What do you think are the most important elements of a good suspense story? And as a reader what do you enjoy most about them?
Since I also think this plays into my specialty, although I am on the fence about that, I am being a bit more specific.
~ Visualization: It's really important to be able to see what's happening as it's happening. If the characters are running, I want to feel like I'm running right beside them. If something is going to jump out at them, I need to hear that creepy music in my head just based on the words being used. I notice that when I have something happening that's fast paced, I tend to type a mile a minute just to keep up with my characters which brings up the next point...
~ Pacing: I think a suspense needs to keep a very steady pace in order to work. You want your readers to know that the story is going to be loaded with drama and action but if you aren't showing that by the flow of the actual plot, especially within the first few chapters, it's going to lose that momentum. There really should be NO filler chapters in a suspense story. It's one of the few genres that really shouldn't call for them. Any unnecessary moments like the obligatory Nick and girlfriend go to the store scenes once again just interrupt the flow of point A to point B unless that scene becomes vital somewhere down the road which leads to...
~ Foreshadowing: Throwing subtle hints to your readers about what will happen down the road, just gets them guessing enough that they might want to continue to read to see why you said what you just said. I love when someone says that at first they didn't see it coming but after going back and re-reading it, the clues were there all along and they just missed them. No one on earth does that better than Stephen King. The man is a master at foreshadowing.
~ Understanding your villain: Giving your villain depth of character is so important. They should be treated like any other original character in a story. Just as you would put thought into a female lead, or supporting character, the same needs to be done for the villain. There has to be a reason why they act the way they do and it's up to you to explain that to us. I also think making them more than one dimensional is key. You should hate them but also feel for them and heck, maybe in some cases even root for them! Let's call this the Walter White villain dilemma! You're just so bad I love you! LOL
~ Cliffhangers: Every suspense needs those few moments where you are left saying "NO! Come back!!" and those come in the form of the good old fashioned cliffhanger. How many you use should depend on how many things are happening in your story. If it's one of those stories packed with action and plot twists, they should be used more frequently then lets say one that has one general plot and then a huge climactic scene. That would be the perfect place to put your cliffhanger, right before or after that scene just once again to get the reader to want to click the next button or tirelessly check for updates! It's no fun if you resolve the situations right after they happen. The build up is only half the fun, the reaction makes it all worthwhile and the best reaction comes from...
