Amid a Castle Crumbling by TidalDragon

[TidalDragon]

ORIGINAL FICTION
(Because I apparently want to fail)

[INSERT FANCY & SUPER-COOL BANNER HERE]

If you've visited my den of despair before you'll know that I am committing to a single project (allegedly) for the first time in forever. I have never succeeded with a single-project NaNo, let alone a single-project OF NaNo, but there's no time like the present and (obviously) no story like this one.

The story is set in the once-proud city of Schattenburg, in the vice-like grip of a shady corporation, Systos Arms. When Systos has its control challenged by a new arrival - Antifor Pharmaceuticals - the CEO at Systos blackmails a jaded career police officer, Detective Michael Andrews, to put an end to the threat. The mission brings back ghosts from the past - both the city's and his own - and the farther he digs the closer he gets to secrets better left undisturbed.

An examination of the nature of truth, integrity, and evil.

Not compelled yet? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Darling_take_off_the_mask]

Yup, I’m all over this.

 

18 minutes ago, TidalDragon said:

Not compelled yet? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’m so very compelled, great job making a completely intriguing NaNo Nest.  The gif is a nice touch.  

 

18 minutes ago, TidalDragon said:

An examination of the nature of truth, integrity, and evil.

Yes. Yes. Yes. This sounds dark and gritty and grey.

Have you written mystery/ crime fiction before?

What was the inspiration for this?

I’m especially interested in the role the corporations play in this. (And also the fact that the two corporations seem to not be in the same industry? Is there significance to this; are you able to tell us?)

How much planning have you done for this so far?

You're a talented storyteller, and I think you'll do fantastic with this sort of story. Happy NaNo-ing!

[ineffable_season]

Ooh yay! I'm glad you are picking this up again! I think I lurked on this story and left a few reviews.  Do you plan on posting additional chapters as you write? Do you think anything will change in the one's you have already posted? 

Anyway, I look forward to learning more about this project!

Courtney

[grumpy cat]

kevin if i saw this summary at a bookstore i'd legit immediately go pirate the book and read it in the span of a couple of days

all that to say, i love the  concept and i really want to read it and i think it's amazing you're writing original fiction and yay kevin!

[TidalDragon]

@RonsGirlFriday

First off, thank you for the compliment!

As for the questions...

1. Have you written mystery/crime fiction before?

I've taken a couple of shots at it. The earliest was Calculus, which I wrote for a challenge back on HPFF. It's a novella that I'd like to revisit (like so many of my earlier multi-chapter stories) that's the investigation of the death of a Wizengamot member. The other, which was supposed to be updated monthly and be written in an episodic fashion, is Unconfirmed Reports, which is about two Unspeakables who investigate unexplained magical phenomena in the field.

I'm hoping this one will work better than Calculus and wind up completed, unlike Unconfirmed Reports.

2. What was the inspiration for this?

I think the challenge took me in this particular direction because while there are obviously specific players are at the core of the mystery/crime but I didn't want something that was just 'someone done got killed' and more of a bigger picture to it all.

3. I'm especially interested in the role corporations play in this. (And also the fact that the two corporations seem to not be in the same industry? Is there significance to this; are you able to tell us?)

The corporations being in different industries is absolutely relevant to the story but I don't want to spoil anything beyond that.

4. How much planning have you done for this so far?

I've got a progression and endgame in mind and a couple of arcs I'd like to include, with maybe (but probably not) a third. I've got the bare bones vision for a few important scenes but nothing really beyond that.

@prideofprewett

You did and they were much appreciated! Editing the existing chapters will be a part of my work, primarily the last three because I think they need to be more fleshed out and slowed down in terms of both plot and character progression. As for posting chapters as I go...I used to do that for multi-chapter stories, but for a lot of reasons I don't do that anymore (unless it's initially for a challenge - like this was). My goal will be to finish the story and then have a posting schedule like I did for Evolution.

@pirate grumpy cat

Thanks! Sometimes I find I'm better at writing summaries than the story turns out () but hopefully that won't be the case here.

[victoria_anne]

On 10/29/2020 at 12:46 PM, TidalDragon said:

(Because I apparently want to fail)

What is this attitude 

This sounds so great, Kevin, and I'm so excited for you! What's going to be your process/plan for reaching that daily word count? Can you tell me more about the main character?

Good luck! 

[TidalDragon]

@victoria_anne

1. What's going to be your process/plan for reaching that daily word count?

This time I'm going to set more scene or chapter-based goals than daily word count goals. I've written more this year than I have in multiple years combined - a lot more - using that strat and I felt so much more free to develop my stories and massage the plot and characters than pressuring myself with numbers. Though I'll still be awake (obviously) I'm also going to use a sleep timer on my TV. I started doing that some this year and it really helped cut the psychological 'just one more' connection between games and/or episodes so I can really get to work after decompressing for an hour or so. I plan to be more religious about it during NaNo.

2. Can you tell me more about the main character?

So the story is set in the early 2000s when Andrews is about forty-five. He served two years in the Army at the end of the Vietnam War where he met the now-Head of Security at Systos. Michael has been in law enforcement, all with the SPD, for about twenty-five years - a rare number in the city after Systos was authorized as a private police force - and of those twenty-five he's been a detective for about fifteen. He is disgusted with the balance of policing between the SPD and Systos as well as the effect that imbalance has on the quality and tenure of officers in the department and is unhappy with the fact that he's one of very few remaining detectives.

Michael has been married for just north of twenty years and has three kids, Collin (twenty), Elizabeth (nineteen), and Alex (sixteen). He's unhappy in his marriage and has largely been going through the motions since shortly after Alex was born. Divorce is viewed as unacceptable in his religious family though and so he stews in his unhappiness, drowning himself in work and other things to avoid his wife outside of special events for the kids or family gatherings. His wife on the other hand is content in the marriage because she likes being a homebody and considers things 'normal' for the wife of a police officer. He considers her naive, which only irritates him further.

All that said, he still wants to be a detective and values his children highly if not his wife. Due to the quality of his work and other associated civil contributions to the city he is well-respected. Owing to not just his record, but his thorough and 'beyond-the-call' investigations and above-average intuitiveness, he is considered one of the best if not the best officer in the city - the vastly more important part of why he's given his 'assignment' than mere susceptibility to blackmail.

He's very much a Stripped Gryffindor.

The attitude is slightly tongue-in-cheek. Thanks for your support!