Resist resolution . . .

To keep your scenes full of tension, resist the temptation to resolve things. If a character says something terrible to someone she loves, don't have her apologize. Yet. Let the suspense of that fracture in the relationship span over into another chapter. Or several. Let the readers feel the full impact of the hurt and the betrayal.

 

 

 

One of my favorite examples of creating tension by leaving something hurtful hanging is from the movie The Queen of Hearts (1989, screenplay by Tony Grisoni....