Online Creative Writing Masterclass on Dramatic Tension

Creating Dramatic Tension in your Writing with Tammy Huf

Why does a reader keep turning the pages of some books and abandon others halfway through? Many elements come into play when crafting an engaging book, but to hold your readers’ attention and keep them on the edge of their seats, you need dramatic tension. There is no single method to create this essential element, so in this session, we will look at a variety of ways this might be done. Manipulating what is said and left unsaid, the interplay of setting and character, and the time and order in which events unfold all contribute to the dramatic tension. In addition to exploring some ways to create it, we will consider how to control it so that it works hard for you when you need it most.

Tammye Huf is a novelist and short story writer. Her historical fiction debut, A More Perfect Union, won the Diverse Book Award and was longlisted for the Jhalak Prize. It was also selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club as well as for several prominent Best Books lists. Her short stories have been published in various magazines, including The London Magazine where her story was runner-up for the Short Story Prize. Her second novel will be published as Inharmonious in the US in February 2026 and as The Colour of Home in the UK in July 2026.

The workshop is part of a series of one-day masterclasses held in the Easter and summer holidays. They are open to existing students on the Creative Writing Programme and other writers looking to improve specific areas of their writing craft.