OPWA: Episode Fifteen · 9:35pm Feb 26th, 2019

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Creating Suspense

This is a full episode, but I'll try to keep it brief-- because really there isn't too much to say on it. I want to be clear though-- this post is geared toward suspense and thriller stories. That is to say: stories that are meant to really ratchet up tension beyond the typical conflicts one would find in dramas or adventure stories. Horror stories can make use of such techniques too, but the added element of mystery inherent in any (good) horror tale would necessitate additional considerations I won't be covering here.

I was watching the first episode of The Umbrella Academy on Netflix when a familiar plot device was used. At the end of the episode Number Five reveals that he knows the world will end in eight days. (If you'd rather not have to reveal the spoiler, just know that a time limit was introduced to heighten the tension and mystery of the plot.) Prior to this reveal, there wasn't a lot of forward momentum to the story. It was a lot of exposition about the characters and their background. A few questions are dropped but none are apparently so pressing as to drive the direction of the plot. Then boom-- a time limit and consequence is revealed.

Once upon a time, during my degree program, I had to take a course that focused on horror and thrillers. Required reading for that course was The Philosophy of Horror by Noel Carroll. I won't lie-- it can be a dry read, but there are some valuable insights Carroll provides.

Though not the pinnacle of his analysis, Carroll does do a decent job dissecting suspense narratives and what makes them tick. Like bombs, for example. (Sorry, that was a really backward attempt at a bad joke.) For a long time now, using a ticking bomb as a way of heightening tension and urgency in a plot has become lazy and cliche. I am by no means recommending that particular route for your suspense and thriller stories... But placing a time limit really IS one of the primary ways a writer can bring about a sense of urgency. You don't need a bomb with a timer, but you can find other ways of setting up a similar situation. Come up with a consequence as a result of an antagonist's actions. A child dies, a city is destroyed, a horrible secret is revealed, etc. Then establish a frame of time the protagonist needs to beat in order to prevent such an eventuality. Better yet, take certainty out of the equation and make it a race against two opposing forces, taking care to show the progress (or failures) on both sides.

Good examples of these kinds of narratives would be the movies Speed (classic ticking time bomb tale) or No Country for Old Men (a high stakes race between small-town police and a ruthless killer to find a man in possession of a lot of money.)

But must there always be some time element? A race of some sort? No, of course not. Another approach to creating tension or suspense is to establish a status quo (ordinary life), then tease (or reveal, depending on your narrative order) a threat to that status quo (a freak storm is forecasted to arrive; a wandering maniac comes to town; a once normal, healthy child starts exhibiting disturbing behavioral changes). The real trick to this particular tactic, is that once the poop hits the fan, you keep raising the stakes (protagonist's daughter has an asthma attack and needs a new inhaler, but the freak storm stands between them and the hospital; the wandering maniac succeeds in kidnapping the protagonist's pregnant wife, and what's worse, he has strange supernatural powers and a terrifying interest in the unborn child; the child's behavioral changes turn out to be the result of a lab created virus, and the entire town is infected and placed in quarantine-- no one can get in or out...and now everyone is changing.) Eventually, there is always a breaking point that leads to resolution in these stories, but usually not before terrible loss or sacrifice.

Good examples of these sorts of narratives can be found in the movies: Mulholland Drive, Fatal Attraction, Get Out, Looper, Gone Girl, and pretty much any natural disaster film.

In any tactic you want to pursue, the real important thing to remember is to keep pushing the line back. Keep raising the stakes. But beware of going over the top. Readers can get fatigued if they feel the circumstances are too ridiculous, the antagonist is frustratingly over-powered, or the protagonist manages one-too-many "incredible" saves.

What did you guys think of this episode? Apologies if it feels rushed and uneven. These days I feel like I have to jump at opportunities to post writing when inspiration and availability align (trouble was, my free time was very limited, and I was doubtful how much steam I had to craft a deeper look into suspense narratives.) BUT! I hope that it provides someone with the nudge they need to get writing, and if my post was truly inadequate, you might want to give Noel Carroll's book a look-see. I hear Stephen King's Danse Macabre is a good read too.

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