What Happens Next? Writing Suspense Fiction

Why do some stories keep us turning pages late into the night? The answer is suspense—the essential ingredient that hooks readers, raises the stakes, and makes them care deeply about what happens next. In this class, we’ll explore techniques to build tension and experiment with ways to make your writing truly un-put-downable.

Bio:Jennifer Fawcett is the author of psychological thrillers Beneath the Stairs (2025) and Keep This for Me, both published by Atria. Before writing books, she was an award-winning playwright and co-founder of the theater company, Working Group. She is a writing instructor at SUNY.