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

• Fountains of blood

• Fear of the unknown

• Things that jump out

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

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

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

‘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

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

Think of a novel 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? Can you find examples of threatening imagery in the author’s description of the place?

What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of using a cliffhanger?