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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/10458-Did-you-say-squirrel.html
Mystery: November 11, 2020 Issue [#10458]




 This week: Did you say "squirrel"?
  Edited by: eyestar~* Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

*Bulbv* Happy November! And Good luck if you are writing for Nanwrimo! *Thumbsup* I am happy to be a guest editor for this week.

I was watching some mysteries on youtube and it is always fascinating how writers can keep folks guessing as to who done it! So I did some discovery on the use of "red herrings".


*Bulby* How many mystery writers does it take to screw in a light bulb? *Idea*

A. Two. One to screw it almost all the way in, and the other to give it a surprising twist at the end. *Laugh*

Wasn't there a dog in a movie that kept getting distracting by squirrels? *Laugh* Could be a hint...or a red herring.


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Letter from the editor

*Confused* What is a red herring? *Smile*


The term is one used for misleading or false clues that distract us from what is really going on. It is like an irrelevant topic introduced into an argument to divert attention. It sounds like something we have all done.*Wink*

Mom:It's bedtime.
Child: Mom, how do ants feed babies?
Mom:I don't know. Now close your eyes.
Child: but do ant babies cry when they are hungry? *Smile*

*Bulbo*It is thought that journalist William Corbett first coined the term in 1807 when he criticized the press for reporting Napolean's defeat before it happened. He compared the act to the strong pungent smell of smoked red herring used to distract foxhounds from scenting foxes. He accused them of using this fallacy to distract the public.

*Bulby*Authors use misleading clues and details purposely to keep the readers guessing and preventing early detection. It is a trick used so that in the end readers may enjoy the surprise of the truth.

*Quill* In my last newsletter I chatted about Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie and their works use this red herring expertly.

In "The Final Problem", by Conan Doyle, Holmes and Watson are led astray by a note about a medical emergency at the hotel. Dr. Watson rushes off only to discover there was not one and eventually they both realize the note was sent by their enemy Moriarty, with the intent of getting Holmes alone.

In "The Hound of the Baskervilles" one of my favourites, the reader is lead to believe that the escaped convict Barrymore is the murder. In the end we find out it was the master Stapleton himself. Thrilling read.

In "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie, there were ten people on an island and they were being killed one by one. A nursery rhyme seemed to hold clues to the next person. When one of them disappears, we all think he the murder but when he is washed up on shore, we see we were misled. It was the red herring that was even mentioned in the rhyme verse. *Wink*

I was reading "The Prisoner of Azkaban" for a contest on WDC and here too, Rowling, uses a red herring. Harry Potter believes Sirius Black is the murderer of his parents and will chase him down. He finds but later, he is not.

In the "Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown, we are lead to believe that Bishop Aringarosa, the head of Opus Dei is the mastermind behind the conspiracy and we find later someone else was behind it all. Certainly kept up the suspense. The name in English is "red herring". I had no idea and certainly he looked guilty!


*Bulbg**Wink* In this article, https://globalmysteriesblog.com/2011/07/07/5-ways-to-create-red-herrings-in-a-my...
there are a few ideas for how to create these red herrings using logic and to make the mystery like an exciting puzzle.

"1.Choose an innocent person and give him a strong motive to kill the victim. Later prove he could not have.
2.Put an innocent bystander at the scene of the crime.
3.Create a guilty character show seems innocent without motive or opportunity.
4.Have the sleuth follow clues to the wrong person. Some Poirot mysteries show this one well.
5.Have some red herring items at the crime scene that can be interpreted more than one way or implicate suspect."

*Fisho* Red herrings do add a lot of tension and suspense with the misdirection and keep us guessing. So if you write mystery, add a little pungent smell of red herring for the fun of it.

Thanks for reading.*Magnify*

eyestar




Editor's Picks

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The Rubber Ducky Red Herring Open in new Window. (13+)
Proud 2nd in 2019 Bard's Hall Cop Shop Mystery Contest! Rare Fiction a la Whata Style.
#2200685 by Whata SpoonStealer Author IconMail Icon

 Red Herring Open in new Window. (13+)
A man wakes up on what might just be his last birthday.
#1640948 by J White Author IconMail Icon

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The Rat Open in new Window. (E)
Sometimes things are not what they seem. (~1095 words.)
#2235956 by Nightkeeper Author IconMail Icon

 
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The Case of the Man in the Mummy's Case Open in new Window. (ASR)
How could a man be dead only a week after being buried for a thousand years?
#2234519 by Seuzz Author IconMail Icon


 
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Ask & Answer

*Questionp* Hey mystery fans! Do you have a favourite "red herring" example from your mystery stash? Please share!

Thanks for responding to my "Mystery Newsletter (August 19, 2020)" Open in new Window. and to "Invalid Item" Open in new Window.~ *Smile*

Quick-Quill Author Icon

"I took the survey. I paused for a bit before making the decision. Why did Sherlock Holmes resonate with me more than AG's characters? I'm sorry to say the media plays a big part in my decision. While I have watched a few of her two detective's movies, I'm more drawn to the movies based on Sherlock. My decision comes from the fact Sherlock is more flawed. His addictions and anti-hero character make his revelations more dramatic. The little inspector and little old busybody don't connect with me as much as Holmes. Maybe why I like Dr. House and The Good Doctor. They are flawed yet come out our hero."

"That seems to be the consensus when I was reading online that Sherlock is somehow more real, and a mystery himself."

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