NaNo Prep 2024

Assignment # 1 - Plot: What If: (Either idea specific)

What if...

Assignment # 1 Plot: What If ▼

In this exercise, imagine your story and your main character(s). Who is(are) the character(s)? What happens to them, and why is it a problem? If it's not a problem, it's just life, not a story.

Spend at least 15 minutes imagining all the possibilities in your story. Make a list of every possible 'what if' you can think of. Nothing is off limits here - let your brain go.

Plot - What Ifs


1. Who is(are) the main character(s)?

1. Protagonist # 1: (In Montana) Lisa Hinkley (In San Francisco) Kelly Bass
2. Protagonist # 2: Michael Banks - Grandson of Cecilia Banks (owner of Seagate)
3. Antagonist # 1: Jaden Teasdale - husband
4. Antagonist # 2: Charlie T. Private Investigator Jaden’s sister

2. What happens to them, and why is it a problem?

Idea # 1Lisa/Kelly is an Investigative journalist and an author of Murder Come Sundown who likes using real-life scenarios to inspire her stories. She has had two warnings regarding her absenteeism and has been told “one more and she will have to be replaced.
Kelly married her high-school sweetheart, Jaden Teasdale, but everything changed after three months of marriage. Jaden became extremely abusive. He was a policeman and an ex-Special-Ops Marine and worked for the Lockwood police department. He always kept his Glock-22 visible and next to him wherever he was as well as at home. He always reminded Kelly that he could beat her and never leave a bruise if he intended to hurt her badly. is an abused wife and Newspaper Journalist. December 24, 2023, Jayden is drunk, and angry because she is late getting home, and his dinner is not on the table and he attacks and begins beating her. In self-defense, she stabs Jaden in the upper chest. Believing he is dead and she killed him, she flees to the safety of Pica Pau’s Gay Bar. Her best friends, Martin, Dannie, and Sheryl-Ray help her to transform and escape Lockwood, Montana for San Francisco, California via bus.
She is also a writer of crime fiction. She is the author of Murder Come Sundown and likes to use real-life scenarios to inspire her stories. She has had two warnings regarding her absenteeism and has been told “one more and she will have to be replaced.
Kelly was always calling in sick because her face was bruised or when Jayden wanted morning sex and refused to take no for an answer. On her last night in Huntley, Kelly was late coming home from work because she had stopped off at the Pica-Pau’s Gay Bar. She had had a rough day at work, gotten in trouble for absenteeism, and knew Jaden would be furious. She thought she wouldn’t feel it as bad after a few drinks with Martin, Dannie, and Sheryl-Ray.
Jaden attacked her as soon as she came through the door, grabbing her by the arms and pushing her into the kitchen, yelling and hitting her because dinner wasn’t waiting for him. He hit her with his fist and she whirled around and hit the kitchen counter. She reached up and grabbed a butcher knife from the Knife Block, whirled back around, and stabbed Jaden in the left upper chest. Jaden fell and didn’t move. Kelly shoved the knife into her backpack, grabbed her coat, and ran. She found herself back at the Pica-Pau. Martin, Danny, and Sheryl-Ray helped Kelly cut and dye her hair. Dannie called Jacko, a friend, and in 30 minutes he walked through the door with a new social security, DL, identification. They had changed her name from Lisa Hinkley to Kelly Bass. They changed her clothes to make her look pregnant and put her on the bus for California. She was to call when she got settled.
Kelly answers an ad for a caregiver/housekeeper/secretary placed by Cecilia Banks and is hired. She is pleasantly surprised by her because she is not as eccentric as the townspeople claim. They (the townspeople) also tell her that Seagate is haunted because of two past murders. She also works for Granny Faye at the Trouble Pit Bar and Grill.
A. It is a problem because Lockwood is a small country city. The Teasdales stems from the founding fathers of the town. Jaden is a Deputy on the Lockwood Police Force and an ex-special-ops Marine. All his co-workers are men and women he grew up and went to school with. They would never believe he was abusive or that she acted in self-defense.
Law enforcement runs deep in the Teasdale male family members. Both Jaden’s father and grandfather served as sheriff of Lockwood, Montana.

2. Michael Banks - Protagonist - Hero 36 years old
Michael is the son of Sinclair Banks. He was employed by Southwest Airlines in San Jose, CA. He was laid off when he was charged with the murder of his father on March 19, 2022. His father and his wife, Amanda Banks. They were killed in a small, motorboat explosion, however, the bodies were never found nor enough of the boat could be pieced together to produce evidence of foul play, therefore Michael was never arrested and the charges were dropped.
Michael left his grandmother, Seagate, and Khiloi Village behind six months later and relocated to Paris, France. He went to work for Airline France. He lived there for two years before he received a phone call (Dec. 10, 2024) from his sister, Althea McCray, in Half Moon Bay, telling him that Seagate had been broken into and his grandmother had been attacked and injured. She received a broken right hip, and right arm and bruises. He also learned that the grandmother had been recovering at home, fell asleep, and fell out of her wheelchair, and she agreed to stay with Althea for her recovery and he needed to come home and house-sit Seagate.
The night before he leaves for Seagate, he is at the Café de Flore. He is approached by Serge Bataille and caught up in a conversation about his father. Serge offers his condolences and engages in small talk. Michael does not know him.
Michael was deeply hurt by his father and his wife, Amanda. It was on January 1, 2022, when he caught both of them together that morning on Kilo Beach. Amanda did not spare him the details and claimed they had been involved since before their marriage for about a year and a half. The following march, they both were killed.

3. Charlie Tea Teasdale - Antagonist - 29 years old
Charlie Tea is a very complicated character. She made her first appearance at the Banks right after Sinclair and Amanda Banks were killed. When she first met Michael, she didn’t like him. She was sure he was guilty, but she could never prove it.
4.
3. Why should we care about them?

Idea # 2 - Police Detective




Open story with a scene on a cliff, beach, and weather flowing into a characteristic moment…
Or…before the investigator gets there
Or…father’s murder
Or…with the hiring of the caregiver
Or…robbery

1. An investigator is investigating the death of a successful vinter.

Expected:
Unexpected:

2. The wife of the investigator is killed while visiting her friend, the daughter of the vinter.(?)

Expected:
Unexpected:

2a. The daughter-in-law, the son’s wife, was killed in the boat accident

Expected:
Unexpected:

3. The investigator isn’t married.

Expected:
Unexpected:

4. Bootlegging liquor and jewels is illegal. It peaked during the prohibition but is still done today, especially diamonds. Sex tracking, money laundering, and drugs still take place.

Expected:
Unexpected:

5. November 2019 (6 years ago) The Dresden Vault, located in Dresden, Germany, on the first and second floors of the Dresden Castle.

Expected:
Unexpected:

6. Four men broke into the vault and stole a forty-one-carat diamond valued at 7 million dollars and several jewels.

Expected:
Unexpected:

7. Most of the jewels were recovered however the Dresden (Charelle) was never seen again.

Expected:
Unexpected:

8. The Dresden or Green Vault is known as one of the richest treasure chambers in the world.

Expected:
Unexpected:

9. Of the 4 men, one was arrested, police gunned down one, and 2 escaped.

Expected:
Unexpected:

10. The two escaped robbers agreed to split up and lay low for a while and reunite at a later time, fence the diamond, and split the money in two years.

Expected:
Unexpected:

11. One robber gets greedy, contacts the other, and begins to argue about fencing the diamond and splitting the money.

Expected:
Unexpected:

12 The other refuses and relocates and hides the diamond in Seagate.

Expected:
Unexpected:

13. Before the robber could disclose the diamond’s whereabouts and his plans to sell it to Agard
Bataille, his trafficking contact in France to his wife, he is murdered, the house is broken into and the grandmother is attacked. She suffers a broken right hip, a broken right arm, and a bruised face. She insists on recovering at home and hires a housekeeper/caregiver, but after dislocating her hip from falling asleep in her wheelchair and falling out of it, she is sent to live with the granddaughter in San Jose. 1 hour drive south of Ocean Beach (Sarti’s Reef).

Expected:
Unexpected:

13a. Great-grandmother knew of the robbery.

14. The detective’s wife gets a phone call from her friend regarding the death of her father (another sister) and wants her to come to the funeral. (?)

15. The detective doesn't like the family, they seem weird to him, and doesn’t trust the grandson and the grandson doesn’t trust the detective. Why?

16. Detective co-worker and friend of PI Charlie T she gets info from him

17. Charlie T, the girlfriend of the greedy robber - knows about the diamond but wants the diamond for herself.

18. (Background of Seagate located on Khiloi Point north-northwest of SF)The great-grandfather, Marcus Banks, worked as an American Sea Dog (seafarer) for Stephenson Clarke Shipping Limited in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. He was known as Cooks. He was the ship’s cook. Growing up without a mother, his aunt taught him how to cook and he could make a feast out of anything. — (1900)At age 25 he was up all night playing poker in the Port of Sydney, Australia, and threw all his money together for his last hand and won Seagate on Khiloi Point. Came home, moved in, and set up in1901. (Great-grandfather did not do robbery - Michael’s father did in 2019) The house included 20 head of thoroughbred Mustangs, a wine vineyard and the winery, The Château de Talon Russo.


19. Only two people knew of the diamond’s first hidden location, The Old Well behind the stables.
If used, The Old Well will be the site of another murder after the murder of grandfather.

20. What if the great-grandfather pulled the robbery, and the house had been broken into twice before over the last 100 years.(?)

21. Locals claim the house is cursed because of the 2 murders.

22. Curse resurfaces after granny’s attack.

23. The owner of Seagate (great-grandfather, grandfather) had removed and placed it in a secret Blue Vault under the floor in the wine room on the second floor of Seagate.

24. What if granny knew nothing of The Blue Vault.

25. Serge Battaili has offered 10 million for the Diamond - owner agrees and they agree to exchange both the diamond and a load of girls on the next scheduled docking off Baitaille’s ship at Seagate’s hidden Sarti’s cove.

26. Charlie T. Gets an anonymous tip of Baitaille’s ship and docking date.

27. The Seagate owner (great-grandfather or grandfather presumed killed in a boating accident - before the diamond can leave the country - the body is never found.

28. The son’s wife was killed with him - her body found - she heard from her friend, Charlie T, about the diamond and wanted a cut to keep her mouth shut.

29 the grandmother still lives in Seagate and knows about the diamond but does not know of its location.

30. Grandson agrees to return to Seagate (2024- he left 2022 after charges dropped- had alibi- went to Paris, France ) from Paris, France where he got a job working for Airline France - and house-sit for his grandmother while she recovers at his sister’s house. He is a fiction crime writer.

31. Grandson comes in contact with Agard Baitaille while in Paris and an upscale restaurant.
32. Charlie T begins dogging grandson in Paris. She believes he is guilty, knows where the diamond is, and plans to complete its sale to Agard.

33. What if: Girl is a Special Agent and works for the FBI in the BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit).(?) Due to the nature of the past murders and the current information, she is sent undercover, to assist the investigator unknown to him. She was sent in 2022 to investigate the father’s murder - came up with a dead end and is now being sent back to investigate rumors of the diamond resurfacing through an anonymous tip.

33a What if: Girl is whining about not wanting to go. Whining about not having a boyfriend, not having a vacation in over a year and wanting a child. - Boss orders her to go.

33b. Girl sent undercover as a housekeeper, set up in Khiloi Village (Ocean Beach), opens a self-defense class held in her small apartment on the beach 2 days per week to find out who she trust and who likes to talk and stay in shape - she is still fighting demons of her own. , and spends three days full time looking after granny, cooking and cleaning which puts her there 7 days a week. She also takes a night job at The Trouble Pit Bar and Grill on Khiloi Beach. All this to try and gain information.

34. The 2022 murder of the father and his daughter-in-law is what sparks the diamond rumors and attracts the FBI.

35. Father, grandfather, and Great-grandfather have a history in bootlegging, Girls, liquor, french champagne, jewels, and primarily diamonds.

36. Before her 2024 attack, the grandmother advertised for a housekeeper/cook/secretary. The FBI picks up the ad and the girl is hired.

37. The girl establishes herself during the grandson’s absence.

38. First Meet - The girl has been well-briefed about the grandson from the grandmother, however, neither one of them knows when he will be arriving. Grandson kept mum on his arrival to not alert the town of his plans. They meet by accident at the local coffee and donut shop_______. Grandson clumsily bumps into her, spilling her Cream of Pumpkin Spice coffee all down the front of her, soaking her black Hell’s Angels T-shirt and black jeans. She complains about being late for work because she has to change. Grandson does not know who she is, laughs and tells her not to worry about it in a place like Khiloi - it all laid back and offers to buy her another coffee. Angrily she storms off and goes to work figuring she change later since Granny is gone. Make note of slight attraction

39. Granny has to leave before he gets there and she notifies grandson so he goes to his sister’s house to visit her there before going on to Seagate.

40 in past break-ins the basement and the attic were ransacked but the diamond was never found. In the old well until after the 1st break-in. Then moved to The Blue Vault.

41. The girl is also a fiction crime writer who uses real-life scenarios for her books. She is also working on one about a woman who kills her ex-boyfriend to escape an abusive life. She changes her looks, name, and profession and relocates—her own story?

42. The villain is Charlie T’s brother - the ex-boyfriend of the girl who she thought she killed - 2 years earlier - the other greedy robber. He got into trouble and spent one year in jail and just got out.

43. Girl and ex-boyfriend got into a fight over dinner not being ready because she was late getting home from work. He hits her with his fist, and she whirls around, hitting against the kitchen counter. She grabs a butcher knife from the knife holder, whirls back around, and stabs him in the shoulder. He falls, and she thinks he is dead. She runs next door to her friend Mable and she cuts her hair and dyes it. Makes herself look pregnant and Mable helps her with some money and she gets on the bus to San Francisco. Ends up in Khiloi Village.

44. Ex-boyfriend seeking revenge on the girl and the diamond.

45. The Sheriff or his close detective is injured, missing, or killed and blame points to the grandson or the girl.

46. The girl gets shot but does not die.

47, the girl coaxes her best friend Martin Goldston to join her in researching the rumors of the diamond and Seagate. Margo Bernstein, a member of her self-defense class told her. The girl knew Martin bar-tending at Pica-Pau’s Bar. She would go there to be alone and she knew that her ex-boyfriend would never look for her there. Never in a gay bar. She knew she would pay for it when she got home and always did. She became good friends with (he) Martin, and the owners, Dannie and Sherie. Besides owning the bar, she was into fashion design and Sherie was into cooking and owned a small restaurant. (Both are he’s) Martin was a whiz at sewing, cooking, and hair.

48. The girl tells Martin over the phone what she had heard from Mable and she begins getting strange packages and letters. A knife is one of the packages. A dead rat, and a black rose.

49. The girl discovers Sarti’s Cove. The bootlegging of diamonds, liquor, money, drugs, and girls are all connected to Charlie T and her brother.

5o. Grandfather - father murdered because he was going to cut Charlie T and her brother out.

51. The girl gets captured and lined to be sold and shipped to France.

52. The deputy gets too close to Sarti’s Cove and gets killed. Body was taken and dumped so that it would wash up on Khiloi Beach. (both deputy and the girl caught, Charlie T has the deputy killed and the girl to be sold into prostitution. The deputy has to be killed before the girl is caught.

53. The girl and the grandson are both searched and questioned about the murder of the deputy by Charlie T and the sheriff.

54. The girl uses her self-defense to get away.

55, Martin comes up with a way to help the girl get free. Maybe uses his sexual appeal.

56. Grandfather - Arthur had a brother- both brothers took up where Marcus left off and kept the winery successful and popular. The older locals had nothing but respect and admiration for the Banks.

57. Arthur had a son and a daughter,

58. What if Kelly was a gangster’s wife of the Montana mafia???

59. What if both families are after the diamond?

60. What if Kelly was found out by the family and they are after her for trying to kill hubby and learned about the diamond?

What if’s for investigator

1. Old school friend of son. They attended the same high school and were best friends on the football team.