September Writing Challenge - A Mystery Tale

Thanks once again to everyone who read my winning entry from last month, Kang's Summit. Everyone's kind words and votes are very much appreciated!

And now, the topic.

Like a certain pair of crew members of the Enterprise-D, I'm kind of a Sherlock Holmes junkie. There's nothing like reading a good whodunnit. The suspense of a finely written tale, the joy of trying to beat the protagonist to the solution, I love it all.

Your mission this month, should you choose to accept it, is to pen a tale wherein your character or characters are at the center of some sort of mystery. Anything beyond that one requirement is all up to you!

Word Limit - 5000
Entries Due - 30 September

 

A mystery in 5000 words or less? Hmm... Seems a little short to me, but I'll try.

 

You think?

What would be a better limit, do you think?

 

I dunno, it just seems the complexities of a good mystery, especially for a Sherlock Holmes fan, would be very difficult to contain within 5000 words. But hey, that's why they call it a challenge, right?

 

I'll be sitting this one out. Mystery definitely isn't my writing genre, but I will enjoy reading the entries.

 

well, i can only try! after all, its worth a shot.

 

I shall definitely be entering this month. PSGarak, why don't you write a Cardassian mystery? An enigma tale?

 

Hmm, never really tried my hand at mysterys but how tough can it be?

Methinks its time for Shandahat and Joe to re-appear....

 

Well, because you asked. I may have something up my sleeve. It's not an enigma tale, but I think it'll qualify. It'll have to come later in the month, though. I suppose it wouldn't be a challenge if we didn't push ourselves out of our comfort zones. This will be way out of my comfort zone. As in...in a whole different comfort galaxy.

 

Well, I got something in the works... Still worried about the length, but if its to long then I'll just post it as a normal story instead of an entry.

 

I won't be entering this month - way too many other things going on. But I'm looking forward to reading the entries. Great challenge idea, Elias Vaughn!

 

I'm having more trouble with mine than expected, but I hope to work something out.

 

First time entering this, but I have an idea I'm kicking around I may like to enter. How does one go about doing that? Should the story be posted here on this thread?

Joel

 

Joel - start a separate thread and put "Sept. Challenge" in the title box before your title.

 

Thank you! Will do

 

Well, I won't be entering the challenge. I'll probably have my story done, but its already looking like it's going to be too long. I'll still post it for people to enjoy, and I hope I did a good job at crafting a mystery.

Good luck to anyone who does get their entry in. I look forward to reading them.

 

All right. Here it is, coming in at 4533 words, my first and probably only mystery story ever, The Hound of the Baskervilles? I've made the notation that parts of the holosuite program come from Arthur Conan Doyle's serial novel The Hound of the Baskervilles. I hope it will be evident that the plot of the holosuite program is very secondary to the plot of the story and not an effort to claim the brilliant work as my own. I hope you enjoy.
http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=104152

EDIT: Fixed link to take you to first post of the two post story instead of the second. Not sure how that happened.

 

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=104249

Well, I managed to do it. I hope I did a good job.

 

Its getting close, is it really going to just be me and PSG?

 

Well I've taken the final step and have posted my first fiction piece: "Missing" (working title was 'Misstery'!).

Part of the Voyager Documentation Project at the University of, oh, I don't know.

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=104421