Eurgh. Hello again forum. I have a plot I've been dying (hehe, you'll get it in a second) to put into motion for months now, but I can't seem to come up with a storyline to encapsulate it. Of course, I don't want anyone to swoop in and tell me "You should write THIS!" and donate their idea. Then it would be your story, not mine. I originally thought this would make for some brilliant RP, but the only interest this premise has generated has been so fleeting that I've never gotten past the initial introductory posts with potential partners. Nothing happens when I offer this plot as collab, so I have to write it alone. So here it is: Jack is affiliated with a website which gives only a brief description of him as an option for assisted suicide. "Vampire" is stated clearly, with a disclaimer that yes, he is the real thing. No photo or name is given, but there is a contact number. It goes to a secretary who must ask a bunch of psych-eval type questions to determine that the client is indeed of sound mind and not in a crisis situation. If the caller is approved, they are forwarded to Jack's voicemail and then he contacts them within 24 hours. Some caveats I am aware of: Secretary person taking calls for assisted suicide obviously should be thoroughly trained in ... whatever field it is that suicide prevention hotlines train their people in. Legal nightmare for the aforementioned website and everyone involved. They would have to be super hush-hush, but is that possible on the internet? Also, like, a billion waivers. They are basically hitmen. "You are literally asking us to kill you. Sign here. And here. And here. And here. And here. ...." For days. The current roadblock I'm facing with this plot is that I have left literally half of it up in the air, since it was originally meant for improv RP. I have no villain, no conflict (some ideas though), it's just an idea sitting in the pot. Conflict ideas I've had: Police/media A client who can't decide yes or no Jack would be forced to refuse them for legal reasons, but they keep coming back Friend/family of past client seeks revenge/closure I dunno. The main thing this character was originally built around is that he (cliché alert! ) runs a techno-goth club in some generic big city. There are some vampires there, and some people who are oblivious and some people who think they have an idea of what's actually going on. Also, he's a vampire too, but he's in the closet about it. (It's more fun to pretend to be pretending than to put him in a world where vampires are "out.") There's potential here, I know it, I just need to figure out where this goes. edit: Jack is "Mr. Pro" from my character development thingy https://www.writingforums.org/threads/this-girl-her-slave-and-their-relationship-with-my-mc.141679/#post-1375802
I read a short story with the same premise. It's from the POV of the woman who goes to meet the vampire in order to be killed. She's disappointed that he doesn't look like a vampire - just a normal man. Over the course of the meal she's getting more and more disillusioned. At the end he admits that no, of course he's not a vampire. Vampires don't exist, surely she knew it was just a role-play thing? Then she bares her fangs and bites him. It wasn't a very good story. Just thought I'd share.
Could you have the 'friend/family of past client seeking revenge' be out for blood (...sorry) because they were written out of a will, and never got their chance to talk their friend/relative back over? You could start with the police/legal side of things, then perhaps when that goes nowhere the complainant gets their hands dirty... The idea reminds me a bit of that Master Butcher thing - you could plumb that for ideas if you haven't already. And if it's not too morbid, you could ask your local veterinarian about the forms they have clients sign before euthanasia of pets - I'd expect the situation to be far more complex for humans, but it's a starting point.
Your hitman is a vampire and you're worried that your Assisted Suicide Agency needs to comply with current (2015) laws? I agree that, to make it plausible, you should minimise just how alternate your universe is, but...research how The Samaritans (UK) operate. Possible plot conflict...an extreme sport freak decides to "get killed to get thrilled", planning to turn the tables. (Possibly read Gavin Lyall's The Most Dangerous Game?)
@Sifunkle Thank you for the link! O.O Very interesting, but I'm not seeing anything that lines up with what I wanted to do with Jack. :/ There is a vet right across the street from me. I will ask them about their forms, great idea. @Shadowfax My desire for pristine suspension-of-disbelief is ridiculous, I know. And thank you for The Samaritans info! Pretty much exactly how Jack's agency would be set up, except reverse. I love it. I remember The Most Dangerous Game vaguely, from high school. That's an interesting suggestion, I'll definitely explore it.
I'm gonna try this after Shadowfax's suggestion. No reason I can't have multiple clients having multiple motives, right? (I hate scenes involving legal talk though, I've always had trouble writing them. I just might put on my lazypants and skip to the confrontation...)
I may have an idea. I might have been watching too many cop shows with my mom, though. I was thinking something similar as Sifunkle, but a bit different. Why not have a relative/dear friend/stalker want to get revenge after Jack has killed a client?
