Big Read 2009

Collaborative Mystery Writing Project

Get ready ... Crack your knuckles ... LET’S WRITE A MYSTERY!

The Story So Far...

Have you ever read a mystery and thought you could have improved on the suspense, or that character could not have been the murderer? Well here is your chance to test your skills at writing a “who dun it?”

Teens and adults will compete together to write a 4000 word cozy-mystery short story. During the eight week period beginning February 1st and ending at the conclusion of the CCPL&IC 2009 Big Read celebration on March 28, 2009 you may submit weekly segments to continue the story. The completed story will be posted online and printed & distributed free throughout the Cumberland County Public Library & Information Center system.

Here’s how it works

Story Guidelines

• Click on The Story So Far... to read the story thus far. 
• To add to the story click on the story submission form.
• Keep the setting local, here in Fayetteville.
• Your submission must go along with past sections and keep the story flowing logically, please.
• There will be 8 sections to the story, one for each week.
• Judges will read all of the submissions, posting the one that most closely follows the current storyline.
• Submissions will be posted online as quickly as possible between Thursday and Saturday of each week.

Submission Rules

• Each weekly submission will be a maximum of 500 words and no less than 400 words.
• We recommend you type up what you want to submit in a word processor and then copy and paste it into the submission form.
• Submissions must be made between Sunday and Wednesday of each week between February 1, 2009 and March 25, 2009.
• The deadline for the week's submissions is Wednesday at 6:00 PM.
• The editors reserve the right to edit your contribution, and use or not use it, as they see fit. If we use your contribution, and it advances the story, you will be registered to win a prize.

Submitting Without a Computer

• Come to the library to view a printed version of the story so far.
• Each weekly submission must be hand delivered to any of the CCPL&IC branch libraries information services desk (except Headquarters Library, which is closed due to a fire)
• Title page must include the following: name, mailing address, e-mail address(if applicable),
  telephone number.
• Each section should be a maximum of 500 words and no less than 400 words: typed, and double-spaced. (This is about two [2] pages).

To learn more about what a cozy-mystery is we recommend visiting cozy-mystery.com.