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Q&A How do I write sexual tension between two characters?

Tension (of any sort) lies in what doesn't happen. To create tension you create the expectation that something is about to happen, but then don't let it happen. This keeps the reader waiting for it...

posted 7y ago by Mark Baker‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

Answer
#4: Attribution notice removed by user avatar System‭ · 2020-01-03T20:41:49Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/31310
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T04:54:42Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/31310
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T04:54:42Z (almost 5 years ago)
Tension (of any sort) lies in what doesn't happen. To create tension you create the expectation that something is about to happen, but then don't let it happen. This keeps the reader waiting for it to happen, and that is tension: waiting for something to happen that you expect, hope for, or dread.

There are all kinds of ways to make the anticipated event not happen. That part does not matter so much. It is really all about how much we want/expect/dread it happening and the timing of it not happening. Tension is like humor. 90% of it is timing.

So, sexual tension is simply sexual relations that you expect, hope for, (or dread) that don't happen. Create the expectation of relations, then deny them.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-11-07T14:47:57Z (about 7 years ago)
Original score: 2