Turn up the Tension
Mini Course for Novelists
Inject energy, intrigue, and page-turning tension into every scene
Your story isn’t flat. It just needs more tension.
You’ve got great characters, an engaging premise, maybe even a solid plot.
But something still feels… off.
Your scenes lack spark. Your dialogue drags.
Readers are interested, but not hooked.
Sound familiar?
Then this mini-course is for you.
Turn Up the Tension is a hands-on, self-paced course designed to help fiction writers add drive, dynamism and edge to every page. Through short, practical lessons, you’ll learn how to weave tension into your story’s fabric—from the sentence level to the big-picture structure.
3 Deep-Dive Modules
13 Bite-Sized Lessons
Video Tutorials + Worksheets
Practical, Ready-to-Use Techniques
Course Snapshot
What you’ll learn
In this 3-module mini-course, author and writing coach Pamela Cook walks you through guaranteed techniques for creating tension—no matter your genre or writing style.
Module 1
Dialogue & Setting
How your characters speak—and where they speak—can either amp up or suck the energy from a scene. In this module, you’ll learn to:
Use subtext to create tension between characters
Avoid info-dumping and on-the-nose dialogue
Build atmosphere through setting and description
Add friction and contrast between place and emotion
Module 2
Scintillating Sentences
Your writing style has tension potential too. This module teaches you how to:
Craft rhythmic, propulsive sentences
Use sentence length and punctuation for pacing
Focus your prose for maximum emotional impact
Create momentum at the line level
Module 1
Making the Most of Micro-Tension
This is where the magic happens. Micro-tension is the subtle, simmering suspense that keeps readers turning pages—even when nothing “big” is happening. Learn how to:
Build emotional contradictions within a scene
Keep characters at odds with themselves and each other
Use shifts in tone, language, and detail to signal tension
Maintain curiosity through unanswered questions
Layer micro-tension throughout your manuscript
Is this course for you?
This course is perfect for you if:
You’re in the drafting or revision phase
Your scenes feel too slow or “nice”
You want readers to feel something with every turn
You’ve been told your novel needs more tension—but not how to fix it
You’re ready to write tighter, leaner, more compelling prose
What’s included in your course?
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Lifetime access to 12 short, focused lessons
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Video tutorials with real-world examples
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Downloadable worksheets, exercises and checklists
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Practical tools you can use immediately in your writing
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Expert guidance from multi-published author and writing mentor Pamela Cook
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Plenty of resources from different genres to inspire you
What students are saying about the course
Frequently Asked Questions
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You can finish the course in an afternoon—or stretch it out to suit your writing schedule. Each lesson is short and actionable and includes exercises to apply to your own manuscript.
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The course is accessible for writers of all levels, especially those working on a first or second novel draft.
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While the techniques work beautifully for suspense and thrillers, they’re just as powerful in romance, literary fiction, women’s fiction, and more.
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This is a self-paced course without personalised feedback. However, you can revisit the materials as often as needed.
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Due to the digital nature of this course, all sales are final.
Enrol now for lifetime access
Enrol now for lifetime access
Turn Up the Tension is a hands-on, self-paced course designed to help fiction writers add drive, dynamism and edge to every page. Through short, practical lessons, you’ll learn how to weave tension into your story’s fabric—from the sentence level to the big-picture structure.
About Pamela
I’m an author, podcaster and teacher who writes page-turning contemporary women’s fiction, delving deep into the psychology of my characters and the complexity of relationships in all their forms.
I’ve been where you are and know exactly how you feel.
Even though I'd already published books through a trad publisher, I wanted my novels to have a more page-turning impact on the reader.
That's when I started studying how to create tension in my writing. And the more I discovered, the stronger my writing became.
As a teacher with many years' experience, I wanted to share what I'd learnt with my students. Many of my students have had the same issue before doing the course. Until they discovered how to add tension to every page.
Before you go…
If there's one thing I want you to remember, it's this:
Trust your gut!
If you've read this far, I have a feeling Turn Up the Tension could be exactly what you need. So don't second guess yourself.
If you're worried you're not ready yet, or aren't 100% convinced Turn Up the Tension is the perfect fit - reach out via pamela@pamelacook.com.au.
I'll be totally honest about whether I think this program will help you with your next phase of getting your manuscript to a publishable standard.
You've got nothing to lose.
So what are you waiting for?