Here's a hypothetical situation for you. Say you woke up one morning to find a mysterious package on your doorstep. It's clearly addressed to you, but other than that there are no markings clues as to where it came from or who sent it. Now suppose that when you opened it, it was stuffed with neat bundles of cash, say 50K or so. The package has evidently been delivered by hand, but you have no idea if the money is legitimate or if it really is just some random gift from a mysterious stranger.
What would you do? Would you spend it? Report it to the police? Put it in a safe somewhere and keep it there in case someone comes knocking for it? If you did spend it, would you spend it on nice things for yourself, or would you use it to try and help others?
Most importantly, what if the packages keep appearing?
I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, as I think this could form the basis for a pretty good story.
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Jan 29, 2008 - 11 56
I'm entire too honest and would call the police to have them take it. Because what if it was stolen drug money, and the guy who stole it accidentally dropped it on my doorstep as he was running for his life from the drug lords? Or what if it was a ransom dropoff, but they got the wrong house? Or what if it was a test by a mysterious benefactor to see just how honest a person I am?
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Jan 30, 2008 - 02 20
All entirely plausible explanations, but how long would you wait to call the police? Would you do it immediately? Would you wait a few days first just in case someone came asking for it?
What if there was a note included with the cash making it clear that it was for you and reassuring you that it was legitimate? I've been thinking of having the note impose a few "rules" to make things a bit more interesting....
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Feb 4, 2008 - 15 54
I don't think that you should include the rules.
This is just my opinion, and feel free to ignore it like most of my family do all the time , but I think it would be better if the note said that it was for the character but didn't say anything else, that the gifts just keep turning up week after week.
That way you can establish the character's real personality right from the beginning - have them do exactly what they would do in those circumstances, without the extra inducement - then follow them as they have to cope with having the same thing happen again and again. Plus you'd have the extra mystery of exactly where the money is coming from and why. If you include threats in the note then you automatically label the giver as a bad guy/girl and it would probably be better to keep that back until you *have* to give it away.
It would be a very difficult story to pull off, but if you did manage it...wow!! I'd love to read it! :-)
Oh, and if it were me, I'd call the police straight away (or maybe take it into the station the following day) I wouldn't wait as that might look suspicious later on.
It might be an idea to contact your local police station and ask them what procedure they would follow in these circumstances. It'll help you to know which way the story can go after it's been reported, and therefore, whether you want your character to report it at all.
Hope this helps. :-)
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Mrt 19, 2008 - 11 05
Well- since you say that "It's clearly addressed to you" - and 50k is nothing to sneeze at- even today...
I don't think I would be so inclined to call the police since the package has my name on it. Besides- they would probably say "well, your name's on it...."
I do think my very first impulse would be to take the package inside and wonder who sent it and why. Of course, this would probably take me so much time- more 'deliveries' would arrive before I actually made up my mind on what to do. I think it would take me time to accept the generosity- and feel comfortable with the gifts- and of course I would be suspicious of everyone around me wanting a cut. However- that would not stop me from telling my best friend.
Some questions I have for the writer are:
What is 'my' fnancial situation?
what would motivate some one to give another 50k?
Does the giver believe I need the funds- or am I being tested to see what I'll do with the money for other reasons?
should I use the money to help others- or just myself?
There are so many possibilities-
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Apr 10, 2008 - 23 36
A book that sorta incorporates a similar concept is Archer's Goon by Diana Wynne Jones. In it, the main character's father recieves a certain sum of money every month for writing two thousand words of whatever comes into his mind. The story starts off when a large man appears at the home refusing to leave until he gets the two thousand words.