This week: Solving the Unsolvable Edited by: Lilli 🧿 ☕ More Newsletters By This Editor
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Many people LOVE a good mystery. They like reading mystery novels, listening to news reports of ongoing investigations, and watching TV shows about crime and forensics.
Luckily for us, there are a TON of real-world unsolved mysteries to read, write, and think about. Some are famous – like unsolved murders, missing people, strange natural occurrences, or crimes in which no bad guy was caught.
However, there are countless cold cases waiting to be evaluated and examined as well. This week we will take a look at what you may need to consider if you choose to write about one of those unsolved mysteries. |
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Step 1: Select your mystery!
There are lists and lists of cold cases, unsolved mysteries, and unexplained paranormal phenomena. An internet search will provide a plethora of interesting cases waiting to be solved!
Step 2: Research!
This step is CRUCIAL! You will have to do credible research to help you understand the mystery well enough to write about it.
Be sure to choose websites, videos, or other sources published by reputable organizations so that you can gather facts as opposed to other people's theories.
Step 3: Write a summary or outline!
Write a report that summarizes all the information that a neutral reader would need to understand the topic and begin forming an opinion for yourself. If it helps, treat this as a news report, police report, or another document that only gets to state the facts.
Create an outline by stating the known facts in the order they occurred - a timeline of events.
Tips for organizing facts.
The mystery may be unsolved, but we do know SOME facts. Write about them below, and do credible research.
Event: Include the date, location, and name of the event/mystery.
Whodunit?: List ALL the possible suspects or explanations. Do not pick a side just yet.
Evidence: List all of the known clues, facts, or evidence that are indisputable.
History of the Case: What trials, investigations, or public reporting has already occurred? What is common knowledge?
What has already been done to figure out what happened?
Start writing your story!
Once you have all the information you need, you can form your own conclusions and begin telling the story of what you think happened!
I'm a fan of such mysteries, so if you wrote one or plan to, I'd love to read it!!
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Comments from "What's in a name?"
DB Cooper write:
"A name is NOT everything but it does matter. The short story "Do androids dream about electronic sheep" by Phillip Dick could have never become a cult classic movie be it not for a name change; Blade Runner."
Touché!
GeminiGem🐾 wrote:
"I insist that my characters do name themselves. I might do some research for a name idea, but the correct name will fairly leap out at me. If someone mentions that they don't like my name choice for one of my characters in a review, I have to chalk it up to the negative connotations people attach to certain names. I wouldn't change it without a really good reason since I don't pick it in the first place, lol."
I like the idea of characters naming themselves. If we pay attention, the characters tell us an awful lot about themselves!
dragonwoman wrote:
"Thanks for the fascinating names and their meanings, already added them to my tiny book of cool names."
I'm glad to hear you found them useful!
Angel Wolf wrote:
"Hello! I am an aspiring writer(not on WDC, but in real life!). I take journalism in college. And, sometimes, I like to write my own stories with my own characters. My method of choosing names works like this:
So, let's say we had a character named Daisy. Well, I usually name my characters vaguely based on real-life people. I had a 5th-grade teacher named Mrs. Collins.
So, putting that with Daisy gets us, Daisy Collins. Sounds great, huh?"
That does sound great, yes! I sometimes play with names the same way. |
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