Explore the power of pacing and tension in capturing readership attention.

Pacing and tension—the secret ingredients to keeping an audience hooked. Learn how to cut the excess to maintain momentum, express internal conflicts through dynamic action, and master the "ticking clock" to make every scene count. By the end, you will know how to tighten your story so it keeps up the pace and leaves your audience wanting more.

Come ready to raise the stakes and sharpen your story!

Learning outcomes

As part of this workshop, you will learn how to:

Structure the pace of your story - the ebbs and flows
Maintain and deepen emotional investment in the reader
Balance alternating between action and reflection
Provide an emotional payoff with the finale

Format

This is an online workshop with a focus on craft; it will be hosted via Zoom. As part of the Adaptable 2025/26 program, this workshop is suitable for writers of all levels and writing backgrounds. A 7-day replay will be made available to participants.

Complimentary access to this workshop is available to all Adaptable 2025/26 applicants – please select the free Applicant Admission ticket type (ensure your registration details match those of your initial application). Other Queensland Writers Centre members and the public may attend with a paid ticket.

About Ellie

Ellie Marney is an award-winning author of thrillers for teens and adults. Her titles include the NYT bestselling None Shall Sleep series, including the self-published finale All Shall Mourn. Her latest adult thriller, No One Is Safe, arrived on 1 March 2026. Her books are sold globally and have been optioned for the screen. Ellie has spent a lifetime researching in mortuaries, interviewing law enforcement and autopsy specialists, and asking former spies how to make explosives from household items – now she lives quite sedately with her family in rural Victoria while she writes her next book.

For more information about Queensland Writers Centre’s Program of Events and answers to FAQs, please visit: www.queenslandwriters.org.au/program-info

Contact the host of Pacing and Tension with Ellie Marney | Adaptable 2025/26