3 Techniques for Creating Tension
Let’s talk reader engagement. A writer can create tension and hook readers through three situations: mystery, suspense, and dramatic irony.
Creating Suspense
I recently came across this insightful analysis of suspense in the opening of the film Inglorious Basterds. In it, there’s a mention of an article from the Psychology journal, Frontiers in Psychology about Tension and Suspense. The authors, Moritz Lehne and Stefan Koelsch, posit six components underlying suspense and tension, which I find useful in thinking about crafting scenes to engage your readers and get your characters into trouble.
