  Mystery
This week: The Game of Red Herrings Edited by: esprit  
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| You find yourself on the edge of your seat asking yourself; Who dun it? Why? You continue to read and suddenly you think you have it figured out. Yes, you definitely know who did it. But do you? |
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The Game of Red Herrings
"red herring"
Something that draws attention away from the central issue
** Image ID #1295788 Unavailable ** Open the book and begin the game.
I like a mystery because of the game I play with the author. I try to outguess his clues and misdirections to figure it out before he decides to let me in on it. Do you do that?
If your reader knows who, how, why and where by the middle of the book, you haven't done your job.
When I'm right, I'm disappointed in the read; but when I'm wrong, I love it. I want an ending where I can say; "I should've known!" It all makes sense.
The author should always win.
** Image ID #1295788 Unavailable ** Outlining - some do and some don't.
The only way you, the author, can win this game is to know the outcome before you start writing. Many writers write terrific mysteries without planning beforehand, but I think planning is a good idea and it leaves you free to write the story. If everything is set up, characters, events and actions, you're sure to have a story that is believable. If you want to amaze your readers, make them believe.
If your red herrings are planned well and hidden in plain sight, they will be the perfect hooks. Always give the readers room to decide whether they are real clues or not; in other words, don't be obvious with the hints you give. Questions and doubts are used to throw readers off guard, but there is a very fine line between planting a clue to place doubt in the reader and deliberately tricking them. Readers don't like to feel they've been tricked by the author, but they love to be honestly fooled.
Place your clues subtly to cause the readers to suspect the wrong characters. Keep them guessing so they think they know, but can't be sure. This helps build up the suspense and suspense is the main ingredient of a mystery. Suspense is what makes some readers jump to the last page because they can't stand it any longer. I never peek at the last page, it takes the fun out of the game; but those are the mysterys I can't put down until the end. Then, I can finally take a deep breath and say, I should've known. 
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** Image ID #1295788 Unavailable ** I found a page of slang especially for mystery writers, and wanted to link it. I'm sure some of you know of it, but some won't. There are good words listed, but I recommend not going all out and using too many or you might lose your readers. Like any spice, less is good and keeps them coming back for more. Too much will ruin anything.
Twists, Slugs and Roscoes: A Glossary of Hardboiled Slang
You can link to it using this URL: http://www.miskatonic.org/slang.html.
excerpted:
Why get in a car when you can hop in a boiler? Why tell someone to shut up when you can tell them to close their head? Why threaten to discharge a firearm when you can say, "Dust, pal, or I pump lead!"
This is the language spoken by Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, Mike Hammer and the Continental Op. When Cagney, Bogart, Robinson and Raft got in a turf war, this is how they talked.
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Published!
I'm pretty excited! My story, Dead Man's Toolbox, is being published by EspressoFiction.com. Somebody's actually paying me for something I wrote! Read it for free now while you can
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Mystery: August 08, 2007 Issue [#1866]
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