Sunday, November 25, 2012

Gangsta Love

Here's a letter from Boco, via rpg.net:

I am writing a short story in which the characters go on a series of increasingly ill-advised, illegal, and potentially dangerous dates, starting with breaking into a Build-a-Bear Workshop after hours and culminating in a bank robbery that goes south. I want about three other dates in between those to casually mention and not really dwell on in detail. What are your suggestions? 

There's not a whole lot of room between breaking and entering and bank robbery, so if you want a steady escalation, you might want to start a little lower on the crime scale, but if you don't mind an uneven progression, I do have some ideas.

The danger and ill-advisedness of these dates need not be directly tied to their illegality. You could have the danger be due to the terrain, as with a case of romantic vandalism where your characters might have to climb a public monument to spraypaint their message of love near the top. Alternately, the danger could come from other criminals. Gambling in an underground casino, or even playing on a playground after hours (when the park is taken over by drug dealers, prostitutes, and their customers) both present certain risks.

Finally, if your characters are psychopathic enough to go for it, even the most mundane and domestic activities can be ill-advised and dangerous if done as part of a home invasion. Snuggling on the couch, making fajitas from leftover chicken, or dancing to a romantic song on the radio are downright creepy if you have a family of hostages tied up in the other room (and, if you're going for something a little more innocent, they are still pretty damned criminal if the homeowners are away on vacation).

I hope that helped, and good luck with your story.

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