A Spirited Guide to Writing Your Own Suspense Novel
Turn your ‘what if’ into heart-racing fiction
Unearth the craft of suspense with a short, action-focused manual that moves you from idea to heartbeat-faster draft. Practical templates, scene-building tools, and market-minded advice remove the overwhelm and put you in the writer’s chair—ready to create tension that sells.
What Others are Saying
Master Tension, Plot
and Pitch
Penning Pulse-Pounders hands you the exact techniques to build and sustain suspense: peril, ticking clocks, escalating stakes, and scene-level tension that keeps readers flipping pages. Inside, you’ll find clear plotting beats, character-driven danger, and accessible screenwriting tools—loglines, set pieces, and pivot points—retooled for novelists to deliver relentless momentum.This is a short, focused guide from an experienced suspense novelist that favors action over theory. Plug-and-play tools—quizzes, bracketing exercises, a plotting checklist, and a clean scene/midpoint/climax architecture—make it perfect for aspiring and intermediate writers, writing students, and indie authors who want craft that’s both thrilling and market-ready.Turn your ‘what if’ into a finished, unputdownable thriller that readers devour.
Write Suspense That Makes Readers Hold Their Breath
Penning Pulse-Pounders: A spirited, practice-first guide to crafting suspense novels that sell — for new and experienced writers alike.
Penning Pulse-Pounders strips suspense writing down to what actually moves readers: mounting stakes, precise scene work, and a plot that refuses to let go. Pauline Baird Jones walks you through the nuts and bolts of building tension, developing unforgettable characters, and pacing revelations so your pages race toward a payoff that satisfies. Each chapter pairs lively advice with concrete exercises so you’ll be writing — not just consuming theory — from page one.
Whether you’re experimenting with your first thriller or pivoting into suspense from another genre, this book is written with the practical, market-aware approach agents and editors appreciate. Pauline covers everything from opening hooks and misdirection to emotional stakes and market positioning, helping you shape stories that both capture readers and stand out in a crowded shelf. If you want a concise, energetic guide that gets you writing and selling suspense faster, this is your playbook.
Write Your First Pulse-Pounder
Today
Claim the focused toolkit and start drafting scenes that grip from page one—no overwhelm, just momentum.
Pauline Baird Jones is a writer, editor, and creative writing teacher who helps fiction writers sharpen voice and structure. With years of experience mentoring emerging authors and a passion for tightly wound plots, Pauline blends craft expertise with actionable exercises that move manuscripts forward.