Jen Telling Stories

So, I've been working hard on editing my Steampunk Murder Mystery Party, "Death in the Skies!" I'm hoping to release it for sale in the next two months, fingers crossed. I'll definitely keep you updated on that. But I also have committed to write another Murder Mystery Party for the Utah Steampunk Society this fall. I've been thinking that maybe sharing my process on here could help me stay focused on both projects, and maybe even be useful information for some of you; I've had a few people asking me lately about how to write a project like this.  This blog post series is meant to be me sharing the things that I've learned so far in this process, as well as the things I'm continuing to learn as I go. I'll be breaking down different elements that go into making one of these games--many of which are elements that also go into writing other projects, like a more traditional mystery story.  For both of my parties, I've found that I started with...

A few weeks ago I ran a beta test on my Murder Mystery Party. It was a good test; I got a lot of useful feedback from it. The players had a great time and correctly solved the mystery. But I think it’s worth acknowledging that sometimes “got a lot of useful feedback” feels like failing. I do value the critiques I get on my writing, I really do! Feedback is vital in trying to improve at any skill, particularly writing. And I am always grateful when people are willing to give me the time and effort to look at something I’ve made and tell me honestly what they think of it, what I’ve done right, and where I can improve. But—I’m also a very sensitive person. In a lot of ways; I have sensitive skin, I have sensitive teeth, I have sensory defensiveness as a symptom of sensory processing disorder, etc. And like many artists and writers, I’m emotionally sensitive. This comes with pros and cons. For example, it helps me to be empathetic and to appreciate beauty. But it also means that I’m sens...