I'm writing a spy thriller and I wanted to know if this seemed like a plausible way to advance the plot. The spy as infiltrated the targets home, and comes across a situation where he could recruit the daughter to help him (give him important information). Now the spy talks to the daughter and realizes that she may know something about his target. My question is, does this sound unrealistic? Is it a leap in logic to assume the daughter of his intended target might know something? Remember, he's making an assumption when he first realizes who she is. He doesn't know if she knows anything that's valuable to him. Lucky for him it works out. I'm wondering if readers will find that situation realistic? Would they laugh it off as a situation that's highly unlikely?
I think unless she was coerced, as a reader I would be a bit confused about a daughter helping someone who has just infiltrated their parent's home. But aside from that I wouldn't find it odd that the spy assumes the daughter knows something about their parent (who is the target) as if in their house I would assume they had a good relationship.
It dependent on the story path and the events. If you can to cook this soap with proper elements and allow it to be cooked enough may you can convince the readers that the story is moving on a realistic path. Let me I say frankly; it dependent on your ability to cook it
@Ice_Twin- Thanks for the advice. I didn't want to give too much away, but an event happens that makes the spy wonder if the daughter might know something. @Mans - Thanks for the advice! I liked the way you phrased it. I didn't want readers to laugh at or find the situation implausible.
@Mans not sure why you seem bothered that @CharlestsWhitfield hasn't clicked like, surely being told they liked what you said is more important than them clicking a button?
@Ice_Twin - I don't mind sharing this. The daughter gets kicked out of the house and my lucky spy hears the entire conversation that starts it. He figures he has a valuable asset and decides to check it out. He's making an assumption about the daughter. I just wanted to know if it was a plausible assumption, to assume that the daughter, given a place to stay, would in return give valuable information to the spy.
Yes definitely plausible in my opinion, the daughter would likely be mad at her father and in such circumstances would be more likely to want to tell information that would get back at him (so to speak)
First, what is the spy's objective in this story? Has he been assigned to try to convince the target to defect to his side, or maybe sell information about classified government secrets, or has he been ordered to set the target up for assassination, or find some "dirt" to use as black mail to coerce the target into doing something he otherwise wouldn't do? First of all, everybody's kids know SOMETHING about their parents, but that doesn't automatically mean that they know information that might be useful to a spy. For example, when I was a boy, my father was in the Marines. I know he worked in something to do with communications, I know which base he served on, I know he talked about some of the other marines from time to time (Who was cool, who was a slacker, who was jerk, who got a new Chevy, etc.), but I couldn't begin to tell you anything about their military communications technology, how it works, how it is used, I don't have any technical manuals for it, I don't know any of the pass codes, I couldn't give you a detailed map of the military base or any detailed information about security measures, how many guards are on duty, where the commanding officer's command center is, or anything else that may be useful to a spy. Again, it would all depend on WHAT he needs to find out and what she actually knows that may be of benefit. If he is looking for black mail material, the daughter might certainly be able to provide info about possible drug use by her father. If he is looking for something useful to convince him to defect, maybe the daughter knows about recent pay cuts, a demotion from his old position, being reassigned to a lower status project, the authorities investigating him for possible fraud or tax evasion, or some other situation that might make him consider leaving the country. I think an important thing to consider is WHY the daughter would help a spy. If I were a teenager and some total stranger approached me and said "Hello, I'm a spy for a foreign government and I need information about your father's military work"....I'd not only NOT help him, I'd call the police. I'd think a professional spy would have to pose as something other than a spy and win the trust and confidence of the daughter before she'd help him. If she was extremely angry with her father, she might be willing to help someone she believed to be an undercover police detective catch her father in whatever crimes he may be engaged in. If she cares about her father, she may be willing to help someone whom she thinks is a "Friend" of her father (if, for instance, the "Friend" tells her that "her dad is in trouble and he wants to help, but her father declined his help out of stubborn pride, so let's you and me help out your dad...but let's just keep it our little secret"), Maybe the daughter's family is in some sort of crisis, an extra-marital affair/drug abuse problems/financial bankruptcy etc. and the daughter just needs someone to talk to about it...a new "friend" could be the one to listen to her troubles, offer some healthy counseling tips...and possibly slip in a few questions related to specifics about his target with all the "there there dear, tell me all about it" catering to her emotional vulnerabilities. Just a few ideas.
The hard part would be coming up with a reason why the father would allow his daughter to know anything worthwhile in the first place. Unless he is incompetent or stupid, he should be keeping such secrets well away from his family. Most people dealing in secrets are required by their employers to do exactly that. The daughter may know that her father is a .............. but the spy already knows that, since he made the effort to work his way into the household in the first place.
@Bryan Romer - The father doesn't let the daughter know anything. However, the spy assumes that after the daughter gets kicked out of the house, he has a valuable asset. He questions her to see if her father has done anything suspicious e.x the father has a secret meeting, and the daughter is aware, but stayed quiet. Maybe the daughter is afraid to leave or go tell someone in fear that her father might do something, i.e attempt to kill her. The father doesn't have to tell her anything, but what happens if he made a small mistake and the daughter notices, for example he goes out at late hours of the night, when he assumes everyone is sleeping. @Morbius - Thanks for the advice and thoughts. I don't want to give too much away, but as you said, the daughter doesn't know details, but maybe shes seen something suspicious, or notice that her father goes somewhere late at night with no explanation. As I said in my above post, she may know something i.e a secret meeting, but she doesn't know what about, maybe she saw information being exchanged and is too afraid to say anything. If she tells the spy that she saw e.x information being exchanged, the spy may want to follow the father the next time he goes out, maybe check the area for any surveillance. She has enough to make the spy wonder and follow.
It's not so much the fact that the spy has assumed the daughter knows anything of value that's the issue here, more the fact that that I certainly wouldn't expect a daughter to suddenly help someone who's just broken in to her/her parents' home, without good reason to, anyway. I guess one way around it is to say that the daughter really hates her father/mother (whoever the target is), which would be quite a nice addition, in my opinion. But it's your story.
@TLK - I don't mind sharing this. The daughter gets kicked out of the house and my lucky spy hears the entire conversation that starts it. He figures he has a valuable asset and decides to check it out. He's making an assumption about the daughter. I just wanted to know if it was a plausible assumption, to assume that the daughter, given a place to stay, would in return give valuable information to the spy.
I think you are going to have to work really hard to make it seem plausible. Daughter who finds a a stranger in the house who claims to be a spy then helps him against her parent/s? Spy who believes that a person recruited in this way would be credible and helpful? Two extremely gullible people just happen to meet by chance?
@PBrady - Read through the forum and see what I've posted. I explain the plot a little better. I can't update the first post I made, so to all future people who are going to reply, please read through the forum before you answer. I've expanded on the plot.
I did. You asked if it is plausible. Even with what you have added so far, it is till no. It seems that this hasn't been thought through at all. You have given no clue as to the age of the daughter (I assume you would have mentioned it), the circumstances of her eviction from the family home, the state of her feelings towards her family and whether she is completely gullible or not. In the real world she would probably be out of the door or opening up her dad's gun safe before he managed to say "Hi, I'm your friendly neighbourhood spy". Like I said, I think you have got a lot to do to make it plausible.
Ok, fair enough, this would work, depending on the personality of the daughter. I'm not sure of the structure of the story, but I assume this is the first point at which we meet the daughter and as such will know nothing about her at this point. That's fine, you just have to show, in the ensuing interaction between the spy and the daughter, that, yes, the daughter is the type of person to accept a place to stay from a stranger. She'd have to be rebellious, a bit devil-may-care, perhaps. Not the type of person who'd be worrying much about her exams, but more about going out and getting drunk with friends. Quite a rough analysis, perhaps, but you have to make sure you paint this sort of picture of the daughter. It shouldn't be too hard. After all, she just got kicked out of her house.
@TLK - Thanks for the advice. I was thinking that he pays for a hotel room just for her, at least the spy knows where to find her, and her father doesn't know where she is. Over time she begins to trust him, but still won't stay with him. Side Notes: I'm Giving too much away AHH
Ok, that does sound much more plausible. I think you should certainly give it a shot! And don't worry, I won't tell
