Building tension is a key element in creating a compelling short story. Tension keeps readers invested and can elevate an ordinary narrative into something gripping.
“There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.”
– Alfred Hitchcock
If you feel like any part (or all) of your story might be lagging (no judgement, the struggle is real for me too), consider using some of the techniques below to keep things riveting or at the very least moving along better.
#1 – Pacing: Slow Down Crucial Moments
When something crucial is about to happen—like a confrontation, a discovery, or a revelation—slow down. Describe sensory details, the character’s inner thoughts, or even tiny physical actions to make the moment stretch.
Instead of:
He opened the door and saw the room was empty.
Try:
His hand hesitated over the knob. The air felt heavy, as if it was holding its breath along with him. Slowly he turned the handle, inch by inch, listening for the faintest sound from the other side. A whisper, a moan, footsteps shuffling across the floorboards. Nothing. The continued silence fortified him. The door creaked open, revealing…nothing. The room was empty. A conflicting sense of relief and disappointment washed over him.
By slowing the pace during moments of high importance, the reader is forced to focus on every detail, heightening their anticipation.
#2 – Withhold Information (Provide Only Partial Details)
Giving readers just enough to understand the situation but leaving key details out makes them salivate for answers. Drop hints without revealing everything at once. Let readers suspect something but hold off on confirming their suspicions.
Instead of:
She saw the bloodstain on the carpet and realized there had been a murder.
Try:
The carpet wasn’t right. A dark stain marred its center, etched in the shape of a shadow. Her eyes roamed the area, then the room at large. What had happened here?
#3 – Escalate the Stakes
When the stakes get higher, the situation feels increasingly urgent. Start with a small problem and escalate it. Each solution should lead to a bigger complication.
For example, a character starts out trying to leave a building. First, they realize they’ve forgotten their keys. Then, the building’s fire alarm goes off. Then they realize they’re locked inside the building. Then they hear footsteps approaching. Each new problem builds on the last.
#4 – Create Uncertainty and Dread
When the reader knows something bad might happen, they’re on edge waiting for the moment it does. Even if nothing happens, the anticipation itself creates tension.
(But as a reader myself, I would appreciate it if something bad did happen. Please don’t do something similar to the end of Twilight where the entire final conflict was imagined. I can’t facepalm hard enough to illustrate how much of an utter waste of time that was. It could have been epic if it were real, with slight modifications so they only killed some instead of all the beloved characters. I’m not heartless. But having absolutely no consequences, which ended up being the case, results in a dead story. Not worth all that time it took to read it.)
Set up situations where something feels “off” or dangerous, even if the characters aren’t aware of it yet. Readers should sense the looming threat before the characters do.
For example, a character exploring a jungle that had reports of unexplained attacks. The terrain is unsettling, but nothing explicitly dangerous happens—until later. The uneasy atmosphere (thick undisturbed air, the rustling in the leaves above that seems to consistently follow them, the otherwise silence and lack of life) makes readers brace for something bad to occur.
#5 – Conflict Between Characters
Conflict that creates tension can be subtle, emotional, psychological, or even physical and randomly explosive. Build tension between characters through subtext, unspoken emotions, or disagreements. Create moments where characters hide their true intentions or where their goals are in opposition to one another.
Example: a mistress speaking with the wife at the town bakery. In the course of their conversation, the mistress realizes that the man she was in love with was in fact this sweet woman’s husband. The tension arises from the anticipation of whether the truth will come out.
#6 – Ticking Clock (Time Pressure)
Time running out adds a sense of urgency to any situation. Give the protagonist a deadline: a bomb set to go off in an hour or a relationship on the verge of falling apart if something isn’t done soon.
For example: A character has to defuse a bomb, but the instructions are unclear. As the timer counts down, every second wasted increases the tension.
#7 – Dramatic Irony (Readers Know More Than the Characters)
When readers know something the characters don’t, they feel anxious for the moment when the characters will discover the truth or the danger they’re in. Give readers crucial information early on (for example, the villain’s plan or a hidden danger) and then let the characters unknowingly walk into the situation.
Example:
The reader knows there’s a monster in the house, but the protagonist doesn’t. Every time the protagonist walks into a dark room or hears a strange noise, the reader’s blood pressure spikes, waiting for the inevitable confrontation.
#8 – Misdirection
Lead readers in one direction and then surprise them. Build up to a moment that feels like they’re getting closer to the answer or out of their situation, but then subvert it by showing them a different road or have the current road they’re on be a dead end. Keep danger close behind.
Or build up to a moment that feels dangerous or climactic, then subvert it by having something unexpected happen instead. Then introduce the actual danger right away. For example, a character hears a strange noise outside and prepares for an intruder, only to discover it’s a harmless animal. As they relax, thinking they’re safe, the real intruder appears.
#9 – Internal Conflict
A character’s inner turmoil, indecision, or anxiety can create tension by making readers unsure of what they’ll do next. Give your protagonist conflicting desires or fears that prevent them from acting decisively. Let them wrestle with the consequences of every choice.
Example:
A character must choose whether to save themselves or risk their life to save someone else. The longer they hesitate, the greater the tension, as the character grapples with what the right decision is.
#10 – Foreshadowing
Hinting that something bad is going to happen builds tension as the reader anxiously waits for it to unfold. Drop small clues about what might go wrong later, either through dialogue, imagery, or small events that seem insignificant but signal larger consequences.
Example: Early in the story, a character finds a broken lock on their window but dismisses it. Later, that broken lock becomes a key part of a break-in.
#11 – Unexpected Silence or Calm Before the Storm
Sometimes the absence of action or noise can be more tense than an actual event, as it creates a sense of anticipation. Pause the action just before something important is about to happen. The quiet moment will make readers anticipate the impending conflict or revelation even more intensely.
Example:
A group of survivors huddles in a house, hearing the sounds of approaching danger. Suddenly, everything goes silent. That stillness before the storm can be more nerve-wracking than the danger itself.
#12 – Raise Questions Without Immediate Answers
Pose questions or mysteries early on (Why did that character disappear? What’s behind the locked door?), but don’t reveal the answers until the story’s climax. The more the protagonist (and the reader) seeks the answers, the more the tension builds.
#13 – Layer Different Sources of Tension
Let the tension simmer and draw it out. If every problem gets resolved as soon as it appears, the story will lose momentum. Create new layers of tension just as one is about to be resolved.
Which of these techniques do you feel would fit best into the story you’re currently working on? Do you have a specific scene in mind where you’d like to ramp up the tension? Or is there a story where you can apply the techniques throughout?
Green Where You Water It 
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