How to make your writing suspenseful - Victoria Smith
Вставка
- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
- Check out our Patreon page: / teded
View full lesson: ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-mak...
What makes a good horror story? Hideous monsters and fountains of blood might seem like a good place to start, but as horror author H.P. Lovecraft wrote, “The oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” Writers harness that fear not by revealing horrors, but by leaving the audience hanging in a state of suspense. Victoria Smith gives some tips for adding suspense to your writing.
Lesson by Victoria Smith, directed by Silvia Prietov.
Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible.
Carlos Castillo, Sage Curie, Ana Maria, Vignan Velivela, Ibel Wong, Ahmad Hyari, A Hundred Years, Eden Sher, Rikke Borgaard, IamJo , Travis Wehrman, Minh Tran, Louisa Lee, Kiara Taylor, KFerg, Hoang Viet, Nathan A. Wright, Joren Schiks, Аркадий Скайуокер, Milad Mostafavi.
my math class is a perfect example of this, i always have no idea whats happening or gonna happen next
ibnul sadek funny😂
"I try to find the answers in my mysterious math book but in a blink of an eye, I realized that my teacher was watching me at the back of my desk, I started to trmble in fear of getting in trouble, but my teacher continued to watch me suffer in silence"
Meep beep oof 😂
Same dude 😬😂😂😂
Meep beep Omg made me laugh. This is a good one😂😂👏
"Don't use cliffhangers that often."
Literally 90% of writers : "I had gone temporarily deaf and have thus not heard your statement."
_That quote sounds familiar...._
@@AngelA-ym2jz It's a Harry Potter reference ;)
@@AngelA-ym2jz Dumbledore...
@@adibahmed1591 oh yeah thanks for telling me. I guessed that it was from Harry Potter but I wasn't sure :/
*pretends not to read this comment*
yeah, ok, but the real suspense is:
_Who did the animation?_
Who care
Bob did
@@itzarelmartinez5568 cause the person (or people) behind it deserve cred and recognition.
@@ilillemarthe i said "who care" not "why care". Guess u must be related to drax
Itzarel Martinez my answer still stands my darling.
I know the main character will be ok because the book has a whole 300 more pages.
Maybe the main character is not really the main character like how they did with Ned stark in game of thrones and kill him off
Clearly you haven’t read Game of Thrones haha XD
FANtasy121 you dont 'read' game of thrones, you 'watch' it bcuz its a show 😉
Dear Rain, the first book is called 'A Game of Thrones'
Jausch120 yes "a game of thrones"(the book) not "game of thrones"(the show)
As an animator, illustrator, narrator, and writer. I have to say this was very well done. PLEASE post more of these as in some sort of series. 🙌🙏🏾🖤
i'm all of these things too... in training, i always dream of having my own animated movie i made all by myself with the usuall quirks of a disney movie or smthin
@@bobbob-nj3ck hope u do one day :)
@@aliceinwonderlandxxx thx
I’m all of these things too!!
Yessss
The animation is just WOW.
professor phillips go for it dude.
Yeah.
Only 2 replies??
Amen
I know right?
The animation is *very cool*
twenty øne piløts at 221b it is!! also ayy Sherlock and tøp
Dont you mean very SpOoKy
I know it reminds me of Taylor's Look what you made me do lyric video.
ayy sup fam
Ikr
The animators for this video did an incredible job! Well done!
2 years and 1.2k likes yet i, giorno giovanna, am the first reply
@@vinzcastro9304 you thought this would be a normal reply, but it was me, DIO, instead!
fr the art style of illustration looks like it was made for a web comic
1 1:13 Limit the point of view
2 1:38 Choose the right setting and imagery
3 2:18 Play with style and form
4 2:54 Use dramatic irony
5 3:35 Cliffhanger
Thank you 👍
Thank you these are questions for my homework
It's my homework thx
Im 700th like and need this to be pinned
I like cliffhangers most when they don’t cut before something crucial is revealed but just after it is.
When you’re left guessing how the new development will change everything
It’s less torturous to wait for as well.
can you tell me what is cliffhangers?
@@yours293 Cliffhangers are a technique of building suspense in the minds of the audience by abandoning the story right before a plot twist.
Edit: Hope this helps! :D
@@proffoctopus66yearsago22 Here is the final revelation after your suspenseful hope: The questioner found another video and forgot all about cliffhangers.
@@Tommy_007 😂
Holy mother of god the animation is so beautiful.
*God
Holy goat
Obr Kenobi ikr!
I don't like writing literature, but after watching this video, I felt like that I want to write a horror story now
redstone craft guy Totally!
it's not that easy im warning you
jay fawn Can confirm xd
Easy takes practice. The only way to create a story is to start typing/writing. Go for it! I'm rooting for ya!
That is how you know you've watched a good video.
Read some Lovecraft for inspiration. His works are truly amazing.
The problem of being early is not having comments to read
Frost Byte same
hahhha same
*grab fries*
Frost Byte BE THAT COMMENT THAT PEOPLE WANNA READ
Pablo Schultz MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE
1000th liker and 5th commenter here
The monster is near, I can hear his footsteps getting closer like a giants in a dark damp forest heavy but low pitched, death itself seems to be approaching this might just be my very las
Rishabh Goyal 👏🏾👏🏾
Rishabh Goyal don't know if you're a writer or not but i think you should write a story
Binh Phuong Nguyen I don't have the time to maybe someday I will
Rishabh Goyal You write well, but I think you might need some work on punctuation😊
I'm just saying... So no hate please!
Punctuation can sometimes be left out (especially in poetry) to give the impression of being rushed.
Uploading a video about writing while I'm writing?
TED-Ed you've done it again!
Pinay
Have you finished writing?
Or not...
I might have? Not sure to be honest. Think I was writing a fanfiction and didnt finish it. I might get back to it though
In the heart of darkness, some unfamiliar smell was wafting in the air....
MzSonicjinn Unwashed wee.
That's nice way to start
MzSonicjinn "creak...creak..."The sounds of heavy footsteps on the old rusty staircase grew louder.......
Suddenly, a high pitched scream rang out in the air... And then the sound of choking. A clank sound was heard, almost like...
A knife being dropped.
A horrible smell spread through the air. You suddenly felt something in your ear; a sinister whisper.
"Come out, wherever you are! You can run, but you CAN'T HIDE!"
Somebody, continue this story.. Let's see where it goes😊
My life is a horror, coz I don't even know what's going on, the UNKNOWN future. :(
Yep
same same... but instead of worrying i just sit back and wait for the shark to devour me
Dell Santiago trying the same :p
Abhilash Dash,this is the most true comment I have ever heard👏👏👏well done
don't worry, be happy, while you can
As horror author H.P. Lovecraft wrote, “The oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.”
Techniques to Make Writing Suspenseful :
1) Limit the Point of View
2) Choose the Right Setting and Imagery
3) Play with Style and Form
4) Use Dramatic Irony
5) The Cliffhanger
Oh, this is GOOOOOD!😊
Came for the writing tips, stayed for the incredible art design for the animation
Don't watch those "scary" videos if you don't want to sleep.
Play this instead, get inspired.
I assure you that sleepless nights will await you.
Fernanda Huscher yes.. And sometimes it makes you bang your head on the wall, suffering with writer's block, it makes you injure your hand, it makes you think of only the story and nothing else.. It's a good journey.😊😄
I'm not saying that writing is bad.. Everything has it's downs.. That's what makes it awesome.
XD
What video editor you use? I love your creativity! ❤
They have professional animators. They have their secrets.
A cliffhanger with very clear foreshadowing and subverted expectations is one of my favorite methods to use. With all surface sighs pointing to a red herring I can often reveal the true horror but have my audience make the same mistake as my characters and overlook them. It's difficult to pull off, to be sure, but ever so satisfying both for me and possibly the audience too when it works.
Outstanding! A visual, auditory, and informational delight.
Can we just appreciate this amazing animation?
pls no spooks
Did you mean SPOOP?
To bad you get the spook
Álvaro Lopes 3spoopy5me
[Stirner.jpeg]
sorry spook machine "broke", ur welcome
thank you for this!
i’m actually a newbie when it comes on writing stories, however, I’m really trying my best to deliver the scenes effectively.
I hope I can write the scenes perfectly like on how I imagine them.
:/
Kanata pfp????
I freaking LOVE this type of content. Teaching us with beautiful art and the narrator's voice is calming and understood clearly. Awesome job
I love the idea of dramatic irony, it increases the suspense in a totally different way and creates a sense of urgency and desire for the character to find out. It also can help to enhance focus on how the character reacts to the secret so that the reader/audience won't be distracted by their own reaction, giving them more satisfaction and attention to detail within the scene, so fascinating!!!
When I recently first learned what dramatic irony was, I knew I wanted to incorporate it into my first WIP which will be either a a romantic thriller or a romantic suspense. I haven’t decided which yet.
I appreciate reading your thoughts on this topic. You raise good points for consideration and now I’m even more intrigued at the prospect of using this device to great effect in my story.
At the risk of setting myself up for ridicule, I’ve decided to practice on a fan fiction because I’m a new writer still learning craft. I’ll take the reader feedback and the experience of completing a work and then move on to the wholly original project that I have “on deck” in my mind.
Anyway, dramatic irony seems somewhat inherent in fan fiction because of the fandom’s familiarity with the characters and the world.
However, I can see taking the concept and applying it to my fan fiction’s specific and original story - especially since I have created several original key characters to drop into the world to play with the existing fandom characters.
Thanks for this! You might enjoy knowing that I’ve incorporated your comment as a note for further consideration in my “gilded” Writing Process Compilation binder. 😂😂
Take care!
I am pretty sure this video will desire you to read books.
I hope this comment will desire you to learn grammar.
Least to write books
Fernanda - Desire is a verb, but OP used it wrong because the way they used it would signify that the video wants you to read books lol
*_the only reason im here is because of my English teacher._*
me too]
🙋🏽♂️
same
me too 🧍♀️
same
CAN WE PLEASE GET MORE SERIOUS MOVIES IN THIS ART STYLE? tell me I'm not alone on this, animation is criminally underrated and thought to only be for kids, but ted ed proves Time and time again how well it works in any genre and delivers way more information and visually stunning scenes.
Try reading Stephan King's on writing. It is super helpful when it comes to writing fiction/ science fiction/horror.
Agreed
I agree about the anticipation and fear of the unknown. Like in Stranger Things, when you don't see what's after Will it's way more scary, but when you do see it, it's way less scary.
I saw that stranger things reference at 4:00! I knew you couldn’t resist!
One of my favorite shows ended on the absolute biggest cliffhanger ever at the end of the third season. Then it went on a hiatus for three+ years. Then it got a reboot.
1:39 was like the adventure time intro
*That moment when you don't know a good joke*
Nico NL RIP
happy st patterson day
i know one:
what to you say to your sister if you hurt your toe?
mitosis
@@misan2002 why is that funny Xd
Ted-Ed: The one saving grace of fanfic writers everywhere.
That subtlety in the animation of Oedipus Rex's final scene - so wonderfully made!
Omg I love this video!!! I've been writing my entire life and I really want to improve and this video has been really helpful.
Whoever did the animation for this video is so talented
Please TED ED keep on making more videos on writing and writing tips!!!
Crisp and short, it is the best video I have seen so far, both in terms of content and visuals (animation). Great Job! I would love to see videos on in-depth suspense writing.
One of the bestest video I've ever watched on my taste. It helps me to write my own story for the assignment on Suspense-Thriller short story writing.
This video is amazing! It kept me intrigued! 👍
Thanks for the tips.
The "Don't use the omniscient POV" is something I have considered for years! I love a limited POV in writing a story. It helps me hide more clues and mysterious events. Or I will have two or more characters talking about an event, but each character will have a different view on it, or will remember certain parts of it differently to others, or will alter key parts especially if it paints them in a negative light. So the reader will have a harder time knowing which one to believe. The only way to find out is to look at the character themselves. What type of people are they? Which one is most likely to know/tell the honest truth?
The limited POV really makes writing much more fun, because thinks are less straight forward... I hope it makes my work much more fun to read...
I just LOVE mystery novels!
"Nice try Ted Ed" - George RR Martin
"You're a fantasy guy, you're not belong here George" - Ted Ed
there is no prohibition of suspense in fantasies :)
Okay!
“Bring it, George RR Martin”
-Kentaro Muira
No One your username should be "NO ONE EVER" so you should comment something and then it will be like "said NO ONE EVER"
The whole animation sequence sent chills. Especially the part where you reveal part of the truth but not to the characters. Just imagining a hunched creature walking around their house ready to strike at any moment 😱😱
It's almost going to be midnight, but I MUST watch Ted Ed!
I love these videos on writing!! Thank you Ted Ed!!
I love everything about this video, such lovely art and animation, and a great topic~
1:45 pretty sure i had a nightmare looking like this
This video is a piece of art. *Chef's kiss*
Just found this channel. Wow, it looks great! A love the visuals here and the tips sounds helpful. Exactly what I needed!
Animation and souns effects were extraordinary.
At 2:07 it's the teddy bear from breaking bad
Don't know about my writing but this video increased my heart beating 😱💓💣
Hello, Ted Ed! The video was so great and I loved it. Please make more videos on writing stories. Thanks.
What an amazing video. The effort on the production charmed me since the beginning
Idea: Write your novel in 1st person as a journal or diary. That way, the technique of “limited perspective” is enforced easily.
Devolution by Max Brooks
I’ve been doing very well with all other genres but suspense stories have always been hard for me. I feel like I want to try it now, thanks :)
Suspenseful animation is gold! I lost track of words losing myself in depth of animation and woah it's so so so amazing!
Favorite ted-ed video so far! Amazing
0:37
'HERE'S... JOHNNY!'
3:51 stranger things reference, I see you boo
The animations are so captivating! Amazing video!
I love such writing related videos!!
The real suspense is how someone can make such a good animation...
Step one: be Hitchcock
This is by far my favorite video plz do more storytelling videos and animations like this
The graphic was so pleasing to the eyes, I swear
I really like the animation
3:52 what films are refenced here? I know only Stranger Things
Аркадий Скайуокер
first image is Twin Peaks
Twin Peaks and Breaking Bad
Thx. I watched a Breaking Bad a long time ago, so don't remember this moment. No I do)
It is when Jesse is about to shoot Gale to prevent Gus from killing Walter
Hows Jesse ended up here, lol
I needed this so much!! Thanks!
This is beautiful.
The references are life.
The animation in this one is rather flattering!! 💞💞 I really enjoyed the visuals here!
'i got bills to pay' is actually the scariest sentence ever. no need blood or monsters😩
The animation is really awesome! Great job!
The animation is stunning!
"What makes a good horror story?"
Me- My life
XDXDXDXD
"The oldest and strongest kind of fear is the fear of the unknown"
Well that explains why I often get spooped with *The Unknown* on Over the Garden Wall...
I love this UA-cam channel sooo much. I hope someday they will post a thing about "one sided love dialogue tips" or magical realism
SUPERB!! So FUNDAMENTAL, YET SO LUCIDLY PUT,.THANKS FOR SAVING US A DECADE OF LEARNING TIME
OM MY GAWD TED-ED!!!!!!!!!! SO GOOD!!!
Yes
왜 갑자기
I was trying to learn on how to write smut... but this works too, I guess.
The animations in these videos are gold
Thank you so much, the things i learn from TED are very useful.
Thank you. Now I know how to right a good horror story. Hats off to you guys!
This is my favourite animation, I really felt like I watched an entire movie in a few minutes
This is by far one of the best TED Talks I've ever seen
My class loved it, thanks for the great information! Please, make more ELA videos!
I am in Thailand. I want to have subtitles in Thai because Chanel of Thailand rarely upload clips to UA-cam as often as Chanel. I want to have more knowledge than learning. Thailand Mostly soft English. I would like to be the one who brought this knowledge to Chanel to tell people and make friends. And people who want to learn new things to visit this Chanel. Thanks for the new knowledge. Help with comments. So I can give people in my country something new.
Yaaasss I agree with this so much! I'm from Thailand too so I also want them to know something new👌
If you want subtitle in your native language, you or someone else fluent in it have to volunteer at TED website as a translator. TED only allows translation through Amara editor, which you can sign up after TED accepts you. Even then though, you have to see if they have Thai editors on board or not. Their translation process is quite professional and thorough.
Cyanvia Ren WOW.
I’m english but I went to Thailand on holiday
0:37
Here johny !!!!!
Best animation I've seen in Ted Ed so far
Lots of good information with great animation. Nice voice, too. Thank you.
Great
Yes, make your writing as clichéd as possible by using settings that have been done to death. Gr8 tip there.
Gstrangeman96 it's how you do it though
Those cliches are the reasons why we have so many good films nowadays. And besides, you can still explore the cliches & do things like deconstruct or parody them.
Dude, as stephen king once said, the main idea of a story isn't supposed to be the main center. It is how you do it that matters. You can rely on all these techniques and still make a great, compelling best seller. These clichés are usuable because of how good they are. Theyare buidling blocks to good writing.
@@arbaaz9992 thanks, I needed to hear this
@@arbaaz9992 WEll Said Mate!
such stunning and artistic drawings😭😭
This is such a clean and well-done video dude.