Category: NaNoWriMo

Mistaken Identity – The Final Editor’s Draft – Day 19

This book has finally reached the Final Editor’s draft, so this month it is going to get the last revision, and a reread for the beta readers.

…

Jack finally gets to spend those moments with Rosalie that were so tantalisingly close before he left.

The question is, would he dared to do so if it had not been for the events that had just occurred. There always seems to be an element of danger that spurs people on to do things they might not necessarily do if life had not taken a particular turn.

But, it was everything he expected, and more.

Of course, as advised yesterday, there are problems, not of their making but of the intrepid Maryanne, who reveals herself now as an agent working for an organisation that is equally after the package that Jack’s mother had left in Rosalie’s safekeeping.

And ironically it is Rosalie who captures Maryanne in the act of trying to steal it.

So, if an effort to keep it from everyone Rosalie agrees to leave with the package and tell no one where she is. Not until Jack decided what he was going to do with it. One possibility is to use it to get his mother back, but like all ransom exchanges, it never turns out the way it’s supposed to.

So, Maryanne is going to have to come up with a convincing plan to get Jack onside, but the lies and deception are not a very good start in forming trust.

It’s an interesting premise, and beyond the raw writing, I fear it will need some more work to get it where I want it to be.

More tomorrow.

NANOWRIMO – April 2024 – “The One That Got Away” – Day 24

And if I didn’t have an alibi…

…

The first meeting with the police on a murder investigation can go well or it can go badly.  Michael’s first meeting with Detective Chief Inspector Davis and Detective Sargeant Bains went badly, but that was more to do with his short temper and the fact they were wasting time on him.

There was no possible way he could have done anything, but the police were more interested in the fact he didn’t show up anywhere in official documentation, and Michael had to admit his passion for staying off the grid, was only going to make matters difficult.

Being escorted to an interview room at the nearby police station was the last thing he expected.  Perhaps it was the sudden discovery that someone had deliberately and callously killed her that made him angry, and it was always going to be directed at someone.

Why not the police.

His friends had said that it might not be a good idea to give them a hard time.

Good advice, given at the wrong time.

…

Words today, 1,671, for a total of 44,110

Mistaken Identity – The Final Editor’s Draft – Day 19

This book has finally reached the Final Editor’s draft, so this month it is going to get the last revision, and a reread for the beta readers.

…

Jack finally gets to spend those moments with Rosalie that were so tantalisingly close before he left.

The question is, would he dared to do so if it had not been for the events that had just occurred. There always seems to be an element of danger that spurs people on to do things they might not necessarily do if life had not taken a particular turn.

But, it was everything he expected, and more.

Of course, as advised yesterday, there are problems, not of their making but of the intrepid Maryanne, who reveals herself now as an agent working for an organisation that is equally after the package that Jack’s mother had left in Rosalie’s safekeeping.

And ironically it is Rosalie who captures Maryanne in the act of trying to steal it.

So, if an effort to keep it from everyone Rosalie agrees to leave with the package and tell no one where she is. Not until Jack decided what he was going to do with it. One possibility is to use it to get his mother back, but like all ransom exchanges, it never turns out the way it’s supposed to.

So, Maryanne is going to have to come up with a convincing plan to get Jack onside, but the lies and deception are not a very good start in forming trust.

It’s an interesting premise, and beyond the raw writing, I fear it will need some more work to get it where I want it to be.

More tomorrow.

Mistaken Identity – The Final Editor’s Draft – Day 18

This book has finally reached the Final Editor’s draft, so this month it is going to get the last revision, and a reread for the beta readers.

…

I have been writing away from home. We promised to take our granddaughters away for a few days during the school holidays, and so I’ve had to rough it, writing at the kitchen table with the sounds of a Nintendo Switch going off in my ears, when we’re not out trying new food and swimming or playing mini gold.

It’s a bit hard to get in the mood.

But, our main character, Jack, is back home, having got away from Maryanne, and knowing he has a package to get from Rosalie, he invites her out to dinner.

Dinner is pleasant, and a rapport develops into something else when he invites her back to his place.

And, of course, it’s probably too much to expect the romance will go as smoothly as it should, and something will come along to liven it up.

At some point, we will discover another of Rosalie’s hidden talents acquired from an undisclosed past life, not related to the romance aspect. If that sounds a little strange it probably is but I don’t want to give away the plot just yet.

More tomorrow.

NANOWRIMO – April 2024 – “The One That Got Away” – Day 23

A rather interesting suspect list

…

Michael had drawn up his suspect list, but he knew that list was not going to be exhaustive.

He would be at the top, the spouse always was, and for extra emphasis, he wrote it in capitals.

Lady Adria would be there, her best friend, it would be easy to slip her the poison, but why?

The General, there was a piece of work, and probably his number one candidate, but again, motive?

Genevieve? He didn’t like her, and the feeling was mutual. The fact Agatha was about to literally pull the rug out from under her was reason enough, but she hadn’t been there long.

The Office PA – She had the means but not the motive, but then, stranger things had happened with people least likely to …

The other PA – Again plenty of opportunity, but why?

All six members of the charity staff. It could be one of them, but it was unlikely. Again opportunity, but no motive.

The board members. No!

Her father. Well, his money was on the old man. She had surpassed him in popularity and in achieving accolades for her work whereas he was constantly beating off the reporters accusing him of all manner of infractions. Motive and means, and one of his businesses dealt in poisons.

The boyfriend who wasn’t. If the boy was as dumb as he tried to make people believe, then maybe, but Agatha had picked him for a reason, and it wasn’t longevity. He had no reason to want her dead, considering he was making the most of her free accommodation.

The children, if only for a moment. They hated her, but that was normal. Neither would want to see her dead. It was a little odd they were not more upset though.

Monte, though only as guilt by association. Definitely no.

The IT expert. She was an enigma wrapped up in a puzzle. She had information and wasn’t going to share it. Yet.

…

There had to be more, people she associated with, friends, and or enemies. The police would add everyone and then remove them one by one.

It was a passing thought, but Michael knew if he could use field interrogation techniques, he could shorten that list dramatically, and very quickly.  Perhaps he still might, if the opportunity arose, depending on the policeman assigned to the case and whether he was willing to share.

He would wait and see what happened.

…

Words today, 1,732, for a total of 42,439

Mistaken Identity – The Final Editor’s Draft – Day 17

This book has finally reached the Final Editor’s draft, so this month it is going to get the last revision, and a reread for the beta readers.

…

What’s it like turning around and not finding your shadow lurking behind you, watching every move.

Down at the stationhouse (it sounds just like what is said on a TV show called Murdoch Mysteries) he finally gets the message across that he’s not the infamous Jacob.

He also suddenly realises that until his doppelganger is brought to justice, this is going to be a new sort of normal for him.

The thing is, how did an exact copy of him walk the earth and no one seem to notice. He was a criminal before, but perhaps he hadn’t killed anyone before. It’s an interesting question.

Meanwhile, I’ve been thinking about the connection between Jack and Jacob, and it seems to me the best, and possibly only explanation, is that his mother’s sister, the one that was supposedly killed in a native attack in Africa, lived on, came back to England, found his mother (her sister) and took the first man she ever loved (and had a child with) away from her, and basically did the same thing.

What are the odds, though, that the same man fathers two identical children, one each from identical twins. Talk about a twist in the tale!

The burning question should be, why didn’t his mother tell him about her twin sister?

It also adds some context to Jack’s sighting of what he thought was his mother and the fact he was bothered about the man with her. Every right to, the man was Jacob.

And his memory is telling him that his aunt was the one who shot him, not the police. It might need to be refined a little more, but the clues are there.

Not a very productive day today.

More tomorrow.

Mistaken Identity – The Final Editor’s Draft – Day 18

This book has finally reached the Final Editor’s draft, so this month it is going to get the last revision, and a reread for the beta readers.

…

I have been writing away from home. We promised to take our granddaughters away for a few days during the school holidays, and so I’ve had to rough it, writing at the kitchen table with the sounds of a Nintendo Switch going off in my ears, when we’re not out trying new food and swimming or playing mini gold.

It’s a bit hard to get in the mood.

But, our main character, Jack, is back home, having got away from Maryanne, and knowing he has a package to get from Rosalie, he invites her out to dinner.

Dinner is pleasant, and a rapport develops into something else when he invites her back to his place.

And, of course, it’s probably too much to expect the romance will go as smoothly as it should, and something will come along to liven it up.

At some point, we will discover another of Rosalie’s hidden talents acquired from an undisclosed past life, not related to the romance aspect. If that sounds a little strange it probably is but I don’t want to give away the plot just yet.

More tomorrow.

NANOWRIMO – April 2024 – “The One That Got Away” – Day 23

A rather interesting suspect list

…

Michael had drawn up his suspect list, but he knew that list was not going to be exhaustive.

He would be at the top, the spouse always was, and for extra emphasis, he wrote it in capitals.

Lady Adria would be there, her best friend, it would be easy to slip her the poison, but why?

The General, there was a piece of work, and probably his number one candidate, but again, motive?

Genevieve? He didn’t like her, and the feeling was mutual. The fact Agatha was about to literally pull the rug out from under her was reason enough, but she hadn’t been there long.

The Office PA – She had the means but not the motive, but then, stranger things had happened with people least likely to …

The other PA – Again plenty of opportunity, but why?

All six members of the charity staff. It could be one of them, but it was unlikely. Again opportunity, but no motive.

The board members. No!

Her father. Well, his money was on the old man. She had surpassed him in popularity and in achieving accolades for her work whereas he was constantly beating off the reporters accusing him of all manner of infractions. Motive and means, and one of his businesses dealt in poisons.

The boyfriend who wasn’t. If the boy was as dumb as he tried to make people believe, then maybe, but Agatha had picked him for a reason, and it wasn’t longevity. He had no reason to want her dead, considering he was making the most of her free accommodation.

The children, if only for a moment. They hated her, but that was normal. Neither would want to see her dead. It was a little odd they were not more upset though.

Monte, though only as guilt by association. Definitely no.

The IT expert. She was an enigma wrapped up in a puzzle. She had information and wasn’t going to share it. Yet.

…

There had to be more, people she associated with, friends, and or enemies. The police would add everyone and then remove them one by one.

It was a passing thought, but Michael knew if he could use field interrogation techniques, he could shorten that list dramatically, and very quickly.  Perhaps he still might, if the opportunity arose, depending on the policeman assigned to the case and whether he was willing to share.

He would wait and see what happened.

…

Words today, 1,732, for a total of 42,439

Mistaken Identity – The Final Editor’s Draft – Day 18

This book has finally reached the Final Editor’s draft, so this month it is going to get the last revision, and a reread for the beta readers.

…

I have been writing away from home. We promised to take our granddaughters away for a few days during the school holidays, and so I’ve had to rough it, writing at the kitchen table with the sounds of a Nintendo Switch going off in my ears, when we’re not out trying new food and swimming or playing mini gold.

It’s a bit hard to get in the mood.

But, our main character, Jack, is back home, having got away from Maryanne, and knowing he has a package to get from Rosalie, he invites her out to dinner.

Dinner is pleasant, and a rapport develops into something else when he invites her back to his place.

And, of course, it’s probably too much to expect the romance will go as smoothly as it should, and something will come along to liven it up.

At some point, we will discover another of Rosalie’s hidden talents acquired from an undisclosed past life, not related to the romance aspect. If that sounds a little strange it probably is but I don’t want to give away the plot just yet.

More tomorrow.

Mistaken Identity – The Final Editor’s Draft – Day 17

This book has finally reached the Final Editor’s draft, so this month it is going to get the last revision, and a reread for the beta readers.

…

What’s it like turning around and not finding your shadow lurking behind you, watching every move.

Down at the stationhouse (it sounds just like what is said on a TV show called Murdoch Mysteries) he finally gets the message across that he’s not the infamous Jacob.

He also suddenly realises that until his doppelganger is brought to justice, this is going to be a new sort of normal for him.

The thing is, how did an exact copy of him walk the earth and no one seem to notice. He was a criminal before, but perhaps he hadn’t killed anyone before. It’s an interesting question.

Meanwhile, I’ve been thinking about the connection between Jack and Jacob, and it seems to me the best, and possibly only explanation, is that his mother’s sister, the one that was supposedly killed in a native attack in Africa, lived on, came back to England, found his mother (her sister) and took the first man she ever loved (and had a child with) away from her, and basically did the same thing.

What are the odds, though, that the same man fathers two identical children, one each from identical twins. Talk about a twist in the tale!

The burning question should be, why didn’t his mother tell him about her twin sister?

It also adds some context to Jack’s sighting of what he thought was his mother and the fact he was bothered about the man with her. Every right to, the man was Jacob.

And his memory is telling him that his aunt was the one who shot him, not the police. It might need to be refined a little more, but the clues are there.

Not a very productive day today.

More tomorrow.