The Power of Anticipation

Alfred Hitchcock, the undisputed master of suspense, once said, “There is no terror in a bang, only in the anticipation of it.”

  1. Set up a character goal
  2. Have a character talk about the future
  3. Set up a secret plan
  4. Have a character be warned
  5. 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?

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