Have you ever been literally on the edge of your seat while watching a movie? Did you worry about what would happen to the characters or whether they'd accomplish their goals? Did you worry (and hope) that some danger was lurking around the corner, waiting to ambush the unsuspecting hero?
Suspense is the anxiety and uncertainty we feel as we wonder what will happen next in a movie. Suspense helps keep us engaged in written stories, too. Watch the video to learn more.
Suspenesful Scenes
Narrator:
If you’ve ever found yourself worrying about what might happen to a fictional character in a story, you can bet that the author has built in some suspense to make you more involved in what’s going on.
Imagine a scene where a scout troop sits around the campfire at night, roasting marshmallows. When the fire dies down, they all say goodnight and go sleep.
Not very suspenseful, huh?
Now imagine the same scene, but in the bushes are a pair of burning, red eyes. The campers don’t realize it, but tonight there is a full moon, and a werewolf has awoken and found them. Silent and hungry, he moves toward the fire inch by inch. sniffing the air. As they head off to bed, the werewolf chooses his victim and follows him to his tent.
In the second version of the story, we get the feeling that the characters are in trouble, and we know what dangers might be waiting for them. We feel suspense because we want to know how they’ll escape the problems that are coming, if they can escape at all.
Question
How does knowledge of a character's situation help create suspense for the reader?
