The appeal of story is the same reason we do a lot of things we enjoy: baking or gardening or bungee jumping. Itâs not just to achieve the end product, or weâd go buy a box of doughnuts or an eggplant or just stay down there on the ground. The journey is the pointâthose moments flailing through the air on the end of a glorified rubber band. For a few breathless moments you get to experience the thrill of uncertaintyâwill the soufflĂ© riseâŠhow big will my watermelon getâŠis that thing going to snap in midair? Thatâs why we read (or watch) stories. And the crucial tools a writer uses to create that delicious uncertainty are suspense and tension.
Suspense and tension are among the most important elements of compelling, readable stories that grab your reader and compel her to turn the pageâin every single genre. These two key craft elements are the engine of story.
The terms are often used interchangeably, and theyâre intimately related, but suspense is more an element of story and tension an element of scene. Both create a question in the readerâs mind: In oversimplified terms, with suspense itâs âWhat happens next?â and with tension, âHow will the character overcome
In this detailed exploration into these concepts, learn why a lack of tension and suspense may be whatâs keeping you from that publishing contract or bestseller list, or costing you reader investment. Weâll examine how to determine whether you have enough suspense and tension in your story, along with tips for how to develop these elements so that readers are compelled to keep turning pages.
Filled with practical examples, this live webinar will let you wield these powerful tools to amp up your storyâs impact and effectiveness and keep readers hooked.
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Meet the instructor
Tiffany Yates Martin
Tiffany Yates Martin has spent her entire career as an editor in the publishing industry, working with major publishers and New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling and award-winning authors as well as indie and newer writers. She is the founder of FoxPrint Editorial (named one of Writerâs Digestâs Best Websites for Authors) and author of Intuitive Editing: A Creative and Practical Guide to Revising Your Writing and her latest, The Intuitive Author: How to Grow & Sustain a Happier Writing Career. She is a regular contributor to writersâ outlets like Writerâs Digest, Jane Friedman, and Writer Unboxed, and a frequent presenter and keynote speaker for writersâ organizations around the country. Under her pen name, Phoebe Fox, she is the author of six novels.
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