This week: Recipe for Suspense Edited by: A Christmas Carol St.Ann  
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| “SUSPENSE: noun. a state or condition of mental uncertainty or excitement, as in awaiting a decision or outcome, usually accompanied by a degree of apprehension or anxiety. A state of mental indecision. Undecided or doubtful condition.” — Dictionary.com |
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Last month, I outlined the primary differences between the mystery, thriller, and suspense stories, and followed up with the basic formula for writing a thriller.
Today, we’ll visit the notion of writing Suspense.
McGill alum, Eugenio Gattinara very aptly explains the definitive line between Thriller and Suspense this way: “Suspense keeps you on the edge of your seat, while a thriller makes you ‘jump off’ your seat." He goes on to add a blessedly familiar Hitchcock comparison. “Vertigo” he states, “would be suspense, while Psycho would be a thriller.” This really brings it into focus, doesn’t it?
Let’s talk about the main elements of crafting a riveting suspense.
To suspend is to hold something in place, in creating suspense, we hold information. We show the reader something is going to happen, but we edit and craft diligently so Reader doesn’t know when or how. The dose of anxiety must be precise or a savvy reader will feel manipulated. We never want that; our goal is entertainment and engagement.
To create suspense, writers need to encourage Reader to experience empathy, concern, impending danger, and escalating tension. To encourage empathy, we give the character a desire, a wound, or an internal struggle common enough for readers to identify with.
When you introduce your protagonist, your supporting characters, and your villain, this next feature needs to be present in every story, be it long or short or any genre under the sun. I’m writing about the Dramatic Question (DQ). The WHY of the story. And it should be obvious early-on, by chapter 2, but never further than a third of the way in. Here is the clearest definition I’ve ever read on this (and I’m remiss to add I don’t have the author’s name. It wasn’t me, and when I find it, I will make the proper edit.).
The Dramatic Question is an unspoken agreement with the audience. It tells them what the scope and shape of the story is going to be. They need to know this fairly early in the proceedings or you will lose them. If too much time passes before they understand the Dramatic Question they’re liable to (put the book down).
To this I will add the dramatic question is typically a closed ended (yes or no) question. — Will Cassie and Logan get together? Will Elliot save ET? Will Frodo find the ring? Will Bruce Willis help the boy who sees dead people?
This is not the message or theme. This is the spine of the story. Without this there is no story.
Now, you’ll need to write obstacles to the reader’s hoped-for answer to the DQ. Believable, plot-centric losses and wins for your protagonist to muddle through - and foreshadows of the possibility of ultimate loss to keep readers in their literary toes, all owing to that simple DQ. This will create a gentle but effective emotional rollercoaster for invested readers.
Next month I’ll deep dive into the mechanics of the thickened plot and the payoff. Until then, happy reading!
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One Last Thing!
Remember to nominate great mysteries!
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If you’ve got a mystery in your head:
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Mystery: April 19, 2023 Issue [#11921]
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