Props--deliberate or accident?

I don't think there's any prohibition on accidental events in the plot. The advice I keep hearing is simply that the author shouldn't include events by accident. Everything that you include needs to be your deliberate decision. One of those things may be a lost badge. Does that make sense?

I don't have a lot of publication creds to back up my opinion, but I don't see anything wrong with your plot hinging on a lost badge being found by your protagonist, as long as you've set things up so that the loss is believable. I mean, would the UPS-cops really be that careless as to lose their badges, and if so, how long would it take them to realize the loss and come back looking for it? If they did, and didn't find it, what action would they take?

I think it depends on the motivations of the character who finds the badge. Would he be more likely to plan and execute something like this, or just take advantage of a situation he finds himself in?

Nothing is really supposed to happen by accident in a good story, wot?

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No. But it's not your protagonist who's God--it's you; omnsicience and omnipotence, in a story, are the qualities of only the writer. To characters, accidents may happen, so long as they work together for the good of your plot.

In large part, I think it will depend on how important that badge is to the plot. If it's a major driver of the story's events, then a reader might feel cheated that the guy just happened to find it, and just happened to squirrel it away and, oh look! it's exactly what the good guys need to defeat the evil postal service! That smacks of author convenience rather than logical plot evolution.

On the other hand, people sometimes do simply stumble upon things, and the ability to turn the situation to their advantage is considered an admirable trait. So it might say a lot about your character if he's the kind of person who notices little things and keeps them, figuring they might be useful one day.

Don't know if that helped any, but there you go.

Valerie

BTW, I'm really curious. What led to the disarming of the police and various state/federal agencies (military/FBI/Park Rangers/Tobacco and Firearms/etc), and the arming of postal workers? Feel free to email me if you don't want to discuss on the board.

If your protagonist is the only man in the world who could possibly exploit a lost badge to overthrow the tyranny, then it might be too much of a coincidence for him to find the only one ever dropped in a fight.

On the other hand, maybe badges are lost routinely in fights, but nobody thinks anything of it until your guy comes along.

Well, I find myself very often with characters finding, or doing or with "props" wiht no planning. I don't outline, but somewhere in my head I must know the character is going to use it later.

And if not--well, then you go back and get rid of it.

Either way, what's important? How the character got the prop, or the fact that they did get it?

As long as it fits into the story and isn't just a plot easy (something stuck in at the time it's needed) like finding out the main character had judo lessons in the last chapter of the book just so they can beat the bad guy--I think it would be fine either way.

Shawn

2075 is not very far from now.

Of course, I don't know much of your story and what follows may or may not fit your plans, you decide.

Maybe your protag could help an old man (or woman) being chased by the cops. Cops could dislike old people : they have memories of "how it was before" and could be dangerous.

Your protag would certainly become an outlaw if he had been 'spotted' by a satellite, but he could get some help from the old person.
The Old man could own souvenirs from his parents, maybe things whose name and use he barely knows but that could turn out to be very helpful...
He could have some particular skills that he only used to "stay alive" but that your younger protag could use in a more active way, like entering a place without a badge, for example.

The idea I'm trying to give is that your protag could get what he needs as some kind of reward, and not by accident.

triceretops said:

Ooops. Thanks for the bandaid, Mac.

Mistook--yeah, big problem. If the (futuristic) Postal agency is so powerful, they would have safe-guards to recover a "code-entry" badge that gave the wearer access to the secret facility, and that's what's going to happen. As an ex fed, if a badge was lost we only noted the number for future reference and a little BOLO, incase the badge was recovered in a "impersonating an officer" sting. But in the future they'd probably have a satelite chip in dang thing and be able to triangulate it's location and the person who had it (or its hiding place)

I'm trying to puzzle that out now. Maybe he can remove the chip? Back to the concept, goes me!

Tri

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That's a bit of a sticky wicket. If the badge itself can get you any kind of access, then like a credit card, the agency would probably cancel the number out of the system and forget about it.

Maybe he can somehow devise a way to make a duplicate of the magnetic strip or whatever that gives access. Then he turns it in to the lost and found, hopefully smart enough to give a fake name, or remain anonymous.

Then he has a valid access code, and nobody knows it.

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Either way, I love your idea for this story. Having the Post Office end up in charge really makes you stop and think. I like that idea of a totally benign government agency turning evil.

We must be on a similar wavelength, because several months ago I had the idea to incorporate a sub-plot into my WIP wherein the Library of Congress has legions of covert agents, (Who are headed by the Poet Laureate) out on the streets of America doing "investigations" of unknown artists - amassing huge case files that go into a central database. It's all part of their dedication to the concept of national creativity being a powerful resource, like oil.

The logic to justify the investigations is thus:

1) All copyrighted works default to Public Domain eventually.

2) All artists expressions are automatically copyrighted upon completion, without ever having to be registered.

3) The government has the duty to preserve all American works if possible, but if an unknown artist dies without having registered any of his works, they are lost to history.

4) The government has the right to gather art intelligence and hold it in a state of legal limbo until the copyright expires, wherin it is added to the wealth of the public doman.

The problem arises that one of the higher-ups starts selling database access to media outlets at a high premium. Media moguls are not allowed to steal the copyrighted works, but can use the database for "inspiration", because the ideas themselves are not protected by law.

Needless to say, the nation evolves into this place where all artists starve, while the media is getting rich on their inspirations - using models to personify fictional creatures cut from the cloth of the LCIA database.

Spoooooky!

triceretops said:

Thanks, Mistook--yep, very similar story-line there. The deterioration of society is the theme and plot--very similar.

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So I don't quite understand why it is the Post Office who is in charge of stamping out the written word. Is it because written communication comes squarely under their auspices?

triceretops said:

Yes, your last sentence spells it out totally. Communication and the written word is controled by the Postal Service, but I'm considering using a new organization that monitors written word damage control. Haven't thought of it yet.

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I like the idea of a new entity. If you use an agency that deals in written communication, wouldn't somebody at some point ask "What is this 'postal' thing they're talking about?" or something like that? If the goal was to completely eradicate written communication, I would think you wouldn't want a reference to it in the organization's title since it might raise suspicion.

I'd come up with something new myself, but that's just my $.02.

Jonathon

Having a plot point hinge upon chance or fate can be a strong choice as long as it fits within the thematic context of the story. Many of Shakespeare's plays depended upon the element of chance and it works within his mileau because he also presents a world where fate takes an active hand upon events.

However, if you are not deliberately using fate as a theme, it is a weak choice because it makes the character a passive participant.

Passive = weak.

Much stronger is a way which will somehow reveal something about your character, or is the result of a charcter choice.

Choice = strength.

- Anatole

If the original badgeholder was one of a dozen cops hospitalised during a big riot, they might not check his badge was still on him for a few hours, or days.

As for the accident/design thing. I read somewhere that the best - as in most engaging - heroes don't volunteer for their heroics, but rather have heroics forced upon them by the situation and their morallity. If you believe that, then this badge could create the unexpected event which forces the hero into action.

Sounds great. (I love the idea of a postal service as the villain - the number of hours I've wasted chasing up bits of misdelivered or misdirected armour is unbelievable!)

I'm being summoned ot dinner, and haven't had a chance to read the thread since yesterday, but i've always thought accidents were all right at the beginning of a story.

one wqouldn't want the crucial plot twist that resolved a story to happen by accident, but the situation that begins the story can be an accident.

Good: hero accidentally intercepts a coded message; adventures ensue

Bad: after the hero sneaks into the evil overlords castle, an earthquake destroys it for no reason.

triceretops said:

I think I'll have her track down my hero on her off time and be just one step and shadow behind him for a long time in the book--(tension-filled sub-plot). How's that sound?

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I think it sounds good, myself. And yes, your statements about officials being in a position to cover up things is very true. I saw it often in the military. Usually on unimportant stuff, but easily works with other things too, contrary to what people might want to believe.

Also, I like the FCC angle. Especially in light of recent disagreements over their jurisdiction and power, that would be an excellent choice, I would think.

Jonathon

fallenangelwriter said:

one wouldn't want the crucial plot twist that resolved a story to happen by accident...

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Would that be an "oops ex machina"?

[ducks for cover]

triceretops said:

The badge that was lost is a "captains" badge. This big female captain is a brute and her underling officers are terified of her and will "NOT" report her even if they are certain (which they're not) she lost it in the fight. She, being a supervisor will naturally cover this up so as to save face from the chief.

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Knowing this, I wouldn't let her "lose" her badge. Instead I'd go for your protag pull it off her uniform. Snatching the thing that represents her powers off her uniform could somehow be seen like a "symbolic castration"... and maybe make the readers happy, if they already knew about the woman's behaviour/character...