Every story should have some tension in each scene, though the level of tension will vary. Major turning points in the plot, like the midpoint or climax, will be higher while the connecting scenes might just have a low level of tension. But beyond just putting your characters in danger, how do you create tension in scenes? There are a lot of little ways, but I find it simplest to explain it thought the narrative modes. Let’s look at all five modes and how they can be used to create subtle lines of tension that will heighten the impact of the whole scene.
Narrative Modes
Narrative modes are methods of conveying story, and they include: action, description, exposition, interiority, and dialogue. Each mode adds something unique to stories that allows readers to understand what’s happening and feel the impact of it. Without action, characters would just be floating consciousnesses. Without description, the story would unfold in a vacuum. Without interiority, the tale would just be a play-by-play of events without any meaningful impact. You get the point. All five modes must be present for a balanced and well-communicated tale. If you’d like to learn more about these modes, you can read my post on the five narrative modes. For now though, let’s move on to how you can use each mode to increase tension in a scene.
Creating Tension In The 5 Narrative Modes
Below I’m going to break down how each narrative mode can add tension to your scene. Please note though that while you should have every mode present in each scene, they don’t all have to add tension in every scene. Like I said earlier, you won’t want extreme tension in every scene as the high anxiety will wear out your readers. They need time to decompress as well. But adding just a bit of tension in one or two of these areas will keep each scene engaging and the reader wanting to know what happens next.
1. Action
Action is what is happening to characters and how they act themselves in the story. This mode is the easiest to use for creating tension because you just have to introduce possible danger in whatever is happening. Make another character aggressive toward the protagonist, create a life-threatening event, or simply have the protagonist do something that could end badly. Any action done by or done to the character that could be dangerous will create tension in the story.
Here is an example of a tense action sentence: He stepped forward, hands clenched. We have a character being aggressive, and the action is clearly confrontational…maybe even the first step in a fight. Another example is: He caught a flash of movement out the window, then the glass shattered and pain erupted in his shoulder. We have a fast, unexpected event to create tension, and the character is in physical danger.
Just to prove that the action doesn’t have to be directly meant to harm another, here is one more example: He jumped on the dirt bike, not bothering to listen to his dad’s instructions. I didn’t have to say he was in danger, but you can tell, right? His dad wouldn’t bother giving instructions if the boy knew how to ride a dirt bike. So, the question (and tension) is: Will he wreck the bike and hurt himself? Any time you can make the outcome of an action uncertain, you can add tension.
2. Description
Description is the sensory details in the story that make the setting come alive. This narrative mode takes a little more thought than action in order to create tension. The way you describe things sets the mood. If the setting is dark and foreboding, that will make anything that happens appear in a different light than if the setting felt happy and welcoming.
Yet you don’t have to just use eerie or sinister descriptions to cause tension. Contradictions in descriptions can be nerve-racking. Walking into a daycare painted with rainbows and smelling of cookies to find the owner’s dead body is conflicting. The unexpected creates all kinds of questions, and the contradiction of setting and situation makes it feel like killing can happen anywhere. Tension skyrockets because it’s unsettling. If you can write descriptions so that ideas are in conflict, you will create a subtle level of tension in your scenes.
I’ve already thrown out some general examples, but let’s look at a specific sentence: He stomped down the stairs like a giant boulder in a landslide, shaking the ground and flattening anything or anyone in his way. We are just describing how this man walks, but you get the idea that tension is high. The man is upset, probably after someone. It might be your protagonist. Let’s do one more example: Soot clung to the young boy’s eyelashes, the scent of smoke wafting off him. I don’t need to tell you that tension is high in this description. Why is the boy covered in soot? Why does he smell of smoke? It could be he was just playing in the chimney, or there could have been an accident. Even if it turns out to be nothing bad, you’ve created some tension for your readers in the small details.
3. Exposition
Exposition is the information readers need to understand the story, such as character backstory and worldbuilding. A lot of times, writers will info dump all these facts and bore the readers. Instead, try using exposition to create tension. Give your character past conflicts that affect the present. If it’s a romance, insert bad relationships in her backstory and use those to create more conflict in your story. If her last boyfriend cheated with her best friend, then she’ll have trust issues in both friendships and romantic relationships. You can do a similar thing with world building. If the story is based in a small town, make that town a close knit community that doesn’t welcome outsiders. Then drop in your protagonist who’s a new resident. Find ways to give history to both the world and characters so that past experiences shape how they act in your story.
One example of an exposition sentence creating tension is: Even though he was late, he didn’t take Onward Lane. He’d never take that road again. I just gave you one fact about our protagonist; he avoids Onward Lane. Notice I didn’t tell you why. There is no need to dump all the details about how his high school sweetheart was murdered on that road. Just knowing he would never use that street is enough to cause tension and make readers wonder. They know there is conflict, but not what or why. That can be revealed later when it’s important (perhaps when his current girlfriend’s car breaks down on that road). For now, we just want to succeed in causing a little tension in what could be a boring driving scene.
Here is an example of a worldbuilding exposition sentence: He stood at the bridge’s guardhouse, the one built fifty years ago to keep his kind out of the more civilized part of the city. If we only had the action beat of him standing at the guardhouse, there would be no tension. It’s the exposition, the fact his kind aren’t allowed passed, that causes the conflict. Is he trying to pass it and enter the city? What happens if he’s caught? What did his people do to be kicked out? That little bit of history gets us more interested in the story and creates tension in the present scene.
4. Interiority
Interiority is when you show the character’s thoughts and feelings. There is a lot of tension that can be created with a character’s internal workings. You can have the protagonist feel one thing but act in a different way. There can be conflicting emotions, like the enemies-lovers trope when the couple hates each other but then something changes and they have to reconcile the love they feel with the hate they clung to for most of the book. Emotions at war always cause tension because you never know which one will win in the end. Feelings aren’t logical so the ending is never certain.
Let’s look at this example of tension in interiority: He hated the useless drunk who called herself his mother, but he hated himself even more for standing taller after just one kind word from her. Here we have conflicting emotions. He seems to dislike his mother, but he also wants her praise. Another example that creates tension is: He held out a cup of tea to the fairy, her wide innocent eyes beaming with gratitude. He smiled back, hoping the poison in her cup wouldn’t kill her. Here we have action beats and a description of the fairy that should mean a happy scene, but the second sentence of interiority shows the hidden negative side. Smiling and poison are conflicting signals that cause tension. In real life, people can act one way and feel another so this kind of contradiction makes characters feel realistic.
5. Dialogue
Dialogue is anytime someone is speaking in the story. Communication is full of chances for tension. Disagreements, secrets, and misunderstandings, are just a few ways to use dialogue to create tension. You can have characters purposefully create conflict by what they say, or it can be accidental. After all, no two people will understand something the same way. Regardless of the characters intent, every time a mouth opens there should be some underlying sense of tension. Typically, dialogue is paired with either action or interiority to heighten the tension by showing motivations for or conflicting signals with the words said.
Here is one example of dialogue creating tension: “Good morning, Mr. Slade. Would you like to step into my car or shall I have you wrestled inside?” This quote is full of tension. We have a cordial greeting followed by what would seem to be a possible kidnapping. There is no doubt the speaker came for a confrontation and feels comfortable with it. His easy manner paired with the threat creates instant tension.
Another example paired with the action narrative mode is: “She means nothing to me,” he said as his gaze wandered toward her table. If she means nothing, why does he feel compelled to look at her? Contradiction of his words and actions create tension.
Here is one more example of dialogue paired with interiority to cause tension: “Of course I’ll ride the roller coaster with you,” he said to his daughter, trying desperately to squash his already unsettled stomach. His words are very positive, giving the idea that he’d never consider any other option. Yet we see he’s already dreading the ride. This sentence creates tension as we hope he can get through the ride without having issues, but it also makes him likable since he’s willing to put his own discomfort aside for his daughter. It makes us root for him, creating tension in the reader as we hope for a good outcome.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully these were helpful suggestions for you to find simple ways to create tension in your story. Remember, some scenes just need a touch of tension here and there, and other scenes you’ll want to create tension in all five narrative modes. Highlighting the conflict will get your readers attention and create a good story. So go have fun with it and see what subtle and intense ways you can increase tension in your story.
Thanks for reading!
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