Ramping Tension to the Max in Your Novel

I hope I don’t need to tell you why you need tension in your novel. If I do, then I suggest you stop reading this post and spend some time reading some writing craft books and blog posts on novel structure. I don’t mean to be snarky here; this is sage advice. Too many manuscripts come across my desk completely void of tension. However, I assume that the reason is the writer just has no idea how to create tension on every page—which is what a writer should aim for.

Every page? Is that possible. Yes, it is. And as an author, I work hard toward that goal—to keep up a continual sense of tension, which creates anticipation and interest on the reader’s part.

The Different Types of Tension

But how can an author create tension. Just what is tension, anyway? In real life, we avoid tension, often at all costs. We don’t want to be tense, and we don’t like tense situations—they stress us out. And we don’t want others around us to be tense (although, some people are really into drama, and I can attest there are those who really love such drama and feed off it).

So let’s break this down a bit. First, we need to look at two aspects of tension. There is the tension the characters feel as individuals and then there is the overall tension in the story. Don’t confuse action with tension. Don’t confuse high drama and high stakes with tension. You can have the most exciting plot elements in the world—with car chase scenes and buildings blowing up and the threat of the end of the world and still completely lack any tension—as far as the reader is concerned.

So while you may be writing about tense things that should make people feel tense or you are showing characters under stress, that doesn’t necessarily equate to your book’s tension. Which  is to say that the tension a writer should be aiming for is something other than feeling uptight or worried.

Make Your Reader Tense

What we as writers want is tension in the reader. And that kind of tension is not dependent on what kind of action is going on in a story. Even the most subdued, quiet, nothing-seems-to-be-happening scene can have tension ramped to the max.

No, this doesn’t mean we want our readers to be stressed-out—although if you are writing intense suspense, that probably is exactly your aim. The kind of tension we want readers to feel is a sense of heightened anticipation, interest, curiosity, excitement. This is a good kind of tension. Think of the tension in a tightrope. We want a reader’s attention to be taut.

In other words, we want readers to care so much about what is going on that they are uncomfortable. And when someone is uncomfortable, they want to resolve whatever it is to the point they can again feel comfortable.

A Good Kind of Tense

It’s not always a bad kind of discomfort we want to put into our novels, like waiting at the doctor’s office to get test results. I mean the kind of discomfort you feel when you are waiting for your best friend to walk out of the security area of the airport into your arms. The kind of discomfort you feel when you are waiting for your child’s name to be called out at the graduation ceremony. The kind of tension you feel waiting to meet your new grandchild. It’s a good-feeling tension. And readers love it.

It’s the “high” I long for as a reader, and cherish in a great novel. And something I don’t often experience. To me, what sets apart a so-so or good book from a terrific one is the tension created (in me) as I read the story. The more gripped (tense) I am, the more immersed I am in the world of the story, the happier I am.

The Secret to Tension

So what is the secret of creating that kind of tension in a novel? I’ll tell you what is at the heart of great tension in a story, and I bet you won’t be surprised at my answer: great characters. Characters with a lot of inner conflict that is continually present.

Sure, outer conflict will add to that tension. But if your reader doesn’t care about what happens to your character—because you did not present and carefully showcase an empathetic, intriguing, vulnerable, engaging character—they won’t have much interest in the story and won’t feel that niggling need to know what happens next. Granted, you need these great characters in a well-designed and well-executed plot. But that is not all you need to have tension ramped to the max.

In order to have tension on every page, you have to take this a step further. You need microtension.

Aim at Mastering Microtension

Microtension—a term and concept that literary agent Donald Maass pretty much coined and defined—is tension infused in every paragraph of your novel. Yes, it can be done. You can have tension oozing out of every page. Sure, you want moments when your readers feel anxious or worried for your characters because they care what happens to them. But true page-by-page tension is a combination of a terrifically executed compelling plot and writing that shows continual inner and outer conflict going on with all the characters.

Why does that create tension? Because the first and foremost—and most important—way you show tension is to make your readers care about your characters, and then make things as difficult as you can for them.

No Conflict, No Story

Let me just say this: without constant tension in your story, you won’t have a story. We went over the pillar of novel construction all about conflict with high stakes. If there are no stakes, no risks, nothing for your protagonist to lose, then how can you have any tension? You can’t. And you can’t have a compelling story either. So tension is story. So outer conflict throughout is crucial.

And the inner conflict your characters struggle with also creates tension. If your characters aren’t having problems making choices and don’t have conflicting feelings, your scenes will lack tension. Way too many scenes I critique show the characters going along in their everyday lives without anything bothering them. They are fairly happy, and they aren’t dealing with any stressful situations. They meet their friends for coffee or stand around chatting about unimportant, trivial things. Folks, trust me: these scenes have no tension and hence generate no interest whatsoever.

I’m going to go more in depth in next week’s post about microtension, and show some ways you can create that on every page of your novel. But for now, keep in mind the important points about creating tension. First, create great characters that struggle with inner and outer conflict. Second, have a terrific plot that features lots of outer conflict (which creates tension in the story). Third, have those high stakes—high for the protagonist and that impacts her goal for the book. We’ve covered all these things in our four corner pillars of novel construction, so if you need to go back over them, do so. Go over the checklists you’ve been given (links below). If your corner pillars are strong, you are well on your way to creating great tension.

Any thoughts about how you create tension in a novel? What kinds of scenes, to you, create the most tension? What has to happen in a scene for you to turn pages, anxious to know what happens next?

Inspection checklists:

Inspection Checklist 1-concept with a kicker

Inspection Checklist 2-protagonist with a goal

Inspection Checklist 3-conflict with high stakes

Inspection Checklist 4-theme with a heart

Inspection Checklist 5-Plots and Subplots in a String of Scenes

Inspection Checklist 6-Secondary Characters with Their Own Needs

Inspection Checklist 7-Setting with a Purpose

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