Write Things: On Building Page-Turners

Write Things Newsletter: On Building Page-Turners

This week’s newsletter is being crafted by a pair of warm, clammy hands.

Tension, in many ways, is the heartbeat of good writing. It can be both intoxicating and agonizing. And through pure coincidence, I not only did a deep dive into tension for my Enhance Your Storytelling students this week, but the prompt I gave my writing groups turned out some incredibly tense pieces.

Last night’s crew did an exceptional job of creating it. This newsletter is my attempt to release it. I hope it’s helpful.

Idea: On Tension

Tension is great — in the right dosage.

As readers, we know we’re in tension when we can’t turn the page fast enough. We’re anxious, curious, excited. Our eyes scan ahead, hungry for a clue about where the moment is headed.

Ironically, we’re doing all this just to get out of the tension we’ve been placed in.
This is the paradox of tension: we enjoy it because we trust it will end — and that the writer will get us through it in a satisfying way.

As writers, we create tension by placing our characters in situations where something important is at stake — where the outcome matters.
If the reader agrees that it matters, they’ll feel the tension rise. If they don’t, they’ll disengage — or worse, stop reading.
And that’s okay. What matters to one person may not matter to another.

But the more precisely we can reveal what matters and articulate what’s at stake, the more likely our readers are to stay with us.
This is what allows some writers to make even unfamiliar genres feel gripping. They get us to care. They show us what’s at risk — a relationship, a belief, a way of life — and they hold us in that uncertainty.

They create tension.

Now, back to the beginning. It’s excellent if you can create tension in your reader — but be aware of when and for how long you’re doing it.

Too little, and your story may feel flat or didactic. Scenes might resolve too quickly, cutting tension off before it has time to build.
Too much, and your reader can feel exhausted or overwhelmed. They’ll need more breaks — and if they don’t get them, they may stop picking your book back up.

There’s no perfect formula. Thrillers, for instance, thrive on tension. A quiet memoir might use it sparingly.
What matters is that we’re conscious of it:

When are we creating tension?

How long are we holding it?

And when are we offering moments of release?

This is how we create page-turners.

Will it guarantee success? Of course not. Nothing will.
But if people can’t put your book down, odds are, your sales will be going up.

And even if you're just writing for pleasure right now, learning how to create and release tension will make the process richer — for both you and your reader.

Inspiration: “Couldn’t take no for an answer”

Set a timer for four minutes and write continuously on the prompt above. Then, take your own advice. 

Not sure if the idea(s) that come to you will actually help you move forward? Try and see. At the very least, you’ll learn something new. 

Have you tried out Trevor Assistant, my personally programmed writing coach yet?

You can get a free credit here. (first-time users only)

Next, go to www.ihelpyouwritethings.com/trevor-assistant and get customized feedback, based upon my personal perspective and understanding of writing. 

Invitation: Sit in it

The next time you’re writing a scene with conflict, see if you can stretch out the tension around it.

Maybe the conflict isn’t going to resolve in that moment. Does something unexpected happen that delays its resolution? Does a character back out, misdirect, or flee?

Or maybe you slow time down — really sink into the moment. Let us see it, hear it, smell it — heck, maybe even taste it — before it resolves.

Just make sure you do eventually resolve it.

Thanks again to my Wednesday evening group for the inspiration for this newsletter. You all did a fantastic job.

Wishing you and your stories the very best,

Trevor Martens
Founder, I Help You Write Things