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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/3877
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

I read a book called The Poison Throne (part of the Moorehawke Trilogy) by Celine Kiernan recently where I felt this was done incredibly well. She would build up the tension by building up the atmosphere of distrust between characters and hinting at violence to come, which would climax in said violence. Then she would give the readers a break with a scene or chapter in stark contrast to that atmosphere, where the characters are in the privacy of their own room(s) and you can see the very real, underlying love and trust between them that usually has to be hidden. It was a good way to let the reader catch their breath and far from sending them to sleep, it made the scene more powerful emotionally. Then the scene would launch another round of tension-building.

I think what made this work was the contrast. The tension comes from the characters not knowing who they can trust, and knowing that a single misstep in a world where everyone seems to be hiding a knife behind their back could cost them not only their lives, but that of those they love. Then she gives the reader glimpses of quiet times when the characters know that they can completely and utterly trust everyone else in the room and let down their guard.

Obviously your story won't have the exact same scenarios, but you could try contrasting technique and see if it works for you.

Original score: 3