Common Writing Mistakes: Tension Headaches

Tension headaches, tension in relationships, tense meetings, tense conversations — we all hate it. Right?

Can tension be good? A tense fishing line means a good catch. I know my seldom-used sewing machine has a tension adjustment knob — I’m not sure what it does, but it must be important.

Tension is not only good in story-writing — it is critical. It’s what keeps us interested and turning the pages. A lack of conflict and tension is one area in which many new writers struggle. We become so attached to our characters that we don’t want to cause them undue pain. Conflict and tension are created when a character must struggle to achieve that which they desire. I remember author Tricia Goyer (teaching a class in plot twists at the 2009 Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference) saying that you should figure out that place your character least wants to go — and then take them there.

My friends and I often moan about kids movies, paticularly those made by Disney. “They’re so intense. Why do the bad guys have to be SO frightening? Why such evil? Don’t these writers have kids?” And yet, we keep going back. Why? Because happy-happy stories about princesses who get every desire fulfilled and never struggle are just plain boring. We like to watch people struggle against impossible odds and succeed. It’s our human story.

So, how do you ramp up the tension in your story? Make sure you are truly aware of your character’s strongest inner desires. Do they want to be successful? Get them fired. Loved? Have them spurned. Secure? Oh, boy… let the flood waters rise.

Of course, a little romantic tension always causes sparks.

So, don’t be too nice to those characters. Make them work and struggle. Break them and put them back together. Better yet — have them figure out how to put themselves back together. You may be suprised to learn that they are tougher than they look.