Creative Writing Prompt Project: Prompt 9 – Developing Suspense

Working to create a suspenseful story is very different than creating one with jump scares. In requires careful pacing, which is what we are going to play with today! Something we worked on last time was raising the stakes, which is going to come in handy here.

Write a short (less than 10 pages) scene that captures a sense of unease by using time constraints for your main characters. Maybe it’s a bank heist that runs increasingly against time. Maybe it’s a surgery. It doesn’t have to necessarily be scary, but it should be a high-stress situation.

Since it’s Halloween-season, I’d love for your work to include, in as prominent or not a place as you like:

  • a haunting
  • a main character who has a truly terrifying secret
  • basic bitch fall vibes

Just a reminder… For these prompts, I personally place an emphasis on film or play writing — but anything goes. Use these to fuel any creative endeavor. Feel free to review the project here.

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