What Techniques Can I Use To Build Suspense In My Novel?

To keep readers engaged and excited it's essential to employ techniques that build suspense in your novel. Here are some effective strategies you can use;

Pose Questions; Begin with a question or mystery that captures the readers curiosity and makes them eager to unravel the answers. Avoid revealing everything instead let the narrative gradually unveil the solutions.
Vary Pacing; Alternate, between paced scenes and slower contemplative ones. Utilize sentences and paragraphs during moments to heighten the pace and create a sense of urgency.
End with Cliffhangers; Leave each chapter on a tantalizing note that leaves readers hanging in suspense. This could involve plot twists, revelations or perilous situations for the characters.
Introduce Red Herrings; Incorporate clues or false leads that lead readers astray. Enhance the overall sense of mystery by keeping them guessing.
Foreshadowing; Drop hints about events throughout the story. This can generate feelings of anticipation or foreboding as readers piece together what might happen next.
Craft an Unreliable Narrator; Create a narrator with credibility forcing readers to question what is true and making them second guess events within the story.
Impose Time Constraints; Place time limits on your characters goals or objectives adding pressure and a sense of urgency, to their actions. This "ticking clock" adds a sense of urgency to every moment. Increases the tension.
High Stakes. Make the consequences of failure serious. When the stakes are higher readers become more invested in the outcome, which builds up suspense.
Multiple Perspectives and Interwoven Storylines. Incorporate points of view or intertwining plots that converge at moments. This allows you to leave one storyline at a point while switching to another keeping readers engaged in narrative fronts.
Character Secrets. Give your characters hidden secrets that are gradually unveiled to the reader. The process of unraveling these mysteries can create an suspenseful narrative.

Remember that suspense arises when readers develop an attachment, to your characters and eagerly anticipate what will happen next. Devoting time to character development and charged situations will naturally heighten the suspense.

Additional Resources;

Hallie Ephrons "Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel; How to Captivate Your Readers with Style"
Benjamin Percys "Thrill Me; Essays on Crafting Gripping Fiction"
Stephen Kings "On Writing; A Memoir of the Craft " offering advice, on building suspense and keeping readers engrossed.
I highly recommend checking out Christopher Voglers book, "The Writers Journey; Mythic Structure, for Writers." It offers insights into the structure of storytelling that can significantly enhance the suspense in your narratives.

If you're looking for information on how to craft stories there are a few websites that I find particularly helpful;

Writers Digest (https://www.writersdigest.com); This website provides a wealth of resources and advice on aspects of writing including tips on creating narratives.
The Creative Penn (https://www.thecreativepenn.com); Joanna Penns website is a resource for writers seeking guidance on elements of storytelling. You'll find plenty of information to help you effectively build suspense in your novel.
Helping Writers Become Authors (https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com); K.M. Weiland shares her expertise on writing techniques through this website, which includes tips and strategies, for crafting suspenseful narratives.

By incorporating these techniques you'll be able to weave suspense throughout your novel leaving readers eagerly turning pages to discover what unfolds next.

1 Other Answers To: "What Techniques Can I Use To Build Suspense In My Novel?"

Creating a Sense of Suspense in Your Novel

Develop Vulnerable Characters. Craft characters, with vulnerabilities. Place them in situations that directly threaten those weak spots. By doing you personalize the suspense. Make readers more invested in the safety and success of these characters.
Subtle Implications of Danger. Of stating the dangers at hand sometimes leaving things unsaid can be incredibly powerful. Incorporate subtext in dialogues and descriptions to hint at lurking threats lying beneath the surface.
Unseen Perils. Explore the fear that comes from what remains unknown. The things we cannot hear see or comprehend can often be more terrifying than dangers that are fully revealed.
Pressure. Occasionally it's more suspenseful to employ a build up rather than immediate threats. Cultivate frustration and a sense of inevitability to heighten tension as readers eagerly anticipate the breaking point.
Moral Quandaries. Present your characters with choices that carry consequences. Readers will become engrossed as they ponder what decisions these characters will ultimately make.
Strategic Information Flow. Intentionally control what information is revealed to readers and when it is disclosed during moments, in your narrative. Sometimes keeping a piece of information hidden can build anticipation as readers attempt to fill in the missing details.
Varying Sentence Structure. Incorporate a combination of long sentences to establish a flow, in your writing. Short abrupt sentences can intensify tension while longer sentences can offer moments of respite.
Psychological Suspense. Explore the turmoil between characters. The uncertainty surrounding another characters motives can be deeply unsettling.
Strategic Use of Perspective. Shifting perspectives at junctures can leave a character's fate uncertain thereby heightening suspense.
Delayed Satisfaction. Postpone the resolution of conflicts or relationship dynamics to sustain your readers interest. Suspense often arises from the desire to understand how relationships or conflicts will evolve or conclude.
Atmosphere and Setting. Utilize the setting itself to evoke a sense of unease. Describing the environment in a manner that feels eerie or ominous greatly contributes to building suspense.
Dramatic Irony. When readers possess knowledge than the characters do, about impending doom or critical information tension naturally mounts as they anticipate the characters eventual discovery.

Try experimenting with formats, in your storytelling, such as entries, letters or transcripts. These unconventional formats can add a sense of realism and immediacy to your story making it more engaging for readers.

Another effective technique is to include harbingers or omens that foreshadow events. By incorporating these signs into your narrative readers will experience a heightened sense of anxiety as they ponder the implications of these symbols.

To maintain suspense throughout your story gradually increase the level of threat faced by your protagonist. As the plot progresses intensify the challenges and dangers they encounter keeping readers on the edge of their seats.

Remember not to rely on any one technique. Instead strive to understand how suspense ebbs and flows in relation, to your story arc. By combining these strategies into your novel in a manner you will be able to captivate readers and leave them eagerly anticipating what comes next.