My #Sustember answer -

My heart is so loud that I swear my stalker can hear it beating in the cold October night.

snap

The twig snaps three feet away. "Where the fuck did he go?"

I cover my mouth. Please, I think. Please go away. A hand grabs my shoulder.

#Sustember | Day 11

Flash fiction time!

How would you tackle this? Let's play! 👀

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For the short story I'm working on, it's a combination of atmosphere and interiority. The MC is already under the impression that something bad has happened in the town she's come to, and that shapes how she perceives everything.

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Suspense progression of WIP 2: Is Maddie gonna be OK 🥺 > Where are the monsters coming from? 🤔 > Can the monsters even be stopped? 😰 > OHFUCKOHFUCKOHFUCK Get me off Mr. Bones's Wild Ride D:

The war. Going after the Grim Reaper. The heist. Trying to sneak in and save a prisoner.

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#Sustember.

The sounds. Or feels.

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Horror.

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When things get unknown or serious.

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#Sustember.

I think I'm pretty good at it. I don't struggle too much.

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I'm a bit of a planner and pantser.

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I typically use slow building tension.

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I'm Joharra Harper. My main WIP is Skeleton Rebellion. Book 2 in Tales of the Grim Reaper.

Suspense is a lot of fun to use.

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#Sustember.

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The sheer danger the characters are in.

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That would be the 'pirate dragon queen coming to burn everything to the ground'. ^^

Oh, and the serial killer. That's a problem too.

I wanted an 'active' murder mystery. This is a race between Inquisitor Reese, Saint Sapphire and Hurricane Myr- and it's not over until the final scene

For No Sky Like Midnight, the premise of "ppl being hunted & not knowing why" lends itself to suspense. Tension builds as the MCs unravel clue upon clue as to why they're being targeted.

Also? An inexorable monster helps.

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My current WIP's suspense is limited to "how/when will this MC snog that one?"
BUT
the WIP I'll return to, StS, is putting the MC in unprecedented control over her own life and the external plot. How will she handle each one?
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I think for "Muertos" it's going to be a few layers of mystery.

A setting mystery - What is the point of all these underworlds?

A personal mystery - Why does Mick remember nothing about his life?

A plot mystery - Why did "Petunia" say Mick killed her?

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Catching up on #Sustember since I missed yesterday!

I write my chars w/attachments to specific sensory details, so I can upend those details later. Like a warm scent turned bitter.

Also, punctuation to evoke breathlessness or overlapping thoughts.

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For the Resist series:

Beyond character internal turmoil, I plant seeds like crazy. I want readers to wonder and theorize, be creeped out, and, at times, horrified.

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