Everything but the Plot

I want write a Sunshine Noir sci-fi gangster short story/novella. I have characters and setting… But no cohesive plot for all my ideas.

• Takes place on a tropical planet, could be the Earth in the future, though ambiguous. The main setting is a town on a bay waterfront. Inspiration is from New Orleans and Coney Island (in terms of touristy-boardwalk)
• Like Firefly, there are no aliens, only humans, though humanity has discovered intergalactic travel.
• This town used to be under control of gangs, but The Republic (which needs a name) stepped in. The gangsters haven’t left, as they run casinos and the underground, but they comply with government regulations and officials. They still basically run the place.
• Main character is the charismatic but aloof son of a influential galactic business man (he’s around 40). He and his older brother (an ex-military officer with Old Shame) were sent to this planet on whim by their father, not so sure why, but the dad is definitely climbing in age.
• There’s a character in mind: The most powerful gangster’s Moll who wants to marry a rich man (she's never been independent all her life) and leave the planet—so she clings to the MC.
• The MC gets involved with the gangsters somehow. Not sure what or why.

I think because there's a lot that can happen is why I'm stumped on ideas. Any possible ideas of how to connect these things?

Run it as a sandbox tabletop RPG, see what the players do with your setting.

Yeah, I don't think that's a very timely plan. I also don't have friends who are fans of those. I could just ask them for help, but even then, they'd probably draw a blank too.

I'm really at a loss here...

Just let the characters do what they do in this world and write what happens as a consequence, then edit down the results to something manageable.

Drag the main characters into the conflict. Have it so that, somehow, the two brothers are forced to save the Moll and ship her offworld. Heck make the Moll incite the conflict, and then make her continue it, where the gangsters think that they kidnapped her, and the brothers are told that the gangsters are trying to kidnap her too. Make things spin out of control as the conflict rises to new heights as the cops fall into the Moll's lies, and then have mercenaries go after the Moll so that they can set a trap for the mob boss and claim his bounty. Add a few stunning personalities into the gangsters, police, mercs, kill them off mercilessly, add as much chaos as the Moll can control, and then you have yourself a Kansas City Shuffle.

edited 7th Jan '16 8:03:02 PM by JacksonStillburn

You could write the Moll (what's a Moll?) as the protagonist, since she's the one who you've worked a story out for. She has a clear goal, so the plot can be the obstacles (instigated by the gangsters, the rich son) that prevent her from reaching her goal.

Well, just an idea.