---
product_id: 26930701
title: "Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot: How to Write Gripping Stories That Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats"
price: "₹ 3282"
currency: INR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.in/products/26930701-mastering-suspense-structure-and-plot-how-to-write-gripping-stories
store_origin: IN
region: India
---

# Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot: How to Write Gripping Stories That Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats

**Price:** ₹ 3282
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

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- **What is this?** Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot: How to Write Gripping Stories That Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats
- **How much does it cost?** ₹ 3282 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.in](https://www.desertcart.in/products/26930701-mastering-suspense-structure-and-plot-how-to-write-gripping-stories)

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## Description

Using case studies, exercises, and dozens of examples from best-selling authors, learn how to write compelling stories that leave your readers wanting more. Suspense is one of the most powerful tools a writer has for captivating readers – but it isn't just for thrillers. From mainstream fiction to memoir, suspense creates the emotional tension that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Mastering Suspense, Structure, & Plot is your hands-on guide to weaving suspense into your narrative. Award-winning author Jane K. Cleland teaches you how to navigate genre conventions, write for your audience, and build gripping tension to craft an irresistible page-turner. Inside, Cleland will teach you how to: • Implement thirteen no-fail techniques to construct an effective plot and structure for your story • Use Cleland's Plotting Road Map to add elements of suspense like twists, reversals, and moments of danger • Write subplots with purpose • Improve your descriptions, character development, sentence structure, and more "Indispensable! For newbie authors and veterans alike, this terrific how-to is your new go-to. Don't write your book without it – it's a treasure." – Hank Phillippi Ryan , Agatha, Anthony, Macavity and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author

Review: Excellent information for ALL writers--regardless of genre or experience - Make your writing compelling! Excellent book, excellent information for all writers, regardless of genre or experience. Solid explanations and illustrations of what makes writing compelling--what elements capture and KEEP readers' attention, and keep them turning the pages, as well as how to structure a story that carries the reader (and multiple plot lines) from page to page. The author explains strategies and easy-to-follow methods for weaving compelling elements together, suggesting structures that make the story and plot stronger. Like many, I have a shelf full of writing books--most of which I thought I HAD to have, and then read only the first few pages of before skimming the rest (maybe) and setting aside. I started reading this book, stopped, got up and got a highlighter, started reading again, stopped again, went and got a pen and a notebook, and then read cover-to cover, marking and taking notes. The author explains suspense, structure, and plot--all things I thought I understood--in a way that made me see and understand them (and be able to USE them) in a new light. I'm using that new understanding to craft a stronger story. I highly recommend this book to all writers, and am sure I'll be referring to it again and again. (I just bought some colored flags to mark particularly important sections, so that I can find them easily, and refer to them as I go.) (ps--I did find some of the examples a little odd, and one reference early on that I couldn't make heads or tails of, but that's really a minor wobble.)
Review: I feel a little bit like Darth Vader in that duel - Every time I think of Jane Cleland’s book, “Mastering Suspense,” I envision the famous showdown between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan during Star Wars: A New Hope. It’s a legendary scene of dark vs. light; student vs. teacher. Upon seeing Obi-Wan for the first time in decades, Vader says: “I’ve been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master.” After reading this book, I feel a little bit like Darth Vader in that duel. Well-taught, empowered, and confident. But hopefully with a little less arrogance and a happier ending in store. I’ve had the pleasure of personally learning under Jane’s mentorship at my MFA program, an experience I esteem highly and cherish greatly. This book is a bit like that: a personal mentorship. Here, Jane has divulged actionable methods for creating better works of writing. This isn’t a book just for mystery writers. She wrote with a wide audience in mind. Whether you’re a memoirist, a historian, or a novelist, you’ll see suspense in a new light. Even better, Jane has provided a masterful process by which you can incorporate suspense into your writing. My favorite sections included exercises you can employ to deepen your knowledge (of characters), expand your settings (and use them to create suspense), and explore nuances regarding betrayal and confusion. Like Alfred Hitchcock once said, surprise is cheap—anyone can do it—but suspense? Suspense is what keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #121,229 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #6 in Mystery Writing Reference #108 in Fiction Writing Reference (Books) #129 in Authorship Reference |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 497 Reviews |

## Images

![Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot: How to Write Gripping Stories That Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71f-KWi4GNL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent information for ALL writers--regardless of genre or experience
*by C***K on October 9, 2018*

Make your writing compelling! Excellent book, excellent information for all writers, regardless of genre or experience. Solid explanations and illustrations of what makes writing compelling--what elements capture and KEEP readers' attention, and keep them turning the pages, as well as how to structure a story that carries the reader (and multiple plot lines) from page to page. The author explains strategies and easy-to-follow methods for weaving compelling elements together, suggesting structures that make the story and plot stronger. Like many, I have a shelf full of writing books--most of which I thought I HAD to have, and then read only the first few pages of before skimming the rest (maybe) and setting aside. I started reading this book, stopped, got up and got a highlighter, started reading again, stopped again, went and got a pen and a notebook, and then read cover-to cover, marking and taking notes. The author explains suspense, structure, and plot--all things I thought I understood--in a way that made me see and understand them (and be able to USE them) in a new light. I'm using that new understanding to craft a stronger story. I highly recommend this book to all writers, and am sure I'll be referring to it again and again. (I just bought some colored flags to mark particularly important sections, so that I can find them easily, and refer to them as I go.) (ps--I did find some of the examples a little odd, and one reference early on that I couldn't make heads or tails of, but that's really a minor wobble.)

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I feel a little bit like Darth Vader in that duel
*by J***L on April 20, 2016*

Every time I think of Jane Cleland’s book, “Mastering Suspense,” I envision the famous showdown between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan during Star Wars: A New Hope. It’s a legendary scene of dark vs. light; student vs. teacher. Upon seeing Obi-Wan for the first time in decades, Vader says: “I’ve been waiting for you, Obi-Wan. We meet again, at last. The circle is now complete. When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master.” After reading this book, I feel a little bit like Darth Vader in that duel. Well-taught, empowered, and confident. But hopefully with a little less arrogance and a happier ending in store. I’ve had the pleasure of personally learning under Jane’s mentorship at my MFA program, an experience I esteem highly and cherish greatly. This book is a bit like that: a personal mentorship. Here, Jane has divulged actionable methods for creating better works of writing. This isn’t a book just for mystery writers. She wrote with a wide audience in mind. Whether you’re a memoirist, a historian, or a novelist, you’ll see suspense in a new light. Even better, Jane has provided a masterful process by which you can incorporate suspense into your writing. My favorite sections included exercises you can employ to deepen your knowledge (of characters), expand your settings (and use them to create suspense), and explore nuances regarding betrayal and confusion. Like Alfred Hitchcock once said, surprise is cheap—anyone can do it—but suspense? Suspense is what keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Accessible to new authors, still helpful to experienced authors
*by J***E on June 25, 2018*

To continue preparing to write the next book in my series, I chose a craft book dedicated to plot structure with an emphasis on suspense and twists. Rather than being targeted to one genre, the book ensures that all of the writing advice can be applied to any genre, from political thrillers to nonfiction memoirs. Cleland doesn't just "lecture" about the proper way to do things. The book includes activities, case studies, and suggestions for ways to create a tight story from character development and plot structure down to the individual sentence level. This book is accessible to new authors while still being helpful to those who are more experienced, with multiple projects under their belts. I look forward to using some of the recommended exercises and suggestions to craft my next story.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot: How to Write Gripping Stories That Keep Readers on the Edge of Their Seats
- Mastering Plot Twists: How to Use Suspense, Targeted Storytelling Strategies, and Structure to Captivate Your Readers
- How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America

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*Product available on Desertcart India*
*Store origin: IN*
*Last updated: 2026-05-22*