Tension is one reason readers keep turning pages, even into the wee hours of the night. You know the feeling: I need to find out what happens. Just one more page… Before you know it, the sky is turning red with the sun peeking out from the horizon, and you’re still reading!
But as a writer, how do you create something that keeps readers hooked? In this post, you’ll find the most important tips for creating tension that will keep your readers at the edge of their seats.
8 Surefire Ways to Build Tension in Your Story
Here are 8 tips that will help you build and sustain suspenseful tension that will hook your readers.
1. Choose a goal that your characters would die for.
You may wonder why we use such strong language. The truth is, unless the conflict is something that your main characters would give their lives for, it probably isn’t something they care very much about. What does your protagonist want so badly, and what is standing in their way? What could happen if he or she doesn’t get that thing?
The conflict doesn’t have to be super dramatic, but if you manage to build it up so that the reader understands why it’s important to your character, you could very well be turning the tide of your story.
Find a conflict that threatens the things your character holds dearest in life, and you’re well on your way to giving your readers intriguing tension.
2. Give your characters opposing goals.
One surefire way of creating tension is when you have two main characters who have contradicting goals. What happens if one twin sister is doing everything she can to get mom and dad back together, while her twin is throwing just as much energy matchmaking mom with the girls’ teacher?
Of course, this can only work if the characters are someone that the reader can relate to, so it goes without saying that you need to give these opposing goals to main characters whom you have developed well!
That doesn’t mean it has to be someone that the readers love; it can be just the opposite, perhaps a character that they don’t quite understand but intrigues them anyway.
3. Think about external and internal conflict.
Another way of adding to the tension in your story is to consider exploring not just one kind of conflict.
If your main conflict is external, think about ways that an internal conflict can also manifest, and vice versa.
That way, you get your reader thinking about the story in many different levels, which will help you keep their interest throughout the pages.
4. Pace yourself.
Sure, as writers, we want to keep our readers turning the pages. But that doesn’t mean you need to leave them breathless all the way!
Instead, learn to push and pull when you need to; give the reader time to breathe in between scenes, while you unveil more of your characters’ personalities or perhaps explore plot points.
These quieter moments are actually a chance for your reader to get to know—and connect with—your characters more.
5. Keep upping the stakes.
One way of keeping your reader engaged is when you keep raising the stakes. An obstacle in the way? Don’t let your protagonist get rid of it too fast; why not add another, more difficult wall right after that first one? Or perhaps she might fail in her first attempt, and time is ticking so she needs to act quickly. Tactics like these keep your reader in suspense.
A good rule to follow is the rule of threes: For every obstacle, have your protagonist fail two times before she succeeds. This way, at every failure, you can almost hear your reader groan in frustration and frantically flip the page to see what happens next.
You can do this by brainstorming rising action and falling plot points, and finding ideas that will push your character further and further from their goal, before any improvement takes place. Remember, it won’t be entirely a fictional tool, but rather a reflection of real life. Hard-won success tastes the sweetest, right?
6. Keep stirring up your reader’s curiosity.
When it comes to keeping readers engaged, curiosity is one of your best friends. Finding ways to get your reader asking questions is one surefire way to sustain tension.
You can do this by creating characters who are already interesting even apart from the conflict. Then, at the end of your chapters, as you wrap up previous questions, make sure you raise up new questions that you’ll answer in future chapters.
This strategy is one way of ensuring that your readers end a chapter with a new twinge of curiosity.
7. Consider adding other sources of tension.
In real life, we often juggle several stressors at one time. Readers can handle the same in your novel. What if your protagonist is already struggling to meet a deadline, but suddenly his girlfriend gets all possessive of his time? That surely adds to the headache, and will also up the stakes for your hero.
8. Create urgency using a deadline.
The problems that your characters face may just be ordinary issues that we believe will get overcome somehow, someday. But when there’s a ticking clock, the urgency suddenly makes it crucial to solve as soon as possible.
This is why thrillers tend to be frantic page-turners than other genres, but no matter what genre you write, knowing how to play with the tension of urgency is a great way of keeping your readers engaged.
Building Tension in Fiction
Learning how to create—and build up—tension is an essential skill in writing fiction. Practice it using the tips above. Write scenes of ever-increasing conflict, and brainstorm ways that it can get worse. The more you practice it, the easier it will become.
But don’t forget all the other important elements of writing a story, too! Conflict is just one area.
Other areas you need to pay attention to are creating compelling characters, writing believable and relatable dialogue, and plotting a storyline that engages your readers. Keep practicing these skills and you will find that your story writing improves over time.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- How to Write Fiction from Multiple Viewpoints: Picking the Right Point of View
- How to Write Serialized Fiction (and Why You Should)
- The Best Novel Writing Software: Tools Every Fiction Writer Should Use
- How To Write a Fight Scene: 6 Hard-Hitting Rules for Violence in Fiction
Yen Cabag is the Blog Writer of TCK Publishing. She is also a homeschooling mom, family coach, and speaker for the Charlotte Mason method, an educational philosophy that places great emphasis on classic literature and the masterpieces in art and music. She has also written several books, both fiction and nonfiction. Her passion is to see the next generation of children become lovers of reading and learning in the midst of short attention spans.
