Writing Prompt: Nerves Are Taut
3/4 March Mini-Course: Ratchet up the tension again. And again.
This is part of our March Mini-Course
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Building tension and suspense is like playing a high-stakes game of Jenga.
You’re carefully stacking block after block of anticipation until your readers can’t handle the pressure anymore. The key to keeping them hooked is to tease them with a sense of danger or threat.
It’s like leading them on a wild goose chase, but with a juicy plot twist waiting at the end.
But here’s the thing
You can’t give away the game too soon.
That’s like serving dessert before the main course.
You need to build up slowly to a pivotal moment, using pacing to your advantage and gradually increasing the intensity until your readers are on the edge of their seats.
And when you do finally drop that bombshell
Make sure it’s a good one!
The kind that makes your readers scream “NOOOOOO!” at the top of their lungs. Trust us, they’ll thank you for it (once they’ve stopped hyperventilating, that is).
To really set the scene
Use vivid language and sensory details that transport your readers right into the heart of the action.
Whether it’s hanging off the edge of a cliff or running from a monster.
You want your readers to feel like they’re living and breathing the danger alongside your characters.
So go ahead and end your chapter with a cliffhanger
Your readers will thank you for it, even if they’re cursing your name in the moment.
After all, isn’t that what storytelling is all about? Keeping your readers engaged, entertained, and begging for more.
300 words for the story bits.
- Tag your story as you like, e.g. Fiction or Flash Fiction But don’t use Writing Prompts please.
- 🙏 link back to the prompt so others can find it too.
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Prompt: a stressed writer chewing their nails, their eyes bulging and the blood vessels in their neck visible. Humorous. — v 4
