Two suspense techniques agents look for

Hi there,

Welcome to my masterclass for paid members of

Wild Writing with Sanjida

on How to create suspense in fiction.

This follows on from my previous plot-driven masterclasses on What is Genre?, How to Plot, and Act II or How to deal with a saggy middle!

In this masterclass, we’ll look at

• how to drive plot through the use of questions

• how to use the structure of your book to increase suspense and tension

• how to use information in ways that will keep your reader curious.

• followed by an exercise for you.

Plus there’s a handout with key information, tips, and suggestions to help you through the exercise.

And - we have a date for an Ask Me Anything about Writing!

7-8pm GMT Wednesday 30 July

Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83315279829?pwd=LyOwfXaN82YS6fiSjuUUaFzkthb4q7.1

Meeting ID: 833 1527 9829

Passcode: 823649

Replay for members. Feel free to email me or DM me questions in advance. (SanjidaKay@substack.com)

Let’s get started!

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On creating suspense

The key to creating suspense is to set up and delay answering questions.

At the start of every crime and thriller book, there will be, or should be a question, an over-arching question, that runs throughout the entire book, and is not answered until the very end.

‘Plot is driven by unanswered questions.’

~ Lee Child

But in between, you’ll set up questions that the reader will find out the answer to, but which will generate new questions and therefore new plot twists.

So how do you do this?

There are two main ways and that is first, to use the structure of the book, and secondly, to use the information that you give the reader, to help set up, delay or answer those questions.

Let’s look at structure first.