Writer Emergency Fiasco: Rat Trap

The Writer Emergency Fiasco combines the TTRPG Fiasco with the Writer Emergency Pack to create a truly random and chaotic narrative. It’s equal parts solo role play and narrative exercise.

If you just want to read the story without seeing all the messy parts, here you go: Rat Trap (WiP)

Setup

Follow along as I set up the situation, create the characters, and plot the first act.

Writer Emergency Fiasco

Wherein I introduce the reader to the TTRPG Fiasco, the Writer Emergency Pack of cards, and how I am going to use it for both solo roleplay and as a writing exercise.

Writer Emergency Fiasco: The Cast

Meet the cast of the Writer Emergency Fiasco project: Bill, the undercover cop; Jay, his friend and eager criminal; Ash, the niece of the Boss and Bill’s high school flame.

Writer Emergency Fiasco: The Outline

Let’s establish the outline for the first act of Rat Trap. This outline is simple, broad, and subject to change as I draw cards from the Writer Emergency Pack.

What follows are the packages for the scenes, each written as its own blog post. First, I draw a card and work with it craft what the next scene will be about. Next, I write the actual fiction. Lastly, I do a post script to go over what I did, why I did it, and how the card changed my approach in the end. I’ll aim to publish all three posts for each scene once a week.

These scenes are rough drafts, filled with typos and inconsistencies. This exercise is about creating the story–cleaning it up comes later.

Act 1

Scene 1: Bill (black die)

Rat Trap 1-1: The Card

The first card for the Writer Emergency Fiasco, Rat Trap, is “Mysterious Package,” which makes me think about some sort of bad news or revelation right at the start of Bill’s story.

Rat Trap 1-1: Bill Is Trapped

Writer Emergency Fiasco, Scene 1-1: Bill, an undercover cop, drives with his friend/partner in crime to meet the new guy, Ash. Meanwhile, their boss suspects that a rat is among them, and she wants Bill to find them out.

Rat Trap 1-1: Post Script

A few thoughts on how the first scene of the Writer Emergency Fiasco, “Bill Is Trapped” unfolded, and a look ahead at the next scene.

Scene 2: Ash (white die)

Rat Trap 1-2: The Card

A look at the card “Misfortune Cookie” and some thoughts on how that will impact our first meeting of Ash, as she hit rock bottom. Can things go even worse for her?

Rat Trap 1-2: Ash Needs Change

Scene 2: Ash wakes up in a cell after a night out filled with assault and grand theft auto. She’s all but giving up on her current life, even looking forward to jail, when her aunt–a powerful crime boss–offers her one last chance to prove herself.

Rat Trap 1-2: Post Script

A look back on how Scene 2, “Ash Needs Change” came together, and a tease for the next scene spotlighting Jay.

Scene 3: Jay (white die)

Rat Trap 1-3: The Card

A look at the card “Hug The Crocodile” and some thoughts on how this could imply that Jay is actually trying to do the right thing.

Rat Trap 1-3: Jay Locks In

Scene 3: Jay catches up with his old friend Ash and tries his best to get her and Bill to focus on the job.

Rat Trap 1-3: Post Script

A few thoughts on how the third scene, “Jay Locks In” unfolded, and a look ahead at the next scene.

Scene 4: Bill (black die)

Rat Trap 1-4: The Card

A look at the card “A House Is Not A Home” and some thoughts on how Bill might realize that there is no way this will end well for him unless he does something drastic.

Rat Trap 1-4: Bill Makes A Plea

Scene 4: Bill tries to convince Ash to not go through with this job, and must make an important decision when she refuses his plea.

Rat Trap 1-4: Post Script

A look back on how Scene 4, “Bill Makes A Plea” came together, and a tease for the next scene spotlighting Ash.

Scene 5: Ash (white die)

Rat Trap 1-5: The Card

A look at the card “Not My Job” and a deep dive into Ash’s potential change of heart right as she’s about to commit.

Rat Trap 1-5: Post Script

A few thoughts on how the third scene, “Ash Reconsiders” unfolded, and a look ahead at the next scene.

Scene 6: Jay (black die)

Rat Trap 1-6: The Card

A look at the card “Fight The Giant” and how Jay’s innate trust in Ash is probably going to bite him in the ass after all.

Rat Trap 1-6: Post Script

A few thoughts on how the third scene, “Jay Takes a Leap” unfolded, and a look ahead at the next scene.

Writer Emergency Fiasco: The Tilt

Between Act 1 and Act 2, I roll on the Tilt Table to introduce two elements meant to drive the story toward mayhem, guilt, and general chaos.

Act 2

Scene 7: Bill (black die)

Rat Trap 2-7: Post Script

A few thoughts on how the third scene, “Bill Hesitates” unfolded, and a look ahead at the next scene.

Scene 8: Ash (black die)

Rat Trap 2-8: The Card

A look at the card “Oops,” Ash’s (perhaps misguided) push to take her life into her own hands.

Rat Trap 2-8: Ash Has a Plan

Scene 8: Ash really wants to get away from all of this, and she has just the plan to do it. All it takes is for her to make a call, and for the other two not to screw it up.

Rat Trap 2-8: Post Script

A few thoughts on how the third scene, “Ash Has a Plan” unfolded, and a look ahead at the next scene.

Scene 9: Jay (white die)

Rat Trap 2-9: The Card

This week, Jay’s scene is driven by the card “Evil Twin” and, once again, augmented by the repeat of “Hug the Crocodile” Let’s take a look at what this could mean for him and his ambitions.

Rat Trap 2-9: Jay Snaps

Scene 9: Jay finally snaps, putting pressure on Bill and Ash to regain control and finally learn the truth about his best friend.

Scene 10: Bill (white die)

Rat Trap 2-10: The Card

Bill’s final scene before the Aftermath, and he has a lot to do if he wants to make it out of this in one piece. Let’s talk about how the card “#39 Fly Paper” will make this as difficult as possible for him.

Rat Trap 2-10: Bill Commits

Scene 10: Bill and Ash are on a frantic run away from Jay, coming to the end of the train, when an unexpected phone call offers them a new way forward.

Rat Trap 2-10: Post Script

Looking back at Bill’s finale scene of this story. Did he find himself trapped in the Fly Paper, or was he trying to bait someone else?

Card #39: Fly Paper. Subtitle: Sticky and sweet. A massive fly rubs its "hands" while standing by a strip of fly paper on which hang several trapped tiny people.
Scene 11: Ash (white die)

Rat Trap 2-11: The Card

For Ash’s final scene, the card “Cause and Effect” might just lead to a few revelations of what exactly her place is within this Fiasco.

Rat Trap 2-11: Ash Steps Off

Scene 11: Ash is caught between a bomb and guy with a gun, trying to distract him long enough for Bill to take him out. One way or another, she will get off this train. Whatever the cost.

Rat Trap 2-11: Post Script

This was Ash’s final scene, where her passivity and perceived weakness revealed themselves to be all part of a very chaotic, highly improvised plan, all thanks to the card “Cause and Effect.”

#01: Cause and Effect. Subtitle: How can the next few events result from your hero's actions? A complex contraption--a Rube Goldberg Machine--that requires a ball to roll down a ramp, fall on a board that kicks up a needle that punctures a balloon on which a mouse is hanging. The mouse will trip a light switch on its way down, then eat a piece of cheese sitting on a scale. As the other side of the scale lowers, it'll connect a broken wire that leads to switch and then to a lightbulb over the head of a writer sitting before an empty notebook and pen.
Scene 12: Jay (black die)

Rat Trap 2-12: The Card

It’s the last scene of the game, and the last scene for Jay. It all comes down to this, influenced by the final card, “Puny Humans.” How much worse could things really get, at this point?

Rat Trap 2-12: Jay Lets Go

Scene 12: This is it. Jay’s at the end of the line, desperately holding on to control, and to his friendship with Bill. Can he find a way out of this, or is it time to let it all go?

Rat Trap 2-12: Post Script

Jay’s final scene concludes the main portion of this Fiasco. One last look back at the scene and how the card “Puny Humans” brought us to were we ended this story, before we head into the Aftermath.

Card #11: Puny Humans. Subtitle: Sometimes it really is the end of the world. How would your story change if the stakes were cataclysmic? A massive alien-monster-thing is attacking a small town in the middle of the night, people screaming and running.

Writer Emergency Fiasco: The Aftermath

At the end of Fiasco, every player gets to roll the dice they have collected over the course of the game, tally them up by color, and determine their Aftermath based on it all. Let’s take a look at how it all shakes out for Bill, Ash, and Jay.

Rat Trap: The Aftermath

After the dust settles, Bill, Ash, and Jay must deal with the consequences of their actions. What follows is a montage of their lives after the Rat Trap–a true fiasco.

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