Suspense

What is literary suspense?

Suspense is the tension a reader feels when they're not sure what will happen
in a story — either during a single scene/chapter or throughout its overall arc. The
writer might create suspense around anything that stokes readers’ curiosity,
whether it’s a love triangle or a killer on the loose.

In stylistics suspense is defined as a compositional device which consists in a

deliberate postponement of the completion of a sentence / utterance. The theme
(that which is known) and the rheme (that which is new) are distanced from each
other and the new information is withheld, creating the tension of expectation.

Example of suspense:

In R. Kipling’s poem “If” all the eight stanzas consist of if-clauses and only
the last two lines constitute the principal clause:

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
And make allowance for their doubting too,
……………………………………………………
If you can dream and not make dreams your master,
If you can think and not make thoughts your aim,
…………………………………………………….
Yours is the earth and everything that’s in it …
And which is more, you’ll be a Man, my son.

Suspense can be used in a story to:

 Heighten tension during a dramatic scene

 Conceal answers the writer doesn’t want to give away
 Build up to a twist and make it more powerful
 Keep the reader turning the pages!

Though suspense is most frequently employed in mysteries and thrillers, in fact

it is present in every work of fiction — curiosity is what compels readers to finish
the book! However, the amount and type of suspense used depends on exactly
what the writer wants the reader to experience.

Types of suspense

First of all, there are two types of suspense to know in terms of story
structure: narrative suspense and short-term suspense. The first engages the
reader with the central issue of the narrative, while the second keeps them
intrigued minute to minute. A good novel has both.

1. Narrative (long-term) suspense

While technically any literary suspense might be described as “narrative,” this

refers to tension that builds throughout the entire story. In narrative suspense,
you pose a question, problem, or mystery at the book’s beginning, divulge more
about it as the plot progresses, and wrap it up near the climax or ending.

Well-written narrative suspense makes it nearly impossible for readers to put

down the book. However, that means the payoff has to be huge — if the writer is
going to tease readers for 300 pages, he needs an incredible ending! This is part of
why suspenseful stories often culminate in a plot twist or big reveal (or both, as in
the arc of Amy’s disappearance in Gone Girl).

When constructing this kind of suspense, the writer will continuously hint at its
resolution. But he doesn’t overwhelm the reader; the constant pressure of an
impending reveal can make them feel overly anxious as well as impatient. With
that in mind, the writer may temper this pressure with character development, non-
suspenseful plot progression, or even a different suspense arc, as in the example
below.

Example of narrative/long-term suspense

In To Kill a Mockingbird, there are two arcs of narrative suspense: 1) the
question of what will happen to Tom Robinson, and 2) the suspense surrounding
the mysterious Boo Radley. Both issues are introduced near the beginning, gain
traction throughout the story, and eventually collide at the end, when Boo Radley
saves the kids from Bob Ewell after the Robinson trial.

Having more than one arc of narrative suspense keeps the reader
invested and gives the story added layers of depth. The writer can also accomplish
these goals by using short-term suspense.

2. Short-term suspense
Short-term suspense is just what it sounds like: a moment or brief scene of
suspense that provokes a powerful reaction from the reader. This may tie in to the
book’s long-term tension, or alternately can serve as a distraction or subplot.

Instances of short-term suspense usually involve a discussion or confrontation

between characters that’s quickly settled, though it may resurface later. For
example, the initial flare of tension between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy at the first
ball in Pride and Prejudice lays the groundwork for their continuing contentious
relationship.
 One of the best applications of short-term suspense is to create cliffhangers —
scene or chapter endings that leave the reader desperately in suspense. Just as
Scheherazade would cut off her stories so the sultan would let her live, cliffhangers
cut off the writer’s story at critical moments — when the only thing the reader
wants to know is what happens next.

Example of short-term suspense

In Truly Madly Guilty, Liane Moriarty (the contemporary queen of short-term
suspense) ends several chapters with irresistible cliffhangers, like this:

There was a tremendous crash of crockery and an extraordinary scream that tore
through the night: “Clementine!”
The suspense doesn’t linger long, as we find out why this character is screaming
within the next couple of scenes. Nuggets of short-term tension like this are always
quickly resolved, which helps engage readers page by page while balancing out the
slow burn of narrative suspense.

Now that we’ve covered structural suspense, let’s get into specifics. The
following categories of suspense depend on the genre and style of the book; though
they can be combined, the writer doesn’t necessarily need all of them.

3. Mysterious suspense
Mysterious suspense is the most traditional form of suspense, often used in
thrillers and, of course, mystery novels. Though all suspense involves mystery in
one way or another, mysterious suspense differs in that something
is deliberately being concealed from the reader. They know they don’t have the
whole truth and it keeps them on their toes.

This kind of tension can be used in the short term, but it's most famously
employed across entire narrative arcs (think of Agatha Christie).In such cases,
however, the writer needs to add something unique to prevent his story becoming
predictable — whether it's a highly original premise, an excellent plot twist to
resolve the mystery, or both.

Example of mysterious suspense

In Jane Eyre, Jane observes a pattern of strange occurrences at Thornfield
Hall, such as an unexplained fire and an attack on a guest. Mr. Rochester reassures
her that these incidents are merely the result of a servant’s erratic behavior. They
become engaged and Jane thinks little more of the events.

However, during their wedding ceremony, a man steps forward to announce

that Rochester is already married. It’s revealed that Rochester has been keeping his
deranged wife in the attic and that she is the source of all the incidents. Rochester
was hiding her away all along, in order to keep Jane (and the reader) from
discovering the truth.

4. Horrific suspense
Horrific suspense is when the reader knows something awful is going to
happen, but the precise nature of it remains unclear — like waiting for a jump
scare in a movie. As one might expect, it’s most common in horror and sometimes
thriller novels.

Though it overlaps somewhat with mysterious suspense, horrific suspense

differs in that it’s less vague and more expected. Also, horrific suspense is
typically used in the short-term rather than the long-term because it’s less
satisfying than solving a mystery: horrific suspense is more about shock value than
satisfaction.

That’s not to say mysterious and horrific suspense can’t be combined. A novel
might contain elements of both, especially if it’s a murder mystery. And Then
There Were None, for example, seamlessly intertwines mysterious and horrific
suspense throughout its arc, making the reader question both “whodunnit?”
(mystery) and “when will they do it again?” (horrific).

Example of horrific suspense

Stephen King’s Misery is chock full of horrific suspense, but perhaps none
more horrific than the infamous “hobbling” scene. By this point in the book, the
reader fully understands that its villain, Annie Wilkes, is dangerously unstable,
which contributes to their mounting dread.
After Annie realizes that her captive, writer Paul Sheldon, has been leaving his
room while she’s been out, she declares that Paul “needs to be protected from
himself.” The leads to her brutally chopping off Paul’s foot and cauterizing it with
a blowtorch — a shocking twist, not because it’s wholly unexpected, but because
it’s so extreme.

5. Romantic/comedic suspense

Romantic or comedic suspense may also occur when the reader doesn’t know
what’s going to happen, though this tension is typically lighter than other forms of
suspense. Think back to our Pride and Prejudice example: “will they get
together?” is the question at the heart of any romantic comedy.

Romantic suspense may occur in lighthearted or more dramatic fiction, such as

harlequin romances. Comedic suspense, on the other hand, almost exclusively
occurs in farce. One well-known form of this is dramatic irony, in which the
reader knows something that not all the characters know, and is waiting to see how
they’ll react to it.

Example of romantic/comedic suspense

In Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Viola disguises herself as a young man in
order to act as a servant to Duke Orsino. As part of her duties, Viola (calling
herself Cesario) must deliver messages of love to Olivia, whom the Duke loves.
However, this plan backfires when Olivia instead falls for “Cesario” — who of
course is Viola in disguise. Meanwhile Viola herself has fallen for the Duke, who
has no idea she’s a woman and continues to pine for Olivia.

How suspense is created

Though there are many combinations and manifestations of tension in
literature, mysterious narrative suspense seems to be what most writers struggle
to achieve. So we’ll focus on that type. It can be created by:

1. Making readers hungry

Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series, likens suspense to making a cake:
there are a hundred ways to do it, but how do you make sure it’s delicious?

By not feeding your guests all day — so by the time they get their hands on
that cake, it’ll be the best thing they’ve ever eaten.

The writer does the same thing with the suspense in his story: builds it up for as
long as he can, teasing his audience with answers, making them hungry for more;
subtly references a piece of the suspense arc as early as possible. Then makes
readers anticipate each individual ingredient, agonizingly building to the final
product.

That way, when readers finally do get their cake — the big reveal or resolution
— they’ll be ready to gobble it up.

2. Foreshadowing important elements

Foreshadowing is a simple means of indicating something important, even if the

reader doesn’t know why. Some foreshadowing doesn’t become evident until the
very end of a book, like the train accident early in Anna Karenina. However, other
foreshadowing easily clarifies itself to the reader and helps them make an educated
guess about the resolution.

Strong foreshadowing techniques include:

 Presenting a significant object or character that returns later in the plot
 Seeming to reveal a secret, but neglecting the context or other key details
 Unusually vague or cryptic turns of phrase.

3. Using flashbacks

Flashbacks are a great way to ratchet up suspense, whether it’s an isolated

flashback that shows something shocking or a series of flashbacks that build
toward the final reveal. Some novels even consist of half present-day narrative,
half flashbacks, to maximize dramatic impact. (Jodi Picoult and Gillian Flynn are
great proponents of this technique.)

No matter how flashbacks are used, they need to mean something in the story.
A red herring can be included as part of flashback, but the whole thing can’t just
be a diversion, or the reader will feel betrayed. That goes for content as well as
tone — flashbacks should read as vividly and intriguingly as the present-day
narrative, and shouldn’t feel like a distraction, but an augmentation to the plot.

4. Putting characters in jeopardy

Placing characters in a dangerous situation is the ultimate recipe for sudden

suspense (remember Stephen King’s method in Misery). It’s especially helpful
when the writer is approaching the climactic point of the mysterious suspense arc,
and needs to escalate it with some short-term horrific suspense.

This technique only works if the writer has gotten readers to really care about
the characters, so it isn’t deployed until the end of the narrative. Also the threat
should be realistic, and should have been creeping in on the characters the whole
time, whether they (or the audience) realize it or not.

For example, at the end of The Girl on the Train (spoilers ahead!), the
mysterious suspense is resolved when we learn that Megan was killed by the
narrator’s ex-husband. This plot twist abruptly transforms the mysterious into the
horrific, as the narrator confronts her murderous ex — suddenly putting her life in
jeopardy, when she didn’t even realize he was dangerous.

5. Staying one step ahead

It can sometimes be hard for the writer not to include hints the way you’d want
them as a reader: crystal clear, so you can guess the outcome easily. But well-done
suspense successfully cloaks its plot in obscurity, resulting in the hard-earned
satisfaction of the resolution. For the writer this means staying ahead of the reader,
in order to keep them on their toes.
 In a suspenseful story hints aren’t employed too obviously or frequently, and
some distractions or red herrings are thrown in where the reader would be looking
for clues. The key here is to hint at several different outcomes throughout the story,
so that the reader can speculate without getting too close to the actual resolution —
unless they’re a great detective!

What's the best suspense you've ever read?