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A SELF-GUIDED COURSE & TEXTBOOK
A Powerful 9 Diagram System that Guides Writers Through
Every Critical Element of Writing a Mystery Novel
This visual method turns the overwhelming chaos of ‘what to write next’
into a clear actionable roadmap. Its straightforward,
one-step-at-a-time instructions help writers build momentum and
never lose sight of their story’s core.
35 years experience plotting murder mysteries packed into one book.
You are 9 diagrams away from writing your novel, non-stop from beginning to end.
Featuring over 300 pages, 23 color plates, and 100 black-and-white illustrations, this course guides writers from initial idea or stalled manuscript to finished book.
Sign up for Random Emails to receive valuable tips on plotting and clue creations.
You’re not buying a book. You’re investing in your writing to the equivalent of 60 hours of private mentorship that you can revisit whenever you need to elevate your craft. What took me decades to figure out, you’ll have at your fingertips–diagrammed, distilled and ready to use.
$ = Cost of the Book & Consultation + Shipping + Plus Tariffs if shipped to USA.
Why This Book Costs What It Does
Why It’s Worth Every Penny
THE REAL NUMBERS
In-person instruction: $3,000-5,000 for equivalent training
Workshop series: $1,000-3,000 for similar depth
This BOOK: A fraction of either option plus shipping plus tariffs if applicable.
- Available in standard or large print form.
- Both books are the same price but large print will cost more to ship.
- Coil bound for easy use.
Contact me with your postal/zip code for a shipping cost.
I never realized how useful it is to look at the whole story on one page as if I’m hovering above it like a drone. So many connections are apparent now!
I am so fortunate I was picked to be a beta tester for Mystery Bones Diagrams! I am a visual learner and benefit greatly from these diagrams. They help me to retail and understand the info much easier. Week 4 was my favorite lesson so far. After compiling all the info that we learned the last 3 weeks into diagram #6, I started rewriting my draft. It was much smoother and came together so quickly. The tips Juanita provides during the classes are invaluable, such as color coding/circling in diff colors on the diagrams. Thanks!
Last night, I participated in Week 4 of this course. I told Juanita her Diagram 4 “Secrets” was my favorite. She said I hadn’t seen them all yet. 😉 She is right of course. Being a beta tester, you help tweak something wonderful into something even better for future participants. We worked with diagrams 4-6 last night (diagrams 5 & 6 did not disappoint) to test the flexibility of the system. It worked wonderfully. Future participants will be able to work through this course at their own pace – quickly or slowly depending on personal preferences. Developing my story one diagram at a time is building my confidence that I can write a mystery. I’m so excited for this new tool for a writer’s toolbox (not only mystery writers) to become available for others. Next week is Diagram 7 “Clues” and I’m ready to learn all about them.
I would never have thought of thinking of the elements of a mystery this way. It is so revealing! Some of my issues cleared up when I applied a couple of these diagrams. Great course!
Wow, Week 3 beta testing the Diagram Course! So many things about mysteries coming together. Finally getting a handle on how to brainstorm all the parts and then weave those parts into something that works, leaves no plot holes, makes logical sense, and not only looks fun for the reader to read, but a blast to plan and write for me!!
The diagrams are awesome and I love the practical approach. This will make plotting so much easier! Even for thrillers, although they have a different pattern, but the diagrams do provide a lot of points that’ll work for thrillers as well. I’ve read books and attended a course on writing crime stories, but this is the first method to give me practical, tangible hooks to hang my story on and see what’s missing. I love all the visuals, like the background picture in your presentations and the illustrations with the diagrams. The only constructive criticism I could think of is that you sometimes explain a lot around examples, but I can imagine that if someone hasn’t looked at the diagrams before class, the examples are needed to get the idea behind them, so this might just be me.
In any case, I love the class and it’s definitely helping me!
Hi Mirjam! Thank you for the input. Do you mean you think there are too many examples of how things work? I’ve really packed them in because I learn from examples and sometimes I forget we all can learn differently. Would you find the diagrams clear enough without so many?
“Thank you for this program. I mentioned in the meeting the other day that I am writing romance and trying to add a layer of mystery in it (not murder, embezzlement). I really struggle to make things mysterious. The first Diagram was exceptionally helpful and applicable to any genre of writing. I filled in the second Diagram with my suspects for the embezzlement, but I’m not sure that my plot is solid enough. When I learn more, I’m sure I can adjust it to fit my story.”
Juanita’s Mystery Bones Method has helped me figure out my characters, suspects, and even how to misdirect my readers to create an intriguing story that makes the reader want to flip pages, eager to reach the answer to ‘whodunit?” Thank you Juanita for making a difficult process so easy with the diagrams and examples. Love the course!
I really liked how you provided us a fictional story about Joe and Tracey. I suggest that you begin your course with a little story like this and then you can fill in the details of Joe and Tracey as you go along. Your idea about (redacted) for marketing sake is spot on! Great idea, thanks! The details concerning the suspect’s (redacted) in the diagram was very handy. Filing out characters may be my favorite part of writing. Can’t wait until next week.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of again participating in the Mystery Bones Diagram method beta testing. Week 2 – Suspects. Who knew I could have so much fun creating characters with such interesting backgrounds? Nothing boring allowed. 😉 Juanita’s enthusiasm, explanations and examples again provided me with the information I need to continue setting the foundation for my novel. I can’t wait for next week: Week 3 – Character Connections.
I’m working on Diagram #2. The diagrams are really filling out my characters. I see personality traits I never knew they had! It’s great getting to know them better ;-).
I participated in yesterday’s beta testing for The Mystery Bones Method – Diagram 1 – Character Blueprint. What a great start! Juanita walked us through each square on the diagram and gave great examples that helped me understand better.
For a left-brained thinker like me, the diagram is a great tool. It helped me delve into my main character’s psyche to try to understand why she does what she does. I can’t wait for next week!
I just wanted to be sure I was in the running to be a beta tester for your course! This is mega exciting, Juanita! Thanks for the opportunity.
Hey Norma, you have to subscribe to the Random Emails so you can fill out the form to be a Beta Tester and receive the diagrams and Zoom link each week. Let me know if you need any help.
I signed up on this page: https://mysteryfactory.com/email-sign-up/ but I didn’t get a welcome message or anything. I’ve already checked my spam and trash folders but I never received anything.
Never mind. I realized it had something to do with my ad blocker. When I turned that off, POOF! There was the Random Emails link! Sorry for the confusion!