One of the toughest things to do in fiction or creative nonfiction writing, in my professional opinion, is to create strong, believable tension. Without tension—between the protagonist and a villain, the protagonist and him/herself, the protagonist and the environment, etc—you really don’t have much of a story. And it’s unlikely readers will want to follow you far through the jungle of your narrative.
Interesting. But I would add this observation: Even more vital to the story than the infusion of tension is the manner in which that tension is released or resolved. That, to me, is the writer’s greatest challenge.
Fantastic discussion about a key ingredient in engaging writing: Tension. Thank you Michael for your examples and I will definitely add a bit of this seasoning to my upcoming memoir. After doing a bit of a deep dive on your writing, I feel like I know you much better as a writer. It was interesting to learn about your background and significant experience as both a writer and an editor.
Excellent!
Interesting. But I would add this observation: Even more vital to the story than the infusion of tension is the manner in which that tension is released or resolved. That, to me, is the writer’s greatest challenge.
Fantastic discussion about a key ingredient in engaging writing: Tension. Thank you Michael for your examples and I will definitely add a bit of this seasoning to my upcoming memoir. After doing a bit of a deep dive on your writing, I feel like I know you much better as a writer. It was interesting to learn about your background and significant experience as both a writer and an editor.