I'm having trouble conveying my genre world to the reader.

[harmonica44]

So I showed a rough draft of a script to some readers online as well as to some friends in a table read. It's a police/crime thriller. There is one thing that keeps constantly being brought up by others, and that is why doesn't the MC (a cop), call for back up, or when he does, why isn't back up available.

To be honest I felt the story was better if the MC handles things on his own, especially for a microbudget setting. And it also serves the story, when he works on his own in many ways. For example, no one knows the truth but him, which helps drive a lot of the plot.

But the genre is the same genre as movies like the Lethal Weapon movies. It's not an action genre, since it's microbuget, but it's the same in the sense, that the heroes take on the villains on their own without calling for back up, or without following proper channels sometimes, and cutting corners instead.

In Lethal Weapon 1, Riggs and Murtaugh decide to rescue Murtaugh's kidnapped daughter all on their own, without telling anyone.

In Lethal Weapon 2, they decide to protect a witness where it's just them with no other back up, when the crap hits the fan. They also decide to check out a lead that could be dangerous without letting back up know. And they invade the South African consulate without back up, as well as a South African ship without any. It makes sense because they are out for revenge on the drug dealers who are untouchable, but they are also willing to put their jobs and careers online and do care if they are arrested for breaking the law.

In Lethal Weapon 3, they decide to storm the villains place of business, which is a construction site, without back up. They pretty much do something similar in the 4th one as well.

But when it comes to setting my story in that world, how do I make it clear to the reader, so they are not asking these questions?

 

[WalterB]

If the MC fears or knows there is a bad cop who can warn the bad guys/girls?
If it is in a small town with a too small police force? And if backup is coming it takes over an hour?
If the MC is pursuing something else than instructed/ordered?

This is not about telling people your story is in a Lethal Weapon world, it is about creating the circumstances that make it logical for your character to make his decisions, either forced of free willed.

 

[sfoster]

main cop could be like serpico
an outsider among cops who isn't trusted or trusting.

But yeah the #1 thing you do is call for backup as a police officer.
There should be a compelling reason not to.

Ways to die in an old cop game I played pre-teen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0oaVSwTJNM

 

[harmonica44]

Okay thanks.

Well I already have the bad cop who is after them, but I am told it doesn't make sense why the MC should work on his own, because if you are a cop and a cop who is after you bad, then you would definitely want back up, they said. I guess they have a point, why take on a bad cop by yourself?

It's set in a large metropolitan city area though.

 

[HU_Nathan7]

Maybe if there's one bad cop, there could be many bad cops. So he's afraid to ask for backup as he's not sure if that backup will be a bad affiliate of the bad cop. Thus, he's forced to take on corruption on his own.

Idk though, just thinking out loud.

 

[harmonica44]

The thing is, though, I cannot think of a reason for other cops to be bad. The chances of other cops being bad are logically low I would say. I mean if you call the chief, and tell him that one is bad, and the chief sends four guys for example, what are the odds that they would all be bad as well?

 

[sfoster]

The thing is, though, I cannot think of a reason for other cops to be bad. The chances of other cops being bad are logically low I would say. I mean if you call the chief, and tell him that one is bad, and the chief sends four guys for example, what are the odds that they would all be bad as well?

I'm guessing my serpico example went over your head. Did you not understand it and keep scrolling anyway?

Played by Al Pacino, Serpico was a real life american police officer who refused to take street money. Literally EVERY OTHER officer in the department was on the take and it made them all suspicious that he wouldn't join in on it.

What happens to serpico?

Spoiler

They eventually set up him and get him shot in the face by not providing backup after he called for it. They showed up as backup then leave once he opens the bad guys door.

 

[harmonica44]

Yes, thanks. I understood the Serpico scenario. But my story is nothing like Serpico where the majority in the department is bad.

Can I write it like Lethal Weapon where there are no bad cops, and the MC still chooses to be on his own?

Well I still have one bad cop, but I don't have a reason for others to be.

 

[WalterB]

Maybe he once or twice called for backup when it wasn't needed at all, or waiting for backup got someone killed because it took too long.

Or a combination:
years ago this happened in Rotterdam:
a man got while being tortured: he screamed so loud the cops arrived, but they waited for backup, because they were carefull not to just kick in the door and enter.
Why?
A few months earlier, in the same neighbourhood, the cops stormed a house where the sounds of torture were being heard, only to invade a private bedroom where a couple was living their BDSM fantasies. It was a bit embarresing: the couple even moved, because the neighbours looked at them 'with different eyes'.

In other words: you have to make it a logical step for your character.
His personality, his environment and his history can help to make it make sense.
In Lethal Weapon it makes sense: the Mel Gibson character is a reckless rebel with a deathwish and he draws his partner in (time and time again).

 

[harmonica44]

Okay thanks. Well in my story I think it would be best if the reason why the MC does not call for back up, or does not get any, is because the villain is controlling the situation.

But the villain is a serial killer type villain so how exactly he can control the superior officers and back up from not coming I am not sure. It's the villain's goal to count on the MC working alone, so he can steer him off course and manipulate him better, but in order to do it convincingly, the villain will have to have a lot of control over the rest of the force, or at least over the chief, so no one can supersede him something like that.

 

[WalterB]

Jam communications?

You need to learn to think in other directions if you find you met a obstacle.
You want the villain to not let the hero get backup.
Either the villain controls the other cops or the hero can't ask for backup at all

 

[harmonica44]

Okay thanks. The villain cannot jam communications for this long amount of time or this abroad though, I don't think. I am thinking outside the box, or at least trying, but I find it hard to believe, that one serial killer could control whole police department like that. I will keep thinking. Thanks.

 

[FantasySciFi]

So I showed a rough draft of a script to some readers online as well as to some friends in a table read. It's a police/crime thriller. There is one thing that keeps constantly being brought up by others, and that is why doesn't the MC (a cop), call for back up, or when he does, why isn't back up available.

To be honest I felt the story was better if the MC handles things on his own, especially for a microbudget setting. And it also serves the story, when he works on his own in many ways. For example, no one knows the truth but him, which helps drive a lot of the plot.

It's your movie and your money. Make it how you want. Honestly, all your threads boil down to the following boilerplates:

Okay thanks. Well I already have ... but I am told it doesn't make sense why ... because ..., they said. I guess they have a point, why ...?

You have three choices: change it, remove it or leave it as it is.

The thing is, though, I cannot think of a reason for .... I mean, if you ..., what are the odds that ... as well?

This narrows your choices to: change it or leave it as it is.

Yes, thanks. I understood the *** scenario. But my story is nothing like *** where .... Can I write it like *** where ... but I don't have a reason for ...?

But the genre is the same genre as movies like ***. It's not a(n) *** genre, since it's microbuget, but it's the same in the sense, that ....

In *** 1, they .... In *** 2, they also .... In *** 3, they pretty much do something similar as well.

But when it comes to setting my story in that world, how do I make it clear to the reader, so they are not asking these questions?

First, genre IS NOT about budget. Genre is about story. Production quality is about budget.

Second, your story is set in your world, not theirs. They took time to develop their world around their characters. You have not. If you were writing about Robin Hood, you can't simply drop him in Camelot because it's a similar medieval setting with castles, knights and peasants ("genre" loosely).

Third, if there is a huge elephant in the room, asking what color to paint it so the people in the room don't see it, is just asinine. You remove the elephant or make it an open air tea party in the Serengeti.
So again your choices: change it, remove it or leave it as it is. Don't blame or expect your reader/viewer to ignore the obvious "elephant in the room".

 

[writersandfilmmakers]

budget cuts

 

[harmonica44]

Okay thanks. I would like to change it.

Jam communications?

You need to learn to think in other directions if you find you met a obstacle.
You want the villain to not let the hero get backup.
Either the villain controls the other cops or the hero can't ask for backup at all

I would like to change it to this. However, do you think that it would be far fetched that the villain could control all the cops, for the hero to have nowhere to turn? Is it possible to control them all, to the point where even going to a police station or going to internal affairs or the FBI would be no help?