How to make your writing suspenseful - Victoria Smith
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Published 2017-10-31
View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-make-your-writing-suspen…
What makes a good horror story? Hideous monsters and fountains of blood might seem like a good place to start, but as horror author H.P. Lovecraft wrote, “The oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” Writers harness that fear not by revealing horrors, but by leaving the audience hanging in a state of suspense. Victoria Smith gives some tips for adding suspense to your writing.
Lesson by Victoria Smith, directed by Silvia Prietov.
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All Comments (21)
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yeah, ok, but the real suspense is: Who did the animation?
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my math class is a perfect example of this, i always have no idea whats happening or gonna happen next
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"Don't use cliffhangers that often." Literally 90% of writers : "I had gone temporarily deaf and have thus not heard your statement."
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I know the main character will be ok because the book has a whole 300 more pages.
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The animation is just WOW.
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The animation is very cool
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The animators for this video did an incredible job! Well done!
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As an animator, illustrator, narrator, and writer. I have to say this was very well done. PLEASE post more of these as in some sort of series. 🙌🙏🏾🖤
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I don't like writing literature, but after watching this video, I felt like that I want to write a horror story now
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I like cliffhangers most when they don’t cut before something crucial is revealed but just after it is. When you’re left guessing how the new development will change everything
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Holy mother of god the animation is so beautiful.
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The problem of being early is not having comments to read
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The monster is near, I can hear his footsteps getting closer like a giants in a dark damp forest heavy but low pitched, death itself seems to be approaching this might just be my very las
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As horror author H.P. Lovecraft wrote, “The oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” Techniques to Make Writing Suspenseful : 1) Limit the Point of View 2) Choose the Right Setting and Imagery 3) Play with Style and Form 4) Use Dramatic Irony 5) The Cliffhanger
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Uploading a video about writing while I'm writing? TED-Ed you've done it again!
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My life is a horror, coz I don't even know what's going on, the UNKNOWN future. :(
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In the heart of darkness, some unfamiliar smell was wafting in the air....
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A cliffhanger with very clear foreshadowing and subverted expectations is one of my favorite methods to use. With all surface sighs pointing to a red herring I can often reveal the true horror but have my audience make the same mistake as my characters and overlook them. It's difficult to pull off, to be sure, but ever so satisfying both for me and possibly the audience too when it works.
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Outstanding! A visual, auditory, and informational delight.
