Writing Tension

Creating Tension, Conflict, and Stakes in a Story

Storytelling requires many things — and chief among them is conflict! If you listen to the podcast, you’ve heard me talk about the need to dial up tension and stakes in a scene. Indeed, no matter the genre, being able to effectively establish and escalate tension, conflict, and stakes will draw your readers in from the very start and compel them to read on.

The 2-hour webinar, which was offered live on April 28, 2022, covered various aspects of weaving tension into your story, including:

• Sources of tension and conflict
• How to effectively establish tension and conflict that translates into stakes
• How to escalate conflict and stakes through a story’s plot points
• Most common mistakes in writing tension and conflict (and how to get it right)
• Common challenges in writing tension and conflict (and how to turn them into successes)
• Tips and tricks to know if you have enough tension, conflict, and stakes
• The role of conflict in various genres
• The role of conflict in the query letter

Writers of all categories and genres are invited to attend.