When I was in seventh grade, (a long time ago, back when teachers still required book reports) Mrs. Baker, my English, Spelling, and Reading teacher gave us several options to pick for one of them. I only remember two. One was to do a diorama. The other one was to write a sequel to the book. I had just finished reading one of Jeanette Oke's books. It felt like the last book in the series to me, and I wasn't happy about it! Anyway, I decided that I was going to write the sequel. It took me the whole time we had read the book and do the book report to write it. (Was I glad I had already read the book!)

After we had turned them in we got a chance to look at the projects everyone else had done. I remember being absolutely shocked when I saw the other sequels. They were one page! (Hand written. No computers!) Mine was (I think) 36 pages long. (Needless to say I got an "A" on that book report!) I guess that would be about the time I started thinking I would really like to write a book or two.

Well, time holds still for no one. While I still haven't written book I haven't given up the idea. Everyone once in awhile I start again.

About two years ago I realized WHY we read books. We care about the character. We love them, or hate them. We relate to them. We wish we were like them. We see ourselves in them. It doesn't matter how good the plot is if we don't care about the character we don't care about the story. (I came to this conclusion when I was reading a book that from the summary I expected to be absolutely sucked into and realized I DIDN'T CARE! Her husband was about to leave her after finding out the secret she had kept from him their entire marriage, and I DIDN'T CARE IF HE STAYED OR LEFT. I was only finishing the book to be able to say I finished the book...)

My characters are my weak point. So I'm here to work on it. I'm taking characters that have already been created and seeing if I can keep it going. Right now I'm into The Divergent Trilogy. Veronica Roth has created characters that we love, and hate. We relate to. We wish we were like. We see ourselves in. I've also struggled with 1st person, and that seems to be what people like, so... My plan is to write first person in someone other than the main characters.

We'll see how it goes...

Savanah Rose

(Yes, I know I misspelled Savannah, but the correct spelling was already taken and I love the name. I am not from the South. Not even sure I've ever visited Savannah, so the name has nothing to do with that, but roses are my favorite flower.)

Dauntless Gray/The Blackest Shade of Gray

Milner asked me for an idea as to what time of year certian events occur. I will update this as needed. It is a broad timeline as to the order and what year of the story the event occured in.

I have chosen June as the month for the Choosing Ceremony mainly because schools in my area get out for the year around then. I'm starting with June and ending with May since Dauntless Gray started in June. If you'd like to know the months of any events from either story that aren't in here PM me and I'll see if it works to include them.

Read with caution. There are spoilers in here if you are behind in reading from where I am in writing.

This is a chart for "standard" holidays and birthdays

June is Choosing Day and Hana's birthday

July Graduation for Initiates and Ash(ley)'s birthday

August Chaz's birthday

September Amar's birthday and Ezekiel's birthday

October

November Nuptials Day and Feast Day

December Shauna's birthday Risk Day

January

February

March

April

May Mother's Day

Basic timeline for events (a lot of events are missing) Since in many ways Natalie coming to Chicago is the catalyst for many of the events of this story I'm using the year she joined the experiment as year 0. Since this is canon all ages (except Natalie who according to David was 17) on Choosing Day are 16.

Year 0

Natalie joins the Chicago Experiment

Dauntless Gray

Year 1

Hana, Leeann, Chaz, Angie, Rob, Abilyn, Bekah, Tori choose Dauntless. Natalie, Andrew, and Evelyn choose Abnegation. Jeanine chooses Erudite

Hana catches Natalie where she shouldn't be and is recruited by her.

Hana finds out about Divergents.

Jude threatens Hana.

Eli catches Jude attacking Hana.

Year 2

Eli and Hana start dating.

Leeann and Chaz, Angie and Rob get married.

Norton almost has a heart attack.

Year 3

Hana and Eli get engaged.

Find out the story of Leeann and Nick's parents.

Jude attacks Hana on the roof.

The morning before Hana and Eli, Bekah and Conner, Abilyn and Ben get married

The Blackest Shade of Gray

Year 3 continued

Hana's and Eli's Nuptials Day

Angie pregnant

Hana pregnant

Abilyn pregnant

Eli finds out about Natatlie

Ash(ley) born

Zeke born

Shauna born

Hana pregnant

Getting Ava out of Dauntless

Eli starts leadership training

Norton dies

Year 4

George comes to Dauntless

Angel dies

Hana meets Eli's sister

Jeanine starts working on a new apptitude test

Hana pregnant again

Year 5

Caleb born

Discovery that Eli is Divergent

Train Accident Rais and Jazz die and Marley leaves Chicago

Lynn born

Rita and Kari born (Rita's twin sister who dies in Divergent)

Gabe born

James born

Uriah born

Marlene born

Year 6

Pedrad family picture from Allegiant is taken

Year 7

Hana's brother gets married

Abram leaves Dauntless

Year 9

Marisa gives an advanced copy of the new Aptitude Test (the one Tris goes through) to Hana to give to Natalie.