Is Your Character Allowed To Do That?

I am going to first say that most of these issues often show up in romantic suspense stories, but to be honest, the problem can exist across all genres.

Many writers often find themselves in a similar situation. You have these great characters and now your plot has them do something to get from Point A to Point B. You know exactly what you are going to have them do...

But forget one thing...

Is the character even allowed to do this.

Several years ago, I composed a list of things I have seen suspense authors have their characters do, and then checked it out with someone in law enforcement. All of the situations would have jeopardized the case, were simply illegal, or would have had the character being terminated from his or her job immediately.

Think of it this way. The heroine is being considered as someone helping their brother who may have done something illegal. So the hero decides to go undercover and get close to her just to find out more. But now the hero and heroine become romantically involved. Well, there went that case.

How about a historical premise where the heroine now takes over a business after her father died. While that might again seem like a great story line, if this is a time when that was simply not legal, I don't care how good the story would be, it is simply not possible.

What about those stories where the heroine who was a lawyer now takes over a small restaurant in a small town. Awww, cute huh? Not only does this person have no experience, do they have a license to run the business? Health Department issues? OK, you might not want to add the months of paperwork she would have to go through in the story, but opening a restaurant that quickly is not going to happen.

Try this one... Professors at a university deciding to have a relationship with a graduate student under their guidance. Sure, go ahead and throw away that tenure they worked so hard on.

This is pretty simple. Take the time to see if what you want to do is actually possible in real life. If not, adding it to your story just because it makes a good plot will come back and bite you in the butt!