In good fiction and in good mystery fiction particularly, the conflict must grow . This process is easily understood by young students, as this is how they have been learning so many of their skills up to this point. When the time comes to introduce students to the writing process, the newspaper can be an excellent starting point. He adds that plot alone will not make the reader care, characters and suspense are needed. He calls the important words, intention and anticipation , the positive openings to the rise of suspense in the reader s mind.
Time is a powerful tool in the producing of suspense.
It helps build up to the climax of the story and is a device used in many stories to heighten the suspense. Sequencing is another important factor in the building of suspense. It helps to walk the student through a recapping of the story s time elements to see just when events occurred. You can guide the reader to see the building of the story, realize how the pace adds to the excitement and recognize how the author pulled him along to make him keep turning the page to read more. This, Stern feels, is the essence .