Inspired by a story one of my teacher's told me.

This is a draft outline, and I'm looking for input on how I could improve it ie. Historical Accuracy, character names/history, etc.

Kate Billings is the daughter of a scandalous affair - a priest who fell in love with one of the church-goers (is there a more correct term for this?). At her birth, she is sent to live in Lyon, France with one of her aunts. She grows up in the orphanage that Aunt Therese runs. When WWII starts, sixteen-year-old Kate finds herself being pulled from her studies to help the wave of orphans that seek refuge in her aunt's place. As a result, her chances of going to college to become a doctor (still debating this part) are dashed when she fails her exams. And when she tries to go out on her own, she is forced to become a Social Worker to earn money.

The Resistance takes her on, having her carry messages as she goes about her regular duties as a social worker. When caught, Kate is imprisoned. It is there that she meets Joe Franklin, a Canadian doctor captured by the Germans.

After this point, all I know is that Joe is going to fall in love with Kate and they return to Canada together. Can anybody help me by giving me some information about the Resistance and women in WWII? Thanks!

Hmm...I'm no expert on the Resistance, and won't pretend to be, but I found a good website about it: http://www.scrapbookpages.com/natzweiler/History/FrenchResistance.html Beyond that I can't help you much, but I can name a couple of books that might help. "The longest day" by Cornelius Ryan touches on it a little bit, but that was more about the stuff in 1944 leading up to d-day. Vive LA France": The French Resistance During World War II by Robert Green (never read it so I can't say anything about it.) Resistance Fighter: A Teenage Girl in World War II France by Elisabeth Sevier(I find this just eerie, its just what you wanted right?)

Not to be mean but I just can’t see, one how a Conidian doctor could end up in Nazi France as the country was basically cut off, no one was really aloud in or out. And two why the German’s would bother going after a doctor; they had much bigger things to worry about such finding members of the Resistance and arresting them.This will change your story dramatically but I could see Kate’s love interest being a Conidian/ American (I just put /American cuz I know a lot about the American air force, but hey its your story.) airman, who gets shot down. Let me explain, most bomber crews had a medic, that’s the closest thing to a doctor that I could think of. But the cool thing is, that would give a reason for the Gestapo, as well as, the German army to chase him. Check out The Crucible of War, 1939-1945: The Official History of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Other than that I can’t help you. Good luck, if you need anything else, don’t hesitate to contact me. Oh, can I ask one small favor? I posted part of my novel about the American Civil War, and am dying to get reviews. Please find it your heart to take a look.

-Lee

As I've said, I know next to nothing about WWII (I'm a Imperial Russian addicted person XD). Thank you so much for the link, I'll check it out, as well as the books you've recommended.

I actually like your idea better, it would actually make more sense now that I think about it. I'm basing this story off of one a teacher told us about his mother, and he didn't give us any info about his father so I'm just fiddling with it. The air force medic idea sounds a hell of a lot better than mine, thanks so much!

I'll check out your story. For the billionth time, thanks! :)

Sissi

You're idea wasn't bad, it just seemed a little complacted. But good luck, like i said if you need anything more just say the word! And thanks for the review!

Again I don't wanna come off as mean, but Kate Billings sounds a little English/American too me. You might wanna google Fernch names.

How about Adele? That's a cute French name...

Its you're story so go with it. If you have anymoore qustions about the air froce and all that, just let me know. I'm a HUGE war guy so... If you decide to write the sence where the guy gets shotdown I'd gladly give suggestions or help you put it together if you like.

I'll be sure to message you when I get to that part. It won't be for awhile so don't hold your breath. :)

I think I might change the name... Definitely the "Billings" part, but I'm kind of partial to Cathérine. I like Adèle too, I'll use her in one of my upcoming chars.

*Turns blue and dies* Oh wait you said don't! Coolie, for the millionith time I'll help. I did some dinging and can't find anything on AF medics...but they had em. Did you get my Review Reply???

Yeah, I just got to my email today. I'll give you my ideas once I've thought them out. English class is draining me of that, when it should be helping. :D

Hmm... I'll do some research as well; my library sucks but I'll bring my shovel and dig out their basement. Surely there's something cool in there...

Oh ok. Did you my PM about the RP?

Yeah, I got that too. I would join, but unfortunately I know next to nothing about the Civil War and I'd probably just cause a lot of anger and *headdesk*s. :D

So I've written out a plan for Fleur de Lys - hopefully it makes some kind of sense. I've changed both Kate & Joe's last names, and changed up the story just a little. Don't worry Lee, you'll get your dogfight scene XD.

Prologue - Marie DesChamps - Young Marie loses her mother and her brother and is left with her father. She seeks solace in the church and in the companionship of the Catholic priest, a childhood friend who's affection for her is more than just friendly. She winds up pregnant with his child and is forced to give up her infant daughter Kate to the priest's sister in Lyons.

Chapter 1 - Kate Portier - A seventeen-year-old girl in the care of her aunt, Kate is still a child in Aunt Therese's eyes. However, the meek aunt is given advice from a woman who influences her deeply - the advice being that Kate ought to become a nurse. Kate agrees, eager for the chance of escaping the dreary garderie.

Chapter 2 - Joe Derricks - Joe sits in a bar, having one last drink before getting on the train. He's talking with his friend David, who goes on and on about piloting planes and shooting down Nazis. Joe is just as eager, but more because he won't have to fly the planes - just be the medic. When David starts ranting about the woman he's leaving behind, Joe just rolls his eyes. He leaves the bar with David, muttering how he'll just stay a bachelor his entire life.

Chapter 3 - Kate Portier - Two months after we first meet Kate, she's working hard at the hospital. She's been lacking in her studies, and her recent tests are proving that. She runs to school, still in her nurse's uniform and arrives moments late for her exams. She sighs, trying to fudge through the exam as much as possible. She finishes last, and goes back to the garderie knowing she's failed.

*ONE YEAR LATER*

Chapter 4 - Joe Derricks - (Lee, I'll need some help with this one... OK, a LOT of help.) The siren rings, and Joe runs out with his kit. He glances up at the sky, seeing the German planes and laughing. David grabs his arms and guides him roughly towards one of their planes. Joe and David find themselves in a dogfight but their plane crashes. The plane is on fire, and Joe jumps out in time. David is unresponsive and Joe debates saving himself, or pulling David out. He runs off and the plane explodes.

Chapter 5 - Kate Portier - The evening twilight of Lyons gives the perfect cover for Kate. Now a social worker, the eighteen-year-old now takes care of children and families. Her most important task is supporting families who've lost someone in the war. Also a member of the Resistance, Kate smuggles messages to the families of POWs. Tonight, however, the Gestapo catches her and she finds herself being sent to Drancy.

Chapter 6 - Joe Derricks - Seeking refuge, Joe looks for some way to escape. He sees an oncoming train and knows this is his chance. Little does he know that this train is being led to the Drancy internment camp. He jumps on and is dragged inside, questioned by the French police. It becomes obvious that he's an American, and is sent in with the prisoners. Kate takes pity on him, and notices a cut on his arm. She bandages it and the two become friends.

Chapter 7 - Kate Portier - The train arrives at Drancy. Joe and Kate are separated, Kate being sent to board with four Jewish women. Two of them are mothers, their children having been sent to Aushwitz on the last train. The five become friends and agree to support each other during this time.

Chapter 8 - Joe Derricks - (This will basically be a chapter describing the conditions of Drancy & the day-to-day routine. I can't find much on Drancy, but I've got a general idea of what's happening.)

*TWO MONTHS LATER*

Chapter 9 - Kate Portier - The trains arrive again, and Kate finds out that Joe's being sent to Auschwitz. She panics, knowing the rumors that "everyone dies at Auschwitz". She tries to talk to him, but is unable to. She waits by the gate and sees him board the train, then decides to go with him. She begs the guards to let her go, and they do. She is reunited with Joe, who scolds her for coming with him.

Chapter 10 - Joe Derricks - As the train goes through Poland, the train is stopped by Allied soldiers and prisoners try to escape. Joe and Kate make a break for it, avoiding the bullets of the Gestapo. They hide in the forest, making plans to try and get out of German territory. The next morning, the two are discovered by Resistance fighters and take them to a safe place.

*FIFTY YEARS LATER*

Epilogue - David Derricks - Retelling the story of his parents to his high-school classroom. One of his students asks what happened to the four women, and David tells them that they all died at Auschwitz. The class goes silent, and another kid asks what happened to Joe and Kate. David smiles and explains they escaped Europe and emigrated to Canada, where they had three children together named Theresa, David, and Katherine.

Allright, so I'm gonna need a lot of held to get that done. Thanks for all the help you've given me already Lee, it means a lot.

Hey don't worry about not knowing a lot about the Civil War. II have a have a whole page with links about it (and i'm still adding) I stoped at chap 4 cuz I have a few things to cover. I think it would be best if Joe Derricks was on B17. As that's only type of plane I know had medics. The was a plot, coplot, tailgunner, two sidegunners, balltuerit gunner, navigator, boombader, and medic (I think they might have had other duties as well) I guess you need to decide when this takes place.. I think it would be a tad easier if you set this in 44 just after or around D-day. At that the german's had very few planes in Fernce, and it would be more likely if the plane got taken down aniaircrat fire. To me that would horrorfying, cuz its a huge shell that musrooms out like a grnade and can rip though the belly of plane really easy. At least a enmey plane they can drat away but with flack (aniaircaft fire) all can do is weeve though it and hope you don't clipped. I think my wrose if Joe got caught by the Gestapo, they would torcore him in ways you can read about yourself.

Thanks for the info on the planes - I'm a pilot's daughter so I have some idea of what you're talking about. I had the idea that it would be set in 1940-42ish, but I seem to recall that the Auschwitz camp was liberated around 1945 towards the very end of the war. I've mostly been concentrating on studying Drancy and Auschwitz, trying to get a feel for the camps. I'll do some more research on B-17s and work out the basics. Can you give me an idea of where an Allied airbase would be if it was close to France? I seem to recall France being anti-German at the beginning of the war, then helping with the genocides towards the middle & end. But I'll need that verified.

I like the idea of Joe getting caught by the Gestapo, but I don't know how he and Kate would meet if it wound up like that. Plus, how would he run into them? Would they get him on the ground or something?

... OK that just sounded weird. XD

Thanks for all the help again. I'll see what I can do about the Civil War stuff. ;)

Airbases? Ah, don't know much. If you can your hands on "The wild blue" that should help. Any of the a Yankee flyer novels by Al Arvy will help. I remember there was a show on the history channel that was pretty much the same story Dude got shot down was saved by Fernch girl (they did not fall in love) and ended up in a constion camp. If i think of tittle you should buy it, it'll out a lot. Hope you join the Rp.

Grr, I don't get the History Channel. Funny, the one channel I actually want. :D

Hmm, I'll go see what I can do. I looked up the book and it seems worth buying. Any other tips?

On what? (And the show from like 01, so I doubt they run it anyway.

Just the story. I've started writing chapter two, should be up by the week's end. :)

Did you post some of it?

Just the prologue and the first chapter. My program is a piece of crap, and I wanted to format it right. I miss good old Word. :D

I reread the prologe and glanced at chap. 1 I think, you need to eathier talk about why "made love" or discribe it in a flashback or somthing. In the begaining it just sounds like she loves Fr. whatshisname, and you hint she's pergen't right before the sence of her giving brith. It just seems rushed to me, but maybe i'm over thinking thigs.

If you need help working out the diolouge for the Gestapo and airfroce sneces I'd glady work it out with you. I highly doubt Alild soidiers would stumble on a train headed for a consetion camp -unless you have hard facts i'm going to say that wishful thinking. I could see if this was 44 or 45 a alild plane firing on the train (thinking it was spulies) and disabling it.

OK, made some changes. Fixed the date *setting it in 44*, added more to the prologue, updated & added chapter 3. *whew*

I'll be working on the next part with Kate, so when that's finished I'll need some help with the part where Joe's plane crashes & he gets caught by the gestapo. I just have one question though before I get an outline done: How would the Gestapo find Joe? His plane's been crashed by anti-aircraft fire, so would that mean that the people who fired on his plane would catch him, THEN send him to the gestapo? Ahh!!! Help!!! *cowers in fear*

That could happen, its very reallsic. Another option (this is that guy in the docuarmy got caught), is alot of people claming to be part the Restince would say they would help smuggle downed ploits out france, but they would turn those ploits over to the gestapo for some sum of money. Then the gestapo would treat the ploit as a spy; a lot of times they were killed.

Awesome. I've put the story on hiatus for now; so I won't be writing that scene for a few weeks.

You need to get this book, it'll tell you everything you need to know. I've read it eight times, maybe more :D

http://www.amazon.com/World-War-American-Heritage-Library/dp/0828103313/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1211760861&sr=1-2

*saves up to buy it*

Here's a present for you Writing Gods... oh and Lee...

Kate Billings

September 1944 Lyons & Paris, France

The flat, rented in the outskirts of Lyons, was far from ideal. Rats scurried about and hunted for stray crumbs while mould caked the walls like a cheap decoration. With the minimal wage I was earning now, it was the best I could do. The only furniture in the apartment was a table that seemed to be missing a leg it wobbled so much, a chair that was ready to break under the slightest pressure, and a chest I'd hauled from the garderie. There was a hard old army cot in the bedroom, more uncomfortable than sleeping on the floor. Aunt Therese sent me food once in awhile, seeing as my cooking abilities were non existent, but most often I went hungry.

I blamed it all on Mme. Phoebus.

The early summertime brought a change in the old woman's attitude. She was now willing to teach me herself how to be a lady. Her first stop was in Paris, the place of my dreams. The place I'd longed since infancy to visit and revel in it's majesty. Madame had other ideas. Instead of taking me to dine in a cafe, she took me to the Red Cross hospital. The old stone building we approached looked nothing like what I believed a hospital to be. Mortar was falling off in clumps, and I was surprised it hadn't been condemned. I glanced around and remembered that war changed everything. Paris, Aunt Therese had warned, was now in the middle of a war zone. Lyons was the image of blissful ignorance in comparison.

When Mme. Phoebus led me under the white flag with the red cross symbol, I had to hold my breath to ignore the smell. Decaying flesh and blood fills my nostrils with the pungeant scent of death worse than the mess hall the garderie. Madame rolled her eyes at my childishness and tugged me along to the main office, through a crowded corridor of wounded soldiers. Dear God, what sort of person could live like this? Loyal frenchmen, lying in pools of their own waste of blood and pus and forced to wait while nurses tended to others in more dire need. I learned later that the ones in dire need were the ones they could save... not the ones begging for their lives, lying in a hallway while their final seconds were counted down and forgotten.

Some of them cried out in pain and delerium, agony that lingered from the battlefield. The nurses- they looked nothing like the brave nurses in the tales they told. Their uniforms were worn and wrinkled, with blood, sweat and dirt coating them like they hadn't been washed in years. They were tired and haggard, some of them crying by the besides of fallen heroes. These were the young ones, those her were as naive as I am, their innocence ripped from them like bullets tearing through skin. I turned my eyes away, fearing my future here.

In the office, I was introduced to a strange-looking woman in a blue uniform, her fashionable red hair peering out beneath a blue hat. She looked like she was a soldier of the RAF, but the crudely-sewn patch on her breast with the red cross proved me wrong. Her name was Marie-Catherine, known around the wards as Bloody Mary, and was hired to teach the nurses eager to learn. I was a student, yes, but my eagerness was less than apparent. For weeks, her face loomed over everything I did, her eyes judging every move I made like a hawk would survey a mouse. Fortunately, I was not her only victim. I boarded with twelve other girls in the barracks, all well-born Parisian girls who came on the hope of marrying a brave soldier or simply augmenting their parents' popularity in social circles with their community service. We worked in the wards, doing the nastiest tasks possible. Sopping up blood and emptying the bedpans seemed to be Bloody Mary's favorite method of torture.

As I worked to earn my nursing certificate, my studies began to fall behind. I failed the easiest assignments, my teachers looking down and shaking their heads. When exams loomed on the horizon, all I could do was pray that I could get just high enough to pass. Even if it was one point over, I would be happier than a clam.

Of the four exams I took, I didn't pass a single one.

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