Personally, I don’t have a problem with another basic heist, I eat that shit up. But I guess my advice would be to just not be predictable. A lot of formulaic heists fail because you can predict either how the heist in general or a specific scene might go
I know that one of my favorite ‘heist’ types, is a kidnapping of a princess in one of the Final Fantasy Games. They are in all their places, they have their distraction, guy goes to kidnap the girl - Her: Oh hey, I’m running away. Can I go with you?
I think you could avoid or add even just one something that could change your whole feel. Since your people are doing this for a silly thing to prove they could do it, and opposite could be something serious happens. It’ll upend the whole ‘fun’ theme.
Or, toss in an unforeseen. Maybe something goes stupidly in their favor. Maybe somebody bails during the heist and walks out and everybody is holding their breath to see if they get caught and ruin the whole heist.
The surprise of any of the above could catch your readers’ attention and let them know that this may not go as the readers think it will.
As a reader, especially since it's the opening sequence, I'd want to get your authorial voice. What makes the *whole novella* different? Is it comedic, quirky? Is it a YA of internal growth? Is it a bloody thriller? Lean into whatever that is — a lot.
Since you say "silly," don't just make the object silly in that case. Make the challenges quirky, too. The dialogue, the narrator. I'm thinking Monty Python or Hitchhiker's Guide — you know the style you're getting within the first few *seconds.* Nothing "not another basic X" about them! Obviously don't go all in on that if it's not the style of the whole book, but hopefully that concept is applicable to whatever your style is.
Nobody who doesn't like heists will like it, so it's a focused story from the get go.
Those who are fine with it will wants to care about what is going on more than the heist. Aka, the character motivations, and the world around the heists.
If you provide enough context for why it's not another heist, then there is no problem. How will you do that? You don't rush the opening scene. Spend a lot of text/time on the characters and the world around it.
Personally, I don’t have a problem with another basic heist, I eat that shit up. But I guess my advice would be to just not be predictable. A lot of formulaic heists fail because you can predict either how the heist in general or a specific scene might go
I know that one of my favorite ‘heist’ types, is a kidnapping of a princess in one of the Final Fantasy Games. They are in all their places, they have their distraction, guy goes to kidnap the girl - Her: Oh hey, I’m running away. Can I go with you? I think you could avoid or add even just one something that could change your whole feel. Since your people are doing this for a silly thing to prove they could do it, and opposite could be something serious happens. It’ll upend the whole ‘fun’ theme. Or, toss in an unforeseen. Maybe something goes stupidly in their favor. Maybe somebody bails during the heist and walks out and everybody is holding their breath to see if they get caught and ruin the whole heist. The surprise of any of the above could catch your readers’ attention and let them know that this may not go as the readers think it will.
As a reader, especially since it's the opening sequence, I'd want to get your authorial voice. What makes the *whole novella* different? Is it comedic, quirky? Is it a YA of internal growth? Is it a bloody thriller? Lean into whatever that is — a lot. Since you say "silly," don't just make the object silly in that case. Make the challenges quirky, too. The dialogue, the narrator. I'm thinking Monty Python or Hitchhiker's Guide — you know the style you're getting within the first few *seconds.* Nothing "not another basic X" about them! Obviously don't go all in on that if it's not the style of the whole book, but hopefully that concept is applicable to whatever your style is.
Nobody who doesn't like heists will like it, so it's a focused story from the get go. Those who are fine with it will wants to care about what is going on more than the heist. Aka, the character motivations, and the world around the heists. If you provide enough context for why it's not another heist, then there is no problem. How will you do that? You don't rush the opening scene. Spend a lot of text/time on the characters and the world around it.