The Key to Creating Suspense Is...

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Suspense matters in all novels, not just the thrillers and the horror stories.

The most memorable experience I've had with suspense and storytelling, was watching the final episode for season one of "Why Women Kill." Despite the name, the show is a drama, not a documentary, and is brilliantly told through three sets of characters, in three time periods, all in the same house. All you know going in is that one of the women in each time period is going to kill. You don't know who, you don't why, and you don't know how.

The final episode where all is revealed is sheer genius.  

I literally sat on the edge of my seat, knees pulled to my chest, hand over my mouth. I was riveted. 

What “Mama” Can Teach Us About Tension & Suspense

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Want a bestselling novel? Grab your readers and don't let them go until the end.

Once in a while, a story comes along that blows me away. It might be a novel, a movie, a game, or a TV show, but how it’s written or structured illustrates an aspect of storytelling that expands my writer’s mind.

The film, Mama, by Andrés and Barbara Muschietti is one such story.

If you haven’t seen it, the basic premise is this: Two young girls abandoned in the woods are rescued by a tormented spirit who decides to raise them as her own. When the girls are found five years later, things get…complicated.

Although classified as horror, this film is really more psychological suspense in the “peek through your fingers while on the edge of your seat” way. It will utterly creep you out, but also make you laugh so hard you can’t breathe. And it makes you care—deeply.

8 Suspense-Boosting Techniques for Writers

By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughton

Part of The How They Do It Series

JH: The "need to know" keeps readers engaged in a novel. Laurence MacNaughton shares eight ways you can add suspense to your story.

Suspense is key to keeping your readers turning pages. Make them wonder what will happen next, and you'll keep them engaged and eager to get to the end of your story. If you feel like the suspense is flagging in your fiction, use one of these eight suspense-boosting techniques to make your reader perk up their ears.

1. A character pretends to be someone they're not.

Force your viewpoint character to act like someone they aren't. Maybe they must go undercover to impress someone, fool someone, escape someplace, or get to the truth. Maybe they have to "fake it until they make it."

A Workable Plan for Adding Tension, Suspense, & Intrigue

By Jodie Renner, fiction editor, @JodieRennerEd

Part of the How They Do It Series

JH: Keeping the reader glued to the pages of our novel is a goal for every writer. Jodie Renner returns to the lecture hall today, to share tips on adding tension and intrigue to the story. 

We all know that thrillers and other fast-paced popular fiction need lots of tension, suspense, and intrigue to keep readers riveted to the story. But so do all the other genres, to varying degrees. No matter what type of fiction you write, it’s all about hooking your readers in, engaging them emotionally, and keeping their interest to the end.

Tension, conflict, and complications are what drive all fiction forward and keep readers engrossed.

A happy scene is a boring scene. If the character has no cares or the problem is minor or easily solved, readers will lose interest and look for another book. And intrigue is what piques readers’ curiosity and keeps them turning the pages of your story, no matter what the genre. And of course, you’ll need to ratchet up the tension and suspense a lot more if you’re writing a fast-paced, nail-biting page-turner. Go through your manuscript with the list below to see if there are some ways you and amp up your story to make it more engaging.

4 Mistakes to Avoid When Building Suspense in Your Novel

By Laurence MacNaughton, @LMacNaughton

Part of the How They Do It Series (Contributing Author)

Have you ever read a book that you just couldn't put down? The whole time you were turning pages, you were probably desperate to discover the answer to a burning question. That's the essence of suspense, and it makes readers devour your book. So how do you build suspense in your novel? Start by avoiding these four suspense-destroying mistakes.

Mistake #1: Answering all of the questions.

At or near the beginning of every scene in your book, you need to fix a question firmly in the reader’s mind. Give them something to worry about.

5 Ways to Build Suspense Like a Master

By Jen Blood

Today wraps up my special extended guest author week, and I'm delighted to welcome Jen Blood to the blog. (And isn't that a great name for a mystery writer?) No matter what genre you write, keeping readers wanting to know what happens next is critical to giving them a satisfying read. Suspense is one element you don't want to slack off with. Lucky for us, Jen is here to share a few tips on how to add it to our stories.

Jen is a freelance writer and editor. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing/Popular Fiction, teaches seminars and workshops on writing, online marketing, and social media for authors, and runs a popular website for mystery writers and readers. She is author of the 5-star rated, Awesome Indies-selected mystery All the Blue-Eyed Angels, the first novel in the Erin Solomon series. The second novel in the series, Sins of the Father, will be available June 1st. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, or her website.

Take it away Jen...