Techniques for Creating Suspense in Fiction

A marketer recently asked me for a specific strategy to build suspense in a story. My answer (and thus my definition of suspense) was simple: Don’t say everything. Say some of the thing but not the whole thing. Say the parts of the thing that make people wonder the most. For example, a line from one of my stories: “A small hand emerges from the leaf pile, clutching a metal object. The voice at the end of that hand shouts, “Look what I found, Mr. Dicks!” The object? A spoon. But see how avoiding its name can build suspense? "Metal object? What is it? Is it something dangerous? What kind of metal object could be lurking in a pile of leaves?" Say some of the thing, but not the whole thing, and say the thing that makes people wonder the most. Also, be strategic in what you say and don’t say. I choose to describe the spoon as a “metal object” because this opens up the possibilities considerably. A multitude of possibilities means the audience will be guessing, and guessing equals suspense. When the audience wants you to say the next thing, you have created suspense. Here’s another example from another one of my stories: “I’m standing in my kitchen, holding an object in my hand that I have never held before. Never even touched one before. Honestly, I don’t understand this thing. I’m not sure whether to grab a knife or a spoon or a potato peeler. Should I boil water? Or pop it into the microwave? I need help. I make a phone call.” The object? An avocado. See how avoiding the name of the object creates suspense about the object? Everything that I said was true, but I deliberately left out information that might ruin the suspense. I don’t describe its shape, texture, size, or color. I don’t even indicate that it’s food until the third sentence. That creates suspense. Say the thing, but not the whole thing. Say only the parts of the thing that make your audience wonder. This strategy works for spoons and avocados, but it also works for people, places, and objects of every kind. It works for products and services. Widgets and thingamabobs. Platforms and pizza.   Get your audience wondering about the it or the who or the where by not telling them everything right away - and being strategic in what you choose to reveal - and you’ll have your audience hungering for the next sentence. That is the ultimate goal of every storyteller.

If you've been following along with these Wednesday writing tips, then you know that one of my main points is that your writing should be felt. I've talked about several ways to do this, but allow me to take a moment to introduce (or reintroduce) you to tension. Tension is not the big argument or the intense sword fight. It's what comes before it all. Tension is found in the quiet moments when a character knows what to do, but worries about what it will cost. It can be found in the unspoken or shown in a simple look. Regardless of the angle you take, the principles are the same. Stakes: Know what your character will win if he/she does win, but don't make this your main question. Instead, ask, "What will he/she lose if they do win?" Spectacles are awesome to read or watch, but tension relies on consequences. Show more to the audience, show less to the character: There's a trap in your story. Show it to the audience before your character. This stems from Hitchcock's "bomb under the table" point. Mix internal and external conflict: High-stakes action is always fun, but internal conflict is just as impactful. Think of Luke Skywalker fighting Darth Vader in Return of the Jedi. The Emperor taunts Luke at a critical moment, and we see him wrestling with the idea of striking down his father. It makes us wonder if he'll stay in the light or fall to the dark. The keyword is wonder. Wondering opens the door to tension. Delayed release: Don't rush to resolve conflict. Stretch out the tension like a bowstring. The more the string pulls back, the more impact your tension-filled arrow has. Love as tension: When there's a deep love, there's a deep pain when it's threatened. Think about The Princess Bride. Although funny and wholesome, we worry for Westley and Princess Buttercup's relationship when she's sent off to Prince Humperdinck. That pain felt from Westley and Buttercup's separation becomes a force that makes it hard to look away. When you're working on a story and conveying your wide range of feelings, add some tension. It leads to that "edge of your seat" moment and keeps us all engaged. #Writingtips #screenwriting #tension #feelings #RandallWallace

Have you ever told yourself, “just one more chapter,” only to keep reading for hours? That’s the power of strong, suspenseful chapter endings. Here are five simple but oh-so-effective chapter ending strategies that will make it impossible for readers to put your book down: 1. Raise a question. Creating open loops naturally makes the reader want to continue the story to see how that element gets resolved. Ex: But then she heard someone whisper her name from behind. Who is whispering her name, and why? We're immediately intrigued to find out. 2. Create an obstacle. We'll naturally want to see your character overcome it. Ex: The letter slipped through her fingers and into the storm drain. Presumably this letter was important to the character achieving her objective, so we want to see what she’ll do now that it’s lost. 3. Drop a bomb. This is a shocking reveal that gives the reader the feeling of a puzzle piece clicking into place, and we’ll naturally want to see the ramifications of this major development on the rest of the story. Ex: The handwriting was unmistakable — it was his mother's. (Note that this particular technique can be incredibly effective, but you don't want to overuse it—save it just for the MOST important reveals in your story. Otherwise, it will start to feel melodramatic and overwhelming for the reader.) 4. End with unresolved emotion. Since we care about the character, we'll feel the weight of their inner conflict. Ex: He shut the door, but the words still echoed in his head: "It's your fault." The emotion in this moment creates tension that’ll carry us into the next scene. 5. Add a time constraint. This will naturally amplify the stakes and enhance the pace, creating tension that keeps readers engaged. Ex: She realized it had been a week since she heard from him. A clap of thunder drew her attention to the window. The hurricane had arrived. In this example, the impending storm amplifies the tension because we know it’s going to complicate this character’s search for the person she’s looking for and make it even more important for them to be urgently found. 5 ways to write chapter endings that make your book unputdownable: 1. Raise a question 2. Create an obstacle 3. Drop a bomb 4. End with unresolved emotion 5. Add a time constraint What’s one of your best chapter endings in your current WIP?

No tension = no turning pages. Step 9: Inject conflict on every page. Even in quiet moments, tension is what glues eyes to the story. Here are 3 ways to do it: 1. Raise a question the reader has to answer Unanswered questions = irresistible tension. Example: “There was a wall. It did not look important.” – The Dispossessed, Ursula K. Le Guin That wall immediately signals separation, mystery, and meaning. Pro tip: You don’t need a sword fight. You need curiosity. Readers read to find out. 2. Create character friction—no matter how small Tension lives in subtext. Two characters want slightly different things? Boom—conflict. Example: In The Fellowship of the Ring, even the early Council of Elrond scene is full of tension—not from action, but from disagreement. Elves distrust dwarves. Men distrust everyone. No one agrees on what to do with the ring. Pro tip: Tension doesn’t mean shouting. It means a crack in alignment. 3. Make every scene a setup or a payoff If it’s not building toward something, it’s dragging. Example: Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky sets up an ancient terraforming mission gone wrong. Every chapter tightens the cord between past and future. Pro tip: Readers don’t need to know what’s coming. They need to feel something is. How do you create tension in your writing?