A possibility

Perfect Girl is a fictional memoir of Sarah, of course. And given that a memoir can cover just a specific portion of a person's life as opposed to the entire life, I will seriously consider writing a more focused memoir, one that centers around Sarah's flight attendant stint, since it's the major component of what I am trying to write anyway. Other events in Sarah's life can be handled in the form of various references, maybe a flashback or two.

Some of my previous instructors and classmates suggested that I try not to rely heavily on flashbacks. And I know there are risks to that approach. But if I can get a much more focused memoir that still manages to show the reader a lot about Sarah and her life, that will do the trick. (A side effect of this change: Sarah and Kirsten can fall in love much sooner, and get married in San Francisco in 2004.)

Another thing I could do is to have Sarah return to work at United Airlines, when United recalls all its furloughed flight attendants in 2006. I could use two years of layoff as a time when Sarah tries to get meaningful employment, with little success, to show the bleak employment situation that is the reality of many transgender women.

Lots of possibilities. I may need to write this new outline out, and see how it works out.

And when I get home tonight, I will fire up my iTunes and see if its online store offers Rhapsody in Blue - the composition United Airlines uses as its theme music. I need writing music that sets the right tone, and none better than the music that has represented Sarah's employer for decades.