The Hitchcock Method: How to Add Suspense to Anything You Write

Name: The Hitchcock Method: How to Add Suspense to Anything You Write
Author: Morgan Lindsay Nelson

Morgan Lindsay Nelson, Graphic Novelist

6 Lessons (20m)

- 1. Introduction
  
  1:05
- 2. The Great Alfred Hitchcock
  
  2:12
- 3. The Interview of Gold
  
  2:32
- 4. Surprise Vs. Suspense In Literature: Why It Matters
  
  7:20
- 5. How to Stop Surprising and Start Suspense-ing
  
  3:01
- 6. Your Project & Review
  
  3:21

19 students are watching this class

Project Description

Write a short scene two ways: one with surprise & the other with suspense

YOUR PROJECT ASSIGNMENT

Write one short scene two different ways:

1) Using surprise -- write it with the "big picture" in mind and create the surprise around the result of the scene.

2) Using suspense -- rework what you've written now utilizing the principles of suspense.

**Be sure to use the attached worksheet to get started**

Tackling the same scene these two different ways helps build skill so you can know how to add suspense to something you've already written (which comes in handy so often!)

After you've approached it like this, then you can confidently and masterfully write suspense first -- building it from the ground up.

DELIVER YOUR PROJECT

Type your scenes directly in your project or include a link to a Google doc.

(Refer to the worksheet for examples + more details on this.)

QUESTIONS?

If you ever have any questions, don't hesitate to ask them over in the AMA (Ask Me Anything) thread in the Discussions section. I'm here to help so ask away!

I can't wait to see your project!