August 11th, 2023 — This book closes tomorrow! Now usually I post the cast the day it closes, but aside from the fact that I have people still working on forms, I'm super busy tomorrow! So the cast will probably be out tomorrow night at the soonest, possibly Sunday. Depending on when those forms get in and how I'm feeling. 

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

August 10th, 2023 — Reminder there is two days until close! Let me know if you need more time, I'm not against giving expansions.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

August 1st, 2023 — What's up! Just a quick update for any new people who pop up, because I'm going to be busy soon and won't be able to make one close to when it applies.

We are currently a little under two weeks away from the due date. Not much of an important milestone except, as I said, I'm going to be busy soon and by the time I'm back we'll be a little under one week, so this will probably be my last suggestion update (though I will make more throughout that last week to remind people that the due date is coming.)

Currently there's no real divide on female and male, so don't worry about that. The last suggestion (more actively involved characters) still stands, but I also have a couple new one.

1. More applications for either 2003 or 2023 only. Most of the characters are for both, which is fine, except it makes it hard to balance out the applications that are only for one or the other.

2. I am once again asking you to make a true crime podcaster. Could I do it myself? Yes. But I also think someone else would make it better (something I've learned from applyfics is that something you've just got to let other people do it, because they think of stuff you'd never consider.)

3. Possibly characters in Tam's age group? Wether that be a character that's just his age, or a character that parallels his experience (I've already gone one in a similar situation, who I am genuinely obsessed with poor baby. But I could see a gifted child who ended up succeeding – happily or not, up to you – or taking it a step further and it being a kid who was seemed as doomed, 100% going to fail in the future, who ended up being one of the most successful people to ever come from Carmunnock. For the irony, you know?)

Also! Something I should make clear is don't feel pressured to make your character perfect and totally accurate to what I'm planning. If you haven't noticed, a lot of that is being hidden. Actively. By me. I don't expect you to just read my mind from however many miles between us. If you get something wrong, I'll just fix it. And any characters not chosen for the main characters have a high likelihood of being side characters because I need to fill up this town, and god knows I'm not doing it myself (well, I mean, I could, but back to that "other peoples' perspectives make things better" thing.)

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

July 26, 2023 — This feels like a very update, but I wanted to give a suggestion. There's a trend of people's characters being on the less active end (active as in story-wise, not active as in physically.) Some because they're shy, some because they're stand off-ish, and others because they're go with the flow.

Obviously don't feel like you have to change your idea if they're in the process of making your character, or feel bad if you've already applied with that kind of character, but for people who haven't thought of an idea yet it'd be cool to see some more active characters to get the others into the plot (especially in 2003. Nellie can move the plot pretty well in 2023.) I think it'd also be cool to see some popular kids in 2003, since that was Ellen's main friend group, even if she wasn't bullying people or against hanging out with "less cool" people. I think they'd also make a lot of cool stuff for 2023 (did they peak in high school or did they go on to be successful? If they did succeed, was it because family connections or actual talent? Oh my god, imagine a character who was friends with Ellen in 2003 and used the fact they were connected to a high profile case to gain fame. 😭 If they were bullies in 2003, have they changed? Do they regret it, or they just assume people should forgive them?)

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

July 25, 2023 — Not a super important update. I just realized that there are side characters that I was going to need to make no matter what (either because they're ideas that too specific or too involved in spoiler-y stuff for others to make.) None of these characters will be main characters to the extent that the application ones are, or even to the lesser extent that Ellen and Tam are. Which is why I didn't mention them at first.

However I realized that this was a good change to give you a glimpse into the plot without spoiling stuff like talking about the Kereks would. It might even inspire you. Hopefully it will inspire you. If not, it's fine, like I said it's not a super important update.

⸻ Glen Breckenridge : Glen started his stint as Carmunnock's sheriff in 2018, determined to solve every single missing person cases since Ellen Kerek. Which for many was a blessing, because most of those cases had gone unexplored in favor of re-opening Ellen's case every time someone disappeared. That lasted only a year before, after a family camping trip, Glen returned completely blithe to the disappearances. Only a few days after his return he would take all of the files for anyone who disappeared and burnt them.

Then he disappeared himself. Glen Breckenridge would turn out to be the only disappearance to ever be solved in Carmunnock: according to reports from his wife he contacted her from just across the border in Canada. She refused to say what he said, even to their children, claiming he had simply gone insane.

⸻ Carlene Woods : In 2003, Carlene Woods was an elderly woman who lived near the forest everyone seemed to be disappearing near. In the week before Ellen's disappearance, she reported multiple of her cats disappearing. The ones she did find were found dead, and Carlene swore that something was lurking in the woods killing them. But since they weren't actually her cats, just strays she was feeding, everyone assumed it was naturally causes. They decided to leave. Got hit by a car or killed by the coyotes in the woods.

Carlene died some time between 2003 and 2023, not surprising since she was in her late 80s at the time. Her children and grandchildren have kept some of her journals. It was to have a connection to her, but inside there are notes and even pictures she took in her attempts to prove herself right.

⸻ Katherine "Kit" Siddall : In 2023, A four year old local girl. Nothing particular interesting about her now, except for her imaginary friend who, according to her, lives in the bushes outside their house.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

July 20, 2023 — Short update, but very important: I've decided to set the due date at August 12th. Once again, if you end up needing more time, let me know. Obviously I don't intend to put anyone off with my due date.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

July 18, 2023 — Remind that this...well, exists. I'm hoping to close this early in August? Maybe August 12th? It's going to AT LEAST be past the first week because I'll be on vacation then and don't want to close while I can't post the cast, but I don't want to push it too far into the month because I'll be starting school (or, well, harder school. I never actually stopped, lmao) at the end of it.

Let me know what your thoughts are. I haven't really gotten many finished applications, but that's sort of expected.