Tension is the drama keeps the audience reading. The key to suspenseful writing is that the tension must build steadily. The reader needs to care about the main character and begin to make predictions or wonder what might happen to them as the story or scene unfolds. The slow rise in tension is an important element in storytelling. In most children’s books there is the three-stage drama structure that unfolds either throughout the entire story or within a particular scene. Most children know that their writing requires a conflict, but understanding how to build tension as the conflict or drama rises can be quite challenging. There are two main types of conflict that can be built up towards. There are danger scenes or there are obstacle scenes. To demonstrate this impact of tension there are many different comparisons made; but for danger we like the fire analogy and obstacles, the mountain analogy.
Danger: spark – flame – fire
Obstacles: bump – hill – mountain
Using the rule of three we can build tension if we consider problems like the development of a fire. Let’s take a look at a common scene from a movie where a fire begins. The audience is always alerted to the presence of danger by a spark – an electricity box sparking due to an overload allows the viewers to understand that this will lead to some greater problems. The next time we visit this scene, the spark will grow into a flame and the scene cuts to the baby asleep in the house. The tension is building as the audience has confirmed the danger they were anticipating as the flame starts to travel and a greater consequence can be foreseen. Finally, the flame catches hold and a fire has engulfed the scene. The danger is now immense and there will be a need for this conflict to be resolved before the story can continue.
Danger: spark – flame – fire
Obstacles: bump – hill – mountain
Using the rule of three we can build tension if we consider problems like the development of a fire. Let’s take a look at a common scene from a movie where a fire begins. The audience is always alerted to the presence of danger by a spark – an electricity box sparking due to an overload allows the viewers to understand that this will lead to some greater problems. The next time we visit this scene, the spark will grow into a flame and the scene cuts to the baby asleep in the house. The tension is building as the audience has confirmed the danger they were anticipating as the flame starts to travel and a greater consequence can be foreseen. Finally, the flame catches hold and a fire has engulfed the scene. The danger is now immense and there will be a need for this conflict to be resolved before the story can continue.
Application
How do we apply this to a written scene? A great example of how to practice drawing out tension can be through a scene of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ or through a real-life experience. If we want to build tension, we start with the spark: the indication that a dangerous situation is on the horizon and then zoom in until the true magnitude of the danger is at our doorstep.
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Spark: Establishes drama. Flame: Raises level of tension. Fire: Climax where a dramatic action is required to resolve. |
The Three Little Pigs (a scene)
The first little pig has finished building its house of straw when in the distance it sees a lone suspicious figure approaching. The little pig discovers the figure is not only a wolf, but the Big, Bad, Wolf who is asking to gain entry or attempting to find a way into the little pig’s sanctuary. On being refused, the wolf becomes angry and decides to break in (blow down the house). |
The Magpie (real-life)
Walking through the park in spring time the narrator sees a magpie nearby. The narrator alters their behaviour to avoid the magpie but the magpie changes its position from the ground to one of higher ground. The magpie swoops down and begins to chase the narrator. |
Both of these examples demonstrate the way tension can be built within the scene or throughout a text. They don’t jump to the main problem and rush the reader through the text. They slow the text down so that the audience can connect with the scene and link their feelings with what is happening. It allows the audience to become active participants within the text as they predict and draw conclusions from the clues being left by the writer.
By overcoming these builds in tension, we can learn about characters in tough situations which allows them to grow and change throughout the text.
By overcoming these builds in tension, we can learn about characters in tough situations which allows them to grow and change throughout the text.
Hints for creating tension
- Write shorter sentences
- Use shorter words
- Show, don’t tell
- Reveal each part of the story slowly – tiny action
- Show emotions – show, don’t tell feelings
- Imagine that you are in the scene and walk yourself through the stages – deep description of setting
- Use dialogue
- Reveal a character’s inner thoughts
- Use contrast to create a shift in mood within the story. E.g. Change from bright & sunny to dark & gloomy
Creating opportunities to understand and create tension-based writing pieces is essential in developing further techniques in young writers. The clear and precise planning for tension-based writing is essential. Children need to explore the environment and situation and come up with a range of possible problems. Once problems are identified, children can then choose the most suitable problems that can be added to their text.
Scenarios
Scenario writing gives children a place to start. It could be a setting, a situation or a well-known tale. Children revise and plan possible points of tension to explore within the given scenario. From this planning children attempt to write a text rich in tension. This is not about writing an entire story; it is jumping in midway through and building tension. At times, a lead followed by tension may be used to join the parts of a story together.
Rewriting
The rewrite strategy involves student being provided with a scene from a text. The scene could be a good or poor example of an effective dramatic writing. Students read the text and pull out the main parts of the text. Then, using the same core story elements, students brainstorm extra ideas and problems that could be used to improve the quality of the build of tension. Students combine the ideas with their own thoughts to rewrite an effective dramatic piece.
Fluency
Writing fluency tasks provide the perfect opportunity for students to practice their tension-based writing. A range of topics, scenarios or images could be used in a short, sharp time period to have the students attempt to engage the reader with an effective piece of dramatic writing. Being short and sharp, these tasks will provide many samples that can be explored, reviewed and rewritten to develop continual improvement.
Understanding how to create tension in written pieces helps children learn how to connect and engage their audience. Learning that it needs to build slowly by building suspense and tapping into the audience's reading strategies makes the reader care about what is occurring on the page.