J13-WHAT IS SUSPENSE?

SUSPENSE IS•a state or condition of mental uncertainty or excitement, as in awaiting a decision or outcome, usually accompanied by a degree of fear or anxiety.

• The writer/creator delays the outcome of a situation, so that the audience asks, "What's going to happen next?"

LET'S VIEW A SCENE. MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE WAYS THE WRITER/DIRECTOR OF THE SCENE

BUILDS SUSPENSE.

NOW IT'S YOUR TURN TO CREATE

J14-USING SENTENCE VARIETY TO CREATE

THE PERIODIC SENTENCE: In this sentence, additional details are placed before the basic statement. Delay, of course, is the secret

weapon of the periodic sentence.

•Basic Statement: Dale’s eyes froze as a herd of zombies walked towards them.

•Periodic sentence: Through his binoculars, scanning the highway, the span of bumper-to-bumper cars banged up and pillaged, Dale’s eyes froze as a herd of zombies walked towards them.

•Your Turn: create your own periodic sentence by adding a series of phrases (at least ten words) before the basic statement:

•_____________________________, it was clear that the man was dead.

THE INTERRUPTIVE: In this sentence, additional details are added inside the basic statement:

• Basic statement: T-Dog caught the eye of a zombie closing in on him.

• Interruptive Sentence: T-Dog, motionless and half-crouched with his punctured arm spewing out blood like a fountain, caught the eye of a zombie closing in on him.

• Your Turn: create your own periodic sentence by adding a phrase (at least ten words) inside the basic statement:

• The girl, ____________________, screamed with terror.

THE LOOSE SENTENCE: In this sentence, additional details are placed after the basic statement.

• Basic Statement: They tried to stay quiet.

• Loose Sentence: They tried to stay quiet, seeking refuge underneath the cars, covering their mouths to bottle up their screams, watching the dozens of feet drag on the asphalt inches away from their faces..

• Your Turn: create your own periodic sentence by adding a phrase (at least ten words) after the basic statement:

• The zombie walked the streets, ____________________________________.

• Your Turn: create your own sentence using all three styles: sentence by adding a phrase (at least ten words) before, inside, and after the basic statement:

• Basic Statement: She tried to stay still.

• Example: As hundreds of limping zombie feet passed by the car which Sophia had sought shelter underneath, she tried, with panic on her mind, sweat dripping off her forehead, and the urge to scream in her gut, to stay still, despite the fear of being alone while her mother was staring at her with fearful eyes.

• _____________________________, the child, ____________________, cried__________________________.

PARAGRAPH WITHOUT PERIODIC, INTERRUPTIVE, AND LOOSE SENTENCES:

• He lifted boards of wood from the rubble.

• His feet were missing a fifth toe.

• He tried to stand up on his feet

HOMEWORK: PARAGRAPH WITH PERIODIC, INTERRUPTIVE, AND LOOSE SENTENCES:

• Unable to see through the thick smoke permeating the barn, he grabbed a plank of wood from the nearby rubble.

• He tried to rise to his feet, putting all his weight on the plank of wood like a cane. on his elbowagainst the pile of corpses.

• But he discovered that one of his feet, stained with blood and punctured with shrapnel, was missing a fifth toe.