Do you want to deliver the perfect plot twist? Most writers do. The problem is, readers are smart and getting smarter with every book they read. They tend to sniff the plot twist right out, even if you hid it well. That’s why I’m introducing this game changer called a red herring.
Red herring in literature is the art of creating a false trail in a story so your readers don’t figure out your plot twist. However, writing a red herring in literature is not easy. It’s as difficult, if not more, than writing a plot twist. But that doesn’t mean it’s not achievable.
Today, you’re going to learn what a red herring is in literature. We’ll talk about everything from where the term originated to how to write a red herring in literature.
What is a Red Herring in Literature?
A red herring in literature is a misleading clue intentionally placed by a writer to distract readers from figuring out the plot twist. Its purpose is to push the audience towards a wrong conclusion while still making logical sense within the context of the story.
An important thing for you to note is that a red herring isn’t a lie added to confuse the readers. It’s a truth that readers interpret incorrectly. The distinction matters because you tell the readers real information, but they misunderstand what the information means.
The term “red herring” originally came from the idea of using strong-smelling smoked fish to distract hunting dogs from the real trail. Whether the historical story is entirely true or not, the metaphor fits the storytelling perfectly. A red herring in literature distracts readers from the truth and leads them down the wrong path.
Why You Should Use Red Herrings in Literature
Your readers have read a ton of books, and believe it or not, your story follows a similar structure to most of them. The readers have become smart; they know what to look for, and will figure out the amazing plot twist that you had hidden.
Let me put it in perspective: it’s not that you aren’t good at hiding when you’re playing hide and seek. It’s just that the readers are good seekers. Therefore, you have to distract them. You use this amazing literary device, a red herring, to lead them down a false trail. By the time they realize they were on the wrong path, you hit them with your twist.
However, that’s not the only reason writers use a red herring in literature. Red herrings turn readers into active participants in the story.
For example, mystery readers are constantly searching the story for clues on who the culprit is. They look for patterns, create theories, and try to solve the mystery before the characters. The story becomes some sort of a puzzle.
Red herrings make all readers, across all genres, engaged in the story. Red herrings in literature are also a way to keep suspense. By setting a trail for them to walk, you’re including them in the story. You’re encouraging them to continue reading.
Another advantage of red herrings in literature is the ability to deliver “the ha-ah” moment. You know, after readers have drawn their own conclusion of how the story will end based on patterns they found, and they realize they were following the wrong trail the whole time. They experience that satisfying moment after the revelation when they look back and realize the answer was right there in front of them. This makes the story memorable.
Red Herring vs. Plot Twist
Here’s where it can get confusing if you don’t know the difference between a red herring and a plot twist. These two things work together, but aren’t the same thing.
You can read the in-depth guide to writing a plot twist here.
As I explained earlier, a red herring is a misleading clue meant to distract the audience from the actual plot twist. The audience was led astray by the red herring and formed a false understanding of the story.
On the other hand, a plot twist is a reveal that changes the story’s meaning. A plot twist is an unforeseen turn of events that introduces new information, reframes earlier events, and directly impacts the story’s meaning.
The red herring is used to hide the truth (plot twist) from the readers. When the truth is eventually revealed in the plot twist, it will be much more surprising rather than in a situation where the readers knew it was coming.
How to Write an Effective Red Herring
Writing a red herring is about carefully controlling how the readers interpret information. The magic of using a red herring is making the reader falsely convince themselves of what’s actually going on in the story, and here is how you can do it.
Introduce Reasonable Clues
The best red herrings naturally guide the readers to the wrong conclusion without lying. Furthermore, you can do that by introducing reasonable clues. These clues should make readers feel as if they already know the answer.
The goal is to encourage readers to form a conclusion early by giving them evidence that appears to fit together perfectly. Readers will take the bait because they’re looking for patterns and want to connect information as quickly as possible.
Even if they think it’s too easy, they’ll focus on this and miss legitimate clues to the plot twist.
Introduce Ridiculous Possibilities
After introducing believable clues, you offer ideas that are far too stretched and unlikely. These possibilities are logical, but are less likely than the first explanation. Readers prefer a familiar and simple explanation; they are less likely to consider an idea that feels strange.
This strategy works in your favour because the audience doesn’t want to waste time on unlikely possibilities when they have a perfectly logical one right in front of them. Likewise, this only enchants the first explanation you introduced. It makes it seem like the correct answer by placing it with more or fewer wrong answers.
Disapprove the More Plausible Explanation
Once readers have committed to the obvious explanation, introduce new evidence that proves it cannot be correct. This shouldn’t contradict your earlier clues. Instead, it should reveal that readers misunderstood what those clues meant. By removing the explanation they trusted, you force them to question their assumptions and reconsider the mystery.
The point of this step is to make the audience detached from their conclusion so the plot twist can be satisfying for them. They won’t feel like the story changed out of the blue.
If there’s one thing you don’t want to do, it’s to make your readers feel cheated. It will ruin their reading experience, and they won’t ever trust you again.
Brainstorm beyond Your First Idea
Do you remember the first idea you brainstormed? It’s also the first thing you readers will think of. Then there goes your red herring. The readers will sit there, bored, because they have figured out the red herring and are waiting for the characters to catch up. It’s a quick way to kill any suspense.
Luckily, you are actually allowed to brainstorm beyond your first idea.
I know, it’s crazy.
So, here’s what you need to do: Challenge yourself to think of possibilities that are less conventional but still fit your story logically.
The goal isn’t to make your twist shocking for its own sake. It’s about finding an idea that readers are less likely to predict while ensuring it still feels believable once it’s revealed. The best red herrings and plot twists often come from exploring beyond your first instincts, because they surprise readers without breaking the internal logic.
What Makes a Red Herring Bad?
A bad red herring feels unfair to the reader. You should never, and I mean never, lie or cheat the audience. They wouldn’t like to find out the reason they couldn’t solve the puzzle was that you stole some pieces.
Readers want to look back after the reveal and understand why they believed in the red herring in the first place and the legitimate clues they’ve missed. If they can’t, they’ll feel like the story manipulated them instead of challenging them.
Here are other common mistakes:
- Clues that exist only to confuse the readers.
- The story pushes a false explanation, so it’s obvious to the readers that it’s the wrong possibility.
- It’s obviously wrong, so it makes the readers guess the correct answer.
- The red herring is never explained, which makes it seem like it was solely there to distract readers.
Fair and Square
A red herring becomes a fun element after the raiders have completed the book. They can look back, realize the false trail they followed, and laugh at themselves because the answer was right there.
Of course, this feeling can only occur if the red herring was fair. As I mentioned, the literary device loses its satisfaction.
