TED-ED: How to make your writing suspenseful - Victoria Smith

The video explores what makes a good horror story, emphasizing the fear of the unknown and suspense. It discusses techniques to create suspense, such as limiting the point of view, choosing the right setting, and using style and form. The video also covers dramatic irony and cliffhangers as tools to maintain audience interest and anticipation. Examples from literature and film, like Dracula, Rebecca, and works by Poe and Hitchcock, illustrate these concepts.

What is the primary element that makes suspense effective in storytelling?

• Revealing all secrets at once

• Using only horror elements

• Providing immediate answers

• Fear of the unknown

How can limiting the point of view contribute to suspense?

• By making the audience know more than the characters

• By keeping both the audience and characters in the dark

• By providing all information to the audience

• By using an omniscient narrator

Which setting is often used to suggest hidden dangers in suspenseful stories?

• A bustling marketplace

• A modern city

• A sunny beach

• An old mansion or castle

What is dramatic irony in the context of suspense?

• When the audience knows less than the characters

• When the characters are aware of everything

• When the audience knows more than the characters

• When the story has no secrets

What is a potential downside of using cliffhangers too frequently?

• They provide too much information

• They make the story boring

• They can become predictable and lose impact

• They always resolve the story