This may be my favorite exercise ever. Donald Maass calls it tension-on-every-page. You’re probably thinking, Thanks for the tip, Captain Obvious. What writer would purpose to write even one boring page?

I hear that. But the way we go about adding tension matters. I could just throw my veggies in a pot, dump in some broth, and call it soup. Or, I could saute the onions first, deglaze with a splash of broth, then toss in the rest and simmer. The process would make a huge difference. Same with this exercise.

I explain in three minutes.

Here’s the list of tension items you want to look for on each page.

• Conflict
• Unexpected ____________ (insert anything)
• Torment
• Secrets
• Power struggle
• Sense of Urgency (I’m doomed)
• Flirting/sex
• Anticipation (character wants something)
• Survival
• Lost*

Here’s a link for the random number generator mentioned in the video. I made a list of the page numbers I’ve already done and the conflict I believe to be on the page. Once I find one type of conflict, I go on.

Only 220 more pages to go. When I get close to 200, I’ll make an excel spreadsheet, so I can see which pages I’ve yet to do.

*I added this since doing the video.