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Ryter
Suspence-Not That Hard
I've noticed that suspence can be rather hard to make. It's annoying, evil, and makes people sing the song of squeaky things!

Okay, maybe not that last one(unless you're insane like me)but after reading several books, I have determined the essense of suspence scenes.

Drag it out. It's that simple.

Seriously, suspence basically amounts to extending a scene in a slight ominous or whatever manner. Strange, but true.
Posted at 2005-11-07 12:31:19
PhantomSith Yes, it amounts to extending out the storyline and the plot. However, what is also key is where to cut off a section and a chapter. Like switching the scene right before the reader would find out something new. Then answer the new question in the opening scenes of the new chapter.

Make the Read wait before they discover what the characters found out.
Posted at 2005-11-10 20:31:12
Shobs Yes, but when writing suspence the author has to be careful not to drag it out too much. I don't know how many stories I never finished because the author spent ten thousand words 'getting to the good part'! Call me impatient, but cutting off a scene everytime the reader learns something new is just begging for a frustrated and unsatisfied reader.
Posted at 2006-02-07 06:04:28
screamingferret I find that the easiest way is simply to have a mini cliffhanger at the end of a chapter, if the story allows for it. Example: you set up a big fight scene at the end of one chapter, and you have the fight itself at the start of the next. Works for most things - deaths, action sequences, big plot reveals, new character introductions, etc.
Posted at 2006-02-07 09:20:47
Neptune Every chapter should have some sort of bit of info that you have to wait for the next chapter for, but just don't make every single chapter end to the tune of, "He stepped through the door and saw the body of his dead friend." Sure, one chapter could end like that, but everything doesn't have to be a huge reveal. Plus, too much tension exhausts the reader.
Posted at 2006-02-07 10:02:30
Freya_Crescent_II A suspensive cahpter can be long and descriptive before the moment, or short and...well...I can't think of a describing word.
Posted at 2006-02-07 23:46:43
PhantomSith Brief? Blah? Undiscriptive? Pooring?
Posted at 2006-02-08 08:06:02
PhantomSith Okay, replace Pooring with Boring***
Posted at 2006-02-08 08:06:50
Freya_Crescent_II And I spelt chapter wrong in my rush to finish the post before leaving....
Brief.
That's the one.
When I say breif, I don't mean half a page, well, unless half a page is necessary. (That'd be in real-life rather than PC)A page or two is brief, 5+ is long.
Posted at 2006-02-08 23:38:05

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