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Tension Building Techniques

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Overview:

This guide provides an overview of six key techniques authors use to build tension in storytelling. It is designed for middle and upper years students.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand different methods for building tension in narratives.
  • Learn how to apply these techniques to enhance creative writing.
  • Analyse and identify effective tension-building strategies in literature.

How the Guide Works:

Students are introduced to six tension-building techniques with clear explanations for each. Techniques include:

  1. Use of the Five Senses: Creating vivid descriptions that engage the reader’s senses.
  2. Teasing with Clues: Dropping hints without revealing too much to build anticipation.
  3. Rising Action: Gradually increasing conflict or stakes leading to a climax.
  4. Varing Sentence Length: Quick, abrupt sentences to convey urgency and intensify action.
  5. Dynamic Verbs: Choosing powerful action words to create a sense of motion and tension.
  6. Personifying Nouns: Giving abstract ideas or inanimate objects human-like qualities to heighten emotional impact.

This guide helps students understand how these techniques are used to make writing compelling and suspenseful.

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