Barrie Summy may have a successful middle grade mystery series to keep her typing fingers busy, but she still has time to share the secrets of writing a good mystery. Today, she puts on the Guest Editor hat at DearEditor.com and answers a writer’s question about the wisdom of using red herrings in mysteries for middle graders. Here’s the question:
Dear Editor…
Do you think red herrings and foreshadowing are important in middle grade novels? I’m working on a spooky mystery and am wondering if I need to pay more attention to adding red herrings. It seems like a tough element to learn. Thanks for any input you can give me.
Sincerely,
Lynn
Jump over to DearEditor.com for Barrie’s great answer.
Barrie Summy is the author of the popular young adult mystery series I So Don’t Do: I So Don’t Do Mysteries, I So Don’t Do Spooky, and I So Don’t Do Makeup. The fourth mystery in the series, I So Don’t Do Famous, pubs May 10, 2011. In it, Sherry goes to Hollywood and figures out who’s breaking into celebrities’ homes. For more about Barrie and Sherry, go to www.barriesummy.com.
I get “Dear Editor” as a newsletter, and I particularly enjoyed the post on red herrings.
Thanks for the feedback, Elizabeth. I’m glad Barrie’s post struck a chord with you.