What I Learned from Art Taylor and Tara Laskowski about Building Suspense

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I love the programming that the Sisters in Crime chapters do. I learn so much from the guest speakers. Recently, Art Taylor and Tara Laskowski did a presentation on building suspense in your writing for the Sisters in Crime - Central Virginia chapter. Here’s what I learned.

  • Write what you love to read.

  • Use what you read as models for your writing.

  • Your openings need to catch the reader’s attention and keep it.

  • There is a difference between action and suspense. Use shorter sentences for dialogue, action, and suspense.

  • Start your story quickly and show the conflict immediately.

  • Pacing is key for dramatic tension. When and where do you put in the plot twists? You don’t want to bore your reader, and you don’t want to spoil the twist.

  • You want your reader to have a level of uncertainness or uneasiness.

  • Increase the dramatic tension to make an ordinary situation menacing.

  • Slow down the story or the passage of time to turn down the velocity. Long sentences slow the pace.

  • Slowing down the pacing makes it unbearable for the reader. Make them want to find out what happens next.

  • Three ways to end a chapter are cliff hanger, a question, or a reflection.

  • Reflection at the end of a chapter is often more powerful than a cliff hanger.

  • Vary your chapter endings. They all shouldn’t be the same technique.

  • You always want the reader to turn the page.

15 Things I Learned about Writing Short Stories from Art Taylor

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I had the pleasure of hearing Art Taylor speak recently at our Sisters in Crime - Central Virginia meeting about crafting short stories. Here's what I learned.

  1. Edgar Allan Poe is not only the father of the American mystery, but the father of the American short story.
  2. For detective stories (whether it's a murder, caper, or puzzle), it all hinges on the clues.
  3. Every word counts.
  4. Character descriptions should be part of the single effect of the story.
  5. The plot drives the detective story.
  6. Think about what you can suggest without explicitly saying it.
  7. Every story needs conflict. There should always be an escalation of conflict in the story.
  8. Always up the ante. Shovel on more grief and conflict.
  9. Check out he Art and Craft of Fiction by Michael Kardos and riting Fiction by Janet Burroway.
  10. Narration is the stage direction and description is the scenery of the story.
  11. Exposition is telling. It is a way to provide information, but it should be done in small bits. What does the reader need to know?
  12. When you're revising your story, look at everything and ask, "Does this need to be here?"
  13. Use jump cuts. (Jump the action to the next scene.) You don't have to describe every detail of every day.
  14. Watch films and how the stories are plotted. This can help you with pacing your story.
  15. Look at your draft. Can you cut the first and last paragraph? You should strive to start your story closer to the action.