Some of you may have read my novel chapter draft Aleppin, about a detective called Aleppin. I've got no ideas of a good crime? Also, make it quite interesting, he's more of a Sherlock/Dupin/Lupin/Poirot guy, so an intellectual, not a petty crime solver.
if you don't have any ideas for crimes for your detective to solve you don't really have a story to tell. Or is it a case where you have a fantastic character that you're in love with and you're trying to build a book around him? I think we had this conversation a few days ago about which comes first, the story or the characters...
You have a detective type char, not necessary it has to be in a crime plot. Try developing a plot in a genre you are comfortable writing-- humor, horror, fantasy, romance, whatever and use the char in that plot. You will have a better chance of producing a readable story.
I don't get this - do you need help? I am asking if you have a great character, if so, tell us about him, it will help your story if we know the detective, what is his 'major'? Drugs? Homicide? Vice? Parking Tickets? Or does he piss about on the orient express like Poirot or in old people villages like Miss Marple. If you don't even have a great character, then you have nothing, just a want to write a detective book.
the char will finally be in an actual written story and not just in an imaginary story which you have no idea how to write.
His name is Aleppin Slush, he has a masters in chemistry and became a private detective and now takes up cases that are given to him. He is very smart, but CAN be outsmarted at times.
This is brainstorming? Seems more like holding your hat out for storyline donations. Exercise your imagination, and learn to rely on it completely. It will serve you far better if you do.
And double ditto from me. You can't expect people here to write your story for you. If you want a crime read the papers. There's really only a few types of them. Then get the crime and work backwards. Find your victims and suspects. Go for means, motive and opportunity for the various characters. And of course alibis. Lay out the evidence trail and the clues and red herrings. Put them in order of where and when they're found. Cheers, Greg.
Aleppin Slush and the Case of the Missing Plot or the Plot of the Missing Case? a suitcase? a case file? a stuck caps lock key? Seriously, though, psychotick has a point, you can't find better inspiration than the newspapers. Or: Find a picture of a random person online, imagine the subject in an orange jumpsuit, and ask yourself, "Ok, what landed this fellow in jail? And did he actually do it?"
Tripple ditto that! Also, using your own imagination will be much more rewarding because you will then know that that work is your own. Entirely your own. Also, Dagolas, it is very telling when you say you have a character and not a story - expecting us to come up with one for you. And your character is just Sherlock Holmes from those recent films.
