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WorksheetsTED-Ed: How to Make Your Writing Suspenseful
Total questions: 8
Worksheet time: 12mins
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
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 or movies you have seen. Are there any other techniques you would add?
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?
What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of using a cliffhanger? Use an example to support your idea?
