Guest Column by Jennifer Moorman

Jennifer Moorman loves all things magical and whimsical. She finds magic in everyday experiences and incorporates it into her novels, such as The Bakers Man and The Magic All Around. Chocolate and adventure lover, Moorman brings a feeling of wonder to all her work but is also known for her careful and intricate storytelling that spans genres. Raised in southern Georgia, Moorman now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, always on the lookout for rainbows, unicorns, and her next inspiring experience.

Suspense is the heartbeat of a good thriller. It’s that knot in your stomach, the anticipation that keeps you turning the page, desperate to know what happens next. When you add time-bending elements like time travel or shifts between past and present, the tension can become even more intense, as the stakes rise with every tick of the clock. But how do you build this kind of suspense effectively in your writing? In this article, we’ll explore techniques to craft edge-of-your-seat moments and look at how time travel can be used as a powerful narrative device to add emotional depth and intrigue. Let’s dive into how you can build a story that keeps your readers hooked until the very end.

Raise the Stakes with Uncertainty of Survival: The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

One of the most effective ways to build suspense is by making your characters’ survival uncertain. In The Time Traveler’s Wife, Henry’s time travel is unpredictable—he has no control over when or where he will be thrown in time, and he often finds himself in dangerous situations without the resources to protect himself.

This unpredictability creates constant tension. Readers know that Henry’s time jumps come with risks, but they never know when something catastrophic will happen. His relationship with Clare is also built on fragile moments, where each reunion could be their last. The suspense doesn’t just come from Henry’s dangerous jumps; it also comes from the emotional stakes of their love, knowing time may rip them apart at any moment.

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Tip: Introduce elements of unpredictability to heighten suspense. When characters face uncertain fates, readers are more invested in every decision they make. Allow time or circumstances to work against your characters in unpredictable ways, leaving readers on edge about what might happen next.

Build Suspense Through a Ticking Clock: Kindred by Octavia Butler

A ticking clock can intensify suspense, especially when time travel is involved. In Kindred, Dana, a Black woman in the twentieth century, is inexplicably transported back to the antebellum South. Each time she is pulled into the past, she risks being trapped there, facing extreme danger as a modern woman in a time of slavery.

The urgency of Dana’s situation creates constant tension. She never knows when she’ll be sent back to the 1800s or how long she’ll have to survive in a dangerous and oppressive environment. Each trip feels like a countdown, making every moment fraught with danger as she tries to save both herself and her ancestors.

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Tip: Use time as a ticking clock in your story to create a sense of urgency. Whether your protagonist is racing to change history or to escape danger, the looming threat of running out of time will keep readers on the edge of their seats. Introduce time limits or countdowns that push characters into action, heightening the stakes.

Keep the Reader Guessing with Shifting Realities: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

Suspense thrives when readers can’t predict what’s going to happen next, and one way to achieve this is by playing with shifting realities. In Dark Matter, Jason Dessen is pulled into an alternate reality, where everything is familiar yet terrifyingly different. He is forced to navigate a multiverse where each decision splinters into an alternate version of his life, and his mission is to return to the “real” world and reclaim his life.

The suspense lies in Jason’s constant uncertainty—each new world presents unique challenges and dangers, and the further he travels, the more he risks losing himself completely. As a reader, you’re left questioning which reality is truly real, and whether Jason will ever make it back.

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Tip: Use shifting realities or alternate timelines to keep your readers on edge. When your protagonist’s world keeps changing, it becomes harder for the reader to predict the outcome, generating a sense of disorientation that adds to the tension.

Layer Mystery and Magic with Unpredictable Shifts: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Magical realism often brings with it an air of mystery, and nowhere is this more apparent than in The Night Circus. The novel, set in a magical circus that only appears at night, weaves multiple timelines together, slowly revealing the intertwined fates of its two protagonists, Celia and Marco. As their magical competition plays out, the lines between reality and illusion blur, creating a sense of foreboding as their rivalry intensifies.

What keeps the reader in suspense is the unpredictability of the magic within the circus. Events don’t unfold in a straightforward, chronological way. The audience is left guessing how and when the ultimate showdown between Celia and Marco will happen and what it will cost them. The tension lies in the novel’s gradual revelations and the feeling that time within the circus operates by its own rules.

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Tip: Incorporate unpredictable shifts in time and reality. When your characters exist in a world where the normal rules don’t apply, readers are constantly left guessing what might happen next, adding a layer of mystery that sustains suspense. Allow your magical elements to bend time but do so in a way that teases future outcomes without revealing too much too soon.

Entangle Emotional Suspense with Time Travel: The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds by Jennifer Moorman

Time travel can do more than alter events—it can deepen the emotional stakes and heighten suspense. In The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds, Josephine finds herself unexpectedly transported to 1927, where she meets her great-grandmother Alma, a lively woman running an illegal speakeasy. The emotional connection between the two women quickly grows, but there’s a catch: Josephine’s visits to the past begin to change history, and her very existence in the present is threatened.

Suspense is built not only through the tension of time travel’s consequences but also through Josephine’s race against time to save Alma from a tragic fate. The emotional depth of their bond raises the stakes even higher. Will Josephine be able to save her family’s past—and her own future?

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Tip: When using time travel, ensure there are emotional as well as physical stakes. The emotional weight of what’s at risk can be just as suspenseful as any action scene. In Josephine’s case, it’s the bond with her great-grandmother, and the realization that changing the past can have dire consequences for her own life.

Crafting suspense in time-bending thrillers requires more than just clever plot twists. It’s about creating a world where time isn’t just a backdrop but an active force driving tension and emotion. By anchoring your suspense in emotional stakes, introducing unpredictable time shifts, and building tension with ticking clocks and fragmented narratives, you can weave a story that keeps readers on edge.

As seen in these captivating novels, time-bending stories rely on the manipulation of time and reality to heighten suspense and create an immersive, tension-filled experience. So, go ahead—play with time, raise the stakes, and leave your readers breathlessly turning the pages, wondering what twist in time awaits them next.