Balancing Tension

Like so much in writing, getting the tension right in a novel can be a balancing act. Too much tension and readers become exhausted and turned off, but too little tension and they just don't care about the characters or what happens. The best way to get the tension right is to pay attention to what works and what doesn't as you read.

Last week, I read a novel that had almost no tension. The plot was good - the heroine had to flee for her and unborn child's lives after her husband died and his younger brother didn't want any heirs to usurp his new position. Both main characters were likable. However, I found myself not really caring what happened, because there was no tension between the hero and heroine. All deliberations were internal and the plot never put anyone in actual danger.

I have also read books that had so much tension I couldn't read it for long. It was just too exhausting, almost to the point of torment. You want to produce page-turners, not turn the reader off. The best books fall somewhere in between these two extremes. Thankfully, more writers get this right than get it wrong, because there's a wide area between the two extremes. However, be aware that the author who said keep pouring on the worst you can think of for your characters got it wrong. Throw in some of the worst but give breaks along the way, too. Let some good things happen now and then, even before the conclusion. You want your readers to care enough to keep turning those pages but not be in agony most of the book.

________________________________