on writing: tension
increasing tension in a story & how you are killing it
Tension is the one most important thing I look for when I am writing a story. It’s what keeps me engaged when reading a book, compels me to turn the page until I am satisfied.
Here are some strategies I enjoyed learning while writing:
DON’T: Kill the tension. DO: Increase tension.
DON’T: Ignore the pace.
DO: Introduce time pressure to create urgency, whether it’s a literal countdown (an event due to happen) or a metaphorical one (a deadline, an illness, an advancing villain). Slow down during moments of tension to describe details and draw out the scene, highlight anxieties. Speed up with short sentences or quick action during climactic moments. Vary pacing throughout the story, alternating between calm and suspenseful scenes.
DON’T: Let your character have what they want.
DO: Let characters struggle through obstacles and lose battles. Introduce setbacks when things start to go well, throw in more complication. It can be an unexpected betrayal, a plan falling apart, a new threat emerging. Highlight internal struggles, like doubt or fear, guilt or indecision. Internal tension mirrors or exacerbates external conflicts.
DON’T: Keep stakes low or singular.
DO: Raise the personal and wider stakes, maybe layer personal and external stakes for maximum impact, making the MC feel trapped by their circumstances. Limit your MC’s options – the fewer choices they have, the more intense the tension becomes.
DON’T: Give everything away early.
DO: Withhold information, let your readers know just enough to sense danger, but keep critical details hidden. You can hint at a threat without immediately revealing what or who it is.
DON’T: Resolve conflicts too early.
DO: Layer conflicts: Combine multiple conflicts at once, maybe combine an action (MC tries to solve a central problem) with interpersonal drama, moral dilemmas, unexpected obstacles that complicate efforts. Escalate the threat by making the antagonist more powerful, unpredictable, or close.
DON’T: Be predictable.
DO: Increase uncertainty: make outcomes unpredictable, avoid convenient solutions or predictable resolutions to challenges. End chapters, scenes or sections on a note of uncertainty, danger, or revelation to leave your readers wanting more.
DON’T: Get lazy with your characters.
DO: Add ambiguity to characters’ motivations to make readers question who they can trust. Side characters aren’t always just prawns to a play, they can bring a force into a story that could even outdo your MC’s impact.
DON’T: Forget the world.
DO: Create an environment that mirrors the story’s tension, e.g. a stormy night, small space, deserted town etc. can amplify the mood. Pay attention to sensory details that evoke unease, like creaking floors or flickering lights, distant sounds.
Tension thrives on the interplay of hope and fear for your MC / characters. Balancing moments of relief with escalation of challenges keeps your reader engaged and invested in the outcome.
It’s a struggle to time sometimes but it helps to imagine your story playing out as a series. Would you still keep watching? Are there scenes you would skip as the audience? Which details would excite you? Are you eager for the next episode? Would you binge-watch your book?
If you liked this piece:
