Thursday, April 17, 2008

Criminal Confession - What do you do?

Your character offers public answers to private problems. Perhaps they are a radio DJ pop psychologist or maybe they write a Dear Abby type column. One day, they get a stunning confession of a most horrible crime -- perhaps the molestation and murder of a child or a wife who is bludgeoned to death or a series of campus rapes.

Does your character believe the confession or does she/he treat it as a prank? What happens next?

How does the relationship between the protagonist and the confessed criminal develop and what twists and turns does it take? What integral role does your character play in apprehending this criminal? Remember, it is the actions of your protagonist that will drive the engine of your story forward.

And in the end, do the two opposing characters actually find something in each other that they can respect? Can "one of the bad guys" actually have any redeeming qualities or is that breaking the rules?

Would you write this as a screenplay or novel? Which form do you think would best serve your story?