Why the fear of the unknown creates the most effective suspense
In short: True suspense isn't about showing monsters or blood; it is about what you leave out. This video explores how authors use the unknown to keep readers hanging.
Writer Victoria Smith explains that effective suspense relies on withholding information rather than revealing horrors. Instead of relying on graphic imagery like fountains of blood, successful storytelling harnesses the psychological power of uncertainty. As horror author H.P. Lovecraft noted, the most primal and enduring form of fear is the fear of the unknown.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: How to make your writing suspenseful - Victoria Smith
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