How to Create Suspense

British & IGCSE › Checkpoint 6 English (Cambridge Primary 0058)

1. What is suspense?

Suspense is the ‘what happens next?’ feeling. The reader is not sure what is about to happen, and they suspect it might be exciting, frightening or surprising — so they cannot stop reading.

Good suspense does not need lots of action. It comes from waiting. The writer makes the reader wait a little longer before showing what is behind the door, who is following the character, or whether the plan will work. That wait is what keeps a story exciting.

In Paper 2 (Fiction), suspense is useful in almost every task: at the end of a story opening (a hook), in a continuation of an exciting or mysterious extract, and at the climax of a complete story. It is essential in adventure, mystery and horror stories. Suspense earns marks in Structure of texts (controlling pace and building to a climax), Grammar and punctuation (sentences chosen for effect) and Vocabulary and language (words that build tension). In the exam, about 30 minutes is suggested for the whole writing task (Paper 2, Section B, 25 marks). Many strong answers are about 250-350 words.

2. Techniques for building suspense

3. The slow-motion technique

The most important moment of your story should take the longest to read. Stretch it out: describe each tiny action, what the character sees and hears, and what their body feels. Compare:

1. Break the action into tiny steps (knelt → lifted one centimetre → two → froze → lifted all the way).
2. Add a sense after each step (heavy lid, a rustle, breath stuck).
3. Add the character’s body reaction (froze, breath stuck in his chest).
4. Use short sentences and a fragment (‘Then two.’).
5. Reveal the thing at the very end of the paragraph, or not at all (a cliffhanger).

4. How to structure suspense: the tension ladder

Suspense works best when it climbs step by step. Use this ladder for the build-up and climax of a story, or for a whole continuation.

5. Pace: long sentences and short sentences

Long sentences slow the reader down and build an atmosphere. Short sentences speed things up and hit hard. Suspense often uses a long sentence to build, then a short one to strike.

Example: The corridor stretched ahead of him, silent except for the hum of the old fridge and the drip of the kitchen tap, and every shadow seemed to lean a little closer as he passed. Then the hum stopped. Silence.

6. Punctuation for suspense

• Ellipsis ( … ) — creates a pause or suspense, leaves information incomplete, or shows that speech is interrupted: ‘The torch flickered once, twice… and steadied.’ / “I think there’s someone…”
• Single dash ( – ) — gives emphasis to what comes after it, often a surprise at the end of a sentence, or shows an interruption in speech: ‘…a small sound came out of the dark – a tiny mew.’ / “Don’t open – ”
• Question mark in the narration — shares the character’s worry: ‘What was making that noise?’
• Exclamation mark — for a sudden shout or shock in speech. Use it rarely in narration, or it loses its power.

7. ‘Why does the author use…?’ — reading practice

Section A of Paper 2 can ask about the effect of a writer’s choices. Read this short original passage. The lines are numbered.

1. The lift shuddered between the fourth and fifth floors.
2. Then it stopped.
3. Yassin pressed the button again and again, but nothing happened…
4. Above his head, something scraped across the roof of the lift. Scratch. Scratch.
5. Who else was in the shaft? He pressed his back against the cold metal wall.
6. The light buzzed, dimmed – and went out.

1. Why does the author use the short sentence ‘Then it stopped.’ in line 2?

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   Possible answers: to create a sudden shock after the movement in line 1 · to show that the lift has stopped without warning · to build suspense, because the reader wonders what will happen next · to slow the pace and make the moment feel frozen · to make the reader feel Yassin’s fear and helplessness.

2. Why does the author use an ellipsis at the end of line 3?

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   Possible answers: to create a pause, as if we are waiting with Yassin · to build suspense · to show that nothing happens and the silence goes on · to suggest that the information is incomplete — we do not yet know why the lift has stopped · to make the reader expect something to happen next.

3. Why does the author use onomatopoeia (‘Scratch. Scratch.’) in line 4?

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   Possible answers: to help the reader hear the sound, as if they are in the lift · to make the danger feel close and real · to build suspense, because the sound has no explanation · to show that the sound repeats slowly, which is more frightening · the short, separate words also slow the pace.

4. Why does the author use a question in line 5?

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   Possible answers: to show Yassin’s thoughts and fear · to make the reader ask the same question · to keep the identity of the thing secret (withholding information) · to build suspense and curiosity.

5. Why does the author use a dash in line 6?

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   Possible answers: to emphasise the final words ‘and went out’ · to create a short pause before the worst moment · to make the ending sudden and dramatic · to leave Yassin — and the reader — in darkness at the most tense point (a cliffhanger).

6. Why does the author write ‘Then it stopped.’ as a separate line/paragraph?

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   Possible answers: to make the moment stand out · to create a pause and a change of pace · to mark the start of the problem · to build suspense.

8. Useful phrases and vocabulary

9. Strong sample — a story continuation

In a continuation, the extract has already set up the characters, setting, point of view and mood. Your job is to pick up at the exact moment it stops and keep everything consistent. The extract here (summarised in the task) is in the third person and the past tense, so the continuation is too.

10. Common mistakes and checklist

11. Practice

1. Rewrite this sentence to add suspense: ‘She opened the door.’

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   Possible answer: She reached for the handle. It was ice-cold. Slowly, she turned it, and the door swung open with a long creak… The room was dark. And someone was breathing.

2. Add a sound word to: ‘Someone was walking down the corridor.’

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   Possible answer: Thud. Thud. Thud. Someone was walking down the corridor, one heavy step at a time.

3. Finish this as a cliffhanger in one or two sentences: ‘He looked under the bed and saw…’

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   Possible answer: He looked under the bed and saw a small wooden box. It had his name on it — written in his own handwriting.

4. Change ‘Ali was very scared.’ into a sentence that shows his fear.

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   Possible answer: Ali’s knees locked, and his mouth went so dry that he could not even call for help.

5. Why does the author of the sample write ‘Scrape.’ as a paragraph on its own?

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   Possible answers: to let the reader ‘hear’ the sound on its own, with nothing to distract them · to create a pause and a sudden change of pace · to build suspense, because the noise has no explanation yet · to show that the noise is repeating, so the danger seems real.

6. Practice task: ‘You have read the opening of a story in which Ziad is on a school trip to a museum and gets separated from his class. Continue the story.’ Write a short plan using the tension ladder.

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   Same POV/tense as extract (third person, past). 1. Normal: Ziad realises the hall is empty and the class has gone. 2. First hint: the lights in the mummy room dim · footsteps echo behind him. 3. Investigate: he follows the footsteps past glass cases · slow motion, heart thumping. 4. Worse hint / false alarm: a shadow on the wall — just a statue · then a door clicks shut behind him. 5. Reveal: a hand on his shoulder… it is the museum guard with a torch. 6. Release: the guard leads him back · his teacher is waiting · Ziad promises never to wander off again, but he glances back once at the mummy case, and wonders.