A
writing rule I wish I knew when I started out: to create tension in
your scenes, two or more elements of power must be combined. "Power" in
literature means the ability to evoke change in the status quo. If you
play it safe, you'll keep this from happening with your characters or
locations.
Your writing will lack tension to drive forward, to become a page-turner, to irrevocably engage a reader's interest.
The
writing rule about power is an antidote to the unconscious desire to
play it safe--which many writers struggle with. This rule reminds you
to make sure each scene has at least two power elements. Three is even better. You want that itchy friction that keeps a reader wondering what's going to happen.
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