In the last plot point, the main character came out with a win. The most story-logical next big plot point must, therefore, be a failure. After all, where’s the tension for the reader otherwise? This Crisis marks the end of the middle of your book. This failure fires your main character from a […]
This is the second pop quiz. If the Midpoint was about changing from reacting to acting, then Pop Quiz 2 is about changing from loosing to winning. Readers everywhere see this as a sign that ultimate victory is possible for the main character. This doesn’t mean you make it easy for your character. It needs […]
I love the midpoint of novels. I tend to be a proactive person. It is like Midpoints were made for me. On the outside, the Midpoint can be new information and/or a confrontation. It is the second-most tense time in your story. But what I love most is the inside of the […]
Introduce the Unknown and you will have the reader on edge — an immediate increase in reader tension. You can do this at any point. I think Middles are particularly well-suited for doing this since Beginings are for set-up, Endings are for wrap-ups, but Middles are for complications. And what is more intriguing and unsettling […]
How can you increase reader tension? I mentioned that it isn’t the character that has to feel the tension but the reader. One way to achieve this is through tweaks to your main characters. Remember that surprise is key to reader tension. One reason readers become complacent is that over time, they learn to predict […]
Does your story drag when you reread it, despite a well-conceived plot? You may be having trouble with dramatic tension. A feeling of tension in the reader is vital to building suspense because it keeps the reader from feeling complacent. Reader complacency is the enemy to tension. A reader can still feel complacent — and […]
