Thursday 16 December 2010

Description of suspense


Suspense is used to provide thrills, uncertainty and anticipation, to keep the audience cliff-hanging at the 'edge of their seats' as the plot builds towards a climax.  It uses uncertainty and anticipation to play with the audience's emotions.

Definition of Suspense

The meaning/term of suspense; specifically, a state of uncertainty and expectation, with anxiety or apprehension; indecision, for example the suspense of a person waiting for the verdict of a jury. This feeling can be seen as a form of excitied anticipation of an approaching climax; something that keeps the audience on their feet, guessing whats going to happen next.

suspense can be described as a cliff-hanging: (of a situation) characterized by or causing suspense.
The anxious anticipation of a reader as to the outcome of a story, especially concerning the character or audience with whom sympathetic attachments are formed. Suspense helps to secure and sustain the interest of the reader or audience.