So I had an idea while painting my neighbors house, tell me if its any good. A college student has a job painting for over the summer. She runs into many interesting things, but the most interesting, it blood splatters on the wall. The owner of the house begins showing interest in her and they go out a couple of times, all the while she wonders who and what is behind the blood she found on the wall. Eventually her interest in him goes head to head with her desire for the truth. Is she willing to give up her true love, for what she knows is right? What is right?
The main idea doesn't look bad, but I'm curious 1. What's the blood from (obviously)? 2. How is she sure it's from the owner of the house (messy neighbors)? 3. Why is she going out with a guy who has blood on his walls? What convinces her? Is he very charming? Charismatic?
I think it would be hard to have her curious and suspicious of the blood and still prepared to go out with someone. I mean, picture it: 'well, I think my neighbour might be concealing a murder, but what the hell, I'll go on that picnic with him...' If you could manage to write it convincingly, it's quite an intruiging premise, but I don't see an easy way around that stumbling block, unless you have something like she's a student of criminology and she's spotted an opportunity for a career-starting major credit on her degree thesis. Even then, would she potentially risk her life for it? Al
Hmm... good points... Curiosity? Naivity? Maybe she doesn't believe he did it? I'll ponder some more and get back to ya'll.
You might be able to believably create that uncertainty by having your protag do some research and finding out that the house was recently acquired after having stood empty for a length of time - meaning that the previous occupants or some random people going into the empty house may have gotten them there. Or, she could discover them behind a piece of furniture - meaning either he moved his stuff around (do single guys do that? not usually) or it happened before he moved in.
I must admit, that sounds VERY intriguing. I'd definitely read it if it was published. However, you should probably consider the problems brought up by the other posters. Does someone else live in the house with this man? Could this person be mean or seem violent? Perhaps your MC believes that it's this person who caused the blood stains on the wall? Did this person really do it? There are many different scenarios you could use here. Simply choose the one that works best for you.
