Question Mark, Ohio, is a live, immersive novel written across the internet that allows readers to engage with the characters directly and to help solve the mystery of a disappearing town, all in real time.

Created as a twenty-first century narrative experiment and an investigation of both change and loss, it is told in real-time across multiple social media accounts and websites. As a result, reading Question Mark, Ohio can feel daunting at first, though like any serialized story, once you're in, you're in.

For first-time readers or those looking to catch parts of the story they may have missed, we offer this regularly-updated guide.

A note about spoilers: There is nothing in this guide that has not already been disclosed. Anything linked to or mentioned in this guide has been revealed either directly in the story or has been discovered by readers and posted into public channels.

Where can readers begin?

Beginning readers can start by reading Violet Bookman’s Instagram posts about disappearances in town, starting with her early posts and moving on to her most recent updates.

The Question Mark town website also plays a crucial role in the story through fleshing out the town itself and its regularly-updated town announcements. To get fully immersed, start with the beginning of the announcements and read up to the most recent posts.

Readers can also sign up for the Town Newsletter, which is sent out whenever there is a new announcement. A Town Roundup is sent out every Monday that includes all activity from the Town Website (announcements, crime reports, and events), as well as an exclusive Community Note.

For those looking to be quickly caught up to speed on the story, Story Time at the Question Mark Public Library updates every Friday and offers a short synopsis of the previous week's events, complete with links. Story time is also replicated on this website as our episode guide.

Where does the story go from there?

The story of Question Mark, Ohio introduces new characters, strange places, and startling questions each week. Following Violet Bookman’s Instagram or the Town Announcements will lead to new sites all across the internet, many with their own secrets and hidden codes.

Readers can follow their own curiosity and move at their own pace by exploring the following sites and learn more about the characters and the town as they uncover new questions and clues:

As new sites are discovered, they will be added to this list.

Readers can also learn of new sites by following Violet Bookman on Instagram, by following Officer Ron Dublowski on Twitter, by reading the Town Announcements on the Town Website, or by subscribing to the Town Newsletter.

How can readers participate directly in the story?

Readers can participate by solving riddles and codes on the various known sites on their own and can offer suggestions through the comment section of Violet Bookman’s Instagram or via her direct messages. Readers can reach out to Officer Ron Dublowski through his Twitter account.

In addition to social media engagement, readers can also explore town flyers, hidden correspondence, job applications, town presentations, coloring contests, and reports, all of which can be discovered at the town website and the many other sites listed above.

Readers can also call working telephone numbers listed on many of the above websites and leave messages or discover other things hidden in the phone tree. Emailing email addresses on known sites also will reveal additional clues, information, and backstories.

Question Mark, Ohio encourages readers to click, dig, and explore the world. There's always more to discover.

How do readers engage with each other?

Fans of Question Mark, Ohio can ask questions, share clues, build maps, and find answers at the fan-run Question Mark Discord.