clues

What are red herrings?

According to Merriam-Webster.com, they are herring (fish) cured by salting and slow smoking to a dark brown or red color. What do these fish have to do with writing?

The definition goes on to explain the term comes from “the practice of dragging a red herring across the ground, leaving a fishy scent to throw dogs off the trail.” This action distracts the canine’s attention from the real issue.

How fitting is it for authors to use distractions when writing suspense, mysteries, and thrillers? What a perfect way to throw the reader off the trail of the real villain than to place an innocent bystander in the midst of a scene and throw the suspicion on him.

Whether we realize it or not, we see this happening in movies and books, but we seldom associate the scene with the term red herrings. Our characters are asked questions, but they don’t give straight answers. Instead, they change the subject or point to someone else, which shifts the reader’s thinking down a false trail.

Red herrings are used as writing diversions with the purpose of misleading, or as the old cliché goes, they send people on a wild-goose chase. Writers use them to mask the facts by keeping their readers’ interest and distracting them from identifying the real culprit.

Example:

Roy: How did you get into my office, and why are you searching my desk?

James: Oh, I thought this was Albert’s office.

Roy: You’ve been here ten years, and you know Albert’s office is downstairs.

James: Have you seen Margie today? She’s supposed to bring doughnuts to the staff meeting.

Notice how James changed the subject and didn’t respond to Roy’s question. Now the reader starts questioning James’ motives. The truth being, James was an innocent co-worker and had nothing to do with the crime, but adding him as a red herring shifted the reader’s line of thought.

Various red herring scenarios are used in a variety of styles and genres, but we find them more often in suspense, mysteries, and thrillers. Writers don’t normally want to reveal the villain until the end of the story, so they create diversions. They throw the suspicion on another person or thing. Yes. That’s right. Red herrings don’t always have to be human. An object can be used instead.

For example, if the heroine receives flowers and suspects who sent them but later discovers she was wrong, that person becomes a red herring. The author intentionally used him to shift the reader’s attention.

There are many ways to scatter red herrings throughout our writing to keep readers from figuring out who is guilty. Using them will create more tension, intensify the suspense, and make a storyline more exhilarating.

Have you used a red herring in your writing?

Loretta Eidson writes romantic suspense. She has won and been a finalist in several writing contests, including first place in romantic suspense in the Foundations Awards at the 2018 Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, a finalist in ACFW’s 2018 Genesis, was a finalist in the 2018 Fabulous Five, and a double finalist in the 2017 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence.

Loretta lives in North Mississippi with her husband Kenneth, a retired Memphis Police Captain. She loves salted caramel lava cake, dark chocolate, and caramel Frappuccinos.

Visit her:

Website: lorettaeidson.com

Facebok: loretta.eidson.7

Clues and Secrets

Was it Miss Scarlet in the Ballroom with a candlestick or Colonel Mustard in the Billiard Room with a knife? Do you remember playing Clue in your childhood? Or maybe you still play it today! What is the fascination with this game? Could it be all the secrets and clues?

Yes.

As writers of suspense, mystery, and thrillers, we need to plant clues along the way and give our characters secrets. Why? To keep the reader guessing and turning the pages. Plus, it adds tension and conflict.

Here are some hints and suggestions when it comes to secrets and clues:

Secrets

Be creative – We writers have great imaginations, so we need to put them to good use. Let’s think back to our childhoods. We played games and made up secrets for imaginary characters. We can incorporate those into our stories. Our dreams are also great to spark ideas for secrets. It’s surprising how our brains don’t shut off when we sleep.

Lies – Should we let our characters lie to keep their secret? Yes! Even though as children our mothers told us they would wash our mouths out with soap, there are occasions when our protagonists and antagonists need to lie. Perhaps they’re embarrassed, want to cover up their mistakes, or protect a loved one. Eventually, the truth will come out, but in order to keep the reader guessing, our characters may need do tell a little white lie.

Plant seeds – Think of a roller coaster with lots of twists, turns, and drops. Clues need to be planted along the way of each of those. This will create page-turner novels. Spread subtle clues and mysteries, foreshadowing events to come. Most of the time, these are added at the end of a chapter or scene to keep the reader from putting down the book. Don’t overdo it. Entice the reader, but don’t blow them away.

Heart of a story – Clues keep the sleuth guessing throughout the mystery. They must analyze every aspect no matter the size. They can be a smell, sound, a missing piece to the puzzle. Watch every detail of your daily activities to spark ideas for clues. Observe your co-workers, romantic interludes in a restaurant, etc. They can be objects, another character’s body language, their clothing, an item that doesn’t fit into the crime scene. Clues become the heart of a great story.

Red herrings and misdirection – Every good mystery needs a red herring. That clue everyone believes is the answer to the puzzle and they think they have it figured out, but in the end, it was only an untruth snuck in by the writer to fool the reader. Misdirection is a tool used to lead someone down a certain path, leading the reader to a false conclusion. They can be looking one way while the actual culprit is getting away with the crime when no one is paying attention. Use these devices wisely.

Creating secrets, clues, red herrings, and misdirection can be lots of fun. However, stay away from coincidences, don’t create too many different scenarios as it will confuse the reader, and play it fair by not withholding vital information to the reader. They should find out answers along with the sleuth.

Most of all, have fun with it!

Darlene L. Turner writes romantic suspense and is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. She’s a finalist in the 2019 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence contest and won in 2016. She’s also a finalist in the 2019 ACFW Genesis contest and won in 2017. She lives with her husband in the Forest City of London, Ontario.

Visit Darlene at:

Website: www.darlenelturner.com where she believes there’s suspense beyond borders

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