Thriller Writing Tips: How to Create a Sense of Danger in Your Story

We all want to write a thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats, leaving them guessing until the end. This means we need the reader to feel like something terrible is about to happen, and that the stakes are high for the characters. This post discusses why this is so important and explores different techniques for building that sense of dread and urgency.

Let’s dive in!​

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Building Tension in Your Thriller Story

Tension is the feeling of uncertainty or anxiety. It’s the feeling you get when the character is all alone in a thriller story. There isn’t an absolute sense of safety. Even though all the sounds are in our heads when we’re reading, it feels like it is a little too quiet. It is an essential element in every thriller novel and the key is to build up to it, not simply drop the danger right on the reader.

With that said, here are a few techniques for building tension:

1. Foreshadowing: it’s a technique used by all genres of writers. Simply drop hints about what is going to happen later in the story. This creates a sense of anticipation and keeps the reader guessing. One way to do this is to establish a pattern with the threat like it only attacks when you’re alone, or when it’s dark, or when you’re out in the open.
   
   If a reader notices this, it would help establish that tension if a character finds themselves in those same circumstances.
   
   
   
2. Withhold Information: At the same time, you don’t want to give it all away. You want most of the threat’s details and methods to remain a mystery, which establishes a sense of uncertainty. It keeps the reader wondering what will happen next.
   
   
   
3. Using Descriptions to Create a Sense of Unease: Whether it is subtle or not, taking the time to use descriptive language and imagery to set the scene and establish odd details is a great way to make the reader feel like something is off or not quite right.
   
   Did I turn that light on?
   
   
   

It should also be said that the way tension is built is done a little differently over the three segments that make up the story.

In the beginning, you are aiming to establish a sense of unease. You do this by introducing an unsettling situation or a character with a mysterious past. There is a possibility of a threat, but there isn’t any evidence to suggest the threat is present. It is simply an uneasy situation.

In the middle, tension starts to build. The reader has gone from feeling uneasy to pure dread; something terrible is going to happen. You increase the sense of danger with more risky situations and possibly new characters the main character and reader are unfamiliar with.

Finally, the ending segment, where the tension is at its peak. It’s normally at this point in the story that a little more is learned about the threat and there is a final confrontation or a twist ending.
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Creating Stakes for Your Characters

The stakes in your story are the consequences of a character’s actions and decisions. These are the reasons why the reader should care about what happens to the characters. Stakes create a sense of urgency if there is a time constraint.

For example, they are being pursued by a threat and they reach a fork in the road. One way leads away from the character’s friends and the other path leads toward them. Should the character lead the threat away and attempt to fight or lose the threat on their own? Or should the character run towards the friends and put them at risk as well?

1. Make the stakes personal to the character in question.
2. As the story progresses, the stakes should become higher and higher. More danger, more chances to lose.
3. Make the stakes believable. Sometimes, all the choices the character has are losing choices. That means they need to choose what matters to them most.

Now, if you’re still unsure of what stakes to establish in your story, here is a simplified list for you to pick and choose which best fits your story.

• Your character’s life is in danger. The threat in your story has made your protagonist their primary target.
• Your character’s loved one is in danger. It could be your protagonist’s friend, their spouse, or a member of their family.
• Your character is trying to survive in a tense moment. Your character finds themselves in a life-or-death situation, such as trying to escape a car crash or survive in a forest and return to civilization.
• Your character is trying to prevent a disaster from happening. Perhaps your antagonist is planning a larger attack where multiple people are in danger.
• Your character has been falsely accused of something, so they are fighting to clear their name before they are caught, thrown in jail, or worse.

Another important factor in establishing these stakes is to make them high and personal to the reader, and you do this by making them clear and relatable. It’s a fantastic way to get the reader invested in the story.

Developing that Danger

Now, we have the reader feeling a sense of danger, but we haven’t talked about developing that danger into something a bit more tangible and threatening. Yes, a sense of danger is important, but there is only so far you can carry that before the reader starts losing that feeling.

The long dark hallway is terrifying to walk down a few times, after that the imposing feeling starts to dwindle and it becomes an average hallway. It’s at this point you need to start developing that danger, otherwise, the concept of danger loses its impact and all that build-up is lost.

Here are 3 techniques for making the threat more real:

1. Remind the reader about the threat whenever you feel it’s been too long since the threat was present. You can do this with hints, evidence of their presence, or a close encounter.
   
   
   
2. Make the threat more credible. If it isn’t believable or relevant to the story, the reader will have a tough time staying engaged. The most gripping thrillers are the ones that feel the most real.
   
   
   
3. Give the reader a breather now and then. Unless you want your story to be a rush of suspense and thrills from beginning to end, you will give the character a moment to ‘catch their breath’. In these moments, the character thinks about what has happened so far. No threat is omnipotent or ever-present, which makes these moments realistic.

The most important aspects of any story should be developed as the story progresses. The reader learns more about the characters, the world space, and the threat. If it feels like a balancing act, that’s because it is. You can only build suspense as far as the reader is willing to go, because everything grows tiresome if there isn’t a sense of change or progress.
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My Thoughts

Of the hundreds of stories I have written, many of them were thrillers. I even started a series of thriller books, Dread, which was a collection of thriller short stories. After years of working with genre and teaching it, the primary element that concerns me, and my students, is that creeping feeling.

I have found that cliche scenes always work.

A reader will always feel tense when the protagonist finds themself all alone and there is danger in the darkness. Whether they are wandering through an unfamiliar place, a forest, or their own home. When given a sense of danger and barely any hints as to what the threat is, the reader’s imagination kicks into overdrive, while the protagonist’s mind is in fight-or-flight mode.

Danger and urgency, a wonderful combination to keep the reader invested and turning pages. I hope you found these tips helpful! If you are experienced with the thriller genre, be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below. What advice would you give to establish that tension in one’s story?

Thank you for reading and as always,

Good day, goodnight, and happy writing!
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