Turning the Screws: Building Tension in Storytelling

Tension is the heartbeat of story. It’s what makes readers turn the page in both fiction and non-fiction. In this practical one-day workshop for writers working in any genre, you’ll learn how to create, sustain and escalate tension at every level, from the pulse of a single sentence to the high stakes of a final climax.

You’ll explore how conflict, desire, obstacles, information withholding and uncertainty drive story momentum through discussion, close reading and hands-on exercises. You’ll experiment with pacing, subtext, atmosphere and vulnerability, discovering how to make every scene matter and every choice count. By the end of the day, you’ll have sharpened your instincts for suspense, learnt to spot tension killers and discovered how to turn up the pressure until your readers can’t look away.

Sarah Vincent is a published author of fiction and non-fiction. Her memoir Death By Dim Sum was published by Penguin Random House in 2017 and by Audible in 2018.