Suspense writing

checklist
Think about what your character can hear, smell, touch and taste
Example: He ducked as something dark rushed through the air and brushed his
head with its icy fingers.

Use darkness so that your character has to rely on his/her other senses
Example: She lay motionless in the darkness and listened to the night.

Put in details such as background noises and tricky terrain

Example: He quickened his pace, but the forest floor was uneven and he
stumbled, crashing to the ground.

Add weather descriptions to create a scary atmosphere

Example: A cold, shivering wind blew on the back of her neck and ears like the
touch of cold fingers.

Include hints to the reader about danger to come

Example: She felt certain that she was being watched.

Use punctuation such as colons and commas to hold back essential

information
Example: Climbing the ladder, he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.

Make references to time (the ‘ticking clock’ effect)

Example: The next few seconds unfolded in horrifying slow motion.

Vary the length of words, sentences and paragraphs to increase the pace
and tension
Example: He had to get to the others. Had to reach the attic. He
staggered, stumbled, scrambled. Five steps more.