Write a short novel?

Jesse and Kaity Taking the Great Walk on New Island.

While on the boat, I began playing with a story idea that takes place on New Island, that little-known island-nation in the Indian Ocean.  Here's the idea:  Two girls become pen-pals; Kaity lives on New Island, Jesse in a small town in Wisconsin.  They become close friends after several months of writing and Jesse manages to travel to County Mulhenry, New Island, for a summer visit with Kaity.  Kaity has finished high school and wants to go on The Long Walk, a popular rite-of-passage amongst kids her age.  The New Island Wandering Guide describes The Long Walk:

The Great Walk

For a 16-year-old New Islander, it is an exciting time.  Upon completing high school, girls and boys are encouraged to take the Long Walk, an unforgettable experience of adventure and self-discovery.  The practice was inspired by Roger Putney's long walks and has been popular since the 1880s.  The Long Walk gives one a chance to find one's interests in life, to meet new friends, and to donate some time for community service.  These coming-of-age wanderers traditionally take a year or more to walk the back country and coastline paths, and visit various tribes and settlements along the way.

They meet people their own age, explore the island, and have time to think about what's important to them.  Little money is needed, as most places along the way willingly provide meals and lodging in return for an hour or two each day at a community task.  The work experience and social benefits are priceless.  The only hazards to a wanderer on the island are the weather or an accident.  Fear of others is unknown, though intuitive caution is a given.

Most of these young wanderers eventually settle in one of the communities they have visited, or choose to go to University.  If the choice is to settle, he or she will live in the singles' house or may be allowed to build his or her own hut nearby.  In the singles' house, everyone has their own or a shared bedroom, and the shared kitchen, parlor, and other common rooms provide opportunity for socialization.  At this stage, there is no expectation that a young person will stay with a tribe or neighborhood permanently.  If they are incompatible, the newcomer can simply move on.  Some wander from tribe-to-tribe for years until they find the "right one."

At first, Jesse things she's only going on a hike for a few days, but is up for the adventure when Kaity reveals that this is much more!  They gather their supplies and set off on a route around the island, stopping at various campgrounds, hostels, and settlements, helping out when they can and having many adventures in the process.

Now I'm a bit stuck on how to develop the plot...

Comments

[Chenresi]

Sounds like a cool idea.
There's no one right way to tackle plot.
You could jot down "incidents" as they occur to you and later on arrange them in chronological order.

What do you want to say with this story? Who will read it?

Have you written up character descriptions? How do the characters differ from each other?

How do you want the story to end?

The meat of a story is in conflict - not necessarily against each other or against other people - it could be against the environment, the elements, one's own ignorance, weaknesses. Without some sort of conflict, it's a pretty dull and short tale - "we were all happy, tra la la".

The outline reads a bit like a "coming of age" combined with "fish out of water" story. What will make yours different and worth reading?

Good luck with it and I look forward to seeing progress on this.(this assumes you will post some more about it)

cheers
Chenresi