Building Tension In Your Writing

 Action scenes are some of my favorite scenes to write. I love them!

 

As someone with a background in performing, action scenes allow me to escape into the moment and feel what the character is feeling. Sometimes I close my eyes and type as I see the scene unfolding before my eyes...imagine what my character is feeling, seeing, smelling, and even tasting in that moment. If I can put myself into the scene, feel what my character is feeling, the words tend to flow.

 

When I writing the confrontation with the villain of the story in Strictly professional, my heart was pumping as I imagined the feel of a gun being pressed to my heroine's head. Thinking of how her heart would be racing caused my own heart rate to accelerate and my fingers flew across the keys.

 

Not every writer does this, put themselves into a character's head/body. Some take the position of observers. They are a fly on the wall as it were, taking in the situation and describing it. When using this method, description of the scene and the situation becomes extremely important.

 

Let's look at these two methods in more detail.

 

Writing a scene where the author is experiencing what the character is may read something like this:

 

Blood pounded in her ears as he took another step forward her. She was aware of the gun in his hand, but she couldn't take her gaze off his eyes. They were wild. Crazy. She knew she wouldn't be able to reason with him. A shiver ran up her spine as he reached for her.

 

If writing this scene from an observational standpoint, it might read something like this:

 

She stood, watching him move toward her, her eyes wide and the pulse in her neck thumping rapidly. Her gaze never left him as he closed the distance. She looked about to bolt, but there was no where to go. He reached for her and a strangled cry left her lips.

 

The scenes are very similar, but there are some distinct differences.

 

Which one calls to you more?

 

Honestly, it depends on your personal preference. Both can be used and done well. Both can create tension and put the reader in the moment.

 

No matter which writing style you prefer, one of the best tools an author has in creating tension are choppy sentences. 

 

What creates more of an emotional reaction?

 

She was almost there. Only one more step to go.

 

Or

 

She was almost there. One. More. Step.

 

The first is very conversational. It flows smoothly and sometimes that's exactly what you want. But it doesn't create a lot of tension. The second sentence, however, gives the impression that this last step is a big one...that there's effort involved in taking it.

 

One of the biggest challenges of being a writer when it comes to craft is knowing when to use longer sentences that flow and when to use shorter, choppier sentences. Connecting with a story is all about emotions and picking the write sentences structure can make all the difference.