As writers, we all know the importance of building tension in our scenes to keep the reader moving along with us. As writers of middle grade, this is probably even more important than usual. Keeping the tension growing in a story ties right in with the pacing of the story, which in middle grade is one of the things that sets it apart. The pacing in middle grade has to move along at a good clip.
Sometimes the pacing of middle grade fiction makes the development of tension tricky. How can we keep the tension up with low word counts and short chapters? Let’s explore building tension in middle grade fiction by answering three questions.
When should we focus on building tension?
Where should we focus on building tension?
And how do we do it?
Crafting your story to pull your reader along through tension works best when you do it at the right times and places, and using techniques that work for middle grade kids. Using a sensory time warp approach is one tool to help you do it well.
The Sensory Time Warp Approach
How can you know when and where in the story the tension should be built? How do you do it? The answers to these questions will help you create a story that pulls your reader along.
When I work with authors on building tension in their scenes, I like to help them with what I call a ‘sensory time warp’ approach. We slow down time by amping up the sensory input for the main character, and then this time slowing actually builds tension.
I made this video where I talk about this approach to building tension, and then I share some examples from excellent middle grade stories. You can access the video Building Tension here.
Surprisingly, slowing down the action at exactly the right moment actually improves the pacing of the story. This technique works great for middle grade readers. Slowing things down in a time warp way and making the protagonist hyper-aware of their surroundings and what is going on will hook the reader in tight.
Tension In Your Story
The ‘sensory time warp’ approach is a tool to be used sparingly. But when you know exactly when and where to place it, it works like a charm. I created this worksheet to help you analyze your own scenes and determine the best placement for this tool. Click here to access the PDF Tension Tool Worksheet. Looking at your turning point scenes in a new way will help you build tension for your reader.
One of the best connection points with your middle grade reader is the pacing of your story. And building tension in just the right moments is a great way to connect.