Suspense is an emotion that’s created by the presence of uncertainty. In literature, this uncertainty may be about what will happen next in the plot or about the fate of a character. It’s also a useful tool for building tension between characters who have opposing goals or desires.
Suspense can be used to generate excitement and anticipation for an event, or it can create fear and apprehension when something bad is about to happen.
It’s often used in stories to make readers keep reading and guessing what will happen next. The best way to create suspense is by making the reader curious about what will happen next. You can do this by introducing new characters or events that seem suspicious, and then revealing later how they were involved with your main character’s story arc (or vice versa).
Suspense can be created in many ways:
Cliffhangers – Cliffhangers are events that raise questions and keep the reader reading more to find out more about them. They are often used at the end of chapters so that readers will want to continue reading to find out what happens next.
Red herrings – Red herrings are false clues that lead readers astray from figuring out what really happened (for example, someone says something about who stole something when it was actually someone else).
Foreshadowing – Foreshadowing is when you give hints about what will happen later.
Suspense should be created throughout your entire novel; not just at the beginning or end!
