Suspense

Definition

Suspense is a narrative device used to create a feeling of anticipation and tension in the audience, keeping them engaged and eager to know what happens next. It is essential for maintaining interest in a story, as it often involves uncertain outcomes, character dilemmas, and escalating stakes, which can connect to multiple storylines, pacing in dialogue, tension building and releasing, internal and external conflicts, and pacing transitions.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Suspense relies heavily on timing; how and when information is revealed can significantly impact the tension in a scene.
2. Effective use of suspense often involves raising the stakes for characters, making their choices feel urgent and impactful.
3. Characters facing dilemmas that involve conflicting desires or moral choices can enhance suspense, as the audience wonders which path they will choose.
4. Creating suspense also involves balancing multiple storylines effectively, ensuring that each arc contributes to the overall tension without detracting from others.
5. The release of suspense is just as crucial as building it; audiences often crave resolution after being kept on edge for an extended period.

Review Questions

• How can balancing multiple storylines contribute to the overall suspense in a narrative?
  • Balancing multiple storylines can amplify suspense by intertwining character arcs that have high stakes and interdependencies. When various plot lines reach critical moments simultaneously, it creates a sense of urgency and heightens emotional investment. The audience may be left wondering how each storyline will resolve and how characters' fates are connected, thereby maintaining interest and engagement throughout the narrative.
• In what ways does dialogue pacing influence the buildup of suspense within a scene?
  • Dialogue pacing plays a vital role in building suspense by controlling the rhythm and flow of conversation. Quick exchanges can create an urgent atmosphere while slower dialogues might draw out tension as characters reveal their fears or intentions. Strategic pauses and interruptions can also heighten anticipation, making audiences more invested in what will be said next and how characters will respond under pressure.
• Evaluate the relationship between internal conflicts and external conflicts in establishing suspense within a story.
  • Internal conflicts often deepen suspense by revealing characters' struggles with their desires, fears, or moral dilemmas. When these internal battles collide with external conflicts—like threats from antagonists or dire circumstances—the resulting tension becomes multifaceted. This interplay not only keeps the audience guessing about character decisions but also raises the stakes for both personal and external challenges, enriching the narrative complexity and drawing viewers further into the experience.

Related terms

Dramatic Irony:

A situation in which the audience knows more about the events unfolding than the characters, creating heightened tension and anticipation.

Cliffhanger: A narrative technique where a story ends at a suspenseful moment, leaving the audience eager to find out what happens next.

Foreshadowing: A literary device that hints at events to come, which can increase suspense by planting seeds of expectation in the audience's mind.