SOMATRY

Organizing your notes

Keep an Open-Question Ledger

Turn uncertainty into a short list of answerable questions rather than a vague feeling that the fictional case is confusing.

Write questions with boundaries

A useful open question names the uncertainty precisely: who collected the parcel, which date belongs to the interview, or whether two records describe one visit. A broad question such as what really happened is harder to investigate. Keep the list short enough that each item can guide a specific reread or comparison within the supplied materials.

Worked example: a conflicting time

Instead of writing timeline wrong, ask whether 00:15 belongs to the Wednesday calendar date or the Tuesday night shift. The wording points you toward dates, shift labels and the interview context. If those sources resolve the issue, close the question with a reference rather than deleting it. You may later need to remember why the apparent contradiction disappeared.

Review the list before reporting

Separate questions essential to your theory from background details that can remain uncertain without changing it. A mystery can contain atmosphere and incomplete personal histories alongside the evidence needed for its solution. In Somatry, the ledger should help you focus on the killer, method, motive and moment, not encourage endless speculation about every omitted detail. Close a question when the file supports an answer, and keep unsupported possibilities visibly provisional.