‘Tension on every page’ is, according to literary agent Donald Maass, the secret ingredient that keeps readers coming back for more.

In this interactive workshop, you’ll learn how to hook the reader from page one and keep them turning the pages by creating tension through dialogue, body language, word choice and setting. You’ll learn which details to withhold and when, how to use backstory judiciously, and the importance of characterization and narrative structure.

Join Pamela Cook, author of four page-turning novels, who will use examples from contemporary fiction to discuss the key elements of writing and sustaining tension. In class, you’ll work through a series of exercises that will hone your skills and have you racing home eager to work on your manuscript. Regardless of genre, if you want to write a page-turner, this workshop is for you.

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Expected Learning Outcomes

1. Participants will be able to identify a lack of tension in a piece of writing.
2. Participants will understand the variety of ways tension can be increased.
3. Participants will learn to improve the level of tension in a manuscript using various techniques.

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Participant Requirements

Pen and paper or laptop
One scene from your current work in progress