Suspense strategies : (Extracts from) ‘The Man with the Yellow Face’ by

Anthony Horowitz

I want to tell you how it happened. But it’s not easy. It’s all a long time Withhold information – only drop
ago now and even though I think about it often, there are still things I hints to create a mystery. Ellipsis
don’t understand. Maybe I never did… (…) can add to the foreshadowing

Did I hesitate, before I put the money into the slot? I think I did. I Thoughts of the character (could be
didn’t want those photographs. I was wasting my money. But at the confused / tense / panicked for action
same time, I was here now. scenes)

Suddenly I wanted to get it over with. Some very short sentences &
paragraphs to ‘spotlight’ single
I put in the coins. dramatic things or actions.

For a moment nothing happened and I thought the photo booth Mini-cliffhanger paragraphs that end
might be broken. But then a glaring red light glowed somewhere, and with an incomplete action, e.g. WHAT
a loud popping sound went right through my head! was that sound?!!! Note the
exclamation mark for drama.

And then the smash of the impact, the world spinning upside down, Intense word choices:
windows shattering, coats and suitcases tumbling down, sheets of e.g strong verbs,
paper whipping into my face, thousands of tiny fragments of glass adjectives
swarming into me like angry wasps. and nouns

Dead silence.
In the last 3 paragraphs find
They always say there’s silence after an accident, and they’re right. an example of all the above
I was on my back with something huge crushing me. I could only see strategies.
out of one eye. What had happened? My brain was foggy. I felt
something dripping stickily onto my face. Below, provide quotes for each.

Blood…

Then the screams began!

Intense word choices: e.g strong verbs,

adjectives
and nouns

Intense thoughts of the character

Very short sentences & paragraphs

Mini-cliffhanger paragraphs

Exclamation marks

Withhold information to create mystery

Ellipsis (…)