Next Class: TBD

Workshop length: 2 weeks.

You’re reading. Your heart is slamming against your ribcage, your fingertips are moist and you turn another page. The protagonist’s back is up against the wall and the antagonist is setting up a trap. You wish you could do something to prevent the protagonist from walking into it, but you can’t. You are helpless, totally at the mercy of the writer. You turn another page.

If you’ve ever felt this way while reading a book, then the writer has done a great job at creating suspense—and if you continue to read all the way to the end, the writer has also done a great job of maintaining it. So how do you, the writer, go about creating the same for your readers? KILLER SUSPENSE reveals the tricks of the trade for creating top notch suspense in your writing, whether it be a cozy or a spy thriller. The intensity might be different but the techniques are the same.

Lesson Plan:

• Lesson #1: Understanding Suspense—Thrillers vs. Mysteries
• Lesson #2: Viewpoints
• Lesson #3: Heroes and Villains
• Lesson #4: Elements of Suspense #1—High Stakes, Pressure Points & Dilemmas
• Lesson #5: Elements of Suspense #2—Time Constraints, Complications, Unpredictability
• Lesson #6: Suspense Plan Review