Rising Action
Rising action is the series of events that create an escalation of tension or suspense.
Our hypothetical mountain climber is beginning his difficult trek up the side of the mountain peak. He has skinned his knees, he has had a number of close calls, he is exhausted and thinking about giving up, but he pushes on because his adrenaline is high with thoughts of what it will be like to stand on the top. In a similar manner, the reader is vicariously experiencing the ups and downs of the character as he follows the character through the process of dealing with the conflict.
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Rising action is the event or a series of events that occur after the conflict has been revealed. Rising acting is just that – rising. The “rise” is in the tension and suspense that occurs as the character attempts to deal with or solve the conflict.
Rising action does not necessarily occur in a straight line like the one in example above; it can slow down at times, but ultimately it picks up and continues to increase the tension or suspense. Rising action can go on for a while or rising action can be very brief. The suspense and tension created by the rising action can be very subtle or it can be action-packed.
Again, the structure of a story depends on what the writer is trying to achieve in her story.
Click the story title to review the rising action in “Blessed Silence” before completing the section below.
Additional Resources:
- "How to Build Tension and Heighten the Stakes" - This website provide tips on how to create tension in fiction writing.
- "Rising Action in a Story" (Video) - This link provides a video explanation of conflict and rising action.