Why Your Story Isn’t Suspenseful (And How to Fix It)

Want to keep your readers on the edge of their seats? In this episode of The Kate and Abbie Show, we’re breaking down 7 easy ways to add suspense to your story and make it impossible to put down.
From building tension through your character’s deepest fears to raising the stakes with a ticking clock, these powerful storytelling techniques will help you craft suspenseful, high-stakes fiction that keeps readers hooked. Whether you’re writing a novel, screenplay, or short story, these writing suspense tips will level up your storytelling game.
If you want to master writing tension and conflict and create page-turning suspense, this episode is for you!
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✨CHAPTERS✨
00:00 How to raise the stakes and add suspense?
02:44 1. Build tension through desires and fears
05:02 2. Add a ticking clock
09:27 3. Introduce a rival
12:57 4. Let there be serious consequences
16:08 5. Use obstacles and setbacks
20:00 6. Balance risk and reward
24:14 7. Leverage a buried secret
27:29 RECAP
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MORE VIDEOS YOU WOULD LIKE:

→ WHAT TO WRITE ABOUT WHEN YOU’RE BORED

→ THE ULTIMATE CHARACTER PROFILE

→ WRITERS REACT TO WRITERS IN MOVIES

→ MY CHAPTER-BY-CHAPTER OUTLINING METHOD

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✨ A B O U T ✨
My name is Abbie Emmons I teach writers how to make their stories matter by harnessing the power and psychology of storytelling, transforming their ideas into a masterpiece, and creating a lifestyle that makes their author dreams come true.

Story isn’t about “what happens” — it’s about how what happens affects and transforms the characters. I believe that there is an exact science (a recipe, if you will) behind a perfect story. And if you know what ingredients you need, you can create your own perfect story with ease and confidence. That’s what we talk about every week on this channel – and if it’s something you’re into, be sure to subscribe and join this community!