Nancy Cross

Police POV Opening Scene. Foreshadows police and jurisdiction conflicts. Hopi Reservation, Keams Canyon, Arizona. Its midnight at Keams Canyon’s Hopi Tribal Police Headquarters. Headquarters is one hundred and twenty-three miles away by car from Flagstaff, or ninety-two miles as the crow flies. Keams is on the Hopi Reservation, but not a recognized village. Hopi police enforce tribal and state law, but Keams is also the base of operations for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, responsible for conducting federal crime investigations and managing Hopi custody facilities. Hopi Police Chief Isaac Benge paces in front of the reservation map estimating distances, drawing several black marker circles. Then tapped a knuckle inside the largest one. “We need to begin our investigation here in the Coal Mine Canyon shrine location.” For over a century, this secret shrine’s held Hotevilla's traditional spiritual leaders’ most sacred ceremonial items. Earlier that evening, Hotevilla Village, on the third mesa of the reservation, was preparing for their WuWuchim Night of Washing of the Hair Ceremony. During that time, a village elder called Hopi Police to report an attack on one of their priests while retrieving ceremonial items from this shrine. Looters made off with all of their ceremonial items, including their most sacred Blue Kachina mask with supernatural powers. Deputy Juan Montoya, lost in thought, interrupts. “Coal Mine Canyon’s on the other side of the res, close to Navajo territory.” Fidgeting in a worn armchair, he stands to survey the map. “The drive time and investigation of the canyon trail and shrine will take a full day.” He monitors Benge’s response. But Benge remained silent, so he continues, “There are four deputies scheduled to work tomorrow, and we need two of them at the station to take care of emergency calls.” Benge, still studying the map, answers. “You know, Hotevilla priests are distressed because they had to stop the Washing of Hair Ceremony.” Hopi ceremonies must be carried out correctly to ward off bad luck, maintain balance, and please Masaw, the guardian of the Earth. “Let’s hope the stolen Blue Kachina won’t cause us any problems.” Hopi know proper devotion to Kachina’s, who have supernatural powers, will prevent Kachina revenge. His cell buzzes. “Chief Benge.” “Chief Benge, this is Sargent Niles from the Arizona State Police. We found a dead Native male near Flagstaff along Highway 89 North. He looks Hopi. We need someone from your reservation to make an identification.” “Not surprised.” Chief Benge casts a mournful glance at Montoya. “Tonight, we had a looting of one of the res’ most sacred shrines.” A sense of foreboding crept down his spine. “I’m on my way.” His face looks solemn after ending the call. “Looks like white man’s wicked thoughts may be our looting’s motive.” The Hopi believe they’re the caretakers of the Earth, but white man’s way of life: war, exploiting land and natural resources threatens their balance. “That means white man’s police are going to get involved.” Montoya looks like he just smelled something bad. “And the FBI.”

First Assignment: Story Statement The 4th World follows Emilia Strom, a member of an FBI investigation team of a Native American murder and looting on the Hopi Reservation, but soon becomes entangled in Hopi secrets of quantum universes shrouded with mysteries and rarely seen by mankind. (Premise) Second Assignment: Antagonist Plots to Point The 4th World enlists a string of suspects, each driven by different motives of spiritual power, greed, revenge and the darkness of witchcraft; but soon their unity crumbles as they become conflicted in a common goal for a ‘secret client.’ Third Assignment: Break Out title The 4th World - Out of Balance The 4th World - A Timeless Warning Fourth Assignment 4: Genre & Comparables Genre: Crime: mystery/suspense Comparable: Tony Hillerman’s, Navajo Police Detective Joe Leaphorn Series (currently a TV series produced by Robert Redford) and Dan Brown’s DiVinci Code. Fifth Assignment: Protagonist Conflict, tension, and complications Logline: Emilia Strom, a member of an FBI team investigating a murder and looting of a Hopi Native American shrine containing the tribe’s most sacred ceremonial items that could trigger the end of the current 4th World; but while asleep one night she’s visited by an ancient eye hovering in front of her, holding her gaze, wobbling back-and-forth attached to nothing but air, creating a hypnotic effect, entangles her in ancient Hopi secrets of quantum universes shrouded with mystery and rarely seen by mankind. First Major plot point: Stolen Hopi ceremonial items that have supernatural powers could throw the “current 4th world out of balance” or even worse, end the current world. Return the stolen ceremonial items to the Hopi tribe and restore balance to the earth. Tensions with fellow characters: · Tension between the Hopi Police and the Tribal Council · Conflicts between the Hopi Police and the FBI Special Agent (trope who screws up leading to missed opportunities and tribal deaths) · Tensions between the Hopi Tribe and Washington D.C. politics and dysfunctional bureaucracy. (Social commentary) · Antagonists: (Social commentary) Native American tribes and federal government; tensions between looters lead to multiple murders. Assignment 6: Inner Conflict: Protagonist, Emilia Strom did not measure up her mother’s expectations driven by conflicts of different worldviews. Her mother’s world view centers on organized religion and is deeply rooted in the church community. While Emilia seeks spirituality in a more personal introspective way. She also feels like she was born in to the wrong family. So to resolve these inner conflicts, Emilia learned to let go of the guilt and move to the big city seeking to define her own view of the world. (Note: In my manuscript, the above sketch is detailed a “show don’t tell” family arguments.) Assignment 7: The Incredible Importance of Setting (Global) Inciting Incident occurs in Arizona’s Painted Desert’s badlands, canyons and arroyos are home to Native American reservations, offering readers an opportunity to travel to places they have never visited before. Investigation starts on the Hopi Reservation: The Hopi Reservation’s shaped like a donut hole surrounded three hundred sixty degrees by the Navajo Nation. Arizona State Highway 264 starts at the Reservation’s western border near Tuba City and winds its way along three mesas until it reaches Window Rock at the eastern border of Arizona and New Mexico. From the top of the mesas, the Hopi observe the Arizona morning sun rise over the desert year after year. For over a millennium invaders have come and gone, but their Kachina’s sustain them daily helping them maintain the Hopi way. Antagonists hide in the nearby state of New Mexico, the Hopi Powaqa sisterhood celebrate their successful looting of the secret Hopi shrine and the Blue Kachina. Tonight’s ceremony’s is held in a new location inside the Canyon de Chelly’s Mummy’s Cave. The Cave’s three hundred feet above the Canyon‘s floor with two deep alcoves filled with ruins. On a wide ledge between the alcoves sits a large, multi-story pueblo. And where the Powaqa relocated their rituals from the Hopi Reservation’s first mesa. Protagonist lives and works in Washington DC. It’s morning in Washington DC! Commuters from Virginia and Maryland stream into the District from underground metro stations and public transportation buses. Black marketer (Antagonist) lives in Taos, New Mexico. On August 29, 1540, Capitan Hernando Alvarado joined Francisco Vasquez de Coronado's expedition in Taos, New Mexico. Alvarado visited the famous Taos Pueblo, known for its magnificent ancient pueblo structures and the tranquil Tiwa Indians who have called it home for centuries. Antagonist is an antiquities dealer with international black market contacts. Back story of Hopi Earthly origins start in Sedona Arizona. Thousands of years ago, the Hopi made their way to Earth. It’s believed the Hopi lived in Sedona’s Red City in the presence of Kachina spirits. Legend has it that Kachina spirits descended from the stars to help the Hopi on their human journey in their new home, Earth. Investigation ends in Paris, France - New Year’s Eve. (Antagonist) Champs-Élysées trees are aglow with shimmering lights decorated for the New Year’s festivities. The Arch de Triomphe holds the title for being the largest Arc in the world. But tonight, Parisians united at the base of their Arc to mark the start of the New Year. The international black market dealer and his secret client had plotted this crime, but the investigation returns home to ruination and justice.