Wisdom from a Writing Conference: Elements of Suspense

Rachelle J. Christensen presented on the elements of suspense at the LDSStoryMakers conference:

What I Learned:

There always has to be suspense. The stakes must be hide. The reader must have a questions - that keeps them reading.

I often think of when I was younger. I would be reading late at night when I should be sleeping. I would say to myself - one more chapter then I will go to bed. But then the chapter would end with such a feeling of suspense I had to read one more. I want to be able to write like that.

How I Plan to Apply It:

When plotting I will make sure that I have a clear questions/goal/problem that drives the story forward. During the second draft I will make sure that each chapter has the tension necessary to keep the reader interested.