I’m now fully ensconced in my writing for NaNoWriMo (where I’m trying to draft the best part of a novel in just one month!). I’m not consistently meeting my target, but life has been particularly turbulent in the last week, so I’m happy that I’m doing what I can. I do sporadically, however, get distracted by researching a small but, to my mind, essential part of the story. This time it has been the turn of floorplans. A minor plot point, certainly, but when constructing a murder mystery small details, like where someone could feasibly hear a scream, become vital to believability.
And so, with a distracted sigh, I turn to my familiar frenemy, Google. For the purposes of my current endeavour, I’m seeking a large Georgian or Victorian house, without modern trappings, that would have seemed a likely home in the 1920s. Living in a 100 year old terrace, as I do, one might assume I have information about traditional building layouts at my fingertips. However, my modest abode is a far cry from the trappings that would have accompanied the more upper-class vibe that I’m aiming for in this new story. No library, for one thing. Although in my fiction, there most certainly would be one. With floor to ceiling bookshelves, a cosy fireplace, and french doors that open onto extensive gardens. But I digress.
My search felt somewhat futile. Either returning floorplans for American Victorian-style newbuilds (cinema rooms were probably not a major feature a century or more ago), or blurred images that were of no use to anybody. With a fleeting consideration of mapping my protagonist’s home to the Clue(do) board, I was quite literally back to the drawing board. Sketching out several different possibilities, I suddenly had a bright thought - searching houses for sale. My main takeaway from this particular exercise: a million pounds does not get you very much house!
Eventually I found what I was looking for in the Scottish borders - a fully restored Victorian mansion, including a bona fide billiards room, turrets, garden lodge, and the confusingly labelled ‘void’. I’m asking no questions about that one. Finally, with a bit of adjustment on my part, I have my floorplan. Plus a new house on my wish list should I ever win the lottery.
Barring these research distractions, only one other problem has arisen to date in NaNoWriMo: my plans for downtime. I had intended to surround myself with tv shows of the cosy murder mystery variety. But after searching for Murder She Wrote, Diagnosis Murder, and half a dozen other similar series, I’m yet to find one I like that’s available to stream here in the UK (without paying a small fortune for a new streaming service). So, dear reader, before I resort to putting Jessica Fletcher’s entire DVD collection on business expenses, what are your favourite comfort watches in the murder mystery genre?
Hi Louise. Wasn't one of my favourite genres. Jonathan Creek was a firm favourite due to the complexity of the murders, the tools and tricks people used to stage elaborate alibis.