Micro-Tools of Suspense

By Ronie Kendig

Microscopic. Micro-changes. Micro-expressions. They’re little pieces that cumulatively make a big difference. That is true of writing and of suspense as well—we have micro-tools for fine-tuning suspense (a scene or a whole novel). 

Suspense is not merely someone or some city in danger. There is more involved in creating suspense than putting a weapon in a villain’s hand or having the heroine fighting for her life. Outside the plot and your characters, suspense is nuanced throughout a story using many techniques, but we’ll focus on two: word choice & placement, sentence/paragraph length and pacing. 

Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say 'infinitely' when you mean 'very'; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite. ~C. S. Lewis 

The point? Be intentional with your words. Word choices should: 

1. Reflect the pace – the more general the word, the more benign the impact. Make them matter!
2. Reflect your character – your characters should not all sound alike
3. Reflect the mood – use more intentional words to mirror what your character is feeling of what’s being done to them. Our word choices change when we’re frustrated or angry; so should your character's words. 

Consider word choice placement. In my “Mind Magic” workshop, we talk about “white/negative space,” a marketing/design concept that capitalizes on the negative (white) space of a design, letting the audience’s brain naturally fill in the rest. Also, speed readers are often taught to read the beginning and end of a sentence, and the beginning/end of a paragraph and then let their brains fill in the rest.

Negative Space forms face

By being intentional with word placement, writers can use the white/negative space concept to capitalize on what readers’ brains do naturally—fill in the rest—to create hooks. We’re taught to do this at scene and chapter breaks, but we should also be more intentional with word placement throughout our scenes and chapters. We have stronger words now that we don’t want to bury in the middle of a sentence or paragraph. If you have to, rearrange so the stronger words are more easily detected and a quick (often unconscious) first impression of what’s coming is engaging. 

Another topic in the "Mind Magic" workshop is length, which applies to blogs, articles (ahem), books, speeches, and so on. Ultimately, no matter if it’s a sentence or a paragraph, length determines viability and interest. Think about Twitter, which restricts tweets to 140 characters. Today’s society wants things faster, and we need to keep that in mind when writing scenes. Here are a few tips for brevity in writing:  

1. Monitor Sentence/Paragraph Length – Make it as simple as possible for a reader to move through and enjoy your story. Sentences should be a natural length and there should be a variety of lengths as well. It’s a good idea to break narrative passages into smaller chunks and ensure that each is vital to the story.
2. Fragments Are Our Friends (Sometimes) – it’s okay to cut a sentence short if it fits the character, pacing of a scene or chapter, or the mood (more suspenseful). Fragments are wonderful for creating a jarring presence, which is perfect for action or surprise. 
3. Shorter Sentences Create Movement – Shorter sentences are read faster (obvious, huh?) paragraph and a sentence are great ways to increase the reading speed, giving the reader a sense of faster movement with the characters. 
4. Longer Sentences Allow for Breathing – if you’ve amped up a scene and sliced/diced sentences, then draw it back down after with longer sentences that allow your readers’ breathing to slow. Think of it as the giddy (or nervous) exhale of relief after a roller-coaster ride.

Suspense nuances really ratchet up the tension and your reader's heart rate! Were these tips helpful for you? Do you have a question for Ronie to address about writing suspense? Comment below! 

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Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author who grew up an Army brat. After twenty-five years of marriage, she and her hunky hero husband have a full life with their children and a retired military working dog in Northern Virginia. Ronie can be found at:

     www.roniekendig.com

     Facebook (www.facebook.com/rapidfirefiction)
     Twitter (@roniekendig)
     Goodreads (www.goodreads.com/RonieK)
     Instagram (@kendigronie)
     Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/roniek/)!

DOWNLOAD Ronie's newest release--the FREE digital prequel novella, THE WARRIOR'S SEAL! 

CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE (Tox Files #1) releases Dec 6th and was given 4.5 stars & named a TOP PICK by RT BookReviews!

"...fast-moving, roller-coaster thriller..." ~Booklist

"Kendig keeps the tensions high and the pace lightning fast, with military action scenes worthy of Vince Flynn." ~Publishers Weekly

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Meet Author Bill Garrison

Author Bill Garrison

Bill Garrison's novel THE DAY SHE DIED is a time travel thriller. Pull up a chair and meet Bill in person . . . via cyberspace, of course. (posted by Michelle Griep)

Why in the world did you decide to write not just any book, but this book?

So many things came together at once that allowed me to write this novel. THE DAY SHE DIED is much more personal than any of my previous novels. At the time I was reading a lot of time travel books and watching Lost, but I wasn’t a science fiction writer. At the time, I did a lot of daydreaming about certain things I would have done differently in life if I had a chance to do it again. And I like mysteries. So it all came together to be about man going back in time to solve the murder of his fiancé while also making different choices in his life.

What's one thing you learned from either the writing or publication process for The Day She Died?

As an unpublished author, I learned to never give up, and to always have faith that you are writing for a reason. I saw God work in crazy ways where I met the people I needed to meet to complete this journey. I also learned to don’t be shy about submitting your novel to the review process. So many Christian writers, agents, and editors are willing to give their time and knowledge to help you be a better writer.

How do you go about plotting a book?

I’ve written four novels, and the second was flying by the seat of my pants, and plot wise, it turned out okay. But I’m a plotter. THE DAY SHE DIED was plotted in an extensive excel spreadsheet

Every writer struggles with time management. What's another roadblock to writing that you struggle with?

Kids!!! I have three from ages five to 13, and they are involved in every activity known activity known to man. A big problem for me is, I’ll choose my kids every time. Or even a TV show, or a movie, or reading. Sometimes I have to force myself to write.

What's one piece of advice you'd give a newbie writer?

Force yourself to write. Even if it’s the hardest thing in the world to do, crank out those 500 words a day. Then before you know it, you will actually have a real life novel in your hands. It may not be very good, in fact it’ll probably be horrible, but at least you finished it, and then the fun begins. Editing!

Name 2 of your favorite authors and why you like their writing.

I’m reading John Sandford right now and love his ability to make the story flow. Everything moves so fast. Never a dull moment on the page. Even the dull moments aren’t dull. They are funny and character building. I also love Steven James. He’s a great thriller writer with strong Christian themes that ultimately come through in the end.

What's your next writing project?

A sequel to The Day She Died is in the works. I won’t be writing about the same characters, but a another person that gets to explore regret and the past.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In this clean time-travel whodunit, a middle-aged coffee-shop owner always wondered what his life would have been like if he’d stayed in town the day his college fiancee disappeared, the victim of an unsolved crime.

One morning he wakes up 20 years earlier and finds himself a student at the University of Oklahoma again on the day she died. In a journey that takes months, he stumbles over people connected to Kim’s disappearance and puzzles over connecting the dots.

Oddly enough, things are different when he relives sections of his life. For example, as a teen he plays baseball and as an adult he discovers what it’s like to be a Christian pastor, things he never did before.

Can he find some answers about Kim and about his own life? Or prevent Kim’s death? And if he succeeds in changing history, what happens to his wife and kids?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debut author Bill Garrison lives the American Dream with his family of five in Oklahoma City. As a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Bill works in the healthcare and accounting industry by day, but lives his creative side once he leaves the corporate world. After putting the kids to bed with a good story, he turns to his laptop and spins his daydreams into novels. Bill Garrison, CPA by day, story weaver by night.

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