Readers love a good mystery. One where they are surprised at the end. But how can you deliver such a suspenseful story?
- A strong hook
- Does it grab the reader’s interest by teasing some further discovery?
- Does it pose a question the reader will strongly want answered?
- Does it contain dramatic potential?
- Active reader involvement in piecing together information
- Make the reader your number one detective
- Leave clues throughout
- Have multiple possible explanations
- Red herrings
- A clue or piece of information which is or intended to be misleading or distracting
- A character who seems to be more suspicious than he actually is
- An object that seems to have more significance than it ultimately will
- A clue placed by a villain to send investigators down the wrong path
- Suspenseful dialogue
- Having one character lie, giving information that contradicts what the reader already knows
- Have a character say something bizarre or unexpected
- Have a character withhold information or be non-cooperative
- Effective, descriptive mood and language
- Setting – think of Hogwarts castle or the dark forest beyond
- Descriptive language – be thoughtful about the adjectives and verbs you choose
- Characterization – what your characters say and do, how they look and what they hide
- Well-structured chapters
- Open in the middle of an unknown setting
- Open your chapter in the middle of a tense situation
- Begin with the discovery that something previously thought true is actually false
- A satisfying conclusion
- Answer the pressing questions you’ve kept readers asking
- Reveal truths about characters falsely suspected
- Relate clearly to the beginning
- Leave the reader feeling inclined to read your next novel