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QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT MAKES A *GOOD* MYSTERY - FOR WEEK 4

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QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT MAKES A *GOOD* MYSTERY - FOR WEEK 4

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After we find out what makes a mystery in our lesson on the Essential Elements of Mystery Stories in Week 2, we'll move on to what makes a GOOD mystery. We'll discuss the answers to these questions then.
Mr Ong, Week 1, Friday

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Looks like your friends have answered your questions about investigators of a mystery! Read the responses carefully!

Mr Ong, Week 1, Wednesday

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QUESTIONS ABOUT MYSTERIES & CRIME - FOR WEEK 2

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QUESTIONS ABOUT MYSTERIES & CRIME - FOR WEEK 2

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Ryan & Isaac:
These questions will be answered in class on Week 2. In the meantime, do consider what Marcus is pointing out to Shanyuan and Elliot about how the Cookie Mystery doesn't involve a crime.
What differences do you notice between the Cookie Mystery that isn't a crime story and the Nice Piece of China that is?

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There can also be two investigators. One could be the "real" investigator and the other could be a traitor who turns out to be the culprit. That would be quite a twist!

Jansen!

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I agree with Jasper. I think it's hard to write, though.

Mr Ong, are we allowed to do this in WA2?
Eric

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Yes, I think so. The narrator could be an unreliable narrator. That's a kind of narrator that the reader cannot really trust. The detective could go along pretending to solve the mystery but be found out at the end. --Jasper

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so maybe it's possible in theory but its too hard for anyone to do lol

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Does anyone know a story like this?

Jason

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Maybe? If the culprit doesn't reveal his identity or give away clues to the reader and just describes what's going on as he watches the police try to investigate? I would say that's quite hard to write.

~Alfred

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So does that mean Lamb to the Slaughter (told from culprit's POV) is not considered a mystery story?

Timothy Oh

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I agree with Wen Bo. There's no suspense...

Paul

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No, I don't think so. Hearing the culprit's POV means that from the start, we'd already know the solution.

Wen Bo

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A regular person might not be so smart as a detective. Maybe the puzzle they can solve might be simpler as well.

Gary

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Maybe the story will be more normal?

James

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I think a regular person won't have the same kind of resources (finger printing software, criminal databases, handcuffs) as a police detective. So the plot might be more down to earth?

Mark

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Yes, James, just because the investigator isn't a trained detective, it doesn't mean that the story won't qualify as a mystery. However, Keane is asking - how might the plot change?

Mr Ong

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It would still be a mystery. It wouldn't change.

James

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What if the "detective" is actually a regular person without any experience of being a detective? How would the story plot change? - Keane, Week 1, Monday

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Is it still a mystery if the murderer/culprit is also the detective?- Rizlan, Week 1

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Can mystery stories be told from the murderer/culprit's point of view? - Rizlan, Week 1

Can a mystery story be written in the POV of the culprit?
- Jerome, Week 1, Tuesday

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The space below has been reserved for questions and answers in Week 4 only. Please shift any Week 3 notes out of this space!

Mr Ong

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The space below has been reserved for questions and answers in Week 3 only. Please shift any Week 2 notes out of this space!

Mr Ong

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Questions After Learning about Mystery Essential Elements (Week 2)

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Questions After Learning about Mystery Essential Elements (Week 2)

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Through filling in the Mystery Story Graphic Organisers at https://moegebr.padlet.org/GEB_CAP/g3ifvuuh3h9jrn4v, we've just learnt that all mysteries contain the following 4 essential elements:
1. Puzzle
2. Investigator
3. Investigation
4. Solution

Now, each of you has been allocated to either Group 1, 2 or 3. Please attempt to answer the questions assigned to your group. All the questions come from Week 1 (thank you Rizlan, Jerome and Keane!)

PS: Later on, (in class or at home) if you have more questions related to the essential elements, you may continue to post them here.

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QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT MAKES A MYSTERY - FOR WEEK 2

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QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT MAKES A MYSTERY - FOR WEEK 2

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These are great questions, boys!

Once we cover the Essential Elements of Mystery Stories in Week 2, we'll be able to discuss the answers to these questions.
Mr Ong, Week 1, Friday

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In Who Stole the Cookies it was the cat and the dog. There were two culprits. So it doesn't have to be one and it doesn't even have to be a "person". :)

Adam, Week 1, Tuesday

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Sherlock and Watson are considered a team!

Charles, Week 1, Tuesday

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Mr Ong said this is the Motive part of the solution. It's the "why" and "how" of "who did what to whom, why and how."

Gregory, Week 2, Wednesday

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Mr Ong said in class that the mystery must have a Solution or an answer. But just because you know who did it, how they did it and why they did it doesn't mean you've caught the culrpit. So I would say the culprit can escape.

Gregory, Week 2, Wednesday

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Er... you mean like a riddle? (But that's not a story idk)

Shen Yi, Week 1, Tuesday

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What do you mean? It can be true or false. A witness could lie. I think the witness can also be the culprit who might be lying to save their own skin.

Shou Yi, Week 1, Wednesday

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QUESTIONS ABOUT INVESTIGATION (CLUES) - FOR WEEK 6

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QUESTIONS ABOUT INVESTIGATION (CLUES) - FOR WEEK 6

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I see that many of you are interested in red herrings (misleading clues that are meant to get the reader and investigator to make the wrong conclusion about the culprit)!  We'll learn about them in Week 6. In Week 7, we'll talk about what they add to mystery stories and how they should be applied.

Mr Ong, Week 1, Wednesday

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I don't think Who Stole the Cookies contains a crime... it's just cookies.

Marcus, Week 1, Fri

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No one was murdered in Cookie Jar story. So, I guess not? (Sherman, Week 1, Thursday)

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Also, in Little Schoolhouse Mystery I don't think the killing of animals was a crime? Is murder of animals a crime? In the end it turned out to be a snake... it's normal for animals to eat other animals?

So, to answer your question, no I don't think someone has to be murdered for it to be a mystery story.

Matthew, Week 1 Friday

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What is the difference between a crime story and a mystery story?
Ryan, Week 1, Friday

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Do some mystery stories end in a cliffhanger?
Ryan, Week 1, Friday

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is it possible for mystery stories are 90% crime and 10% mystery but still be considered Mystery?
Isaac, Week 1, Thursday

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Do mystery stories always include a crime?
ELLIOT ELIJAH YAO WEEK 1 WEDNESDAY

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What false clues(red herrings) are there?
Avery Tang Week 1 Wenesday

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is the witnesses' evidence true or false?
Avery Tang, Week 1 Wenesday

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what are the aspects of a good mystery story?
shanyuan:), tues

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do mystery stories always involve crime?
shanyuan:), tues

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Do  all mystery stories need to have suspense?
Sean Toh, Week 1 Tuesday

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Is there a story where multiple detectives (a team is considered1) exist?
Warrick, Week 1, Tuesday

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are there any stories in which the first mystery leads to many other mysteries?
Timothy, Week 1, Tuesday

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Does the culprit need to be only one person?
Edrik, Week 1, Tuesday

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Can a mystery story be written in the POV of the culprit?
Jerome, Week 1, Tuesday

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Do all mysteries have to end with the culprit being apprehended? Can the culprit escape in a mystery story?

Jerome, Week 1, Tuesday

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Can mystery stories be told from the murderer/culprit's point of view?
rizlan week 1

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Is it still a mystery if the murderer/culprit is also the detective?
rizlan week 1

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Do mystery stories need to have someone being murdered?

rizlan week 1

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Must there be red herrings in a mystery story?

Jonathan Chan, w1, Monday

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What if the "detective" is actually a regular person without any experience of being a detective? How would the story plot change?

Keane, Week 1, Monday

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Are there any mystery stories without clues?

Keane, Week 1, Monday

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Must a mystery story reveal the reason behind the culprit's/ culprits' actions or how they committed the crime?

Keane, Week 1, Monday

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How are red herrings applied in a mystery story?

Keane, Week 1, Monday

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Before class, read the following Mystery Stories that I gave out earlier and think about what is common across all three. We'll discuss our observations in class in order to distill the Essential Elements of a Mystery.

1. A Nice Piece of China
2. Who Stole the Cookies from the Cookie Jar
3. Little Schoolhouse Mystery

ALL three are examples of Mysteries. Each holds the essential elements of the concept.

Post in this thread any questions you have about Mysteries after completing the readings!

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I will re-arrange and colour code your comments each week! Don't be surprised if your comments have been moved and re-coloured!

White Notes: Mr Ong's instructions
Red Notes: Questions that stump us
Yellow Notes: Questions we'll answer in class
Green Notes: Questions that have been answered
Blue Notes: Attempts at answering questions

P.S.: Do try to help me by creating your questions in red and your answers in blue! I'll re-colour them as we go.

P.P.S.: Please do NOT create the connections yourself - I will do that. Please help by just ensuring your notes do not cover other people's! Thank you, boys.
Mr Ong, Week 0, Monday.

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Over the semester, we'll be learning about Mystery Stories. As we learn, I'd like you to post on the Mystery Q&A board about the questions you have about the concept of Mysteries.

GROUND RULES:
1. You may ask any question you have about the concept of Mystery unless it's been asked by someone else in class. If it has, "like" the question and/or add your own comments.

2. You may answer questions your friends have answered. I will read the board each week to answer questions too -- either in class or on the board.

3. You may post questions or answers about mysteries. You'll have the chance either in class when I distribute iPads for you to use once a week or at home when you have a question while doing the homework.

4. To post, use the "+" sign in the bottom right hand screen. Try NOT to use the comments feature as it's likely that those will be missed. Make sure that each post contains only ONE question or ONE answer.

5. Questions and answers must be written in formal and standard English. (Let's practice whenever we can!)

6. Do not post images/media clips! Only Mr Ong is allowed to do that!

7. Leave your name and the date after posting. Example:

Mr Ong, Week 0, Monday.