Red herrings aren't just for mystery novels. Used well, they deepen every layer of your story — the tension, the world, the characters. Used poorly, they break the one thing you can't afford to lose: your reader's trust. Here's how to plant misdirection that satisfies instead of cheats.
Writing with ankylosing spondylitis isn't just a physical challenge. It's grief, guilt, and a fog that steals your best ideas at the worst moments. But your writing life isn't over. It just needs a different strategy. One that works with your body instead of against it.
Sometimes life gets away from you, and that's okay. I missed February's newsletter while grinding on my novel revisions—Please Subscribe is 50% through its 7th draft. Learn about my journey toward querying agents, the revised edition of The Great Salt Bowl, and the books keeping me inspired.
Luke Skywalker didn't lift the X-Wing on the first try. David Goggins didn't break the pull-up record on his first attempt. Your characters shouldn't succeed immediately either. The try/fail cycle isn't just setbacks—it's a pattern of escalation and growth that transforms characters and captivates readers through meaningful failure.
Some story ideas arrive fully formed, while others are just a single line waiting to grow. The Snowflake Method offers writers a systematic way to build from that one concept into a complete novel—layering plot and character iteratively, like a snowflake forming in the sky, until it becomes something beautiful.
