NoMo Tuesdays: TENSION!

Tension can sell a book to a reader.

Tension in the cover art.

Tension in the blurb or back cover copy.

Tension on the first page.

Tension in the first chapter.

Tension keeps a reader fipping pages and jumping to the next chapter.

Tension that carries you all the way to the end of the story.

This tension can be in many forms

Like this

Or these

Or this

Or this

Or this

Or this

Correct me if I'm wrong but most fiction contains mounting tension.

So try a couple of these techniques:

1. The ticking time bomb- We think of the obvious time bombs when we think of this topic (like bombs, work deadlines, the wedding 'I Do's, etc), but there are many time bombs to consider. 

Or the reverse time bomb. If they can make it through this hard part there is an end.... In war stories you know that if they can make it through this battle alive, then we get a breather. If they can make it through the war alive, we cry for joy. Can they survive to the end? Survivor the TV show is an example.

2. Relationship tension- romantic tension is the first thing most people think of when they hear this topic, but there are many types of relationships. Thelma and Louise. Potter and Snape. The Baudalaire Orphans and Olaf. 

One of the tips when writing relationship tension is to create characters with traits that are opposite of each other. And while you are at it, throw in opposite goals or have them fight for the same goal. Create some real problems between the people and make it hard for them to reconcile.

3. Dialogue tension- this is a way to SHOW tension where the others were forms of tension.

You can show rapid fire (discordant) dialogue. Naturally when we see people talking like this we think that something is wrong. It is a sneaky way to create an emotional response in the reader.

You can give the reader information that one person in the conversation is ignorant of. We then worry about that person while we read their discourse.

This is list is NOT in any way exhaustive,

but hopefully a jumping off place to look at

the tension in your writing.

Will we make it to the end of NaNoWriMo?

Duh-duh-dum!

TWO MORE DAYS!!

Go! Go! Go!

In Every Two-Timing Kiss You Will Feel......

I attended a class by Angela Eschler and she said that tension is one of the biggest things that will sell your book to the reader. 

She pointed out that if a reader picks up your book at the store, reads the back cover copy and/or inside flap, then gives your book a page or two read they should be hooked. 

They should have questions. 

There should be tension.

I've been thinking about that a lot. The hook. The questions. The query. 

The back cover copy. The elevator pitch. 

Tension.

Intrigue.

A lot of times it's already there in my manuscript but I forget to make sure it gets into 

my first few pages and my query, etc. 

Any good tips out there on 'the hook', story questions, tension?

nOOb *shakes head*

Tension, can you feel it?

Rachel Morgan and Cally Jackson are hosting a 

POWER OF TENSION BLOGFEST 

(I figured I could capitalize the letters to give you the impression that

 James Earl Jones was saying it into an echo mic- did it work?)

Here is a bit from a WIP.

(I'm having trouble with the formatting, please be forgiving) 

Now, without further ado:

“Hello.”

“Tom, I’m here at the store with a cart full of food and they keep telling me that our card doesn’t work.” Her voice had a tight, strained sound. She was on the brink of tears, “Is that right? Do you know why our credit card wouldn’t work?”

“Oh,” Tom said sitting on the floor with his back to the door. Standing felt too complicated. “Susan, Anthony called this morning and they’ve frozen our personal accounts as well. I guess I should have told you but I just didn’t know exactly what that meant.”

“So we can’t use our credit cards anymore?”

“He didn’t say that but I think that must be what’s happening.”

Chelsea, their two-year-old daughter, wailed in the background.

“Chelsea, I’m talking to mommy right now. I’ll get you out of there in just a minute.”

“Get her out of where?” Susan asked.

“She locked herself in her room.”

“Oh.....Did you even put money in checking?”

He sighed, “Yeah.”

Chelsea pounded on the door, Tom bouncing with each thud. Her wailing became screechy, making him wince.

“The bank is on the other side of town, Tom.” Tom cupped his hand over his ear so he could hear her quiet pathetic voice over the roaring child. “I have to leave this cart full of food here for, who knows how long,” she said, beginning to softly cry, “and drive to the bank to see if we have money in there?”

“I don’t know what else to tell you,” Tom lied. He knew what he should say. I’m sorry. This is my fault. I should have never dragged you into this. Instead he said, “You’re just going to have to do it.”

Susan sniffled.

"Bye," she said.

Then Tom noticed everything was too quiet.

As a new writer I am ALWAYS looking to improve my craft.

If you have any tips for me, PLEASE tell me.

If you know of a great blog post, book, etc. that could teach me

what part of tension, I'm falling short on.

TELL ME!

I want to learn.

(again, feel free to put James Earl Jones' echo voice

 into anything in all caps- it actually increases tension by 70%)