Tuesday Ten: Ways to Increase Story Tension

I frequently see advice to increase tension, up the stakes, or otherwise make things worse for our characters (poor things), but less often do I see advice on how to do this. Since this has always been a struggle for me, I figured some of you all might wonder, too <grin>. (And if you don’t wonder, don’t tell me—I like to think my foibles are part & parcel of being a writer…)

Here are some strategies I use to increase story tension:

1. Make more bad stuff happen. Yeah, this is probably a no-brainer, but since it's also the starting point for all the rest, I didn't feel right leaving it out. In order to have a story, you need to have conflict; in order to have conflict, your protagonist has to face some sort of challenge—and must surpass numerous obstacles before said challenge is overcome.
   

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Ten Reasons to Practice Freewriting

Many writers I know think of freewriting as writer-style therapy—a way to get worries out of your head and onto the page. However, freewriting has so many more applications. The Faculty Leadership for Writing Initiative at the University of Nebreska-Lincoln defines it as “an invention strategy where students write for a certain amount of time for the purpose of generating ideas…”

Great. But what does “generating ideas” really mean? The truth is that I don’t *want* new story ideas when I’m supposed to be editing my current work-in-progress. New story ideas = distractions, so if that’s your view of freewriting, you’ll probably shove it on the shelf until you’re ready for a new project (or a new therapy session…) And that would be a shame, because freewriting has a lot to offer writers at all stages and skill levels.

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Ten Gifts of Twitter

I consider myself a relative newbie to the Twitterverse, so it amuses me that friends and fellow writers ask me for Twitter advice. The #1 question I get is whether Twitter is worth the time investment—that is, what the heck do I get out of it?

So I figured I’d share my answer with you all, lovely readers and Tweeters. Feel free to chime in with thoughts on what Twitter gives to you!

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Dropbox: New Favorite Writing Tool for the Writer on the Move

My writing discovery of the month is a little tool called Dropbox. Dropbox is a tool that automatically syncs files stored in the Dropbox folder (on your computer) with the Dropbox server. It’s not just an online backup tool, though: the magic of Dropbox is that you can access—and edit—these files from numerous computers.

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Another iPhone App for Writers

I have to tag one more favorite application before moving on to other topics: BrainBaths.
BrainBaths uses something called “binaural beats” which, if I’m getting the concept, mimic specific types of brain waves in their rhythms. When you listen to binaural beats, they  somehow trigger those brain waves—for ex., for creativity, sleep, meditation, or focus.

From my in-depth research (involving at least five minutes), it sounds like this brain wave/binaural beat phenomenon is real.

I don’t know how much of the sounds’ effects have to do with the way they influence my brain waves and how much is just the power of suggestion, but when I’m stuck in a story, I turn to the “creativity” or “clear insights” channel—coupled with sounds of a nice mountain stream, meadow, or ocean waves—and usually have a creative breakthrough in fairly short order.

I also swear by its ability to put me to sleep in circumstances that aren’t sleep-conducive. :) The thing’s only $.99, so what the heck? If you have an iPhone, I’d give it a try!

:) Cheryl

Favorite iPhone Apps for Writers: the Creative Whack Pack

Over the years, I’ve used lots of creativity sparkers, writing prompts, idea generators, and so on—and this is different. Roger von Oech's Creative Whack Pack addresses core creativity issues and helps you come up with new ways to think about problems. Although I use the Whack Pack as an iPhone app, it was (and still is) originally available as an actual, hold-it-in-your hands deck of cards. 

The Creative Whack Pack consists of 64 cards, each describing a different creative thinking strategy. For instance, one strategy is “Look Somewhere Else.” The card highlights the concept that when you’re looking for new ideas, you won’t find them in the same old places.

Each card also includes questions to help you apply the concepts to your particular problem.

I bought the Creative Whack Pack as a writing tool, but I find I use it whenever I have a tricky problem to consider. By going through a “creative workshop”, I’m forced to look at problems from new angles, consider new solutions. Afterward, I always have new ideas to try.

Whether or not you have an iPhone, I’d consider getting a copy of these cards. They’re a great way to keep your mind sharp and stimulate creative thinking!

:) Cheryl