Write an article based on this "Find an appropriate mystery. Make detailed observations. Map out events. Consider different scenarios. Apply logic."
Now that you have a good eye for detail and have mastered the art of logic, you're ready to begin your sleuthing career. Grab your hat and let's go solve some mysteries. You don't necessarily need to solve crimes to practice your detective work. Actually, frequenting crimes scenes is a bad idea. It may not be safe and could anger local police. Smaller mysteries are a better place to start. Ask your friends and family if they have any unsolved mysteries. Has anything gone missing lately at home? Did a pan of cookies disappear off from the counter while they were cooling, but everyone at home denies taking them? Get on it. Gather information and make your observations, for starters. You can do this by physically examining the scene of the crime, by talking to witnesses, or both. Pay close attention and try to sort what is important from what is not. Ask questions. Interview people who may be able to shed light on the mystery. Was your aunt the one who baked the cookies? When did she bake them? What time did she take the pan out of the oven? When did she first notice that the cookies had gone missing? Who else was present? Did she notice anything else out of place? Write down your observations as field notes, both for interviews and for examinations, so that you can review, rehash, and work the pieces until they fit. Take your information and begin to put together the puzzle. Different pieces will include people who was around and a possible culprit as well as the time, possible motives, and other considerations. It may help to write out the events on a piece of paper, draw a timeline, or create a flow chart. "Aunt baked cookies at 4:30 pm. Took them out of oven at quarter to five and then went outside to garden. When she came back inside at 5:30 the cookies were gone. Also present were Uncle, cousin Bob and cousin Gina, Gina's friend Mosley, and their Shetland sheepdog. Interview them and note their schedules, as well! We know the following additional details: Uncle and cousin Gina both have weaknesses for cookies. Bob does not. Mosley is unknown. The dog was free to roam about the house. A long hair was found at the crime scene. When you begin to piece together a mystery, you'll often be faced with a number of different possible sequences of events. Using logic, your job is to figure out which scenario is the most likely one and to nab the culprit. Consider the scenarios: Uncle may have nicked the cookies, as he has a weakness for them. But Gina could have, too. Bob is less likely to have stolen them, as he prefers candy. Mosley and the dog are unknowns, but either of them may have eaten the cookies. Or, it is possible that Aunt is lying. Map the scenarios. Assess and reassess the evidence. Eventually, a picture of the crime should emerge as you eliminate possibilities through logic. You may not get the correct answer, but you should be able to discover the most likely scenario. A key piece of evidence in this case is the long hair found on top of the baking sheet. It is your only piece of physical evidence. The perpetrator must have had long hair. Uncle is bald, while Bob and Mosley have short hair. Aunt, Gina, and the dog all have long hair. With this in mind, your likely perpetrators are whittled down to three. You'll need to look closer, and to focus your attention on the physical evidence, the hair, its color, texture, and length, in order to find the true culprit.