Cliff Hangers, Red Herrings, and Sourdough?
Without cliff hangers and red herrings, a story is hard to read. It’s like a 25-word sentence with no punctuation. Dry as a bone and B-o-r-i-n-g.
Cliff hangers and red herrings are also called writing prompts and plot twists. They move you, the writer, to fill in the blanks. Authors (or characters in my case) use them at the end of chapters to keep the reader turning the page to the next chapter. Sally the Loner’s Rodney is especially good at red herrings.
So, what, really is a cliffhanger? It’s a gripping unanswered question. And a red herring? A diversion to draw the reader’s attention away from the matter at hand.
Here’s some examples of cliff hangers and red herrings:
- She stepped in a rabbit hole and kept going… down, down, down… (Oh no. Is her name Alice?)
- The box was open. She pulled back the peanuts to peer inside – and promptly fainted.
- Your protagonist is an old school preacher’s wife. A package arrives welcoming her to the erotica of the month club with three back issues enclosed.
Building a recipe box of cliff hangers and red herrings to have when you need it is only a good habit to get into.
Whether you’re writing fiction or nonfiction; memoirs or family history; work in cliff hangers and red herrings. They build suspense, pique curiosity, and hold the reader’s attention. Although I don’t know that cliff hangers and red herrings have a rightful place in a technical publication.
So, speaking of red herrings… what the heck does Sourdough have to do with cliff hangers and red herrings?
Absolutely nothing – except for the gripping unanswered question when you’re baking with sourdough.
I mentioned Sourdough because this blog’s super deal is Sally the Loner’s Book 6, The Sourdough Bakeoff. You can get the eBook today for 99 cents – that’s less than $1 according to my calculations. And it’s only available direct from the author through the link below.
The rules state contestants must be 18-years-old. Bobby is 12 years old, going on 32.
His father has vanished. His mother is rehabbing after being run over by a boulder.
Winning this contest will provide cash for her surgeries, him at home instead of in foster care, and them off the welfare rolls.
What’s a boy to do?
Can Sally and Bobby bend the rules and win the contest without getting caught?
What could go wrong?
Rating: 5 out of 5
Review:
Entertaining clean, cozy mystery. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series. Glad the recipes were included from the cook-off! I may try them someday…. from Jean D.
Happy reading…
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