Young Writers Society

Okay, so I've been having thoughts about a story that I want to write after I've finished my Elena Maionsa series - which I'd appreciate reviews from ^^ - and it's not one I'd usually participate in; because I dislike researching.

Okay, so I'm thinking about setting it in a women's prison - not exactly original I suppose but altogether different in my books - and it will focus around one woman in particular. Flash backs will be included and such; to dictate the crime she has committed and in the story she'll get out of prison early... By be-friending a prison guard - oh whom she has a steamy affair with.

Now, any ideas for the setting of the prison would be helpful and also I wonder if you could give me some ideas as to the other kinds of people who could be in the prison - guards, convicts, men, women, crimes - and what the cells would be like?

Any thoughts?

your best bet would be this TV show, "Women behind Bars" You could probably find the DVD on Amazon or something.

Your idea doesn't sound too solid though. Lots of flashbacks will annoy your reader, and it isn't possible to get out of prison because you've fallen in love with a guard, to be released early you have to go in front of a panel of people who either release you, deny your release, or shorten your sentence. This is based on the crime, your conduct in the prison, whether you have taken measures to fix the problems that lead you to be in jail (example: drug abuse, alcoholism, etc). Keep in mind as well that a large number of people who go to jail once, if they do come out, they just go back again. It depends on the person, the crime, the situation, etc, but it is still a true statistic.

Something you'll want to think about is what she went to prison for; this will greatly affect her chances of being released early.

Claudette: Right, so cut the flashback out entirely? Or maybe put some in every now and then just to explain a part of the story which is coming up? I shall look up that DVD, as it sounds a little like "Bad Girls".

Hmm.. On the whole getting out of prison front, that is where I'm stuck and I was wondering on any ideas or such of how she could get out of prison with the help of the guard. I mean, she could fool him to pervert the cause of justice or something or maybe he could be on the panel who decide if she should be released or not. How does that sound?

Also, how about a few ideas on the crime that she could comit. I was thinking something along the lines of "Body of Evidence" where the tagline is something like "She kills them with her body", I'm not so sure. But in that, she really just kills them with the way she has affairs and things, but gets her comupence at the end.

Hmm, any thoughts?

Also, I actually got this idea from watching a music video. I'm not sure how but it just came on one day and I was like; wait a minute, I can make a story out of this.

Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhQHkPSHZRw

hmmm I don't know. Flash backs are generally disliked. I think you could get away with one, or two. It's better to focus your story mainly on the "now" or what is more important. If you find that her committing the crimes is more important, write about that.

No, I don't think there is any way around her early release. I believe the members that listen to the early releases are called the Parole Board (I may be very wrong) and are made up of certain people, always. I highly doubt a guard would be on one, or get a chance to be on one, ever. Guards are guards, cop figures. You might want to look more into the roll of a prison guard and of the parole board.

Link on Parole Board

Also, if you're having her in for murder (I can only guess, your description of "Body of Evidence" doesn't mean anything to me, I can't understand it) then there is no way she would be let out of prison unless she was found not guilty of her crime, and it was appealed.

Claudette: Right. So do you think I should just ditch the idea fully? I'm not so sure how I could actually make it work around the justice system - I'm not studying law until I move into college in September 08 - but I kinda liked me idea, although if it's not gonna work then there really isn't any point.

Well, don't ditch it immediately [if you are already passionately into it] just try to work around the kinks. Sometimes are plots start out one way and end in a completely different way, it's how things go. I'd say, set it aside for a while, come back to it, and see if you can make something new, and workable, from the old plot. If not, toss it, but only into your "old ideas" file, and not all together in the trash. ^_~

Hope I didn't crush your soul/plot. >_>

Claudette: Right so we got the whole flashback idea cleared up; keep it to a minumum. Got it. I need to finish me other series on here anyway, so that'll give me some time to think about what I'm going to do with the idea and then plan whether or not it is actually going to work.

I'll post up on here whether or not, as it's always nice to get some helpful tips here and there; gosh knows I don't do enough researching when left to my own desires. Hehe.