You’re getting ready for bed, head on the pillow and about to fall asleep–when you hear it.

A thud. A scrape. Whatever it is, you’re sure it’s just your imagination. You’re tired.

So you shrug it off and close your eyes. Until it happens again.

You’re laying there, in the dark, stuck between two choices: stay right where you are, or investigate. 

There’s a name to that feeling, a name for the sensation that overtakes you when you hear something go bump in the night. Suspense. What’s on the other side of the door? Is it all in your imagination?

There’s ways to sprinkle that feeling into your own writing. Whether you’re crafting a harrowing survival story or want to inject some tension into a scene, I’m sharing advice to help raise the stakes.

1. Give Your Characters Something to Lose

Motives are human nature… which opens the door for a compelling story.

Motive: Max wants a good night’s sleep.

Issue: The upstairs neighbor has started practicing for Battle of the Bands until midnight… for the foreseeable future.

Motive revisited: Exhausted and irritable, will Max stop at anything to get a good night’s sleep?

2. Know When to Dwell, and When to Pull Away

We’re not seeking a jumpscare, or overloading our readers with fear. We want that perfect middleground.

It’s a common trope in horror: the figure no one else sees. Hidden behind a tree, ducking behind a parked car. See the figure often enough, and anyone would start making a fuss. “He’s right there, I swear!”

What happens when they ignore their fear?

Carla saw the “No Diving” sign but it’s the first day of summer break, and all her other friends are planning on hitting the lake. She sees an old flyer tossed in the garbage can, telling swimmers to use caution–no life guard on duty. By revisiting the problem, and having the character decide again and again to cave in or ignore the issue, you’re gradually building suspense.

3. Time is the Enemy…or the Cure

It’s the rush to cut the blue…or the red…the correct wire in time to defuse the bomb. The endless line at the bathroom when lunch is really disagreeing with you. 

Time often feels like it’s playing tricks on us, and as the writer, you can use that to your advantage.

Play with your writing style. Short, punchy sentences highlight a sense of urgency. Every tick of the clock. 

Hone into emotion. A determined character might see there’s maybe 20 seconds until the train plunges off the cliff–but it’s no biggie. An uncertain character might wallow. They might decide they don’t want to be the savior. 

And that might just change the whole story.

Now You Try

I truly believe that everyone has a creative side–and I hope these tips helped spark some ideas! If you’re still stuck, consider this writing exercise.

1. Think of a time when you really, really wanted something. Name the emotions you felt. Think of the outcome. Did you succeed?
2. Think of a time when you went against your gut. Was it the right decision after all?
3. Think about when time stood still…or flew by. Looking back, was that time monumental in your life? Was there a butterfly effect?

As always, thanks for reading! Got any other writing-related questions you want me to tackle? Shoot me a message, and it might just be the topic for my next post!