Planting Clues and Red Herrings in a Mystery Novel

Mysteries are highly structured books. It is to the author’s advantage to know the outcome of the book by making a plot outline and sticking to it. It is much easier to plant clues and red herrings if the author knows ahead of time “whodunit”. If the writer doesn't know the outcome of the book, or changes his mind about the perpetrator of the crime, he will have to go back and plant or change the clues after the book is finished. This can be a very wearisome job. It is much better for a writer to know where the book is going from the start.

How to Plant Mystery Novel Clues

A medium-sized novel needs at least 3-4 real clues. At least two of the clues should be strong ones, and one should be very strong. A typical mystery should also contain about three red herrings. These clues should be distributed fairly evenly throughout the book. Clues should build up so that the strongest clue is toward the middle-end of the book.

The planting of clues requires skill and planning. Clues should never be too obvious. They should lead a subtle path to the villain, but be interspersed by red herrings so the reader will not easily guess the outcome.

How to Plant Red Herrings

Red herrings were used in 15th century England to train hunting dogs. A red herring (a very pungent fish) was drawn along the trail to distract the dog. The dog was trained to follow the original scent of fox or badger instead of the stronger scent of the fish. The term eventually came to be known as something that distracts attention from the real issue.

The red herring’s purpose in a mystery is to distract the reader from what is really going on by introducing false or misleading evidence. For example, a woman’s fingerprints might be found at a murder scene, causing her to be a suspect. A neighbor might have seen a suspicious car drive past. Neither of these events may have anything to do with the actual crime.

Tying Up The Ending

By the end of the book each red herrings should be adequately explained. Why were the woman’s fingerprints at the scene? Perhaps she had visited the murder victim shortly before the murder or had come in after the murder, left fingerprints on the scene, then ran away in fear. The car might have belonged to a neighbor who planned to drop by, then changed her mind, and didn’t know about the murder.

If the author has done his job right, the reader will not be able to guess the villain. But by the end of the book the clever reader should be able to go back and trace the clues that were provided, snap their fingers, and say, “I should have known all along!"

Types of Narrative Hooks in Writing

A narrative hook is a writing technique where the story begins at a crucial point. The hook poses a question in the reader’s mind about how the protagonist got in the mental or physical state he’s in. It poses a question as to what will happen next so the reader will feel compelled to continue the story. The hook can be either a physical event or an emotional one. If a reader picks up a book and can’t put it down, the hook has been successful.

 The Question-Posing Hook

 “Three days before her death, my mother told me-these weren't her last words, but they were pretty close-that my brother was still alive..."

 This first sentence of Harlan Coben's thriller Gone for Good compels a person to read on to find out what happened. Why was the protagonist led to believe his own sibling was dead? Where has the brother been all this time? Has the absentee brother been up to no good? The reader must keep turning pages to find out the secret.

 The Immediate Danger Hook

 “Twelve hundred pounds of charging horseflesh hit the wooden railings chest high and somersaulted into the north stands. Faces frozen with horror moved in desperate slow motion to get out of the path of the crazed beast.”

 The first lines of Cut Throat by Lyndon Stacey hit at imminent danger. A horse has crashed through the gate protecting the crowd and someone is going to get hurt.

 The Emotional Hook

 “With draft beer and a smile, Ned Pearsall raised a toast to his deceased neighbor, whose death greatly pleased him.”

 The first line of Velocity by Dean Koontz plays upon the emotions of the reader by making one wonder what the neighbor had done to make the protagonist feel this way about him.

 Should all Suspense Novels and Thrillers Begin with a Hook?

 The narrative hook starts with a heart-pounding revelation or action, then goes back and describes how the protagonist got in the situation they find themselves in at the beginning of the book as opposed to building up to that crucial event. A novel that does not use a narrative hook usually begins with some insight into the main character or a description of a setting, then gradually works up to scenes of action.

 We live in a fast-paced world. It has become a tradition for suspense books to begin with a quick, page-turning draw-in. Still, if all books started with a hook, they would become tedious. The narrative hook should be used only if it fits in with the story, and over-use should be avoided.

 Beware the Empty Hook

 A hook should promise what it delivers. If an exciting scene is set up at the beginning it should be resolved satisfactorily, not just used as a way to cheat the reader into buying a story that is otherwise dull and uneventful, or one that contains blocks of action that do not come together to make a cohesive whole.

 The hook should be strong enough to draw a reader in, but should not be overly exaggerated or “hokey”. A hook should draw readers in, not drive them away.

Planning a First Novel: Five Steps to Complete Before Writing a Fiction Book

Before starting a novel, it makes sense to make a few plans before beginning. A little pre-planning will give a new writer confidence and make the first draft go more smoothly. If a few items are decided upon and gathered beforehand, the writer will have necessary details and information at their fingertips.

1. Get Organized

Before starting a new project, get organized by preparing the computer and paper files. You will need to to name computer files for a first draft that can be saved and kept separate from a second or any following drafts. It helps to keep the latest draft of the novel in progress carefully marked and separate from the working drafts. Also, find some way to copy the final draft to a flash drive or to a file-hosting service such as Dropbox, so there is more than one copy in case of a computer crash.

You will also need paper files for notes and research. Always keep your research in a separate file from the book notes so you won’t have to shuffle through tons of research to find notes related to the actual writing.

2. Make a Character Bio for Each Character

Before starting a novel, make a character biography for each main character. This handy reference sheet will provide a description and background information for each character. This detailed character information will become invaluable later on. It also serves as a quick, handy reference as to a character's eye and hair color when writing about a character.

3. Create a General Plot Outline

Make a general plan of events. A plot outline is usually broken down into chapters. Key events are planned that will happen in the first part of the book, the middle section, and the ending. Though it is not necessary to work out every single detail of the book before writing it, the more that is planned or plotted ahead of time, the more smoothly the actual writing will go. Plotting the book ahead of time also saves revision.

4. Describe the Setting

Having a ready-made description of the setting keeps the writer from having to stop working on the story to create a background. The writer should know beforehand the general area in which the story will take place. Writing down a description of a town, the landscape, and other important settings within the story will allow the writer to focus upon the characters and action of the book.

5. Gather Necessary Research

If research is needed for the plot, gather and organize it ahead of time. If the novel is set back in time, then a general knowledge of the time era is necessary so the writer won't have to stop in the middle of a scene to see how people talked or dressed. If a novel is a police procedural set in Los Angeles, then knowing a little about how the police department is set up, and having a good idea of what the area looks like is helpful for giving the book a sense of reality.

While the actual writing of the novel does not need to be delayed until all of these steps are completed, the more knowledge the writer has about plot, character and setting beforehand, the easier writing the first draft will be.