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by Carina Mystery novels have always been interesting to me. Their unique storytelling always keeps me interested and allows me to test my detective skills. The interactive storyline never fails to spark my imagination. But it isn’t easy to write such complex stories, with hidden details everywhere. Mystery books have an alluring way of drawing readers in. Typically, they start with an interesting event or cliffhanger that leaves the reader wanting to know more. You could introduce a crime that the protagonist must solve, or something mysterious like an unknown letter or package. The beginning of the story should tell the reader what the book will be about, but leave out some details to leave them intrigued. You can also add emotion to the story by making the stakes high, possibly by giving the detective or protagonist a personal connection to the crime or mystery. Clues are arguably the most important part of a mystery novel, and definitely my favorite. Whenever I’m reading a mystery book, I like to annotate clues, connections, and foreshadowing to help me solve the puzzle. Although clues are very important parts of mystery novels, it can be difficult to make them fit into the story naturally. Clues can include fingerprints, DNA, suspicious behavior, witness testimonies, missing items, traces of items where they shouldn’t be, etc. When writing clues or foreshadowing, you don’t want to make them exceedingly obvious. You should hide them in the text enough so they don’t pop out, but not so much that they go completely unnoticed. This allows the reader to think about the text more, putting together the pieces of the puzzle. One way you can do this is by making the clues correspond well with the detective or protagonist's plan of action, so they don’t seem out of place. You can also hide clues in seemingly insignificant details, such as casual conversations. Of course, there are also times when clues have to seem obvious, like if a secret letter or fingerprint is found. Even when you include these clues, you can add secret underlying details. Oftentimes there are also false clues and dead ends in mystery novels. These could be things such as an unreliable witness or planted or missing evidence. Things like this throw off the protagonist and reader, lead to problems in the investigation, and cause distractions from what’s really happening in the book. These red herrings are often accompanied by a shocking plot twist. Plot twists can have the same effects as false clues and dead ends, and sometimes even lead to an unexpected ending. The well resolved endings found in mystery novels can be some of the most satisfying parts. Readers typically prefer a good, or just, ending to mysteries. Not only should you include who committed the crime or caused the mystery, but the motives and provide answers to questions throughout the story. Seeing the mystery finally solved and all the loose ends tied up is like a breath of fresh air. On the other hand, you could also leave a few loose ends on purpose to prepare for another mystery novel. If you decide to do this, you should still answer questions throughout the book so you don’t leave readers frustrated. In mystery novels, you can always find some key roles that are crucial for keeping the story interesting. The first, most important role, is the sleuth/detective. The sleuth is usually the protagonist, and follows clues to solve a mystery. Alongside the sleuth, the sidekick is someone who helps them along their journey. On the contrary, the villain is the bad guy in the story, or the person the sleuth is chasing. The victim is someone who has been harmed by the villain, and who the sleuth is trying to help.

by Alin “ German is my mother tongue and as such more natural to me, but I consider Czech much more affectionate, which is why your letter removes several uncertainties; I see you more clearly, the movements of your body, your hands, so quick, so resolute, it’s almost like a meeting. ”  – Franz Kafka, Letters to Milena Despite being born and having lived in Prague most of his life, almost all of Franz Kafka’s works were exclusively written in German. Yet he found Czech to be the language that touched his soul the most and invoked the feeling of closeness. To Kafka, it was the language that was more genuine. Any multilingual person can relate to this feeling that Kafka had. Although many of us may have complex feelings regarding our native language now, whether it’s because of how hard it is or how we’ve grown apart from it, we can’t deny that reading, hearing, or writing in our native language makes us feel the most. Although there is an option to always write an English translation, we don’t want to spend half of our time translating our hearts. If you speak one language, this article is a sign to you that you should learn another. If you already speak more than one, then why not add another into your list?  To Learn A Language is To Be Reborn Elsewhere. Have you ever been curious how different languages view the same subjects?  In French, the saying “avoir une peur bleue” or “to have blue fear” means to be extremely scared, while a saying about the same color in Russian, “быть голубым” or “to be light blue” means to be homosexual. And of course, in English, to be blue means to be sad. Although they are all talking about the color blue, all of them have widely different meanings, stemming from negative emotions to one being homosexual. The different meanings can influence you to view the world differently, whether it is by colors, structure, or time.  “A different language is a different vision of life.” — Federico Fellini. And the quote is absolutely true. When we use a language, we also weave its culture into our expressions. Thus, our perspectives of the world changes and you’d begin to make more ‘unusual’ comparisons between  subjects. To Learn A Language is To Enjoy The Journey When learning a new language, we need to practice writing in that language too. This forces us to get out of our comfort zone and try something new – something that might inspire your greatest work. You’re forced to write, but it’s different, it’s writing in a completely foreign language. Straying away from the regular schedule and trying something new may also help you overcome your writer’s block. It helps you understand the atmosphere of the place as well, especially when you’re writing a story that takes place in another country. For instance, idioms are based of folktales and everyday lifestyles. Learning about the stories behind the idioms will shape how you view the average day-to-day routine of the people in the country. Especially during the old, historical times as that was when the majority of idioms were developed. You can also insert words from different languages into your writing. Similar to Dostoevsky’s novel, Crime and Punishment , despite the characters being native Russian, some speak words of French in between sentences.  Once you’ve mastered the language, you can also try translating English texts into that target language. It’s another exercise that can be used to improve your grammar skills and bring out your creative juices. To Learn a Language is To Find Yourself Again When learning the grammatical logistics of another language, you’re also relearning the grammar rules for English too. You’ll find yourself comparing the constructions of the target language to English. Although I’m not a native English speaker, it’s a language that I’m very familiar with. Yet when it comes to taking an English grammar test, I struggle, mostly because I don’t remember the intricacies of the rules – what ‘adverbs’ or ‘indirect speech’ truly mean. It just comes naturally to me. Now that I’m learning other languages (French and Russian), I am reminded of these terms. Thus, technically, I am learning two languages while reviewing one that I’m TOO familiar with at the same time! Not to mention, you might find new literary devices hidden in other languages. For instance, Russian has a complex grammatical case system, which allows it to have unique sentence structures. You can create a sentence that starts with the verb followed by the subject and object or vice versa, and it would still make sense. That’s because the cases alter the way a word is spelled and pronounced in different contexts, so the sentence would still have the same meaning to switch all the words around. All thanks to the changing endings of the words. That’s why Russian literature and poetry are regarded as majestically beautiful. To Learn a Language… Of course, it’s hard to learn a language, but I promise it is definitely worth it. You bring out your hidden creative side that only exists in that writing script. A new literary field will also be accessible to you now – translating, which might help you land a job, while maintaining your love for writing. Just imagine reading your favorite books in their original language, experiencing the raw emotions that you may have missed through translation. Although it would take a lot of effort, in the end, it will all be worth it. Citations Cranford, Andie R. “Does Learning a New Language Help Your Creative Writing?” Medium , 15 Aug. 2023, medium.com/@andrea_cranford/does-learning-a-new-language-helps-your-creative-writing-b113e98ad961 . Price, Grant. “How Learning a Foreign Language Can Make You a Better Author.” Medium , 13 Dec. 2021, grant-rhys-price.medium.com/how-learning-a-foreign-language-can-make-you-a-better-author-19019d821a79 . Stein, Rob. “Learning a Foreign Language Yields Better Writing | the Writing Cooperative.” Medium , 30 Mar. 2022, writingcooperative.com/how-learning-a-foreign-language-translates-to-better-writing-ee2b1e67d4ba .

by Shel Zhou In 1984 , a dystopian novel by George Orwell, Orwell delivers a warning about how the  manipulation of language can affect one’s thinking and control a society. This message, conveyed through Orwellian concepts like doublethink, Newspeak, and the Party’s [in 1984 ] totalitarian regime, speaks to the dangers of governments censoring language and reality to maintain power. However, this warning seems to go unheeded in modern America as echoes of his fictitious story become reality in both political rhetoric and media manipulation. This is evident in two present-day examples: Donald Trump’s Jan. 6th speech and research published by Stanford University that demonstrates how language reinforces stereotypes. Despite Orwell’s clear warnings, modern society, particularly in the United States, seems to follow a path eerily similar to the dystopian future Orwell imagined, where language is weaponized by certain people to gain power and suppress dissent. Orwell’s 1984 depicts a society in which the government, led by the omnipotent ‘Big Brother,’ controls not only the actions of its citizens but also their thoughts. One of the Party’s most powerful tools is the manipulation of language - exemplified by Newspeak, a language fashioned to turn the citizens of Oceania into mindless drones. As Syme, a specialist in Newspeak, tells Winston, “the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought. In the end, we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible because there will be no words in which to express it” (Orwell 52). This deliberate constriction of language makes rebellion impossible because when the people do not have the words to articulate discontent, it does not exist. This notion is an upsetting parallel to the very real censorship of language today, as language distortion continues to shape our political narratives. For instance, the phrase “fake news” has been weaponized to discredit legitimate journalism and reporting, similar to how Newspeak simplifies and distorts language to prevent independent thought. As Orwell demonstrated, controlling language is the first step to controlling thought, and this is a lesson contemporary political leaders seem to have learned all too well.  The United States, despite its tumultuous and often ugly history, is founded on Enlightenment principles of democracy and liberty. In contrast to Orwell's 1984 , where language is manipulated to suppress freedom of thought, the United States Constitution includes the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech, press, and assembly—cornerstones of a stable democratic-republic. However, as Orwell explained in 1984 , even systems built on liberty can manipulate language for control, which can be seen in the U.S. today. Political discourse often distorts the meaning of words like "patriotism," "liberty," or even "democracy" to advance specific agendas. This distortion is comparable to Orwell's notion of Newspeak, where words lose their meaning and are repurposed to serve those in power. There is also a historical irony to consider: for all its vehement rejection of socialism and communism, the United States was, in many ways, born in the throes of a rebellion—an idea central to socialist and Marxist principles. Marx theorized that workers should rise up against corrupt governments to secure true freedom, arguing that rebellion against oppression was necessary to dismantle unjust systems. Likewise, the American Revolution itself was a rebellion against British tyranny, with the colonists advocating for freedom from what they perceived as a corrupt monarchy. The rejection of British rule was a violent uprising in the name of liberty, making the early United States' resistance to centralized authority somewhat akin to Marx's belief in overthrowing corrupt systems, despite the nation’s later demonization of anything resembling socialism. This ideological contradiction, therefore, reflects another manipulation of language: the word "socialism" in the U.S. political lexicon has been heavily demonized and misrepresented (Democracy Journal), as is Orwell’s concept of “thoughtcrime.” It is no longer associated with its original ideas of economic fairness but is instead used as a term to stifle discussion and fuel fear in the name of national security. In modern America, the spread of misinformation and the manipulation of facts have become increasingly common, particularly in political discourse. The 2020 U.S. presidential election and its aftermath serve as a prime example. Despite clear evidence to the contrary, many of Trump’s supporters continue to believe the election was “stolen,” a belief fueled by the former president’s rhetoric. This parallels the Party’s manipulation of reality in 1984 , where lies become indistinguishable from truth. In both cases, the Orwellian concept of “doublethink” is at play, as people accept contradictory information without question. Orwell’s warning about the dangers of manipulating truth is especially relevant in today’s era of “alternative facts”, where the very concept of truth is under siege. Trump’s infamous Jan. 6th speech, delivered shortly before the Capitol riot, demonstrates how language can be used to incite action and reinforce dangerous ideologies, much like the Party’s slogans in 1984 . In his speech, Trump repeatedly used words like “we” and “our,” creating a sense of unity and collective identity among his supporters. He declared, “Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore, and that’s what this is all about” (Naylor). This rhetoric mirrors the Party’s use of slogans like “War is Peace” and “Freedom is Slavery,” which serve to simplify complex issues and foster a sense of collective purpose. By framing the issue as “us vs. them,” Trump’s speech capitalized on a binary worldview, much like the Party in 1984 does. The effectiveness of this tactic lies in its ability to manipulate emotions and create a sense of belonging among supporters, making it easier to suppress dissenting voices and manipulate reality. Furthermore, Orwell’s exploration of the power of language in 1984 is underscored by research conducted by Stanford University, which highlights how even well-meaning statements can perpetuate harmful stereotypes. The study found that phrases like “girls are as good as boys at math” inadvertently reinforce the stereotype that boys are naturally better at math than girls (Shashkevich). This demonstrates the subtle ways in which language shapes our perceptions of reality, much like Newspeak in 1984 shapes the thoughts of Oceania’s citizens. The researchers’ conclusion, that “language can play a huge role in how we perceive the world,” aligns with Orwell’s warning about the power of language to control thought (Shashkevich). Both 1984 and the Stanford study illustrate the importance of scrutinizing language and recognizing its potential to reinforce harmful ideologies or suppress dissent. In Orwell’s dystopia, the Party controls all aspects of life, from the media to personal relationships, using propaganda and censorship to maintain its grip on power. Today, we see echoes of this in the extreme polarization of American politics, where both major political parties engage in censorship and manipulation to further their agendas. The recent bans on books discussing race, gender, and LGBTQ+ issues in schools across conservative states, like Florida, evoke Orwell’s portrayal of the Party’s control over information. The censorship of ideas deemed “dangerous” or “unpatriotic” in modern America is reminiscent of the Party’s erasure of historical events.  Ultimately, Orwell’s 1984 is not just a cautionary tale about a distant dystopian future, but a reflection of the political and social dynamics at play in the modern world. The manipulation of language, the suppression of dissent, and the distortion of reality are not scary stories, confined to the pages of Orwell’s novel; they are realities we face today. The takeaway is evident: if we do not remain vigilant of how media perpetuates bias and how our everyday language influences perception, we risk falling into the same traps as the citizens of Oceania, where thought itself becomes a crime.  Works Cited 1984 . (n.d.). STRAUTNIEKAS Illustration. https://strautniekas.com/1984   Andrew Atterbury. (n.d.). LGBTQ advocates sue over Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill . POLITICO. https://www.politico.com/news/2022/03/31/lgbtq-advocates-sue-florida-00022001   File:EugeneDebs.gif - Wikimedia Commons . (1920, October 11). Wikimedia.org . https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EugeneDebs.gif   Naylor, Brian. “Read Trump’s Jan. 6 Speech, A Key Part Of Impeachment Trial.” NPR News , 10 February 2021. https://www.npr.org .  Accessed 28 September 2021.  Orwell, George. 1984 . Signet Classics, 1977.  Shashkevich, Alex. “Some Well-Meaning Statements Can Spread Stereotypes.” Stanford University Website , 10 July 2018. https://news.stanford.edu .  Accessed 28 September 2021.  Stening, T. (2022, July 27). Would a second term save Donald Trump from prosecution–even jail time? Northeastern Global News; Northeastern Global News.  https://news.northeastern.edu/2022/07/27/donald-trump-second-term-prosecution/   The Week Staff. (2017, May 30). Political cartoon U.S. College graduation free speech liberal censorship . Theweek; The Week.  https://theweek.com/cartoons/701847/political-cartoon-college-graduation-free-speech-liberal-ce   nsorship Words, Fighting. “Fighting Words.” Democracy Journal , 19 Mar. 2018, democracyjournal.org/magazine/48/fighting-words/ . Accessed 11 Jan. 2025. ‌ Follow the author on Instagram here!

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Issue VIII: The Human Experience July 2024 Who are you? Who are we? What is our purpose on this planet? Why do we think? Why do we act? Why do we form groups? Why do we do what we do? How do we define ourselves? How do we know the things we love? What shapes our personalities? What causes our thoughts? What drives our actions? What influences our relationships? What defines our lives? What does it mean to be human? Psychological, biological, philosophical, or fantastical - whatever perspective you choose to go with, this is the question we wanted answered. We asked our readers to tell us in their own words and art what humanity and humaneness meant to them. We asked them to explain to us the human experience, in all its wonders and scars, beauty and flaws. Read Now CONTRIBUTORS POETRY Riddhi Iyer To be Human (Staff Contribution) Aurora Skye Vessel Ezra Mukami Untitled Jaiden Geolingo Here, Grief Angela Acosta Approximation of Latin American Diya Kapoor the big thing that lives in the sky Nirmit Mittal To Gaza Lydia Rae Bush Risk Ruth Towne Sweets to the Sweet Gabby Parkinson Lost in Translation Ray Shubert Purpose Mia Jevtic sentenced to your love Rah Royal the first twelve years of my life Liv Gamble How To Exist Nina Stadermann Reverie Muskan Gupta Poof and Gone Milan Singh Blur AC. Sandglass Just Talk Alexys K. Beautiful and Human Ruby Dyan My Day Wong Eu Kenn Michelangelo's Sculpture Sundos Hejazi art of life/life of art Kit Thurston-Mathews A Kitten's Offering Aunezti Burk What Day Is It? Rowan Through the artist's lens Nevaeh Phillips Life doesn’t end Chloe we were Urja Srivastava an understanding of the human experience Inaya Aly Khan Lunacy in a Fifteen Year Old Zoe Moon Xoxo Yuvika Gupta The Life Express Chloe Ho Chamber Music Maryam Majid I don't believe in atoms (I want to touch something) Jessamine Jin Infinities Cora McCullough Is Kindness Words Or Actions? Liv L. Ascend Bryan Duong Milstead faded gleam, renewed dream Halley Kunen Engine Flitting Malcolm Wernestrom it's a dog eat dog world Ivy J My Eurydice Friends W. E. Everhart Humanity weeps Asad R. Unexpected Transmission layla h. your best girl Rahil Najafabadi The Correspondence PROSE Isabel Loytty Highway Shannon Tran Grief & Bliss Elizabeth Butler Unnatural Selection E. Syson Seventeen Years (and an Extra Few Weeks) Alana Rodrigues Birch, Law of the Wild Aleeza Aneel who? me? Kiara Turner My Angst and Me Nusayba Bokhari Seeds alarminglytired (Nyx) As The Zephyr Wind Blows Claire M.M. A Ferryman's Fate Soraya Saros Crop of Prometheus Madison Cossaboom We Are The Fish Meagan Da capo sunny Our Paths Will Cross Again, I Promise Aki Rayne The Man by the Pond Arianna Kanji to be human is to wait Andrea Balingit The Exam Svara Carmel Narasiah Enough Alin Sengjaroen Tenderly Yours Phoenix Eddolls Death's favourite mortician Roukia Ali "The Old Brag" Ara Djati When Light Refracts Kaitlyn Fan Headed Towards Home FJGCSABA What are we defined as? How? Robert Aden Lonergan STRAWBERRY MILK CREATIVE NON-FICTION Kai Existential Espresso Kaitlyn Abrielle McCormick Eden Sydney Lynn A Letter From Ireland Zainab Ansari older and bigger Sophia Quintana The Numbers Game Clara Salo Meaning in Platonic Forms Elizabeth Maxwell What's next? Julia Vellucci Roses and Resilience ART Yasmin Kareem The depths within Desi Distel Northside gang:) Tehya Metzinger The Lake Sleeps Under the Willow Mitra Arianfar Lingering Touch PHOTOGRAPHY Sophia Liu Invisible China FEATURED INDIE AUTHORS Pavla Leitgebova The Deadliest Wish Sera Amoroso The Makria Cycle-Torsion

Submit Now! Do you have an idea for a blog post about the writing/reading/publishing industry that more people need to be talking about? Submissions for Issue IX: Welcome to Wonderland are closed Submit Now! Subscribe to receive the latest updates about our blog posts, call for submissions, and more! Thank you for subscribing! We'll see you in the stars <3 Read our latest issue: Issue VIII: The Human Experience In this issue we explore what it means to be human through the lens of different viewpoints and perspectives. Download the issue to experience our shared humanity, one story at a time. Read Now Check out our blog: Carina 6 days ago 3 min read Exploring the World of Poetic Genres Exploring the foundation of poetic genres can help us interpret them and understand how poetry works. Skylar Edwards Dec 11 2 min read Writing As A Safe Space Writing isn't just a job; it's a gift you give to yourself. Lily Mortensen Dec 9 4 min read What Media Literacy Has to do With Book-Movie Adaptations We all have experienced the disappointment of a terrible book-to-movie adaptation that totally misses the entire point of the original. Contact Us Email: rewritethestarsreview@gmail.com Blog: blog.rewritethestarsreview@gmail.com Events: events.rewritethestarsreview@gmail.com If someone contacts you claiming to be us from accounts that are not listed above, please report it to us immediately. Submit Thanks for submitting!