NaNo2019: An Anticipation

[meltintall3]

Basically, I'm taking out that half-baked 'houseparty + murder mystery' idea and rolling it to see if I can get all the way through the story this time. Also, I have the first draft to cannibalize if I get way behind on the wordcount, which is a decided plus because I don't really know where I'll find the time to write. (I do seem to find some every year, but I remember last year wondering how I did it back at the beginning. Where does the time go?) The downside of this is that the original draft is the first half of the story and though I've dabbled in starting just before the end and then overwriting it once that's down, I prefer to go through as if I'm reading the story as I write, which means one word follows the next with as little skipping around as possible. I tend to end up with very front-loaded drafts.

Um. Cool stuff about the story! It has a castle! With a ghostly legend! Elwin Brandon, our protagonist, gets into uncomfortable situations! (Literally and figuratively. It should be GREAT FUN--err, I mean, HORRIBLE for him.) There are loud noises while people are sleeping, locked rooms, and the castle staff is not really thrilled that the castle is now inhabited.

Speaking of unwelcome guests, we have a random guy who shows up and invites himself and his sister to join the party! She paints watercolors, and really likes the castle, even if she doesn't say much.

There are also horses. And a photographer who may or may not have taken a picture of the ghost! (I don't think the last is as important as the fact that there is a secret passage, but we'll see.)