Telling real-life, non-fiction stories requires skill and craft which are the critical tools that case writers need to draw from their toolkit. The case writer’s toolkit contains five tools to design and compose effective case studies. These are the Writer’s Compass , Case Roundel , Research Rhombus , Case Jigsaw , and Chronicler’s Rune . I’ve chosen geometric figures to depict each of these tools for two reasons. First, geometric figures are formed simply by a combination of lines and points on a single plane or space. There is technical precision, mathematical accuracy and conceptual balance in the formation of each geometric figure which symbolises the scientific aspect of a case writer’s tool. At the same time, the geometric figures are versatile because they can be combined to form other geometric shapes. For example, by flattening a circle, you get an oval, and putting two isosceles triangles together, a quadrilateral is formed. This is the writer’s creative craft—using imagination, knowledge and mastery of his/her tools to create an effective piece of work.

The circle, quadrilateral and triangle are the main geometric shapes in our world. By manipulating these three basic shapes, artists can sketch almost anything they see around them. Likewise for case writers, these three shapes are the building blocks of their toolkit for writing engaging and meaningful case studies. Hence, the case writer’s toolkit is a kaleidoscope (Fig. 1.1) of the Writer’s Compass, Case Roundel, Research Rhombus, Case Jigsaw and Chronicler’s Rune. The toolkit is dynamic, creative and alive, representing the writer’s skill , craft and imagination to compose an engaging case study.