Word Referents
One powerful way to build suspense in writing is by using word referents—hinting at something without naming it right away. Instead of telling the reader exactly what something is, writers use mysterious or descriptive words to create tension and intrigue. A creature might be a shadow lurking in the trees before it becomes a wolf. A hidden object could be a smooth, cold shape resting in my palm before it’s revealed as a key. By holding back details and letting the reader’s imagination fill in the blanks, word referents make stories more gripping, keeping the audience guessing and eager to turn the page!
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Look at the image. Write a paragraph that gives clues and hints to the reader, before revealing that it is a wolf.
Example
I stopped dead in my tracks. Running into this beast is any hiker’s worst nightmare. Where there’s one, there is bound to be more. Visions of being surrounded by gaping jaws full of fangs waiting to tear me to pieces raced through my mind. Until this moment my only experience with this canine menace was listening to their bloodcurdling howls in the night. Never in my life did I think I would be face to face with the forest’s most cunning and ferocious predator – The Wolf. |
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Look at the image. Write a paragraph that gives clues and hints to the reader, before revealing that it is a bomb.
Example
The contraption sat in the center of the room, wires snaking out from its sides like tangled vines. A small red light blinked steadily behind an old fashioned analog clock. The soft tick… tick… tick… echoed in my ears, each second passing too quickly. I turn on the light and could now see the horror that faced me. My hands trembled, it was a bomb, and it was up to me to defuse it. |
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