How to write a good suspense story?

[hikaa212]

I mean, like the kind of story that makes you keep wondering who it was, why is it like this, etc etc. I want to write a suspense story but I don't want the clues to be so obvious from the beginning. My all-time favorite suspense is Higurashi, when I read Minagoroshi-hen I was like "Why didn't I think about that before!"

I'm sorry if there's a thread like this before! and thanks in advance

[TerracottaPie]

Seen as you mentioned Higurashi I'll use that as an example.

Part of the charm of Higurashi is that several people are made to look like the potential culprit(s). The story itself does not leave you wondering, it's how the story makes everyone seem as likely a culprit as the next. Effectively nobody should be able to be ruled as innocent.

Still using Higurashi, there are subtle hints all over the place as to what is actually going on, but unless you're very perceptive and actively looking for them, they'll slip most people by. It's entirely possible to pick out the antagonist of the Higurashi series as a whole before even getting to the answer arcs, there are just many many red herrings pointing in other directions as well. You want it to be possible for the reader to figure out the source of suspense otherwise they'll feel cheated. When they can go back and read/watch it a second time and spot all the hints then it's a far more satisfying experience.

[Maelstrom-Fenrir]

Higurashi isn't fully suspense, it is more suspense/mystery. You don't need to have an element of 'what is going on' or 'who can be trusted' to write a good suspense genre story. While those can be powerful elements you can use they aren't 100% needed.

Suspense arises from the reader caring about the fate of the characters they are reading about. Just like with drama, if the reader doesn't care deeply for the cast they won't care about the story. So the main thing is have a likable cast.

The next element is tenseness. Suspense stories work by keeping the reader on edge. By always upping the anti or making things go from bad to worse for the heroes. Your heroes should never be winning until the very end (even then you don't have to have them win, there a lots of good suspense stories that end in tragedy, Dragon Head, is one I can think of off the top of my head. Or the first season of the suspense/drama 24) Victories should only be slight and just lead into another more bigger problem coming forward. Or the in the case of Higurashi, there is no victories really, things just get worse and worse.

Basically you have to balance your mood levels, if you include too much non-tense moments you'll lose that 'on edge' feeling. Which is really helpful.

Another thing I find is good in suspense stories is unpredictability. If you accomplish this, it throws lots of things in the air, readers who are snagged with be caught up in worrying about the fate of characters and what is going to happen next. Now I'm not saying you should just throw tons of twists right and left, that is just bad. If you have too much of that kind of stuff, it gets old and boring, very quickly.

Also going back to Higurashi for a second, it uses the formula of making the reader not trust anyone, which is good, but there are other ways. I'll take 24 for an example here, it shows pieces of the bad guys talking so the watcher knows just enough about their plans and see them executed that they are on the edge of their seats worrying over if they are going to succeed.

Suspense is interesting that way, you can play it either way, leave the audience in the dark, or tell them what both sides are up to, and if done right both will work and produce different results.

As for 'clue hiding' that really falls under mystery rather than suspense but I'll give an answer. The main thing to do in covering up clues is distraction. You force the reader to forget the clue or not think about it, by getting them to focus on something else. Something more interesting or different in a list, or by having an action or tense moment so their mind becomes focused on this tenseness which results in most people missing/forgetting clues, etc.

Hope this helps.

[hikaa212]

Thanks you guys~ That helped me a lot!