How to Write Better Stakes & Tension in Your Novel (and some Taylor Swift!)
Send us Fan Mail We tackle a publishing debate, draw writing wisdom from Taylor Swift, and dig into one of the most common craft problems in fiction — weak stakes and missing tension. Plus a community book shout-out. THE HARDBACK DEBATE Beth shares a Guardian article arguing hardbacks are outdated — too expensive, they kill buzz before the paperback drops, and lead with the least accessible format. Beth and Lisa push back: libraries and schools depend on durable formats, sprayed-edge editions...
We tackle a publishing debate, draw writing wisdom from Taylor Swift, and dig into one of the most common craft problems in fiction — weak stakes and missing tension. Plus a community book shout-out.
THE HARDBACK DEBATE
Beth shares a Guardian article arguing hardbacks are outdated — too expensive, they kill buzz before the paperback drops, and lead with the least accessible format. Beth and Lisa push back: libraries and schools depend on durable formats, sprayed-edge editions have made hardcovers a Gen Z collector's item, and paperbacks consistently outsell. Lisa made hardcover a deal-breaker when negotiating Heart and Souls to protect library access.
Read the article here.
TAYLOR SWIFT AS A WRITING TEACHER
Swift is a master of show-don't-tell — capturing massive emotion in a single precise phrase without ever stating it outright. Beth recommends the New York Times in-depth interview on her songwriting process as required reading for any fiction writer.
CRAFT DEEP DIVE: STAKES, TENSION & CONSEQUENCES
Every story lives or dies on what is at risk. There are always two levels and you need both — external stakes (plot consequences) and internal stakes (identity, belief, sense of self). They must be connected or the story falls flat.
Beth's "So What?" Stress Test — apply to any scene or chapter:
- State what is happening in one plain sentence.
- Ask: So what? Readers ask this unconsciously on every page.
- Answer with a specific consequence — not "things get harder" but something like "she'll spend the rest of her life wondering if he ever really knew her."
- Ask "so what?" once more. What does this cost the character in terms of who they ARE? That second layer is where the real stakes live.
The Index Card Method: Write one sentence per chapter, lay the cards out, and ask what the stakes are in each. Any blank card is a dead zone — and dead zones lose readers.
COMMUNITY BOOK SHOUT-OUT
Double Crossed by Rebecca Barone — out April 28th. Middle grade narrative nonfiction about Operation Bodyguard, the Allied WWII mission to fool the Nazis about the true location of D-Day. Reads like a spy thriller. Every word is true.
Buy it here.
Join The Waiting Room, our private Facebook community for writers, to connect with authors like Rebecca and get your upcoming release featured in a future shout-out.
NEXT EPISODE: Agent Nikki Carrero from The Rights Factory joins us May 25th!
Visit the Website
Find Full Episodes on YouTube!
Writers with Wrinkles Link Tree for socials and more!
Threads: @WritersWithWrinkles
Insta: @WritersWithWrinkles
Bluesky: @bethandlisapod.bsky.social
Twitter: @BethandLisaPod
Support Writers With Wrinkles - become a subscriber
Email: Beth@BethMcMullenBooks.com
Writers with Wrinkles Link Tree for more!
