Most writers dream of writing the novel that will captivate the attention of its readers to the point that they will not be able to put it down, the famous “page turner” as the Americans call it. There are no miracle recipes; it necessarily requires a good dose of talent and a lot of work, but there are a few tricks that allow you to write addictive novels. These tricks are also used by the film industry, particularly by the creators of television series. One of the frequently exploited devices is suspense.
What is suspense?
Before we distill our advice, let’s define the concept of suspense together. According to Aristotle, who studied the subject extensively, suspense can only exist when there is a danger, more or less near or distant, that threatens one or more protagonists. Thus, suspense is linked to fear. This is what we traditionally find in horror films. However, suspense is not limited to a feeling of fear and can encompass many more nuances, ranging from worry to total dread. Indeed, masters of suspense will generally not resort to crude devices that frighten an audience; suspense is never as intense as when it intrudes on the details of a scene. It is that little suspicion that accompanies us and piques our curiosity. Sometimes it is so subtle that we do not even know it is there. But suspense doesn’t work if there’s only fear. Hope is just as important, and we can conclude that suspense is the balance between the fear of danger and the hope that it will disappear. It’s synonymous with questioning: Will he succeed? What will happen? Will she survive?
Our tips for writing a suspense novel
Here’s a non-exhaustive list of tips for building suspense in your story. Remember that these are mostly guidelines and shouldn’t be followed to the letter. Suspense is inherently unexpected and unpredictable. Learn to think outside the box to confuse your reader… without losing them! That’s the art of suspense.
An atmosphere
There are several ways to create suspense from the beginning of a novel. One of the most classic is to create an atmosphere imbued with tension and mystery. The more diffuse and vague the world described, the more questions the reader will have. For example, you’re all familiar with the example of the dark, foggy street, the abandoned shed, or the sordid swamp under a full moon. These settings help set the tone for the novel by plunging the reader into an uncertain atmosphere. It is also possible to set the mood based on the vocabulary used or by choosing a particular style. For example, short, rhythmic sentences will create a sense of urgency, while long, detailed descriptions will slow down the narrative.
Feel fear instead of naming it
Suspense means fear, but be careful! It’s not enough to just name it. It’s much more effective to make people feel the fear rather than simply saying “watch out, danger!” with a big sign. For example, in “Turning around, he was scared to death when he saw a frightening figure emerge from the bush,” you name the fear instead of feeling it. We can rewrite this sentence more subtly:
The race against time
Time is a widely used tool in creating suspense. Indeed, the faster the pace, the greater the sense of urgency. Urgency means danger. Indeed, danger doesn’t necessarily take the form of a villain or a dangerous situation; the passage of time is often enough to worry a protagonist. Great suspense novels take advantage of this “natural” suspense linked to the passage of time. If you look at the big Hollywood blockbusters, you’ll realize that the vast majority are based on the idea that the world could be destroyed, and the entire film is about fighting against this possibility. In the end, everything is fine, the heroes have won, the tension disappears, and the audience can breathe!
The stretching of time
Time can also be used in other ways to create suspense. For example, consider a scene where the protagonist finally solves his problem. It’s possible to stretch out time for this part of the novel. If you’ve been using a fast pace with short sentences for the previous chapters, slow down suddenly and stretch out the time to tell the resolution scene. By taking the time to describe every detail, you further increase the tension, which reaches its peak just before the resolution. Don’t hesitate to play with time by speeding up or slowing down as the moment demands. The reader’s sense of impatience is actually a manifestation of their anxiety. If they’re worried about what happens next, it’s because the suspense is building!
End your chapters with an announcement
It’s a classic of suspense novels that has since been reworked extensively by television series creators. The idea is simple and easy to execute; it consists of a sort of amuse-bouche that is served up at the end of each chapter. This could be an action that is abruptly interrupted, or a new question that suddenly arises.
Serioverusesuse this and sometimes give the impression that their sole objective throughout the entire film is to consume chapters. Be careful not to fall into this pitfall. A good suspense writer is, above all, a writer who has something to say. If you only write to create suspense, that’s a shame. It’s more of a tool to make the story more intriguing and exciting, but it shouldn’t replace it.
Have several choices
Beyond danger, suspense arises from uncertainty, and this can manifest itself in many ways. A very good way to incite suspense is through the difficult choice. Don’t hesitate to offer several of these to your protagonists to create the anxiety that precedes any decision. Choice is a true dictatorship, and for many people, it represents a danger in itself. Indeed, to choose is to renounce; itt is to take a risk. Also, learn to stage this choice well by taking the time to pose the different possibilities and by stretching out the time sufficiently to make it clear that this choice is difficult to make.
Working the unexpected
Suspense is synonymous with surprise. That’s why it’s essential to cultivate the unexpected throughout the novel. To do this, you must not only ensure that the overall plot is surprising, but also take care with your writing style by avoiding clichés. If you play an inspector, for example, avoid the profile of the depressive alcoholic whose wife left him or that of the police officer who sacrifices his personal life for his job. You can also be original in the outcome of the plot by trying to move away from the classic triptych of the scenario: an event disrupts the protagonist’s daily life, he faces an enigma, and solves it. Generally speaking, when the reader doesn’t know what’s going to happen, it automatically creates suspense.
Omniscience
The use of omniscience is a device that can be used to create suspense, although it is not the most common. In this case, the author can reveal information to the reader that the protagonist is unaware of.
Thus, the reader is given key plot points and is left wondering what the protagonist, who is left in the dark, will do. This device is effective, but it requires a good grasp of omniscience to avoid revealing too much information or making the story too predictable.
Create twists anturnsss
Just like ending a chapter with a plot twist, twists are sometimes overused, whether in novels or on television. While this unexpected event is very effective at creating suspense, it can be counterproductive when repeated. Recall the famous tale of the sheep and the child who called the wolf. After a while, the reader may become bored and no longer be surprised.
A Mystery Introduction
To conclude this list of tips, we invite you to use a very common plot device in crime novels, but which can also appear in other literary genres. This trick consists of establishing a mystery in the first chapter and letting it lie dormant throughout the rest of the novel until the end. For example, you can describe a murder or mention a mysterious event in a prologue.