Planting Clues in Your Story

Last week, I talked about keeping your clues subtle. This week, I want to talk about how to actually put the clues into the story.

Planting effective clues is an art form. I see it as similar to a really good painting—the details and subtleties are what set it apart from everything else. But those details and subtleties are also seamless to the overall picture. In order to see them, you have to look for them, and you have to kind of know what you’re looking for.

The same is true in writing. The clues need to be seamless to the story so the reader doesn’t see them at first. Then, once the reader knows what he’s looking for, he’ll be able to find them the second time around.

How do you plant clues like this? Well, it’s not easy, but I’m going to try to outline the things you need.

First and foremost, you must know your story. If you don’t, there is no possible way to plant clues that hint at the outcome—because you don’t know the outcome. Outlining and planning is very helpful here, and will allow you to plant some initial clues that tie into the resolution. But don’t stop there. After you write a first draft, you’ll know your story even better. Then, you can go back and insert subtle clues that will create a stronger connection to the resolution.

If you’re not a planner, no big deal. Just keep this in mind: you should not start the clue-planting process until your storyline is stable. That means writing your first draft, and then revising until you’re happy that the big pieces are in place. Then you can go back and insert subtle clues.

This is just another illustration as to why it’s impossible to write a good story in one draft. :)

As you go back through your story to insert clues, think backwards: once you know the twist, then you can figure out what it would take to make it happen. For example, let’s say a teenage girl has a secret admirer. She thinks it’s one person, when really it’s another. So, what would it take for the real admirer to leave her love notes and gifts and such? Those are the little things you can plant early on so that the reader can make the connection toward the end.

On that same note, what about the non-admirer? What sort of clues make the teenage girl believe it’s him and not the real admirer? These are the red herrings that throw the reader off. Red herrings are a must! They add depth to the story, and make the connection at the end that much more satisfying. As with real clues, though, red herrings must be inserted with the same amount of care. If they’re too obvious, the reader will see through them. If they’re too subtle, the reader won’t get it and the connection will come out of the blue. Work backwards with the red herrings, as well as the real clues, and then weave them into the story. Make sure you keep them appropriately subtle.

What’s subtle, you ask? That is the million dollar question, isn’t it? :) As the author, you know everything. You know your characters, where they’re going, how they’re getting there, the traps along the way, everything. In short, you are biased, and, therefore, may or may not be able to figure this one out for yourself. If you can’t, that’s okay. That’s what your critique partners are for. :)

Last week, Natalie asked if I would list some books that I thought handled plot twists and clues well. It took me longer than I expected to come up with them, but here are a few:

Tangerine by Edward Bloor
Invisible by Pete Hautman
Inexcusable by Chris Lynch
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

Can anyone add to this list?

Trusting Your Reader

It’s difficult to surprise me. I have no idea why, but I tend to see things coming early on. It drives my kids nuts because they’re always trying to sneak up on me or surprise me with something, and 99% of the time I know what they’re going to do well in advance. When they do surprise me, though, it’s like they’ve been rewarded with a triple decker sundae, and they ride that high for the rest of the day. It’s very amusing. :)

I’m the same way with stories. Occasionally, I come across a story that I can’t come close to predicting, or even guessing at the outcome, and that’s my triple decker sundae. :) I love it when that happens. It’s such a thrilling surge of excitement and I can never stop reading. Most of the time, though, I can see where a story is going very early on. It doesn’t really bother me, because that’s usually the natural path the story needs to take, and I can still find plenty of enjoyment in that.

There are a few times that it does bother me, though, and the result is usually a desire to throw the book across the room. Seriously, it feels like fingernails on a chalkboard. Why? Simple. The early clues were painfully obvious and often repeated.

Your average reader isn’t stupid. Neither are reluctant readers. Laying down a huge clue in the beginning and then pointing to it with big flashing lights certainly sends the reader a message, but probably not the one you want. It says this: “See? Do you see this clue? Do you see how I’m connecting point A to point B? Look how clever I am!” The reader does not care how clever you are. The reader only cares about the story, and obvious clues do not impress us.

So, what does impress a reader? Well, I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can say what impresses me. And that is tiny, subtle clues that I miss the first time around. I want to miss the clues early on, and I get really excited when I do. Know why? Because it makes the second reading SO MUCH BETTER. It’s like getting two for the price of one.

Those tiny clues don’t go over my head. They go into my subconscious and allow me to fully enjoy the climax and resolution the first time through the story. Plus, they add another layer of coolness the second time. That’s when I say, all on my own, “This author is so clever! I want to read more of his/her books.”

The first step in creating that kind of reaction is this: Trust Your Reader.

What does that mean? Well, let’s look at the definition of trust.
Trust: –noun
1.reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.
2.confident expectation of something; hope.

In other words, it’s safe to assume/hope/believe that your reader will understand what you’re trying to say without any kind of explanation (quite frankly, explanations inadvertently insult our intelligence...not that I have an opinion on the matter...). Your reader will get it. If not right away, then eventually. Trust me. :)

Here are a few tips to keep that level of trust high:

1. Don’t go overboard. Big clues don’t do anything except give away the ending too soon. That defeats the whole purpose of reading a book. Also, don’t repeat yourself. The reader will get it the first time, even if the clue is small. If he doesn’t, it’s still not a big deal because he will definitely get it the second time, and it will raise his enjoyment level of the second reading. Bonus: he will think you’re super clever.
2. Rely on character’s actions (both obvious and subtle) rather than loading the reader down with information. The reader doesn’t need to know everything at once, and we certainly don’t need to be told what’s happening. We can see the characters for ourselves, and, if they’re vivid enough, we’ll be able to glean what’s really happening.
3. Don’t connect the dots for the reader—let him do it himself, either the first time or the second. For example, I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak has a great twist at the end, but the author then connects all the dots for the reader by explaining the how and why of the entire story. For me, that’s very off-putting. I got it the first time, thankyouverymuch.
4. Have faith in yourself, and don’t try so hard. In order to trust in your reader, you must also trust that you know what you’re doing. It doesn’t mean you’ll get it right the first time, and you may flail along the way, but it will get you on the right track. Critique partners are key here, and will help you find a good balance.

So, how do you plant clues that will keep your reader hanging on your every word? That's next week's topic. :) Until then, I challenge you to think on this:

As a reader, what impresses you when you’re reading a book?
As a writer, how much do you trust your reader?