Hi friend,
Have you ever felt like your story needed a little more excitement… so you added another twist?
I’ve done that too.
But here’s the truth: more twists don’t always create more suspense.
Sometimes they just make the story harder to follow.
Real suspense comes when things get harder for your character—not just more complicated.
It comes down to this:
What does your character stand to lose?
And even more important…
How personal is that loss?
Instead of adding something new, try deepening what’s already there.
Take one scene and raise the stakes by:
* Increasing the personal cost
* Adding a time limit
* Forcing a moral choice
That last one is especially powerful.
When your character has to choose between what’s easy and what’s right, readers lean in.
Try this:
Go back to a scene you’ve already written and raise the stakes in just one of these ways.
You might be surprised how much stronger it becomes.
I’d love to hear what you discover.
Cheering you on,
Kathy Cretsinger