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Pretty sure we can all think of at least one story that begins in jail. Many stay within that setting too. It isn’t only fantasy as well. There is something about a prison story that appeals to readers. Maybe it’s about redemption or survival. I should do a post series on that, but today I’m going to stick to adventures that begin in prison. Sorry.
I kind of did this with War of Nytefall since you first meet Clyde when he’s in prison waiting for execution. That isn’t really what I’m talking about though. A prison meeting for a party is when everyone is thrown into jail together. It doesn’t matter if they know each other or not. They are now in jail with no clear sign that they are going to be released any time soon or at all. Similar to, and possibly jumping off from, the bar brawl opener, the jail beginning has several benefits:
- There isn’t much to do when sitting in a jail cell. Whether they are in the same one or nearby, the characters can now interact. They’re almost forced to. Introductions and other information can be shared, which begins the bonds needed to form a solid adventuring party. It doesn’t require that they become friends, but an understanding can be forged. This also creates an opening for the characters to reveal more about themselves to the readers without it feeling forced.
- The characters are now put in a shared situation, which means they are equals. There aren’t a few who are out of trouble and a few who are. All of them are facing the same level of consequences. Even if they think they are superior or in a better situation than the others, the reader knows all of they are in trouble. This is another factor that can create a bond. Think of the real world where people are thrown together for a variety of reasons. Work projects, science labs in school, getting stuck in an elevator, and the list goes on. You are no longer total strangers, but a group of people who are in the same mess.
- If the characters don’t work together then the story ends. So, they are effectively forced to do so. This means a reader can see how well they work within a group. Who are the problem solvers? Who are the leaders? Who are the mediators? Is there one who will keep trying to do things on their own? Right off the bat, you begin establishing roles within the party, which can continue and grow throughout the adventure.
- Non-combat skills and knowledge can be revealed in these situations. It’s not about fighting your way out unless the escape is a disaster or the entire group is made of violent meatheads. Thief skills are the most common types that are displayed since you can use lockpicking, stealth, pickpocketing, and a variety of other skills here. A person who is good at charming others would be useful as well. Finally, this is a safer scenario to show if someone has magic because they would, typically, be using non-destructive spells. That last one could go the other way though if you just want the caster to be short-fused and blow a hole in the wall, which forces everyone to work together since they are now seen as accomplices.
So, what do you think of adventures starting in jail?
Legends of Windemere 
Interesting topic. I was thinking of Batman Begins, The Shawshank Redemption (I wonder if you also were thinking of that when you mentioned the word redemption in the first paragraph), and A Tale of Two Cities. The latter sort of starts before a character’s arrival at the prison. But when he goes to the prison another character is introduced there. Dickens does that a lot in his stories, Little Dorrit being another of them. And of course there is Orange Is the New Black.
Prison stories have plenty of intriguing conflicts, especially the stories where a character is in a prison for which there is no escape (supposedly).
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Dickens does seem to enjoy prison settings. The story that made me think of this subject was ‘Robin Hood . . . Men in Tights.’
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I’d never thought about this, but The Shawshank Redemption came to mind. Thanks to L. Marie for reminding me of A Tale of Two Cities. There’s a lot of rich information and backstory with such a setting, grim as it is.
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Yes! The whole book hinges on that character being thrown into that prison for so long. So good!
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Never read that story. I remember hearing about it, but it never drew my interest.
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I think a prison story would interest a lot of readers. You can have rival gang action, attempted breakout planning and king of the hill kind of story lines. The segments of Mayor of Kingstown that are inside the prison are fascinating.
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It’s like a pocket culture too.
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True.
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This is a great idea. It think it would work for being pinned down in warfare or any number of settings. Conscripts who mutiny seems reasonable, too.
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Muting idea definitely sounds interesting. Has it been done before?
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It’s not something I’ve used, although I did have one character in prison, and a rescue by others.
In my current WIP there is a definite opportunity. I’d not thought of it, but the idea might help me get out of a hole! Thanks.
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You’re welcome.
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You also could take the jailhouse scenario in a direction like Suicide Squad, where a manipulative figure is forcing them to take on some secret mission. Either pulling together characters who already were jailed, or trumping up charges to get them arrested.
But of course in Suicide Squad you always wanted the manipulator to get theirs in the end…
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I actually never felt that way about Waller, but I remember her from the comics and cartoons. She was always that way, but not evil. That and I always figured someone like her would be the only one to control a team of villains.
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