1. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    Help my drunk character get home safely

    Discussion in 'Plot Development' started by deadrats, Oct 31, 2016.

    If a character has to drive somewhere and ends up getting drunk, how can I get them home safely. This character drove two hours to get to this place. Wasn't planning on drinking, but made a friend and headed to a bar. I don't feel like a taxi will work because home is so far away. But I also don't want this character to drive drunk. Originally, I just had the character leave and go home, but there is far too much drinking to assume this character would make it home safely. And I don't want that to be an issue in this story. Any ideas?
     
  2. I.A. By the Barn

    I.A. By the Barn A very lost time traveller Contributor

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    I would still say taxi for two hours away myself or a private hire car, they tend to go longer distances than taxis.
    If you don't want that, just get a lift that way (but then again there's a whole plethora of problems with that). Is there trains in this place? Perhaps a train home?
    Or if this isn't an issue in the story like you said perhaps you could have just the next scene and let it remain a mystery (or a running gag). ;)
    I hope I helped!
     
  3. Laurin Kelly

    Laurin Kelly Contributor Contributor

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    Is the story set in current times? If so, could he Uber it home?
     
  4. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    Pogo stick, then chased by cops. They see his suit, drive him home.
     
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  5. Spencer1990

    Spencer1990 Contributor Contributor

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    Is the "getting home" portion of the story important to the plot, or are you just getting the character from A to B? If the latter, instead of worrying about a transition without a hole, make use of white space or some sort of non-prose transition. Separate the jump in time by capitalizing the first four words of the paragraph to show that you've made use of narrative time.

    "JOHN STUMBLED TO THE bathroom blah blah blah.."

    I use those sorts of narrative gaps often. Getting characters from A to B without being boring can be difficult and I see this done in published stories very frequently.
     
  6. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    For this story, how the character gets home is important. It needs to be clear that this character did not drive drunk. But since this character didn't plan on getting drunk... well maybe I didn't think this through enough. They are in the middle of nowhere at a hole-in-the-wall bar. The MC doesn't know anyone around there except for his drinking partner (who he also doesn't know too well). But they go grab a drink and it turns into a day of drinking. He needs to be drunk enough to make questionable decisions, but drunk driving can't be one of them.

    Can you still use Uber in the sticks? Does it go out that far and would it be easy to get someone with no advance notice to drive two hours to bring this guy home? But then his car is still two hours away.
     
  7. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    Is there a reason why he can't just sleep it off at a hotel and drive home the next day?
     
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  8. Brindy

    Brindy Senior Member

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    Or sleep in his car?
     
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  9. Scot

    Scot Senior Member

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    Show him waking up, hungover, in his own bed, at home, wondering how the hell he got there. (Been there, got the T-shirt).
     
  10. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    This is perfect. I don't know why I couldn't think of that, but thank you.
     
  11. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    Definitely he will start the engine at 3.58am.
     
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  12. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    Okay. Now the car is important. What kind of car should this guy have? I feel like I want this detail in there now. He's a pretty average guy. Do I give him an average car, emphasizing the fact even more how average this guy is? Or do I spice it up with a 1992 Toyota Camry that probably wouldn't start anyway or maybe give him something real nice, a splurge made at some point?
     
  13. X Equestris

    X Equestris Contributor Contributor

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    He could call a friend or relative. If you go with the "slept in his car" solution, keep in mind that security guards and cops may stumble across him, and if he's asleep behind the wheel he may have a real problem.
     
  14. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    It would only be a problem if I introduce those issues to the story. I don't need cops in this. It's happening in a story, not real life.
     
  15. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    An old Volvo or Mercedes sedan. His parents drove it from new-car to the ten-year mark and then gave it to him for college, and it never broke so badly that he was willing to take on car payments. Those things last forever.

    Edited to add: Our '97(?) Volvo wagon was our "new" car until quite recently. Our Mercedes is a bit older than that. We still mourn the '73 Volvo 164 that was totaled a decade or so ago.
     
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  16. matwoolf

    matwoolf Banned Contributor

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    upload_2016-10-31_22-31-12.jpeg
     
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  17. ChickenFreak

    ChickenFreak Contributor Contributor

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    If you decide that you do care, my vague understanding is that Walmart has fairly lenient policies about sleeping in your car in the parking lot.
     
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  18. Brindy

    Brindy Senior Member

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    He would probably sleep on the back seat , unless it's a two-seater, when issues about trying to get comfortable, waking up all crunched up and achy are brought into the scenario.
     
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  19. X Equestris

    X Equestris Contributor Contributor

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    You can say that, but there are things that just don't work out as well in stories. It may be a believability hurdle for some people.
     
  20. deadrats

    deadrats Contributor Contributor

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    Seriously? If you read a story where a drunk character slept in his car, you would have a problem with the cops not showing up? With believability? Sounds like you're just looking for it not to work, which I don't understand at all. But I know my story and this is going to work for it.
     
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  21. Brindy

    Brindy Senior Member

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    Where does he park the car initially? That's key to where he's going to end up. On a street outside a bar, in a car-park, on the friends drive? All have different prospects for being seen. In the middle of nowhere... I wouldn't assume cops would discover him.
     
  22. Solar

    Solar Banned Contributor

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    You've never lived in Britain then lol
     
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  23. Francis de Aguilar

    Francis de Aguilar Contributor Contributor

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    Well, you do have the opportunity for the MC to struggle a bit with the idea of driving and then, despite being drunk, have him make a sensible choice. Is it warm enough to sleep outdoors? is there a safe place to do it? Maybe he could sleep in the car and get rousted by the police at dawn and have an interesting exchange with them.
     
  24. X Equestris

    X Equestris Contributor Contributor

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    No, I'm merely pointing out that this issue is something you should consider and seek to avoid problems that might arise from it. For example, don't put the character in an area that would logically have cops or security guards who don't take kindly to people sleeping there, especially if they're drunk. Certain areas will present a bigger problem than others; that's all I'm saying. Nothing more. Now, if you want to get all bent out of shape over this suggestion, be my guest.
     
  25. Solar

    Solar Banned Contributor

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    lol lol X Equestris, do you live in N Korea?
     
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