On an Island

Among the most reliable ways to ratchet up suspense is to place your characters in danger. When we think of danger, we normally think of physical threats, but isolation leads to a more insidious kind of menace. Isolation is scary.

We humans are social creatures, and when we are excluded from social interactions, we wither. Novelist John D. MacDonald, author of the bestselling Travis McGee mysteries, wrote that the heart of page-turning tension is conflict. That conflict can occur in a physical dimension, a mental dimension, a spiritual dimension, or any of those in combination. Secluding characters is a surefire way to build compelling conflicts—the foundation of suspense. But to do so effectively, you need to understand the underlying power of isolation.

Isolation is not synonymous with loneliness. You can do something to remedy loneliness: join a group or attend a function, for example. But isolation leaches into your soul. Loneliness is usually transitory and situational. Loneliness—being alone when you don’t want to be—is uncomfortable,