Suspense

Setting

Authors often create a dark, eerie setting as a way to increase suspense. The darkness creates suspense for a few reasons. There is fear in the unknown and if it is dark, the characters don't know what may be lurking in the surrounding area. A dark, eerie setting also creates a scary or frightening mood, which increases suspense for the reader.

Figurative language

Can help speed up the pace of the words, and this speed can increase your excitement. Sounds to help you feel like you are part of the story. Helps you because you can hear things that are scary!

Conflict

Character dealing with problem and reader wants to keep reading to see how it will resolve.

Slow Down Method

In this technique, authors take the story to a point of great intensity. As the action builds and the reader is on the edge of her seat, the author slows the pace down and draws the story out. The story is drawn out and told detail by detail. This slows the story down, but increases the suspense for the reader as she tries to find out what is going to happen.

Imagery

It helps the reader see the story in their mind, and this can make it much scarier. The more you see something in your mind, the more you feel like you are in the story.

Selective Information

The author only gives just enough information to keep the reader or the audience interested and cause tension. We don't always know everything we need to until the end! Just enough to keep us guessing!!

Delaying the answer to a question

The author will give the reader just a bit of information at the beginning of the story, or pose a question, but will make the reader keep reading until the end for the question to be answered.

Mood

can create tense, frightening, or any other emotion that can evoke an emotional fear or worry in the reader.

Surprise Endings

is when readers are provided with small hints about the ending of a story. Readers believe the story will end in a specific way, but are shocked with there is a surprising/unexpected plot twist at the end. This can be very exciting and entertaining for a reader because they are kept guessing and then they are surprised with the conclusion!

Titles

to spark the reader's interest and hint at danger or conflict at first glance of book.

Dramatic Irony

when the author gives the reader information so he or she knows that something important will happen, but the main character or affected character is not aware of the situation or upcoming danger. This creates suspense because the reader knows something is going to happen, so you keep reading to determine how the events will unfold.

Foreshadowing

which is when the writer gives clues or hints about what will happen later in the story, creates suspense in a story.