starryeyedturtle asks: How do you write jumpscares in books? Is it possible to replicate the shock factor you get from jumpscares in movies, and put that into literature? I mean how do you write a character suddenly getting scared and not make it seem too... 'meh'? As in if someone suddenly jumped out and frightened them, how would you kind of write that?
I understand what you mean. Movies have the advantage of being visually and aurally startling, but books rely on a user's imagination. I've seen some books try to achieve this with uppercase words like CRASH! (James Patterson does this.) But in my opinion it's kind of lame, partly because the word stands out so much that I see it before I even get to that part of the page.
In my opinion, the best we can do is to lull the reader into believing things are fine, and then suddenly switch to something unexpected happening. Adding in some tension would be good too. For example, maybe the character can be deep in some troubling thoughts when suddenly something interrupts that thought in a big way. Maybe something like this:
Jane studied until she realized she was reading the same paragraph over and over. She rubbed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. It was hard to concentrate when all she could think about was that strange woman's ominous prediction. What did she mean when she said death lurked at midnight?
Jane glanced nervously at the clock. Three minutes until midnight.
The woman couldn't possibly have meant Jane's death, right? Jane got up to make sure her window was locked, then sat down again.
Two minutes left.
This was silly. No one can predict when death comes. Unless they were a murderer.
Jane's spine straightened. That old woman wasn't a murderer, was she? Jane began rerunning the entire day in her head, searching for clues to help her figure this out.
She came up empty.
Jane glanced at the clock again. 12:03.
Huh. Must have been a crazy old lady after all.
Jane stood and reached for the light switch.
A deafening blast of sound staggered her, and she blinked against the force. What the-- Shards of glass from the exploding window sliced at her arms and face. Jane stumbled backward, bleeding arms flailing for something to hold onto.
---
The blast is unexpected, and the reader will be surprised it happened, but there's no way to actually make the reader jump because there are no tactile sensations to react to. Unless you have one heck of a popup book. XD
YOU ARE READING
How to Write Stories People Will Love
Non-FictionIf you're a writer struggling to improve your craft, this book can help. It breaks down the basics of a good story and good writing. It'll also provide a few tips on how to stay motivated. There's no magical formula for instantly likable stories, bu...
