Unbelievable Plot

Writing nonfiction requires impeccable research. A fiction novel should mimic truth. The plot needs a beginning, middle and end. Conflict and offshoots of that conflict should be woven around the protagonist (good guy) and the antagonist (bad guy). These two main characters will interact with other lesser characters to advance the story to an arc that brings a resolution or conclusion. These hard facts and requirements pummeled me like an ancient stoning and stifled my imagination. I read online news to ignite fresh ideas. That’s when I stumbled upon this local story.

A quick arrest followed a mid-afternoon bank robbery after the “alleged” (who forced us to use that word?) robber, the antagonist, ran away with an undisclosed amount of cash. A trained canine becomes the hero, the protagonist, by following the scent from the bank to a nearby apartment where the missing cash was stashed. Witnesses and video surveillance identified the alleged robber. So far, a humdrum story. Bank robbery. Quick catch. Cash recovered. Alleged perpetrator apprehended and in custody. All mundane facts; nothing to hold the reader’s interest.

Suppose this were a novel synopsis, not a news article. At this point, the agent would drop the pages onto a desk-high slush pile and sip a caramel latte before moving to the next submission. I imagine hearing, “Hey, wait a minute,” as her read-ahead abilities recalled an incredible twist in the next line. The robber, make that alleged robber, was a bank customer with account records available at that branch! Now that’s an unbelievable plot, a fact from the news article, that could generate a blunder-book detective series contract. A book series could prompt a comedy movie and make me famous.