
Ciao, SEers. Today is part seven: pacing, tension, and suspense. Craig has written a couple of great posts on tension (one and two), and I have a post on structure that flirts with the concept of pacing. This post will deal with how to use these elements to advance the story.
One technique that gets readers invested immediately and brings tension to the forefront is to start with a loss. It doesn’t have to be a death, though that is an extreme loss. It can be anything that puts the character in a deficit from his status quo. He got fired. His wife left him. His dog ran away. His apartment building is turning into condos and he can’t afford to buy one. He broke his leg the day before the rodeo. Any loss is a loss. The kind of loss helps establish genre. What he does about it helps establish tone.
Add in a mystery. Who killed the character? Why? But it doesn’t have to be in the mystery/thriller/suspense genre. Romance… Why’d his relationship fail? Is it fixable? Can he move on? How? With whom? Western… What happens if he can’t ride? Did someone cause his accident? What do they gain from it? The mysteries build suspense. How the character responds to them (usually poorly at first and causing more problems) builds tension.
Be mindful of the clues you lay. Space them out; that helps with pacing. You have to leave enough of them that your ending isn’t a surprise, but you need to hide them in plain sight so your ending isn’t a foregone conclusion. Make use of the red herring. A perfectly executed misdirect isn’t disingenuous—it’s masterful and brilliant.
Introduce a ticking clock. Reveal it early, and don’t abandon it. It will add tension and help with pacing. There’s nothing like a deadline to raise stakes and advance the plot.
We discussed ebbs and flows (with scenes and sequels). If a story is all action, the pace feels rushed and the reader can’t process everything. If the story meanders too long in periods of inaction, the pacing grows sluggish. Balance is key to proper pacing.
Get too far into the story, and the reader may forget necessary key moments. Occasionally, you need to revisit these points, especially if they lead to your next clue. But don’t spend too much time on these recaps, or you’ll slow your pacing. And make sure they’re done organically, like detectives going over their evidence or one friend telling another the story to solicit advice. Avoid “as you know, Bob” moments. If Bob knows, this isn’t the time or place for the recap.
Consider using cliffhangers in your scene endings. They’re an easy way to get the reader to turn the page, and they help with pacing, tension, and suspense.
To summarize:
- Start with a loss.
- Introduce a mystery.
- Be mindful of your clues.
- Spread out their introduction.
- Hide them in plain sight.
- Use red herrings.
- Use a ticking clock. Reveal it early and don’t abandon it.
- Balance action and reaction to achieve a steady pace.
- Occasionally (and organically) revisit key points to avoid reader confusion. Don’t do it too often, or you’ll slow the pace.
- End scenes with cliffhangers.
Next time, we’ll discuss writing suspense. Until then, I’d love to know more about your techniques to manage pacing, tension, and suspense. Please leave a comment below. Grazie!
Links to the Whole Series:
January 7: Idea Generation
February 2: Story Bible
February 28: Character
March 25: Dialogue
April 20: Plot
May 16: Constructing Chapters
June 10: Pacing/Tension/Suspense
July 6: Writing Suspense
August 1: Writing Action
August 26: Macro-Level Self-Editing
September 21: Mid-Level Self-Editing
October 17: Micro-Level Self-Editing
December 7: Planning a Series
Note: Links will only work on and after the date the post goes live.
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HI Staci, thank you for sharing this good advice. I suppose there is more than one way of introducing that ‘ticking clock’. I’m thinking.
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Yes, the ticking clock can be anything. A timer on a bomb has big stakes. A history paper deadline seems to have much smaller ones. But consider the character facing the countdown. Everyone would be frightened of a bomb, which makes it one of the more generic “ticking clock” devices. On the other hand, a college senior who needs to ace his final project or he won’t graduate is a much more specific form of tension. It also seems less severe. But consider that same senior in this scenario: he must pass his exam or he won’t graduate, which means he won’t get a job, which means he can’t afford to propose to his girlfriend, which keeps her under the thumb of her abusive stepfather, who is so depraved he has threatened to “rent” her to his unsavory associates to make money. (I know that’s kind of far-fetched and riddled with potential plot holes, but this was an off-the-cuff example.) Now that looming exam takes on a lot more weight. The fact that his mind is blanking and he keeps falling asleep puts the girlfriend’s future more and more at risk. And what if the stepfather knows of his plans, so he drugs the boy, taking valuable time off the clock? Maybe right before the exam, so it looks like he’ll miss it?
A countdown is a countdown. It will add tension. But the genre and the characters do inform how vital that ticking clock is. Thanks, Robbie.
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Thanks for your example, Staci, a most useful tool, this ticking clock.
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Glad to help!
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Excellent advice and points, Staci. I’m enjoying this series of posts. Thanks for sharing! 💕🙂
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Much appreciated, Harmony.
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Reblogged this on The Indie Spot! and commented:
Another wonderful teaching post from Staci Troilo.
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Thanks for sharing, Beem.
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You make many great points here, Staci. I love a story fraught with tension. Opening with a loss is certainly an attention grabber. This opens up all sorts of possibilities for the author to create something extraordinary. Another brilliant post.
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I’m always looking for ways to increase tension in my stories. So glad to know I’m not the only one. Thanks, Beem.
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I Love the idea of starting with a loss. What better way to get things rolling. Terrific post, Staci. I also liked the idea of the ticking clock. Two get tension builders.
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I had a writing coach who didn’t outline or pre-plan his stories. He used to say, “If your story starts to drag, drop a dead body in the mix.” He said it didn’t need to literally be a death, though that would certainly add drama and mystery, but it was a symbolic way to say you were slowing your pace and missing tension and needed to add something to fix that. I figured that should apply to the beginning of a story, chapter, or scene, as well, as there’s nothing there yet.
Thanks, John.
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Good learning, Staci. Now I know why I have falling buses in my stories.
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If they’re full buses, you’re dropping lots of dead bodies! 😂
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I’m loving this series. Starting a story with a loss makes me want to read on. Ending a scene with a cliffhanger (if it is good) makes me want to turn the page for sure.
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Both are pretty universally regarded as ways to get/keep a reader’s attention. I can’t take credit for either, but I’m glad to share the advice. Thanks, Michele.
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An excellent post, Staci! You’ve touched on some great advice and things I hadn’t put much thought into. Thank you so much for sharing!!
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So glad you found the post helpful, Mar!
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Excellent post, Staci. Great tips for building tension and keeping the pace brisk. I find pacing is something I really have to pay attention to. Fantasy world-building can slow things down and yet readers really want it. They’ll complain about both in the same review! Lol. The solution, I think is to have tension woven into the worldbuilding to keep it interesting and support the pace. Lots to think about here!
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Fantasy and sci-fi do need to do more world-building than other genres. You balance both very well. And your tip about keeping tension high in the descriptions is spot-on. Thanks, Diana.
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Great post. I love how all of you SE writers work together to post on a topic. I get a lot out of that.
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I’m always grateful when someone can point out prior posts on a topic, so I try to do the same. Glad you find it useful, Jacqui.
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My critique partner is forever reminding me to add a hook to the end of my chapters. It makes a big difference, but I don’t always remember to do it. This is especially helpful advice/reminders for me. The entire list is great. Thanks, Staci.
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That’s why CPs are so valuable!
Glad you found the post useful, Judi. Thanks.
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This post comes at the perfect time for me, Staci. The story I am working on needs a little mystery added in. So, thanks for that!! Have a great weekend!
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I’m so happy this was a timely post for you. Thanks, Jan.
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Another wonderful post, Staci. You are a natural teacher and a beautiful writer. Thank you for guiding us through story development.
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Aww. Thank you so much, Gwen. I appreciate your kind words.
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Wonderful post, and thanks for the back-links.
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Always happy to share great content. Thanks, Craig.
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Reblogged this on Jeanne Owens, author.
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Thanks for sharing, Jeanne.
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You’re welcome. Thanks for the tips 🙂
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Great addition to the series, Staci! 🙂
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Thanks, Yvette!
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Great post, Staci. I love starting a book with a loss of some type. Matter of fact, I did that with my first novel when I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. This continues to be a wonderful series!
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You clearly had some idea of what you were doing!
I’m glad you’re enjoying the series. Thanks, Joan.
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I love a good chapter ending cliffhanger. Great information, Staci!
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Thanks so much, Jill.
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Thanks for this wonderfu series. Its so interesting to get an insight, how writers structure their thoughts, to offer best enjoyment. Best wishes, Michael
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So glad you found the post helpful, Michael!
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I really did, Staci! Sorry, i wanted to write “wonderful”, not something similar to KungFu. Lol xx Michael
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I hadn’t even noticed. Now I want to say that all the time!
Glad you had a great weekend.
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Thanks for reblogging, Michael.
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Thanks for always best and very useful information, Staci! Enjoy a beautiful weekend! xx Michael
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Wishing you a wonderful weekend, too.
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Reblogged this on Words on Paper.
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Thanks so much for sharing!
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You make it sound so easy, Staci… but I suppose it is, once you know what you’re doing. Still awaiting that golden moment!
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Oh, I think you’ve reached that golden moment. But I’m glad you see the value in the post. Many thanks.
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Your welcome, Staci…
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Excellent advice, Staci. When I come across advice like this I apply it to some of my favourite books and I can see its application – this is no exception!
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That’s excellent advice, Trish. We learn so much by doing, but we also learn by studying. Looking for these techniques in successful works of fiction helps us see how good stories are masterfully crafted. Great tip!
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