21.16: Tension and Release as Call and Response
From Writing Excuses by Mary Robinette Kowal, DongWon Song, Erin Roberts, Dan Wells, and Howard Tayler
April 19, 2026 · 21 min · Season 21 · Episode 16
About this episode
The episode discusses the dynamics of tension and release in storytelling and how it affects reader engagement.
Today, we’re talking about tension and release as a kind of call and response, and how that dynamic can guide your reader through a story. It explores how different types of tension—conflict, unanswered questions, anticipation, and microtension—can be balanced with moments of release to shape pacing and keep readers engaged. The conversation also looks at how resolving one kind of tension while sustaining another creates forward momentum, and how varying those patterns prevents a story from feeling flat or repetitive. Along the way, it examines how genres like horror and humor use this rhythm especially well, and how techniques like contrast, modulation, and layering multiple plotlines can sharpen emotional impact and control the reader’s experience. Homework : Look at a scene you’ve already written and identify what creates tension within it. If nothing stands out, add a source of tension—such as a question, juxtaposition, or anticipation. If tension is already present, try changing or swapping it for a different type and observe how that affects the scene. Final WXR Cruise! Our final WXR cruise sets sail for Alaska in September 2026—get your tickets here ! Credits: Your hosts…
People in this episode
Hosts: Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Tayler, Erin Roberts, DongWon Song
Topics covered
- tension and release
- story pacing
- reader engagement
- conflict
- emotional impact
- genre techniques
Keywords
- tension
- release
- storytelling
- pacing
- conflict
- anticipation
- emotional impact
More episodes of Writing Excuses
- 21.23: Barrier Breaking: Interruptions · June 7, 2026 · 30 min
- 21.22: The Order of the Telling · May 31, 2026 · 27 min
- 21.21: Rhythm and Words · May 24, 2026 · 24 min
- 21.20: Sequencing from Mega to Micro · May 17, 2026 · 34 min
- 21.19: Getting Everything Connected · May 10, 2026 · 24 min
- 21.18: Deconstructing the Three Act Structure · May 3, 2026 · 31 min
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