forum How to add tension!!!

Started February 09, 2019 by @Joy_

tune

Hey guys! Tension and conflict is my middle name! Just give me a little background and I will give you some ideas to spice up your story!

Heyo! I’m planning a digital comic for a school assignment! The plot centers on the crew of a exploration/science research spaceship who pick up a distress signal from a outpost that mysteriously went off grid years (probably a decade or 2) ago. I’ll elaborate tomorrow, I’ve gotta go to bed because I can’t think straight. But I’ve got a quick question. What environment would work better: a facility located on a fairly habitable planet, or a station orbiting a planet?

Hmm… that's a bit of a hard decision. I think that it depends on where you want to story to lead, and where you want your characters to go in the future. If you base it in the space station, your movement options might be limited, but you could always add escape pods if you wanted them to flee at one point or another. In a facility on a planet, you have a load more options for movement, but that also means it may get tricky to contain the story. If you go with the planet, make sure to give backstory saying WHY it isn't inhabited, and why the facility was abandoned. Same with the space station. With either option long deserted hallways are totally great for ominous scenes, and with the station orbiting the planet, it could be easy to get lost or trapped, so if there are any chases that need extra tension, that's a good way to do it.

Okay, thank you! The outpost doubled as a laboratory for a company of dubious ethics that shut down for reasons that involve said ethics. Two things that form the plot are specimens that were collected from the planet, and a surviving lab scientist who proves to be a deranged android. I haven’t fully decided what the specimens look like, but they’re small and/or flexible enough to crawl into places and screw with tech, and are toxic in some way. The android’s directive is to preserve and continue operations at the station, regardless of of who objects.
If I need to elaborate more, I’ll do my best.

Wow! That's really cool! What is your protagonist like?

Imma follow this for future references

Okay cool!

My story is supposed to be really intense and includes a lot of sensitive subjects. I'm not sure how to write them and make them intense without going too far. How much detail is too much detail? How do I create tension in an extremely upsetting scene without going overboard?

I think It depends on the topics really. What are they?

Wow! That's really cool! What is your protagonist like?

She’s the technician on the crew. She’s a rational, straightforward person. Pretty chill, a bit grouchy, doesn’t trust easily, tends to distance herself emotionally, and a quick thinker. Also an ISTP if you know MBTI, and probably chaotic neutral. Is 65% deaf, has hearing aids. Doesn’t wear them all the time.
Her bio’s public if you want to take a look.

I think It depends on the topics really. What are they?

School shootings, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and emotional abuse.

I think It depends on the topics really. What are they?

School shootings, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and emotional abuse.

Okay, so if you want to add a lot of tension to these scenes without going overbored, I would take the small details and make them seems big. Give them echoy, surreal feelings. Make the tiny details stand out in order to give it a tense feeling without going overbored on details that could more disturb a person.

Wow! That's really cool! What is your protagonist like?

She’s the technician on the crew. She’s a rational, straightforward person. Pretty chill, a bit grouchy, doesn’t trust easily, tends to distance herself emotionally, and a quick thinker. Also an ISTP if you know MBTI, and probably chaotic neutral. Is 65% deaf, has hearing aids. Doesn’t wear them all the time.
Her bio’s public if you want to take a look.

Wow, she seems really cool! How are you planning on having her interact with the androids and the specimens? If they kinda join her or go against her, there are a lot of little things you can do to make interactions between them more tense and friction-filled.

(It’s just one Android)
I was thinking the Android would be antagonistic, being part of the reason the outpost disappeared in the first place.
I can further elaborate if needed.

I think It depends on the topics really. What are they?

School shootings, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and emotional abuse.

Okay, so if you want to add a lot of tension to these scenes without going overbored, I would take the small details and make them seems big. Give them echoy, surreal feelings. Make the tiny details stand out in order to give it a tense feeling without going overbored on details that could more disturb a person.

That makes sense, thank you!

I think It depends on the topics really. What are they?

School shootings, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and emotional abuse.

Okay, so if you want to add a lot of tension to these scenes without going overbored, I would take the small details and make them seems big. Give them echoy, surreal feelings. Make the tiny details stand out in order to give it a tense feeling without going overbored on details that could more disturb a person.

That makes sense, thank you!

Of course! Let me know if you have any more questions I can help with!

(It’s just one Android)
I was thinking the Android would be antagonistic, being part of the reason the outpost disappeared in the first place.
I can further elaborate if needed.

Okay cool! I really like where this sounds to be going! Is there anything specific you want help with at this point?

Not at the moment. I’ll let you know when there is though!

Sounds good! Just let me know!