The Allena Abigail Burkhardt Mystery Series

Content warning: the following mentions murder

Allena Abigail Burkhardt is a character who has frequented my many notebooks for the last five years and counting. A Melbourne based private investigator, tea enthusiast and dedicated greyhound owner, she is perhaps a cliched rendition of a mystery series main character. I would like to explain my wild foray into writing a story of many parts on a platform that isn't as conducive to the format as previous platforms I have frequented. This is my explanation of sorts, for what compelled me to write a six part mini series that may never be read. I am sure it can - and has been - done better. But for the sake of fighting against some of that ever present sense of inadequacy, and to supply all the links for this series in one place, please find the following...

As I am sure many writers can relate, I have a vast array of hastily scrawled scenes between characters who have formed vivid life in mind, but are yet to be fully tangible on paper or screen;

• Allena - tea loving protagonist
• Oscar - organised assistant and single father
• Longsuffering Detective Sergeant Robert Farley and;
• Jamie - pastry lover and thoughtful boyfriend.

It is this project that is responsible for the majority of my questionable internet search history pertaining to 'criminal proceedings/activities' and the work of a private investigator in Australia. That being said, I am almost certain that the facts behind this six part series are not all there, despite my best efforts, and I would gladly welcome feedback (see the links at the end of the article, or better yet, keep reading please, I'm begging you). I am perhaps a little too proud to have completed this six part mystery, turned murder mystery series. However, it is the first time Allena has concluded a case and not just made tea and casual banter with her assistant. So that's just brilliant.

Why write a six part series, when I am flat out getting more than ten reads on any given work? I simply decided that I wanted to establish Miss Burkhardt in something more tangible than my notebook, and Vocal's Summer Fiction Series offered great prompts for each part of this short story (Part one took use of the Chocolate Cake and Brown Paper Box prompts). I have surrendered myself to the most likely outcome, that I will not become a Vocal Famous author, but I can have fun writing my characters and their stories - amateurishly, but how else is one supposed to learn?! I also thought it would be particularly clever to have a running theme for the title pictures (flowers), and subtitle. I am yet to master the art of the catchy subtitle, but those featured in this short series make me happy, so that will have to do for now.

The first story features a hot pink camellia (by Guillaume Gaudinat on Unsplash). It is a flower which almost continually bloomed in the front garden of my first home of ten years in a suburban area of Melbourne. Too many hours were spent finding what flowers realistically bloom in autumn and early winter in Melbourne for finding appropriate cover photos. However, it was incredibly fun, especially with the beautiful images available on Unsplash. It's certainly been too long since I lived in Melbourne, so although I might not realistically capture this Australian city, I hope to convey a little of what it impressed on me. Although in hindsight, this may be unlikely considering the amount of time Allena spends in her flat waiting for the kettle to boil.

Less hours were spent - sadly - on making each chapter its own standalone part. If any were to have had a chance in the challenges they were entered into, then surely that would have needed to be the case? I do think I recall a piece of writing advice where one ought to try and make each chapter of a story almost its own story that simply leaves readers wanting to know what happens next. Sound advice or not, I cannot hold out hope that whoever was doomed to read any of these parts of a series - for the purpose of moderation or challenge judging - will take pity on this misguided author, or Allena's bush diving antics. Even if, by some miracle, each story were to be read by the same person, I threw a chaotic spanner in the works by writing many of the story chapters out of order in relation to the writing prompts. My sincerest apologies for any consternation caused.

Nevertheless, I certainly had a lot of fun, and I sincerely hope that you have fun reading them. If not, why not? Is it because you haven't read any of them, but have stuck around to read this rambling monologue long enough to get here? If that is you, please give part one a read. If you're pulling your hair out (for those with ample hair to pull) by the third sentence, I'd love to know why. If not for my benefit, think of the poor souls I might later trap into reading such terrible narratives if I am allowed to run rampant and unchecked! I am here to learn, and read as much as possible. If you would like to share your thoughts on my work, this rambling collection of words, or just want to reach out and say hi, I'm contactable on Instagram and Facebook. I am also keen to return the favour for those brave individuals who read my work and give a little feedback. And even if you cannot bring yourself to read my work, drop a link. I'd love to read something of yours.

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