Would you like to know how to build the kind of horror and suspense into your writing that keeps readers turning pages? In this video, I discuss eight tips for making that happen. Whether you are writing a book in the horror or mystery genres, or simply want to increase the tension in your story, these tips will help you craft fear and engage readers in its most primal, powerful pull.
Here's a brief recap of the tips covered in this video:
- First, take the time to let your reader get to know your characters. When they are emotionally invested, the fear is more palpable.
- Second, you should try to establish the familiar.
- Third, try a little subtle foreshadowing.
- Fourth, consider pacing.
- Fifth, you should tap into your reader's imagination.
- Sixth, suffocate with tight spaces. Many people are born with an innate fear of closed-in spaces.
- Seventh, think like a child. Children experience fear on a much more visceral level than adults.
- Eighth, disorient reality. Losing our grasp on reality is a fear within itself.
Check out our free character sketch template or look at the Gotham Character Questionnaire for additonal help.