Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot: How to Write Gripping Stories That Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats

Make your writing compelling! Excellent book, excellent information for all writers, regardless of genre or experience. Solid explanations and illustrations of what makes writing compelling--what elements capture and KEEP readers' attention, and keep them turning the pages, as well as how to structure a story that carries the reader (and multiple plot lines) from page to page. The author explains strategies and easy-to-follow methods for weaving compelling elements together, suggesting structures that make the story and plot stronger.Like many, I have a shelf full of writing books--most of which I thought I HAD to have, and then read only the first few pages of before skimming the rest (maybe) and setting aside. I started reading this book, stopped, got up and got a highlighter, started reading again, stopped again, went and got a pen and a notebook, and then read cover-to cover, marking and taking notes. The author explains suspense, structure, and plot--all things I thought I understood--in a way that made me see and understand them (and be able to USE them) in a new light. I'm using that new understanding to craft a stronger story.I highly recommend this book to all writers, and am sure I'll be referring to it again and again. (I just bought some colored flags to mark particularly important sections, so that I can find them easily, and refer to them as I go.)(ps--I did find some of the examples a little odd, and one reference early on that I couldn't make heads or tails of, but that's really a minor wobble.)

Every time I think of Jane Cleland’s book, “Mastering Suspense,” I envision the famous showdown between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan during Star Wars: A New Hope. It’s a legendary scene of dark vs. light; student vs. teacher. Upon seeing Obi-Wan for the first time in decades, Vader says: “I’ve been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master.” After reading this book, I feel a little bit like Darth Vader in that duel. Well-taught, empowered, and confident. But hopefully with a little less arrogance and a happier ending in store.I’ve had the pleasure of personally learning under Jane’s mentorship at my MFA program, an experience I esteem highly and cherish greatly. This book is a bit like that: a personal mentorship. Here, Jane has divulged actionable methods for creating better works of writing. This isn’t a book just for mystery writers. She wrote with a wide audience in mind. Whether you’re a memoirist, a historian, or a novelist, you’ll see suspense in a new light. Even better, Jane has provided a masterful process by which you can incorporate suspense into your writing.My favorite sections included exercises you can employ to deepen your knowledge (of characters), expand your settings (and use them to create suspense), and explore nuances regarding betrayal and confusion.Like Alfred Hitchcock once said, surprise is cheap—anyone can do it—but suspense? Suspense is what keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

Overall, this is a useful book. It's one of the few books I've seen that actually discusses subplots and tries to give you some idea of how to use them. Key word being tries. The way it's explained is confusing at times, vaguely referencing scenes that are "part of the main plot" and therefore not in the "subplot" without any examples or explanations of how or why.So, a subplot is an ex-husband stalking his wife and scenes relating to that, okay, got it. But then it says the wife wins a custody battle and gets the kids which is not subplot like the stalking, but part of the main story. I can only conclude that she used another excuse not related to stalking to get custody of her kids (b/c it has to be part of the main story and can't be in the subplot)--but I don't know. If I did, that would be helpful. What this needs is a scene-by-scene detail of a whole book, pointing out which scenes are the main story and which are subplot.All she gives here are snippets of each and you don't get a big picture idea. One reviewer said it's the only book you need, if it is for them, wow, then they must have known literally everything else this book isn't about...like character arc, the three-act structure and splitting it in half, the hero's journey, the heroine's journey, etc. My point is, dear aspiring authors, this is not the only book you need. Unless you have somehow magically absorbed and are able to utilize the many other aspects of storycraft that go into great writing. This is but a piece.And subplots are crucial, which is why I wish she could have been clearer about them.

I love that this book doesn't just focus on suspense in the crime/police procedural/thriller fiction subgenres. Cleland talks about suspense in general, and offers realistic steps and advice to integrate that suspense into your story. As a burgeoning author as well as fiction developmental editor, these kind of craft books have a twofold effect. I not only can improve my own writing, but help other authors improve theirs as well.

I gave it as a gift to my daughter and she absolutely loves the book! She plans to use it while writing her next book! Highly recommend!

I just finished Jane’s superb book. It is MUST reading for fiction writers, whether you’re just starting out or have a few books under your belt. Jane’s voice shines through in the pages—I can picture her standing in the front of the room during a workshop saying the same words, or see the same words in one of her many emails to me as she critiqued my work as one of my writing teachers in years past.I must admit it was especially cool to see she used my first two novels as an example of how to use subplots in a series, including me with some of the great series authors such as Robert Parker (Spenser), John MacDonald (Travis McGee), Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games), and her own Josie Prescott mysteries.Her book has found a spot on my Writing Craft bookshelf alongside my desk.

I’m working on a mystery and this book has been packed with useful ideas and helpful exercises. A must have for writers of crime fiction and suspense.

lo recomiendo si quires escribir

Un guide clair, simple, minutieux, thématique et à la portée de tous. Des exemples variés et pertinents. Des exercices pour prendre confiance. Parfois un peu trop méthodique pour mon tempérament d'artiste. Définitivement une aide précieuse pour le novice comme l'expérimenté.

What can I say, this book is veeery helpful. Some of the advice wasn't too new to me, for I charged through countless blogs, Authortube channels and other books beforehand, but still, this book contains such useful information that I haven't read anywhere else and sometimes I sat there like "Ohhhh. Noice." It presents very useful frameworks like the Plotting Road Map and interesting "KPIs" like the average word count per sentence for pacing coordination. And a ton of good techniques on implementing suspense through various "channels".All in all, I really recommend it, if you are interested in the big and smaller bits of plot and suspense implementation as well as writing.

An amazing book for anybody who wants to get a first taste of the world of storytelling. You’ll keep coming back to it and draw something new every time.