Outline
For anyone who missed my site announcement here, in April I’ll be live-writing a novel. Below is the title and outline for that project, which kicks off tomorrow. So enjoy the first step in:
Topher Nightshade vs. Camp Undead Apocalypse
Outline
Ghost Hunters
Topher Nightshade: Host of Spooks & Shit, a web-series dedicated to uncovering proof of the supernatural. Blue hair (for this story) and well-built, the show is built as much around Topher’s appeal as it is their actual science. Though doofy, douchey, and overall dim, Topher has a passion for ghosts that permits him to be well-read and up to date on all spectral theory. Topher is a true believer due to (undefined childhood incident), and takes people trying to pull scams very personally.
August (Auggie) Parrish: Tech specialist for Spooks & Shit. African American, lean, and overly intelligent, Auggie is only on the team because the pay is good and it leaves him time for his own projects. A born skeptic, Auggie no more believes in ghosts than he does in gods (despite what his sister April keeps telling him) however he does believe in a timely paycheck, which his childhood friend Topher provides. Auggie maintains, tweaks, and generally takes care of every piece of equipment the team uses.
Kayla (Kay) Krupchyk: A photographer/cinematographer, Kay keeps the cameras steady and artistic. She is a willowy girl with a constant tangle of brown curly hair. Kayla is also something of a shitshow. Heavily implied to constantly be on drugs and usually with a beer in her hand, she is easily the least tightly wound of the Spooks & Shit crew. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Kay’s skills are off the charts, and she keeps everyone on camera looking good. She believes openly in ghosts, but also believes in bigfoot, aliens, and is open to the idea that the government has been infiltrated by lizard-men.
Note: Might combine with Wyatt if the four-person scenes get muddled.
Note: Possible ex of Tophers
Wyatt Willows: A medium sometimes brought on Spooks & Shit. He is an absolute fraud, but good enough that he’s managed to fool Topher and Kay. Auggie doesn’t believe in his sixth sense anymore than he believes in the rest of the supernatural voodoo. A lean man with large eyes and a pale complexion, Wyatt sells his false wares to the crowds well enough to get good ratings, so the crew brings him on for big jobs.
Ghosts
Clinton: Former counselor at Camp Tekonichia. Died during the 70’s when he went out to meet another counselor for a late-night booty call and slipped down the hill to a local ravine. Though initially lonely, he mellowed out when Art died and he finally got a friend. While not terribly bright, Clinton does have a good heart and, since he died with several joints on him, constantly regenerating ghost-weed.
Art: Former counselor at Camp Tekonichia. Died in the 80’s when he got wasted on the lake, tried to paddle back in, and ended up flipping the canoe and drowning. Inspired the “No Boating and Boozing” sign by the lake, which he is oddly proud of. Though high-strung in life, Art chilled out significantly once he no longer had a future to deal with. Also, he died with a six-pack since he refused to let go of the beer.
Irwin Pistole: Former TSA agent. Died while in flight over Camp Tekonichia by choking on an egg-salad sandwich. As a newly-dead person, he still cling to vestiges of his identity like his last name and position as a government employee. Bossy, entitled, and grating to the nerves, he would be a real bummer if Art and Clinton didn’t have an ample supply of mind-altering substances.
Other
Velt: You know damn well who this is
Note: This is my actual outline, so I didn't bother fleshing out characters I already knew well enough to have written novellas about. Click on the link to see Velt's first adventure, available on the site.
Setting
Camp Tekonichia: A camp opened in the late-60’s in woods undisturbed for centuries, the camp ultimately closed in the mid-90’s amidst rumors of constant hauntings. While the rumors were true, the campo actually closed because the owner like to play the ponies more than he liked to keep an eye on his bank account. Though unbeknowst to most of the living, Camp Tekonichia functions as a well for souls, snaring all who die on or near it’s grounds and binding them to it. What purpose they are bound for, none of them know (But it’s pretty obvious from the title).