During one of our recent company meetings, Sean asked the team “how many people know what Mystery Box Storytelling is?” To our surprise, not every hand went up. If several people we work with don’t know what it is, then maybe you don’t either. Mystery boxes are a fantastic narrative trick because it keeps the reader engaged and you, the writer, having fun. So long as you trust the process. Today, we talk about how mystery boxes are used in popular media and how you can implement them while avoiding the pitfalls of doing them poorly. We Talk About: Sean’s stoked about the show Working Moms. https://www.netflix.com/title/80198991 Dave’s enjoying Umbrella Academy. https://www.netflix.com/title/80186863 The importance of closing the loop. Using Theme and Character Arc as your compass. Mystery Box Storytelling: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpjVgF5JDq8 Mystery Box Storytelling in Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens. Avoiding “Hurley birds.” When you have too many mystery boxes.