Building Tension in Your Writing

Whether you are a writer, speaker, or musician, creating tension followed by resolution is critical in your work. Without it, the work becomes flat and forgotten. Tension has a cycle to it. It must strain to a breaking point, and then release, but the timing is critical. You must know instinctively how far to stretch your audience and when to release the stress, or you will lose them.

Example from
The Killer Show

“I froze. Next to the muffin pan, a note read:
'Be careful little eyes what you see
Be careful little mouth what you say
Be careful what you do. I'm always watching you
You can never be too careful in the dark.'
I swallowed my fear.
What if he’s still be in the house?  
Think. Think!
I grabbed my phone. My hands were shaking. I misdialed. Hung up. Tried again.
While waiting for the cops to arrive, I called Darcy and told her about the note.
‘I’ll be right there’, she said.”