Alfred Hitchcock, the undisputed master of suspense, once said, “There is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it.”
- Set up a character goal
- Have a character talk about the future
- Set up a secret plan
- Have a character be warned
- Establish dramatic irony, a.k.a. ‘reader superior position’
As a writer, we sometimes have to write backwards, especially in mysteries and suspense, it helps us plant the little clues along the way.
What’s your favorite mystery or thriller?