A Story Idea Each Day for a Month — Day 22

This is the seventh year in a row I’ve run this series in April.

Today’s story: Small Town Turns to Crowdfunding to Save Itself From White Supremacists.

Hundreds of miles from any major metropolitan center, lies the tiny town of Antler, North Dakota. Founded in 1905, the most recent U.S. census report pegs its population at just 27 people. It’s home to what claims to be the world’s largest historical quilt and, this year, has already far outspent its entire annual budget of $20,000. But, rather than being a case of fiscal irresponsibility or frivolous municipal pork barrel spending, Antler’s monitory woes are the result of the town’s efforts to block a group of white supremacists from buying land for the purpose of establishing a whites-only enclave in the town.

Over the past year, members of the white nationalist “Creativity Movement” have been making bids on property around Antler, in the hopes of purchasing enough land in town to found their all-white community–one which movement leader Craig Cobb plans to name “Trump Creativity” after his favorite politician. Antler officials, rightfully horrified at the thought of their home becoming a haven for racism, went on the attack, making their own offers to buy a number of privately held lots being looked at by the Creativity Movement. Jim Lozensky, the former Antler resident selling the property in question, ultimately accepted the city’s bids over those of Cobb and his followers, according to the Grand Forks Herald.

In fact, reports Gizmodo, the town ended up spending nearly twice that–$35,000 in total–in order to stymie the Creativity Movement’s plans. And so, while the properties in question may be off the market, Antler itself is in some serious financial trouble. In response, Antler city council and zoning board member Mark Jorgensen has turned to an unlikely source for help: Crowdfunding.

World’s Largest Quilt in Antler, North Dakota

You see a headline like that, it gets your attention. And at first, I was thinking this would be a comedy. I mean, come on: Town of 27 people. World’s largest quilt. White supremacists. GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign.

Then I thought of the movie High Noon.

The notorious Miller gang entering the town of Hadleyville in the movie High Noon

What if a town like Antler, ND was dying. 27 residents. Most stores shut down, houses empty. Then the last month or so, a lawyer in the employ of an unnamed individual came to town and laying out cold, hard cash, starting buying up abandoned properties. At first, citizens were thrilled to see this new source of revenue. However after it became apparent this individual was buying up most of the town, suspicions set it: Who is the buyer?

Turns out the locals are smart to be suspicious because by the middle of Act One, who shows up but a group of white supremacists led by the shrewd, but cruel extremist ideologue Miller. Now that they own over half the town, procured legally, they intend to establish a white supremacist colony.

Much like High Noon, the townspeople gather to forge a plan. And while they may have a rifle in each home, it’s nothing compared to the arsenal Miller’s group creates, stashing their weaponry in one of the buildings they’ve bought and setting an armed guard there.

There is no legal precedent the locals can lean on to resolve the situation. Even when Miller’s group begins to threaten and scare the locals, with no law being broken, the sheriff from the nearest town is unable to do anything to help.

I see several subplots relationships, each exploring the building terror of extremists whose goal is to do what they can to force the locals to leave, thereby ‘cleansing’ the town, so its only residents will be ideologues like Miller and his gang.

And yes, there’s violence ahead.

There you go: My twenty second story idea for the month. And it’s yours. Free!

What would you do with it?

Each day this month, I invite you to join me in comments to do some brainstorming. Gender bend, genre bend, what if. Take each day’s story idea and see what it can become when we play around with it. These are all valuable skills for a writer to develop.

See you in comments (hit Reply to join the conversation). And come back tomorrow for another Story Idea Each Day For A Month.