What is this?

Hello!  Welcome to Murder at Atherton Manor, an experimental whatsit- part improv, part collaborative script-writing, part creative writing exercise, part RPG, part genre exploration… oh, I give up!  It is what it is.  And I’d like all participants who would like to do so to have a hand in defining what exactly we are doing.  The ‘what’ can shift over time, or be left a bit vague, or be rigidly defined.  Make a suggestion.

Here is what I have for you so far:

A character gallery- photos and descriptions (note that these descriptions are rather important, and provide lots of plot starting-points)

A chat room (it isn’t live YET, but it will be very soon now- I hope to have it up before I sleep tonight) for Act 1, Scene 1- with a box for the name of the character who is speaking and a text box for that character’s line

A rough outline of Act 1, Scene 1 and some remarks about Act 1 generally

One thing:  I like democracy, but… well, it IS my website.  If I absolutely can’t stomach something, it shall be expelled.  That said, I am also very open to ideas.  I want you to participate in this… internet event?  because it will be fun if people participate and no fun/pointless if people don’t.

What are the rules of engagement?

Please observe the rules of the genre.  Our genre here is, essentially, British Golden Age Mystery Fiction.  Think Agatha Christie.  Think Georgette Heyer (her mysteries, not the romance novels).  Think P.G. Wodehouse, if things took a turn for the murderous.

Think of a more rigid class structure.  Think of huntin’ fishin’ and shootin’.  Think of young women having Seasons.  Think of grand Estates and little villages.

Think of secrets.  Think of horrible families.  Think about ghosts, if you like.  Certainly, think of Ancestors.  Think of the British Empire.  Think about traditions clashing with New Orders.

Think on all of this for now.  If you don’t know what to think, try Googling “British Golden Age of Mystery” or similar.  Or look through tvtropes.org for pointers.  Or read a classic mystery (Georgette Heyer’s The Unfinished Clue, while not her best book, is pretty damn good and would make an excellent starting-point).

More here soon!