Add a little mystery
Great stories have mystery, unknowns that keep us on the edge of our seats.
Suspense is carefully built in. In Nature, it comes naturally.
Suspense in Nature
Sharks: Build anticipation
Sharks circle before they strike.
Tip:
Don’t reveal everything at once. Hold back just enough to keep people curious.
Octopus: Disguise and reveal
An octopus hides in plain sight, then transforms in an instant.
Tip:
Use contrast. What’s hidden vs. revealed to surprise your audience.
Waves: The rhythm of tension
Waves rise, pause and crash.
Tip:
Vary your pace. Slow down, then release. Suspense comes from rhythm.
Watch cuttlefish strike
Cuttlefish horror in coral
Writing suspense
Suspense isn’t just for horror. It can make any kind of writing stronger, from mysteries to adventures to nature stories.
Writing and the fear factor
Your turn
Write a story or message where you delay the ending. How long can you hold attention before revealing the surprise?
Here's a guide:
1. Introduce the character
2. Get us to care about them - a person, a fish, a tree
3. Add danger
4. Hold off on giving them a way out
5. Hold off a little more
6. Save them just at the last possible moment