In a guest post on the Killzone blog, Becca Puglisi of the Writers Helping Writers blog discusses the difference between conflict and narrative tension.
Puglisi herself recognized the distinction when a critique partner commented that her manuscript – which was full of bad things happening to the protagonist – lacked tension.
Conflict is when an obstacle prevents a character from achieving a goal. In contrast, tension is “an emotional response from the reader, and conflict is one of the things that elicits it,” Puglisi explains. “Where conflict occurs, the character should be feeling some of that tension. If the reader feels it too, an emotional bond is forged that puts the reader more firmly in the character’s corner, rooting for them and turning pages to see if they succeed.” Conflict is the plot point, tension is the mood you create.
So how do you do it? Puglisi shares some advice.
- Include conflict in every scene.
- Use a variety of conflict scenarios. Some conflicts may be physical and others emotional. Some may be internal to your character.
- Use that internal conflict as your characters struggle with inner demons.
- Create high stakes. When your characters want something, whether they get it should matter.
