Getting prepared for Nanowrimo 2021

I've heard great things about it and so decided to experience Nanowrimo for myself. It being the end of October, I signed up and stated what I wanted to do. I've waved my digital hand in the air and connected with the Yorkshire writers. I'm already, but of course, I'm not. I lied. I've hardly done any prep for what's about to come and knowing what I need to accomplish in my normal writing life (complete a short story, edit and proof a collection, record it for audio and manage marketing), I know November is going to be a challenge.

But I know I want to do it, and I need to do it. The Thursday Murder Club is flying off the shelves. No, what's even better than flying off the shelves? The copies are zooming off the shelves vertically, like some Space X or Blue Origin inspired missiles. They're arcing through the air and boinking readers on the head if they want them or not. They are the flavour of the month, the quarter, the year. I bought a copy (signed) from a charity shop and started reading it a while ago. For me it was disjointed and twee beyond belief, but my wife's reading it and enjoying it, just to irk me. So, I'm going to have a go at this cosy mystery thing. My father in law seems to have an aversion to magic realism, and I think he would appreciate a standard, 'grounded' nuts and bolts murder mystery in the cosy style. Though what is cosy about someone being murdered is a moot point. Maybe the emphasis is on mystery and I've got the murder thing muddled up in it by accident. I'm no specialist. But The Thursday Murder Club specifically mentions murder in the title, and it's quite cosy and genteel, with carefully drawn characters that tick a lot of boxes and make me want to boil my head. Mine's going to be set on an industrial estate. Maybe the death can involve some poor unfortunate cooking his brains in scolding hot water. That would be nice. This could be a just punishment for him writing a cosy mystery. I'd better watch out.