Keeping track of “when” everything occurs in a novel can be challenging. I set the events of Into the Tides into a calendar during my editing process to track the progress of the story and ensure I didn’t violate any laws of time (you know, like 36-hour days!) I did have to make a couple of minor adjustments, but when I was finished, I had a nice timeline of the story.
So of course, I thought I’d share.
I’ve always imagined the Broken Powers universe to be set in the near future, so I used 2020-2021 as Kelly’s calendar year.
I’ve tried to keep things vague, but even still there are spoilers, so be warned! This calendar is best used during or after reading the story, since most things on it won’t make sense until you read the event alluded to.
Sun Nov 15, 2020
3:30pm – 4:30pm Tide Zone at full; expected next full Tide: Feb 13, 2021
Sat Nov 28, 2020
5pm – 6pm Kelly goes to the book shop; Derik moves in
Sun Nov 29, 2020
6:30pm – 7:30pm Derik introduces himself (crockpot dinner)
Mon Nov 30, 2020
12pm – 1pm Meet Owen at lunch
Tue Dec 1, 2020
7am – 8am Begin Carpool with Derik
5:30pm – 6:30pm Derik shares crockpot dinner
Wed Dec 2, 2020
5:30pm – 6:30pm Derik cooks steaks
Tue Dec 8, 2020
12pm – 1pm The lake’s rhythm changes
8pm – 9pm Kelly agrees to join Recovery Team
Wed Dec 9, 2020
12:30am – 1:30am Tide Zone halfway mark
9:30am – 10:30am Derik confirms Kelly can join Recovery Team
Thu Dec 10, 2020
8:30am – 9:30am Kelly submits Recovery Team application.
10am – 11am Kelly submits leave time paperwork for Recovery.
4pm – 5pm Boss approves Kelly’s leave time.
Fri Dec 11, 2020
5:30am – 6:30am First major Snowstorm of Tides
Tue Dec 15, 2020
2pm – 3pm Press Pass comes in for Kelly
Sat Dec 19, 2020
2:30pm – 3:30pm Arrive in Memphis from Wisconsin
Sun Dec 20, 2020
5am – 6am Meet Valdez & Elizabeth. Recovery begins.
12pm – 1pm Enter Tide Zone
3:30pm – 4:30pm Trax gets home from tour-Madison
7:30pm – 8:30pm Set up tent with Elizabeth. Fox.
Mon Dec 21, 2020
10am – 11am First Recovery stop-bank
Tue Dec 22, 2020
6:30pm – 7:30pm Split off from main Caravan.
10pm – 11pm Kelly meets squirrel trio
Wed Dec 23, 2020
8am – 9am Bank; squirrel trio
11:30pm – 12am Kelly understands squirrels (second coherence words)
Thu Dec 24, 2020
12am – 12:30am Kelly understands squirrels (second coherence words)
9am – 10am Louis has panic attack
11:30am – 12:30pm Move to Jewelry store
3pm – 4pm Mad Bear attacks Derik
9:30pm – 10:30pm Mall: Elizabeth tells Hunter story
Fri Dec 25, 2020
3pm – 4pm 2nd day at Mall
Sun Dec 27, 2020
7am – 8am Team leaves mall.
10:30am – 11:30am Stone gets dropped off with passing Team.
12pm – 1pm Reach Edge of Tide; salvage bank
2:30pm – 3:30pm Butterfly encounter
5pm – 6pm Kelly wakes up. Cheese tortellini
8pm – 9pm Campfire. Louis’s butterfly wing.
Mon Dec 28, 2020
1am – 2am Tide Zone at lowest point
1:30pm – 2:30pm Hunter in truck
2:30pm – 3:30pm Head out
5pm – 6pm Stop to make camp
Tue Dec 29, 2020
3am – 3:30am Kelly sneaks out of camp
3:30am – 3:30am Begins trip to Montgomery
6:30am – 7:30am Reach Montgomery, AL
11:30am – 12:30pm Reach Stewartville
8:30pm – 9:30pm Reach Memphis
Sat Jan 9, 2021
1:30pm – 2:30pm Debriefing ends–Kelly goes home
Sun Jan 10, 2021
10:30am – 11:30am Kelly reaches home
6:30pm – 7:30pm Trax convinces Kelly to take a day off work
Mon Jan 11, 2021
2:30pm – 3:30pm Find Owen
Tue Jan 12, 2021
9am – 10am Kelly goes back to work
6pm – 7pm Sandra joins them for dinner
Thu Jan 14, 2021
2pm – 3pm Kelly tries to magic Owen
Fri Jan 15, 2021
6:30am – 7:30am Derik “breaks in” to Kelly’s apartment
Sat Jan 16, 2021
10:30am – 4pm SCUBA recertification part 1
Sun Jan 17, 2021
10am – 5pm SCUBA recertification: open water
Mon Jan 18, 2021
9:30am – 10:30am Otter It Be Pointed Out
5:30pm – 6:30pm Trax invites Sandra over
Tue Jan 19, 2021
3am – 4am Trax’s text
12pm – 1pm Call bandmate
7pm – 8pm Co-op
9:30pm – 10:30pm Sneak into the warehouse
11pm – 12am Reach dive chamber
Wed Jan 20, 2021
5:30am – 6:30am Escape on boat
6:30pm – 7:30pm Hotel discussion & Pizza
Thu Jan 21, 2021
12:30am – 1:30am Tide Zone halfway to high
4:30pm – 5:30pm Meet with Valdez
Sat Jan 23, 2021
5:30am – 6:30am Leave Madison for Tide Zone
4pm – 5pm Reach Tide Zone
Sun Jan 24, 2021
7:30am – 8:30am Pancakes and Interviews
11am – 12pm Going through the Edge
3:30pm – 4:30pm Derik and the Huntress; Trax disappears
Mon Jan 25, 2021
3am – 4am Gulf Coast
10:30am – 11:30am Landing on the Oil Platform
1pm – 1:30pm Kelly in the maintenance room
2pm – 2:30pm First Drill
3:30pm – 4pm Second drill
Tue Jan 26, 2021
10am – 11am Helicopter lands in desert
11pm – 12am Kelly’s experiment
Wed Jan 27, 2021
6pm – 7pm Cafeteria steak
Tue Feb 9, 2021
6pm – 7pm Find new licenses
Wed Feb 10, 2021
11:30am – 12:30pm Press Conference
2pm – 3pm Reunion; INTO THE TIDES ends