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Suspense Belongs in All Genres

with Wendy Kendall

Genres: Fiction, Novel, Short Story

In Person

Open to all levels

8 Sessions

Start Date: October 15, 2026
End Date: December 10, 2026
No Class: (skip days) 11/26/2026
Day of Week: Thursday
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm PT
Capacity: 16 seats
Member Price: $441.00
General Price: $490.00

This class meets IN PERSON at Hugo House.      

“There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.” —Alfred Hitchcock

Every great story asks readers to live with uncertainty: Will the protagonist survive? Will they fall in love? Will they tell the truth? Will they get what they want? Will they stop the antagonist in time? Will they become someone new?

The questions may change from genre to genre, but the underlying engine remains the same. 

Suspense is the tension between what readers know, what they want to know, and what they fear might happen. Great suspense keeps that tension alive, making readers care deeply about the outcome and eager to discover what happens next. In storytelling, suspense propels the narrative, giving weight to every choice, revelation, and turning point along the way.

And it doesn’t belong to thrillers alone. 

In this dynamic writing class, you’ll learn how to build tension, stoke curiosity, and raise emotional stakes in any genre, from literary fiction to memoir to romance. We’ll cover the craft of:

  • Withholding information, pacing, and stakes
  • Building compelling scenes that sustain reader interest
  • Using structure (plot, arcs, scene design) to control suspense
  • Revising with suspense in mind

Through guided exercises, discussion, sharing, and peer feedback, you’ll develop original work while strengthening your understanding of pacing, structure, and reader engagement. 

This class is designed for writers of all levels who want to be more intentional about how they orchestrate their readers’ experience—whether you’re just beginning your first draft or deep in revision. 

This class focuses on: 

  • Generative Writing: Producing new writing through prompts and exercises. 
  • Craft & Technique: Improving writing skills, exploring elements like theme, voice, character, and more. 
  • Workshop: Students submit work and receive feedback from the instructor and/or classmates.  

What to expect:  

  • Lecture: Instructor-led teaching 
  • Class Discussion: Facilitated class conversation 
  • Prompts & Exercises: Class features guided writing activities. 
  • In-Class Writing Time: Class will include dedicated time to write. 
  • In-Class Sharing: Students are invited to share their writing aloud or in small groups during class. 
  • Instructor Feedback: Students receive direct feedback from the instructor. 
  • Peer Feedback: Students share and critique each other’s work. 
  • Optional reading and/or writing outside of class.

Students say… 

“Wendy is superb! Her edits were great!” 

“I enjoy the specificity of the craft suggestions for each part of the mystery writing process.” 

“I loved discussing ideas and sharing the writing I've been able to do. The organization/charting tips have been very helpful!” 

“It was really fun learning the mechanics of how these books are written. Also trouble shooting my book with others has been helpful!” 

Registration Dates: 

  • August 11: Member registration opens at 10:30 am PT     
  • August 18: General registration opens at 10:30 am PT   
  • August 25: Scholarships open 
  • August 30: Last day of Early Bird discount
Wendy Kendall

Wendy Kendall

she/her

The result of Wendy Kendall's passion for purses, mystery and romance is an intriguing In Purse-Suit mysteries series. Kat Out of the Bag introduces Katherine Watson purse designer/sleuth, investigating murder as she moves from designer bags to body bags. The prequel, Purse-Stachio Makes A Splash delves into a chilling cold case. The romantic suspense, Snow Kiss Cookies To Die For creates an intriguing tangle of mystery and love. Her 2022 release, Cherry Shakes In The Park blends danger, divas, and frothy summer delights. Wendy enjoys the Pacific Northwest life and time with her two adult sons. She's a blogger, YouTube podcaster, speaker, project manager, and syndicated columnist. Just wait until you see what Katherine Watson and her friends in Bayside face next in the series.

Website – WendyWritesBooks.com

Facebook – WendyKendallMysteries

Twitter – @wendywrites1

Instagram – wendyekendall

Describe your teaching style.

Interactive [with] in class sharing and time to experiment in writing, plotting, and other creations. I also share my prepared materials for the content.

Each class description includes a breakdown of what you can expect in terms of in-class activity, feedback, and homework (if any). 

Generative means you’ll be generating new writing, either in class or at home between classes.

Workshop means you’ll be sharing work to be read and critiqued by your instructor and classmates and that you will also be critiquing the work of your peers. 

Reading means you’ll be doing close reading of a work with an eye toward craft. 

Craft discussion means you’ll be looking at the tools writers use to do that thing they do so well and then trying it out yourself.

Class levels are designed for various stages of the writing journey. Simply self-select the level that sounds best for where you’re at. 

Introductory: This is your first creative writing workshop, first writing class since high school, or first foray into a new genre or form. You’re looking to try something new, kickstart your writing, and/or establish yourself in the fundamentals.

Intermediate: You have a strong understanding of writing fundamentals and are eager to deep dive into craft. You’re honing your writerly identity and voice through independent projects. In workshop, you look for constructive feedback and are ready to do writing and reading outside of class.

Advanced: You’ve written a significant body of work and have taken it through several stages of revision. You’re getting ready to publish or are in the early stage of publishing, and you’re interested in refining the skills that will take you to the next level in the literary industry.

All Levels: You are any of the above and are looking to play with new possibilities.

Zoom information for both classes and events are now available in your account.

  1. Login to your account.
  2. Go to “My Account.”
  3. Select either the “Classes” or “Events” tab.
  4. Click on your upcoming class or event to view the Zoom details.

You’ll also receive an email including Zoom information three days before the first day of class.

If you have any questions please contact us at welcome@hugohouse.org  

Write With Hugo House is our free monthly write-in program that takes place online via Zoom.  

We also have payment plans available for most of our classes. These payment plans are available to all students. Additionally, we offer partial scholarships (covering up to 40% of class tuition) for students who meet our income guidelines.  

Lastly, we announce flash sales, early bird periods, and special deals through our e-newsletter; sign up at the bottom of this page. 

 

Our payment plan policy: 

Payment plans are available for all classes and can be purchased through our website. To register for a payment plan, select “Pay in installments” on the class details page, select your preferred option, and proceed to add to cart usual. The following policy applies to all payment plans:

  • We charge a 5% nonrefundable administrative fee for all payment plans.
  • The administrative fee is calculated based on the general class price. Discounts through memberships, coupons, scholarships, gift cards, or other promotions do not affect the administrative fee.
  • Extended payment plans up to 8 monthly installments and 16 semi-monthly installments are available upon request.
  • We are unable to hold seats for prospective payment plan students. Students will be enrolled once their first installment has been paid.
  • If you need to cancel, Hugo House will issue refunds according to its cancellation and transfer policies. Your 5% nonrefundable admin fee will not be refunded.
  • If you withdraw from a class after it begins, you will not receive a refund and are still responsible for paying the full course tuition.

Asynchronous classes are perfect for students that need flexibility!

During an asynchronous class, instructors release new lessons once per week. Students then have one week to complete that lesson and any accompanying coursework. You’ll learn as much as you would in a traditional class but with the flexibility to work at the best times for your schedule!

While there are no live sessions, asynchronous classes are still a lively and rigorous experience. Async classes are not static lessons but an adaptable and energetic community space. Be ready to work in a collaborative environment, giving and receiving feedback on your writing, participating in discussions, and growing your writing practice in a way that works best for you.

Asynchronous classes take place through the website Wet Ink. Students receive an invitation to the class and to set up a Wet Ink account on the start date of the class. Each week of the class, a new lesson will be available through the Wet Ink portal. Classes close two weeks after the end date, and students receive an email containing their content from the class when it closes.

Hugo House will only process refund requests that are submitted 5 days or more before the class start date. To request a refund, log in to your account, go to “My Account,” select the “Orders” tab on the left-hand side, click the appropriate order, and request a refund for your specific class. Administrative fees apply. Please see our full refund policy here.

To request a refund for class credit, please note such in the message section of your refund request.

In general, we do not record classes. However, an exception can be made with instructor approval if a student has specific access needs.

We encourage students to only sign up for classes that fit with their schedule.   

We do not tolerate racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist, transphobic or any other oppressive behaviors, regardless of who commits them. Please check out our full community guidelines by clicking here. If an instance of community guidelines are violated and not resolved within the classroom, students may let us know by filling out the student incident report.

If Hugo House needs to cancel a class for any reason, you’ll receive a full refund.

You can apply for a scholarship by clicking the red “Request a Scholarship” text on class pages. The scholarship request text is located at the top of each class page, underneath the “add to cart” button.

Scholarship application dates can be found in our Academic Calendar. 

Due to the limited number of scholarships, please only request up to two scholarships for two different classes per quarter if you truly meet the financial need requirements.

Hugo House members get to register early for classes – a full week before they open to the general public!, receive a 10% discount on events and classes, and more. See the full list of membership benefits here!

Donations of all sizes allow us to provide access to quality writing classes, events, and experiences for all. Please consider making a donation to Hugo House today. 

If you’re interested in contributing your skills, Hugo House accepts volunteer applications for a variety of roles, including event support, administrative tasks, and more. Learn more on our Volunteer page. 

Finally, becoming a member is an excellent way to support Hugo House and our mission. 

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Donations made throughout the year help fund our programs and operations.