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mbarker.livejournal.com2012-05-17 01:26 pm
TECH: Clues for Writing
Original Posting 23 March 2012
Fair warning. I found my pile of moldy clippings from Writer's Digest... So I guess I'll do some summaries for you!
August 1994, pages 36, 37, and a column on page 60, had an article by Michael Seidman, with the title "Give a Clue." Michael was a mystery editor, and he's talking about how to plant clues in your stories. He starts off with an interesting paragraph.
"Clues are crucial to all fiction. When characters are trying to make decisions, to choose between the options you give them in the course of a story, their choices will be based on clues, those indicators that tell them how other characters will react to the decisions they make. Because reactions are what your story is about -- and because every scene leads to a reaction -- the clues that you offer will be basic to the development of the characters and the direction of the plot."
So what is a clue? Well, it can be almost anything. Physical evidence, body language, comments, whatever you show to the readers and the characters. You choose the clues, and the red herrings -- the false clues that lead everyone astray. You don't want to make them too obvious, but you also don't want to keep them completely secret. You want to let the reader have a chance.
Probably one of the best sources of clues is human nature, normal behavior. Michael mentions that nine times out of 10 in a house occupied only by a woman, the toilet seat will be down. So the toilet seat being up might suggest there has been a male visitor. But, you don't want to make it too obvious, so what you probably would do is mention the spots on the porcelain rim, or something similar. This points obliquely to the raised toilet seat, since the detective couldn't see the spots if the seat was down.
Lipstick stains, empty glasses, all kinds of things can hint at what's been happening. Why are people doing things, what is going to happen? Motivation and foreshadowing. That's what the clues are best at. Put them out front, but make your reader have to dig for it, and think about it.
Another source of clues is personal behavior. Michael mentions "tells" that reveal someone lying. Set it up as a breadcrumb trail, where in one scene someone notices that the character drums their fingers on the table, and then in another scene we find out that they were lying at the time. Then when you want to, having the character drum their fingers on the table can signal to the reader that they are lying without any further comment.
"Spreading the information throughout the novel has several advantages. You'll not only avoid the pitfall of calling attention to your clue, but you'll also be forced to show, not tell."
Sometimes you do want to make the clues blatant. Usually to give a context for the reader to think about. For example, maybe there are telltale signs of the poison involved. You might go ahead and reveal that these signs go with this poison -- which raises the question of just who knows how to administer that poison?
Be careful about foreshadowing. Yes, we all know that if there's a gun over the fireplace, someone needs to pull the trigger. But if there's too much foreshadowing, too much pointing out what's coming up, too much hinting... Have you ever played with small children who keep pointing to where someone is hiding? At some point it's not much fun anymore. "... Give the reader only enough to pique interest and play fair."
Clues, red herrings, false trails... Ambiguity and misdirection. Smoke and mirrors, making a puzzle that keeps the reader guessing, and leaves them amazed and pleased at the end.
"I should've seen that coming! All the information was there..." Now that's a happy reader!
So, plant your clues, sprinkle well with red herrings, and keep us guessing.
Write!
Fair warning. I found my pile of moldy clippings from Writer's Digest... So I guess I'll do some summaries for you!
August 1994, pages 36, 37, and a column on page 60, had an article by Michael Seidman, with the title "Give a Clue." Michael was a mystery editor, and he's talking about how to plant clues in your stories. He starts off with an interesting paragraph.
"Clues are crucial to all fiction. When characters are trying to make decisions, to choose between the options you give them in the course of a story, their choices will be based on clues, those indicators that tell them how other characters will react to the decisions they make. Because reactions are what your story is about -- and because every scene leads to a reaction -- the clues that you offer will be basic to the development of the characters and the direction of the plot."
So what is a clue? Well, it can be almost anything. Physical evidence, body language, comments, whatever you show to the readers and the characters. You choose the clues, and the red herrings -- the false clues that lead everyone astray. You don't want to make them too obvious, but you also don't want to keep them completely secret. You want to let the reader have a chance.
Probably one of the best sources of clues is human nature, normal behavior. Michael mentions that nine times out of 10 in a house occupied only by a woman, the toilet seat will be down. So the toilet seat being up might suggest there has been a male visitor. But, you don't want to make it too obvious, so what you probably would do is mention the spots on the porcelain rim, or something similar. This points obliquely to the raised toilet seat, since the detective couldn't see the spots if the seat was down.
Lipstick stains, empty glasses, all kinds of things can hint at what's been happening. Why are people doing things, what is going to happen? Motivation and foreshadowing. That's what the clues are best at. Put them out front, but make your reader have to dig for it, and think about it.
Another source of clues is personal behavior. Michael mentions "tells" that reveal someone lying. Set it up as a breadcrumb trail, where in one scene someone notices that the character drums their fingers on the table, and then in another scene we find out that they were lying at the time. Then when you want to, having the character drum their fingers on the table can signal to the reader that they are lying without any further comment.
"Spreading the information throughout the novel has several advantages. You'll not only avoid the pitfall of calling attention to your clue, but you'll also be forced to show, not tell."
Sometimes you do want to make the clues blatant. Usually to give a context for the reader to think about. For example, maybe there are telltale signs of the poison involved. You might go ahead and reveal that these signs go with this poison -- which raises the question of just who knows how to administer that poison?
Be careful about foreshadowing. Yes, we all know that if there's a gun over the fireplace, someone needs to pull the trigger. But if there's too much foreshadowing, too much pointing out what's coming up, too much hinting... Have you ever played with small children who keep pointing to where someone is hiding? At some point it's not much fun anymore. "... Give the reader only enough to pique interest and play fair."
Clues, red herrings, false trails... Ambiguity and misdirection. Smoke and mirrors, making a puzzle that keeps the reader guessing, and leaves them amazed and pleased at the end.
"I should've seen that coming! All the information was there..." Now that's a happy reader!
So, plant your clues, sprinkle well with red herrings, and keep us guessing.
Write!