Thread by @Joannechocolat

Let's do this one. Follow #TenThingsAboutTensionManagement to collect them all!

https://twitter.com/AshaHick/status/1558468364049203204

1. Constructing a tight plot is a bit like flying a kite: it's mostly about the correct management of tension. #TenThingsAboutTensionManagement

2. If you've never flown a kite, bear with me. First, you pull on the kite string (creating tension) to make the kite rise. Then, when it's in the air, you adjust the tension on the string. Too much tension, the kite plummets. Too little, it falls.#TenThingsAboutTensionManagement

3. Plot is not unlike this. Most stories start with an incident or situation that creates tension by challenging the main character, or putting them under pressure, or in opposition with someone else. #TenThingsAboutTensionManagement

4. Gradually the tension escalates (just as the kite rises higher and higher into the air) until it reaches its apex (the payoff of your story). Then, you reel in the string and bring the story/kite to its conclusion. #TenThingsAboutTensionManagement

5. To crank up the tension, you just need to present your main character with increasingly greater challenges/risks/dangers, etc. throughout your story. The greater the stakes for your character, the greater the tension. #TenThingsAboutTensionManagement

6. But tension can't just keep building. Like flying a kite, you need to release it at intervals before cranking it up again. #TenThingsAboutTensionManagement

7. That's why quiet, contemplative scenes are as important a part of plot-building as tension-building sequences. Your characters need the chance to decompress. So do your readers. #TenThingsAboutTensionManagement

8. Humour is a great way of breaking tension. It helps make your characters more likeable, too. #TenThingsAboutTensionManagement

9. Tension doesn't always have to be about external threat. You can have as much tension in a quiet, cerebral journey of self-discovery as with a fast-paced thriller. #TenThingsAboutTensionManagement

10. Nor does tension have to be about suspense. Invest enough emotional energy in your characters, and your readers will want what they want, and root for them on their journey. #TenThingsAboutTensionManagement

I hope that was helpful. If you enjoy these occasional threads, you might like to check out my book, TEN THINGS ABOUT WRITING. amazon.co.uk/Ten-Things-Abo…