizabeth from Darcy since her ‘affection for one sister was greatly outweighed by her dislike of the other’ due to jealousy. Again, without Darcy, Jane would actually be a good match for a wealthy tradesman as the daughter of a gentleman and would at least meet the lower ends of the sisters’ expectations or not be seriously enough below for them to voice too much opposition. Most objections were only voiced after Darcy had indicated an interest in Elizabeth.
2. Elizabeth is still proposed to, and still refuses Mr. Collins. Mr. Collins still proposes to and is accepted by Charlotte Lucas who still asks Elizabeth to visit her in her new home (i.e. the Rosings Park visit still proceeds as planned).
a. Darcy had nothing to do with the Collins’ side drama and it is unlikely that his absence would have affected the events in any significant way. The most he is mentioned in connection to this is Lizzie’s mortification at Mr. Collins’ unsolicited approach of him and his apparent disapproval of Mr. Collins’ dancing style.
3. Colonel Fitzwilliam still meets Elizabeth at Rosings. Without the ‘protection of her heart’ that she would have had in the original (see Naphy’s Wishful Stretches Number 1), Elizabeth is even more involved in engaging the ‘charming man of gentlemanly appearance’- enough so that it pushes the Colonel over the thin line that prevented him from proposing in the original.
a. The visit to Rosings is described as a ‘yearly event’ at a similar time. Even without Darcy, the timing of both visits would still overlap.
b. Although this is discussed in more length in Naphy’s Wishful Stretches, Elizabeth would probably have come to Rosings far more open to affection than in the original. Without Darcy (who there are strong hints was the actual reason that her heart was protected against the Colonel, even then, since she admitted later to not particularly loving Wickham and finding her heart protected somehow even against him) Elizabeth would be free of both a) worrying that Colonel Fitzwilliam was Darcy’s cousin and b) having Darcy occupy time that could be spent getting to know the Colonel better (i.e. the walks and his silence occasionally putting a damper on conversation). Even in the original, she is a ‘little fluttered’ that the visitor who turns out to be Darcy might be Colonel Fitzwilliam having changed his mind- the basis of attraction for a relationship is definitely there.
c. Colonel Fitzwilliam was obviously very close to proposing in the original- the comment that ‘younger sons can not marry where they choose’ was not one that would be made to someone without serious thought that expectations had been excited. If nothing else, it would be almost enough to force them into marriage by itself if the other party was conniving enough. It seems likely that a little further effort on either side in addition to their compatible personalities, might have made the Colonel give serious consideration to where he could ‘choose to marry’.
Naphy’s Wishful Stretches:
1. Elizabeth is not taken in by George Wickham and is able to view his actions with somewhat clearer eyes than in the original.
a. As is mentioned several times in canon, a large part of Elizabeth’s initial interest in Wickham was to subconsciously spite Darcy. While still believing him to be an attractive man, she wouldn’t have had any further biases in his favour when she initially met him, and would have had a bit of a negative bias against him being a red-coat, if her censure of her sisters’ behavior is to be believed.
b. Whether or not Wickham would have brought Darcy up if he weren’t in the area (I personally believe that he would have told his sob story to gain maximum sympathy), without the strong bias against Darcy to start with, it is likely that Lizzie would have listened to the tale with a bit more of the judgment of the ridiculous that she shows on other occasions. Many of the objections that she realized later, would probably have occurred to her at the time if she were not already biased against the person described. If Darcy had been mentioned as a dear friend of Bingley’s (who would have been near to being engaged to Jane at that point), it would have been even more likely that she would view Wickham with some suspicion. In particular, it is more likely that Lizzie would have compared the impropriety of raising such points at a first meeting with the impropriety of her cousin Mr. Collins’ speeches. Not a particularly favourable comparison :) Result? Elizabeth would have probably have been slightly more suspicious of Wickham, found some of his affectations amusing, and gone to Rosings relatively fancy-free.
2. Lydia does not elope with Wickham.
a. Simply put, the timing as I have it, would prevent her from accompanying Colonel Forster to Brighton. This isn’t so much a stretch as a fact that would arise from the sequence of events I’ve laid out. If Jane’s wedding was held in mid-summer (the most logical time), Lydia would be forced to remain at home in preparation and to meet ‘other rich young men’ coming for the wedding. As well (and this is a wishful stretch), I believe at least part of Wickham’s motivation to choose Lydia (since she was a gentleman’s daughter and not without protection- all previous conquests with the exception of Georgiana had been mentioned as lower class), was sparked by the thought that he might somehow hurt Darcy since he was connected to the family or had been connected to the family, at least through his friend.
Character Effects
Elizabeth Bennet: While still charmingly impertinent and often insightful, Lizzie wouldn’t have experienced the sea change that the humiliation and hard experiences that accompanied the Darcy saga brought her. Although Colonel Fitzwilliam would have brought her to a different kind of maturity, she would have never have had her generally astute characterizations of someone completely overthrown and thus would not have learned that her quickness of mind was not always a good trait. In turn though, she would have learned independence, sexual maturity and the ability to move both in military circles as the wife of a rising officer and in a higher level of society as the wife of the younger son of the Earl of ___.
Fitzwilliam Darcy: By going to the Continent, Darcy would essentially be running away and not actually dealing with what had happened. It is likely that the events that drove him to take his sister overseas would still be at the forefront of his mind when he returns and that the bitterness he felt would have hardened rather than healed in his absence. It is unlikely that his tour would have changed his views on class or his pride in regards to his connections, particularly when recalling the fortune-hunting techniques of Wickham….
Richard Fitzwilliam: By choosing a wife on the basis of affection and compatible personality rather than fortune, the Colonel would be forced to do some late-stage maturation both in justifying his decision to his family (although it wouldn’t cause quite the mess that Darcy or his older brother would in making the same decision) and retrenching his life to be able to accommodate his wife.
This is just part of the initial NP3 tree (No Plot, No Punchline, No Point), but should give you a pretty good idea of my style of Alternate Reality outlining. Basically, I try to upgrade everything in the Wishful Stretches to Canon Supported Extrapolations and eliminate them if I am unable to find enough canon to twist. Now if I ever get around to actually *writing* the story….
As a side note, if anyone knows of a good, relatively straightforward reference (most of the ones I’ve found make Naphy’s head hurt) for military life and military society in Regency England (and that would be army as opposed to navy life) I would be forever in their debt. Normally I’d just ask my brother, but it turns out he’s not into ‘frockcoats and furloughs’. Middle Ages Elitist. -Pouts-