June 2026 Meeting – Heather Whitaker: Using Microtension to Write a Riveting Story

High intensity scenes are great for holding the reader’s attention, but how do you keep the reader glued to your story in-between these scenes? By using microtension. This term, made famous by agent and author Donald Maass, refers to incorporating tension, not just on a scene level, but on a line level throughout your story. A partial reveal of backstory, what the characters say (or perhaps don’t say), even the way the narrator describes an object: all of these and much more can be used to create micro-tension and that relentless feeling of ongoing conflict that keeps readers turning pages in-between the high intensity scenes.

This presentation will go over 10 ways to create microtension, followed by a group exercise so you can practice what you’ve learned. Participants are welcome to bring in their own writing to use for the exercise.

Join us at 6:00pm for a half-hour networking opportunity before the presentation starts at 6:30pm.

Heather Whitaker is a developmental editor and writing coach specializing in novels and memoirs, including children’s literature, adult literary, and adult genre fiction. She has worked with over 150 writers across the nation, from budding novelists to award-winning and NYT best-selling authors, including Julianna Baggott (The PURE trilogy) and Jon Jefferson (CUT TO THE BONE, THE BREAKING POINT). Heather has also led local writers groups and taught writing classes at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at FSU. She is President of Tallahassee Writers Association.