The Art of Distraction: Using Red Herrings

One of the secrets of mystery writing success is creating complex and surprising plots, and one of the secrets of creating complex and surprising plots is a deliciously sneaky technique writers use to befuddle readers—red herrings. By using red herrings the same way that a magician uses sleight of hand, you’ll be able to divert your readers’ attention from the actual to the illusionary; if done well, your readers will believe what they see on the printed page—an irresistible way to draw them in and keep them turning pages.