Each Scene Needs Tension
Write Great Fiction: Self-Editing & Revision Each scene needs some sort of tension built in. It’s like the characters are pressure cookers. The anxieties cause them to tremble inside a…
Each scene needs some sort of tension built in. It's like the characters are pressure cookers. The anxieties cause them to tremble inside a little, and these anxieties gradually build until the characters explode to relieve the pressure. So, in every scene, ask about the characters' inner anxieties:
- Are they understandable, human?
- Are they on the way to being pressed to the limit?
- How can you show, subtly or overtly, the pressure?
- What will be the consequences of the explosion?
Scott FrancisAuthor
Scott Francis is a former editor and author of Writer's Digest Books.
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