5 Elements of Suspense Writing

Writing suspense into a fiction story can be tricky, but that's what makes it most enjoyable. A progression of suspense is what I strive for in my novels - that slow build up - that's what I enjoy when I read some of my favorite authors like John Grisham, James Patterson and Dean Koontz.

Suspense generally centres around the main characters in the story, which makes sense. After all, these are the ones the reader has come to know the best - be it for good or bad reasons. You can have suspense too that lingers without anything actually happening. The mood is set around where the scene takes place. Maybe deep into a dark forest with the moon hiding behind the clouds; or a eerie old building creaking and cracking as the cold wind blows. There is a veiled suggestion that something is about to happen and this adds to the build up through the story.

Time can assist in contributing to suspense. "The timer ticked away. There was three hours to go"; "Tomorrow would be the 14th and the anniversary of his first kill."; "His specialist had given him only two months to live".

Check out this link for some very useful suggestions and read about the 5 elements of  suspense fiction writing.