Why Isolation Raises the Stakes in Suspense

Hi friends, and happy Wednesday! We had a series of storms move across Florida as my husband was supposed to be flying home. 

Torrential Downpour. Flash floods. Massive wind gusts. 

Over 500 lightning strikes tallied. 

They closed Tampa airport and the other two in the area. 

All planes grounded, including my husband’s, on a runway in Baltimore. They were literally taxing out when they got the announcement about the Tampa airport. So they stopped and sat. 

They waited for word that their arrival airport was open and that it was safe, once again, to fly.

My husband had his phone. He could text. But he couldn’t leave the plane, and the plane couldn’t leave the tarmac. He was stuck. Isolated in a manner of sorts. And, like all writers would….it got me thinking. 

Imagine being completely cut off from the outside world.

No phones, period. No help on the way. No announcement saying you’re good to go.

Isolation is one of the oldest storytelling techniques in suspense—and still one of the most effective because isolation instantly raises the stakes.

When characters are separated from safety, every decision counts. 

Every decision carries consequences—for good or for bad.

But isolation does more than increase tension.

It reveals character, and that’s my favorite aspect of writing a scene or even a full novella of isolation.

When people are cut off from help, who they really are becomes crystal clear. Fear, courage, compassion—they all rise to the surface.

Even in stories, those are the moments when faith becomes gravely important.

Psalm 46:1 says:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

That promise reminds us that even when we feel isolated, such as being stuck in a plane or my characters in an abandoned lodge, none of us are truly alone.

I think that’s one of the reasons suspense stories resonate with readers. Beneath the action and mystery lies a deeper question: when everything falls apart, what do we hold onto?

Courage? Hope? Faith?

In my novella, Whiteout, a brutal snowstorm isolates the characters from the outside world, forcing them to confront both physical danger and personal fears. The storm becomes a powerful reminder that sometimes survival depends not only on skill and determination—but on trust.

Trust in God to get us through. To show us the way. To prepare that very way for us.

Because even in the most isolated places, His presence goes with us.

I’m very pleased to say my hubby finally made it home about three hours late, but he made it. The storms subsided, leaving a lot of water in their wake, but it was water we desperately needed. It’d been too dry. So even in the storm, God was protecting us. He always does. 

Question: What do you love best about suspense novels? 

Blessings, 

Dani