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
Most important advice I can give to other horror writers. Horror is evoked from vulnerability. So picture what would make you feel vulnerable or disturbed. A few simple Examples: - Starring down the steps of an unlit basement and hearing whispers, voices, groaning, or a growl when no one should be there. - Walking through an unfamiliar forest as a wall of fog rolls in, and your guide is now missing. The only evidence is a trail of blood behind you. - Etc. None of which requires you to show the monster, the reader need only know it is nearby.
I don’t know if this is just me, but haunted houses and nighttime horrors sound very stereotypical to me. I like horror where you see a innocent looking place/thing and then BAM! It hits you with horror and the unexpected!
Im actually in the process of working on a story, it's not a horror, but a gory fantasy/dieselpunk. One of the main characters "Fleo" won't take her glove off her left hand, no matter the circumstances. I hope the reader will be curious as to why, even though I won't mention it often.
This technique is nice. But it has one major flaw. The end can never be satisfying or enough cause its can't fulfill our expectations. Take for example most major novels and long stories. (Of course there are always exceptions but they are really hard to pull off)
This was really helpful, I’m trying to write a horror/murder mystery book, but I’ve been having a lot of trouble getting started. Anyone have any tips?
Here's a scary story guys. One night Anny woke up from her sleep. She was hungry so she rain downstairs to get some food. Anny walked slowly towards the fridge and... *Opens the fridge* *SCREAMS* AHAAAAAAAAAA. Anny has realized the fridge was *EMPTY* THE END...
How to make your 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
"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"
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
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
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
@@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.
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!"
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.😊😄
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
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. :/
I am in Thailand. I want to have subtitles in Thai because Chanel of Thailand rarely upload clips to RUclips 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.
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.
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.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:08 🕵️ Suspense in writing is about leaving the audience in anticipation of unknown horrors. 01:02 📚 Limiting the point of view and carefully choosing settings and imagery enhances suspense. 02:24 🎭 Playing with style, form, and dramatic irony adds depth to suspenseful storytelling. 03:23💡 Revealing key information to the audience, but not to the characters, creates dramatic irony and heightens suspense. 03:50 🧗♀️ Using cliffhangers sparingly can effectively build suspense and anticipation for what comes next. Made with HARPA AI
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!
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.
"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*
The animation is just WOW.
professor phillips go for it dude.
Yeah.
Only 2 replies??
Amen
I know right?
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
Thanks for the steps
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
What video editor you use? I love your creativity! ❤
They have professional animators. They have their secrets.
"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"
0:15 spider sense sound effect!
Most important advice I can give to other horror writers.
Horror is evoked from vulnerability.
So picture what would make you feel vulnerable or disturbed.
A few simple Examples:
- Starring down the steps of an unlit basement and hearing whispers, voices, groaning, or a growl when no one should be there.
- Walking through an unfamiliar forest as a wall of fog rolls in, and your guide is now missing. The only evidence is a trail of blood behind you.
- Etc.
None of which requires you to show the monster, the reader need only know it is nearby.
I don’t know if this is just me, but haunted houses and nighttime horrors sound very stereotypical to me. I like horror where you see a innocent looking place/thing and then BAM! It hits you with horror and the unexpected!
Im actually in the process of working on a story, it's not a horror, but a gory fantasy/dieselpunk. One of the main characters "Fleo" won't take her glove off her left hand, no matter the circumstances. I hope the reader will be curious as to why, even though I won't mention it often.
She is a witch ?
Or she has scars and is an asylum escapee ?
is she thanos ?
This helped so much. I want to be a writer so i am looking at different genres, to see what is my style.
such stunning and artistic drawings😭😭
Impressive video, I have watched it 100 times.
i love the animation here. reminds me of my kzone magazines when i was a kid
I have to say, this is my favorite video from TED-Ed because of the animation
Well done Silvia prietov your animation is on point!
I loved the animation. Brilliant.
This was awesome! And perfect timing as well because a friend and I just challenged each other to write a segment from a horror novel :D
3:51 out of context, but there's Eleven frm Stranger Things hehe
One of the best episode's and the animation was next level.
This technique is nice. But it has one major flaw. The end can never be satisfying or enough cause its can't fulfill our expectations. Take for example most major novels and long stories.
(Of course there are always exceptions but they are really hard to pull off)
This was a beautiful video guys !!
Just found this channel. Wow, it looks great! A love the visuals here and the tips sounds helpful. Exactly what I needed!
I liked the Psycho scene at the end.
literally, chills~~
02:05 Teddy bear from breaking bad lol.
Learning how to do what has already been done.
The animation is really awesome! Great job!
Really great video, thanks
This helped a LOT thank you so much :3 btw I love his voice 😊
that dog a g, he was ready to back his homies up immediately with no fear 💯
Anyone else here because of the coronavirus and the teacher has sent you online homework because the schools got shut down?
I should write a horror story, haven't made any in more than a year. Thank you for the tips and the motivation
This was amazing!
This was good. It is very succinct. I like it.
I written more than 5 stories but now i want to wrote jorror story .
Thanks bro.
Sorry horror
nice animation. love it
anybody else get a simply piano ad while they were in the middle of talking about cliffhangers
This was really helpful, I’m trying to write a horror/murder mystery book, but I’ve been having a lot of trouble getting started. Anyone have any tips?
Happy Halloween!!!!!!
Love the vid, but im a bit disappointed that they didnt mention Agatha Christine.
It's Christie
Love this.
This is amazing! It helped me so much! I definitely recommend it if you like writing stories!
I love the animation
Tbh the animation is kinda calm
Me: how to write a good story
RUclips: i bet this one will help😈
"will the couple get together?" is (and I cannot stress this enough) NEVER a suspenseful question
Have you read the Allegiant?
The animation is 😍😍😍
These animations are lovely and really well done! I love that! :o
love this
Omg thank you so much I need to use this for school 😂
The writers from The passenger should have seen this
Here's a scary story guys.
One night Anny woke up from her sleep. She was hungry so she rain downstairs to get some food. Anny walked slowly towards the fridge and... *Opens the fridge* *SCREAMS* AHAAAAAAAAAA. Anny has realized the fridge was *EMPTY*
THE END...
loool nice one
Because the night is dark and full of terrors
How to make your 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
"Fear of the unknown" is the absolute worst. I am reading Bird Box. It's really good, btw. I'm just too afraid to continue.
Animation is too good
Nicely stated. Someone needs to show this to most of them creepypasta writers. Geeze.
Wow. thanks
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😂😂👏
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.
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
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)
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
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 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
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 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.
Holy mother of god the animation is so beautiful.
*God
Holy goat
Obr Kenobi ikr!
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 😂
pls no spooks
Did you mean SPOOP?
To bad you get the spook
Álvaro Lopes 3spoopy5me
[Stirner.jpeg]
sorry spook machine "broke", ur welcome
*_the only reason im here is because of my English teacher._*
me too]
🙋🏽♂️
same
me too 🧍♀️
same
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
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😊
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
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.
*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
Step one: be Hitchcock
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
Oh, this is GOOOOOD!😊
Outstanding! A visual, auditory, and informational delight.
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
Try reading Stephan King's on writing. It is super helpful when it comes to writing fiction/ science fiction/horror.
Agreed
Came for the writing tips, stayed for the incredible art design for the animation
Can we just appreciate this amazing animation?
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
Who else feels like writing a horror story now?!
Please stop with the emojis
@@sylveonthefairymaster8314 Whats wrong with emojis?
@@Tijaayy They're just annoying to me I guess
@@sylveonthefairymaster8314 then you don't use them but let her do her thing, she can do whatever she wants :)
@@hirpatel2727I know-
I am in Thailand. I want to have subtitles in Thai because Chanel of Thailand rarely upload clips to RUclips 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
2:55
Miraculous fandom:- ya we all know it's been since the beginning 🤡✨👁️👄👁️
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.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:08 🕵️ Suspense in writing is about leaving the audience in anticipation of unknown horrors.
01:02 📚 Limiting the point of view and carefully choosing settings and imagery enhances suspense.
02:24 🎭 Playing with style, form, and dramatic irony adds depth to suspenseful storytelling.
03:23💡 Revealing key information to the audience, but not to the characters, creates dramatic irony and heightens suspense.
03:50 🧗♀️ Using cliffhangers sparingly can effectively build suspense and anticipation for what comes next.
Made with HARPA AI
At 2:07 it's the teddy bear from breaking bad
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!
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
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.
1:39 was like the adventure time intro
Don't know about my writing but this video increased my heart beating 😱💓💣
2:31. What's that music? So creepy. Feels like I've heard it somewhere. Anybody knows?
STRANGER THINGS AT 3:51
Whalesthatshopat Starbuck, I was about to say that!