# How to make your writing suspenseful

- Institution: TED
- Department: TED-Ed
- Speaker: Victoria Smith
- Year: 2017
- Level: For everyone
- Language: English
- Subjects: Literature and writing, Languages and linguistics, Teaching and learning
- Source: [TED](https://www.ted.com/talks/victoria_smith_how_to_make_your_writing_suspenseful)
- Licence: [CC BY-NC-ND 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) (Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions.)
- Who can watch: Teens profiles and older (sources give no ratings; placed by Invisible Network from the source's own words)

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. \[Directed by Silvia Prietov, narrated by Addison Anderson, music by Cem Misirlioglu\].

## Lectures

1. [How to make your writing suspenseful](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/learn/ted/victoria_smith_how_to_make_your_writing_suspenseful/f1623a45e96b), 5 min (TED's player)