tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post8246995314179453797..comments2023-07-26T06:29:26.043-06:00Comments on Cheryl's Musings: Tuesday Ten: Ways to Increase Story TensionCheryl Reifhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01717232463223093632noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-16245059654992789112011-10-03T10:26:04.229-06:002011-10-03T10:26:04.229-06:00These are all great tips. The publicity/public em...These are all great tips. The publicity/public embarrassment could be terrific for a character very concerned about what others think. Which ties in to #10. Thank you!Beverly Diehlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00392288953821757887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-10051432230592610442011-10-01T03:45:33.537-06:002011-10-01T03:45:33.537-06:00Tip Number 10 is the best one for me. Great post.Tip Number 10 is the best one for me. Great post.Fiona Ingramhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12858421058191075567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-11142978754221464252011-09-29T09:34:24.915-06:002011-09-29T09:34:24.915-06:00Thanks, everyone! Glad to know I can help you all ...Thanks, everyone! Glad to know I can help you all make your characters' lives more complicated (MWAHH HAA HAA!) (Hmm. Not sure I've got the evil laughter thing down...)Cheryl Reifhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01717232463223093632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-42112048807282243122011-09-29T07:50:59.719-06:002011-09-29T07:50:59.719-06:00Love this. I'm going to keep this checklist be...Love this. I'm going to keep this checklist beside me as I edit ;) And this post is SOOO going on The Writer's Resource!Music City Romance Writershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08743570081007309214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-83353250214076623572011-09-28T21:04:50.087-06:002011-09-28T21:04:50.087-06:00I ditto everyone else--this is really good stuff! ...I ditto everyone else--this is really good stuff! Thanks, Cheryl!! A great list! ;o)Carol Riggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14092209912983783974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-56338228766413523952011-09-28T14:15:51.538-06:002011-09-28T14:15:51.538-06:00Excellent post! I will star this one.Excellent post! I will star this one.Kate Avery Ellisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16639363051736890588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-39357288697858298702011-09-28T13:58:52.650-06:002011-09-28T13:58:52.650-06:00Thanks for such a great post! I'm finding that...Thanks for such a great post! I'm finding that my current WIP is sagging in the middle because my my MC doesn't have the stakes of failure in mind most of the time. It's great to identify the problem...then it can be fixed!Emily Gray Clawsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05705620713656248575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-51639536400296787822011-09-28T13:47:00.858-06:002011-09-28T13:47:00.858-06:00Great advice. I might also add that one more way t...Great advice. I might also add that one more way to add tension is to make the reader care about the main character's success. If the reader feels the main character deserves to win because he or she has suffered, sacrificed, put other people's needs ahead of his own, etc. the reader will be more anxious to see the main character succeed.Glen C. Strathyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14930444157191256856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-74435114767709152592011-09-28T13:39:42.581-06:002011-09-28T13:39:42.581-06:00Yes! The writer's most important job is to ma...Yes! The writer's most important job is to make the character's life absolutely miserable. Take everything away and make it almost impossible to get it back. These are all great suggestions. Thanks!Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04424916866396539422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-18853592043091632352011-09-28T10:09:21.025-06:002011-09-28T10:09:21.025-06:00Hi Nadja, thank you!Hi Nadja, thank you!Cheryl Reifhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01717232463223093632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-82839160901990563872011-09-28T09:52:17.155-06:002011-09-28T09:52:17.155-06:00I've featured a link back to your blog as well...I've featured a link back to your blog as well as a link to your post at Wild Writers! You've done a smash-up job with these two posts. I've enjoyed reading. ~ NadjaNadja Notarianihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01339595239944177531noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-91514794202259269282011-09-28T08:58:15.408-06:002011-09-28T08:58:15.408-06:00Solid tips Cheryl. I love keeping the poor charact...Solid tips Cheryl. I love keeping the poor characters under the hammer… the pressure for surrounding events adds to the overall tension. Sure they're stressed about one thing but the mundane things continually add bits of stress to the overall.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01046515540256155412noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-19517024939167795702011-09-28T08:48:15.682-06:002011-09-28T08:48:15.682-06:00Hi Robin, glad this was useful! Good luck with tha...Hi Robin, glad this was useful! Good luck with that rewrite/edit.<br /><br />Jason, I know what you mean--I want my stories to be the kind that keep people up waaaay later than they intended!Cheryl Reifhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01717232463223093632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-33867457736420986662011-09-27T21:39:53.492-06:002011-09-27T21:39:53.492-06:00Great post, Thanks! I just joined your blog.
Whe...Great post, Thanks! I just joined your blog. <br /><br />When I read I want my muscles to literally tense up, it makes the pay off so much more fulfilling as a reader when the MC gets through to the other side. The "how the hell will she get out of this?" to the "whoa, that was awesome". I can't wait to apply some of your tips to some slow spots in my story.Jason Runnelshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16656622649601360477noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-83523876787929320002011-09-27T09:18:17.756-06:002011-09-27T09:18:17.756-06:00Timely words for me as I work away at editing my n...Timely words for me as I work away at editing my novel. It really does help to see some examples about how to apply that oft seen advice. Thanks, Cheryl!Robin Lythgoehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06432411701244810312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-4528828348240004792011-09-27T09:00:04.785-06:002011-09-27T09:00:04.785-06:00Awww, you guys are sweet! Thank you! I'm so gl...Awww, you guys are sweet! Thank you! I'm so glad this was helpful :). Now I'm off to apply these tips to my own WIP....Cheryl Reifhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01717232463223093632noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-45799542660544990672011-09-27T07:54:30.719-06:002011-09-27T07:54:30.719-06:00Great post, Cheryl. Agents have told me that my WI...Great post, Cheryl. Agents have told me that my WIP is "too quiet," and your suggestions will be very helpful as I work to increase the conflict. Thank you so much!Pam Asberryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00700210661754783889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6938208880471782677.post-44672362961989240582011-09-27T01:26:27.939-06:002011-09-27T01:26:27.939-06:00This is one of the BEST posts on tension I've ...This is one of the BEST posts on tension I've EVER read. Exactly like you said - everyone tells us to ratchet up tension without saying HOW and here you've just given applicable methods a la Donald Maass, the master of practical writing advice. Well done.Sophia Changhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10946233873722107937noreply@blogger.com