TED-Ed: How to Make Your Writing Suspenseful

What did classic horror author H.P. Lovecraft say creates the strongest kind of fear in a horror story?

• Monsters

• Violence and blood

• Fear of the unknown

• Things that jump out

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What is meant by the term ‘a state of suspense’?

• When the audience is terrified

• When the audience is satisfied

• When the audience doesn’t know what’s happening

• When the audience is hanging in anticipation

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A ‘limited point of view’ means…

• The story is told from the perspective of an omniscient narrator

• The story is told from the perspective of character who doesn’t know exactly what is happening or why

• The audience knows more than the characters know

• The story is always made up of a selection of letters

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Suspense and tension can be created by:

• The use of threatening imagery

• Setting the story in a dark, sinister or deserted place

• Using short or fragmented sentences

• All of the above

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‘Dramatic Irony’ means…

• The narrator says the opposite of what he means

• The story is funny and serious at the same time

• The audience knows elements of the story which the characters don’t yet know

• The audience is kept in the dark until the final scene of the story

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What techniques does the lesson suggest for creating suspense in fiction? Make a list, and add examples from suspenseful books that you have read or movies you have seen. Are there any other techniques you would add?

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Think of a story that successfully builds suspense, and consider the use of setting at key moments. Does the setting of the story naturally lend itself to a feeling of tension? Is weather used to add an air of danger? Will the settings for your movie help build suspense? Why or why not?

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What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of using a cliffhanger? Use an example to support your idea?

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