Tension -

Pit two fully-formed characters against each other, where one can only win if the other loses.

Tension in stories keeps the audience asking questions and fearing for the characters. tension

Pose a critical mystery early on but delay the answer for as long as possible. Pit two fully-formed characters against each other, where

Impose a strict deadline to force characters into desperate choices. tension

To create "tension" as a central feature in your work, you need to deliberately establish an imbalance that demands resolution. Depending on your medium—writing, music, or design—the methods for building this "strain" vary: