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Suspense is one of the most exhilarating elements of storytelling—and one of the most difficult to master. It’s not just about delivering twists or action-packed scenes. Genuine suspense is subtle, a quiet force that pulls readers deeper into the story, leaving them with a gnawing sense of curiosity.
Yet many writers struggle with it. They wonder if their plot reveals too much too soon, if their pacing drags in the wrong places, or if the stakes are high enough to hold a reader’s attention.
If you’ve wrestled with these questions, you’re not alone. Suspense isn’t something you stumble into by accident—it’s something you build, brick by brick, with intention. Here’s how you can overcome these hurdles and create a story that leaves your readers breathless.
Start with Stakes That Demand Attention
Imagine picking up a book and not knowing why you should care about the characters or their journey. This is the fatal flaw of many stories that lack suspense: there’s no clear sense of what’s at risk.
Before you can create tension, you need to make your readers understand what’s on the line for your protagonist.
What are the stakes? They don’t have to be life or death, but they must matter deeply to your character—and, by extension, your audience.
Once you’ve established the stakes, you have to escalate them. In every great suspenseful story, the stakes evolve. The initial goal becomes more challenging to achieve, or new threats emerge.
Maybe the protagonist discovers a betrayal by someone they trust. Maybe a deadline looms closer, or a seemingly small decision spirals into unintended consequences.
Whatever path you choose, your goal is to ensure that the stakes aren’t static—they grow more urgent with every turn of the page.
Master the Art of Withholding
If suspense is about anticipation, then one of your greatest tools is the art of withholding. Writers often fear that holding back too much information will confuse readers. While that’s a valid concern, the real challenge lies in how you withhold, not whether you should.
Think of it this way: readers don’t need to know everything upfront. In fact, they shouldn’t. They crave the satisfaction of piecing things together, bit by bit.
But withholding doesn’t mean being vague or evasive. Every withheld detail should serve a purpose. Drop hints that raise questions. Use dialogue that suggests deeper layers without spelling them out.
For example, a character might avoid answering a question directly, leaving the reader to wonder what they’re hiding. This type of strategic withholding creates intrigue without frustration.
Slow Down Where It Counts
One of the biggest misconceptions about suspense is that it relies on a fast pace. In truth, the most gripping moments often occur when time seems to stretch. The key is knowing when to hit the brakes and let your readers linger in the tension.
Imagine a character sneaking through a dark house. Instead of rushing to the point where they discover what’s lurking in the shadows, let the moment breathe.
Describe the creak of the floorboards, the faint sound of breathing in the next room, the sweat trickling down the back of their neck. Draw the reader into the scene so completely that they feel the character’s fear.
Slowing down doesn’t mean padding your prose with unnecessary detail. It means focusing on the sensory and emotional experience of the moment. When done well, this technique heightens the suspense and deepens the reader’s connection to the character.
End with Questions, Not Answers
If you want your readers to keep turning pages, leave them hanging. Every scene should end with a sense of unresolved tension. Maybe it’s a question: Who sent the mysterious letter? What’s the protagonist hiding from their friends? Or maybe an unexpected twist throws the story in a new direction.
The key is to avoid neat resolutions at the end of every chapter. Instead, think of each scene as a stepping stone leading to the next, always leaving your reader eager to discover what happens next. Even when you answer one question, introduce another. Suspense thrives on this sense of constant discovery.
This technique works particularly well in stories with multiple points of view. Cutting away from one character’s perspective at a critical moment forces readers to wait for the payoff while keeping them engaged.
Perfecting Suspense in Revision
Building suspense isn’t something you nail in the first draft. It’s a craft that takes shape during revision. Once your story is on the page, you’ll start to see where the stakes need to be raised, where you’ve revealed too much too soon, or where a scene would benefit from more tension.
This is where the Revision Scorecard becomes invaluable. This tool helps you identify the six most common mistakes in first drafts—like plot, characterization, or dialogue—and rank them in order of priority.
With the Scorecard, you can approach your revisions with clarity and purpose, focusing on the areas that will most impact your story.
Suspense doesn’t just happen—it’s built with care and intention. By establishing stakes, withholding information, slowing down key moments, and leaving readers with questions, you can create a story that’s impossible to put down.
And with the Revision Scorecard, you’ll have the guidance you need to polish every scene until your suspense is razor-sharp.
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