One of the fundamental aspects of strong screenwriting is mastering the suspense. While this is often associated with the thriller or horror genres, almost all films will benefit from the clever building and release of tension. But why is this important, and what techniques can be used to best achieve a suspenseful story? We’ve provided three tips in this guide.
Why Suspense is Important
Suspense is an integral part of storytelling because it creates a sense of stakes in the action. When used correctly, suspense keeps audiences’ engaged in not just the outcome, but the journey to get there. If the stakes feel low or a conclusion feels predictable, viewers are much more likely to get bored.
Almost all forms of entertainment benefit from suspense, whether it be watching a sports broadcast, a reality competition show, scripted content, or even gambling. Anyone who has played live casino games will recognize the anticipation involved in placing stakes in a game of roulette or blackjack, watching the action unfold, and awaiting the final outcome. This forms an ideal analogy for how screenwriters can build strong suspense.
Tip 1: Make Us Care About the Characters
The most memorable characters are those with distinct personalities, formidable skills, and easily identifiable wants and needs that must be addressed over the story’s runtime. If audiences can relate to a compelling character’s experience, then they will invest in their struggle to achieve their goals.
That’s not to say the characters should be flawless. In fact, by making them unpredictable and complex, the writer will humanize them more successfully. What’s important is that we want to spend time with them until the end, and weather the twists and turns that come their way.
Tip 2: Create High Stakes
To truly inspire audience investment in the story, writers must create external, internal, or personal stakes we care about. In a James Bond film, for example, these stakes often literally relate to the fate of the world. In a thriller, these scenarios too are often life-and-death situations or have huge implications for society.
When writing a screenplay, consider whether the stakes are high enough. If the worst-case scenario will only have minor impacts on a character’s life, it won’t be enough to keep the audience interested. And if the film is more subtle, the protagonist must at least feel as though the battle ahead is a life-or-death showdown to keep us engaged.
Tip 3: Control the Information
Alfred Hitchcock famously highlighted the importance of information control in his method of building tension. In his example, if two people were sitting around a table and a bomb randomly exploded, it would come from nowhere and be a short-lived surprise. However, if the audience were shown the bomb under the table before the conversation, this would build tension to a climactic finish.
Slowly drip-feed the audience important details or red herrings to keep them guessing. If information is too slowly released, the writer is at risk of boring audiences. If it is too quickly released, it removes all tension.
Mastering the Art of Suspense
Strong suspense relies on memorable characters, high stakes, and well-controlled information. By utilizing these effectively in a screenplay, the writer will keep audiences engaged until the end. And who knows, you may win in some of the top screenplay contests.
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