Save the conclusion of this cliffhanger for the conclusion of the paper, if possible. Quotes, anecdotes that pull on the emotions and word pictures have great value here. Don't forget unusual facts. Instead, describe with the attention on pulling from experiences that would be generally familiar to most readers. These are just as necessary in expository writing.
Powerful Verbs Look for verbs that thrust the reader into the experience.
Use the simple past for most writing. The only exception is when writing about the contents of a story or novel. When describing any part of it, the story is written in the present tense. Eliminate most helping verbs and do not use the passive voice. Whenever possible, the reader should be thrust into the action.