"HOW IT ENDS"

                                    Keeping The Suspense in Writing

 

How many of you have seen the movie, How It Ends? It seemed like the typical thriller/suspense we’ve all seen before. Except for one thing, it left the ending hanging in a way that you had to predict how it ended.

I loved the movie and have watched it more than a few times, expecting a different outcome, much like the definition of insanity.

Still, isn’t excitement and suspense required to hook and keep you engaged? If you follow the plot and the movie’s tone, you can guess what happens next, but a great story will leave you guessing until the end. But if a storyline becomes too predictable, it ruins the entire plot.

Predictability isn’t a bad thing when applied to real-life situations. We need dependability, someone or something we can count on without question.

And why today we’ll talk about keeping the suspense in writing without being predictable.

How do we do this?

We keep the expectations in place without doing the expected. A story’s ending remains in the hands of a clever writer.

Unlike real life, that throws us curve balls once in a while. We enjoy life’s unexpected pleasures. The same is true with unpredictable plot lines.

Unpredictable plots begin with spectacular storylines and explosive endings, regardless of genre.

A storyline should have a well-written plot, twists and turns, drama, action, and suspense; readers expect that regardless of the genre. We all want happy endings based on predictability. But a great writer will let the tension build and have you guess what happens next. That’s why the plot of How It Ends wasn’t as predictable as most Apocalyptic movies tend to be.

The way to end predictability is by thinking outside the box or plot. Most of us are familiar with the term Red Herrings, clues that mislead readers. Even if you’ve never read a book, if you watch the news or our government in action, they are everywhere.

Red herrings are good in books, though with equal measures of conflict and pacing. Don’t get too far ahead of the story or add too many twists and turns confusing readers. Just enough to keep things exciting and unpredictable without becoming a cliffhanger.

My idea of unpredictability in writing is like a puzzle that only reveals what it truly is once all the parts are in place.

Using the tips listed above will keep the readers engaged, unsuspecting but loving how it ends.