In a frame story, the narrative is presented as being related to a person by another person.
In this way, the story is framed as being told from the first-person point of view of a narrator.
This type of framing can be used to create tension between what’s going on in the protagonist’s life and what’s going on in the reader’s life.
In terms of structure, there are added complexities that come from telling a story from someone else’s point-of-view.
The narrator must have enough character traits that you can imagine them as being your friend or relative telling you this tale over coffee or drinks one evening—necessary for creating suspense and tension as they go about their day.
Steps to answer how does the frame story structure create tension :
1.Create a character .
Who is in some way different from the protagonist.
2.Create a situation .
That is different from the one being faced by the protagonist, but which also happens to be related to them somehow.
3.Create a connection .
Between the character and the protagonist. One of them is important to one of the others in some way.
4.Create suspense .
By making it so that the reader has to wait until they are together to find out what’s going on in each other’s lives.
This is because when they are together, they will tell each other their respective stories about their day, thus creating reciprocal tension between the narrative and the real-world narrative being created by being told in alternating chapters or scenes.
5.Create a cliffhanger .
At the end of each chapter or scene, whatever tension was created between the characters in their separate lives has to be strong enough to make the reader need to find out what’s going on when they are together.
In this way, both narratives are working together to create a single overarching suspense that will hopefully end at a satisfying point when the two characters’ stories come together and their narratives converge into one—with whomever it is that readers have been following for most of the book.
This approach can be used to create suspense in books, movies and television shows.
6.Create a point of divergence .
Where the two narratives diverge in the way they are being told to each other.
This can be used to create tension by making sure that both characters are already well acquainted with one another.
It is only at this point that they start to learn about each other’s secrets and come to know more about each other than they did previously, thus creating added suspense regarding how their stories will end up.
They may also make discoveries that make it even harder for them to find their way back together again because while they share the same experiences, the events leading up to them may have been different for each of them.
7.Create an outcome .
Where the two characters’ lives converge again when they are able to share their individual stories with one another.
This can be done in several ways by having them discover that they were both involved in the same event, or by simply coming to discover each other’s secrets and confiding in each other.
Their stories may intersect in several places, or it may be revealed that they never had any connection at all.
It may be revealed that they were connected but due to circumstances beyond their control, were unable to meet up with one another.
8.Create a diversion .
Where the characters are kept apart from one another by outside forces that are beyond their control.
This can be done in several ways, including having someone create a diversion to prevent them from meeting up with one another, or having others try to get in their way when they’re trying to meet up with one another, or having them be in two places at once.
This can make the reader worry about whether the characters will ever meet up again, especially if they are both trying to find each other but are being prevented from doing so by outside forces.
9.Create a device for diverting attention .
That distracts the reader’s attention away from characters who are involved in the events that are preventing the two main protagonists from finding each other.
This is done so that readers will be kept guessing about whether or not they will even be able to meet up with one another at all, thus creating additional suspense.
Their stories may also distract readers’ attention by making them wonder if they will ever find each other again, especially if their stories are similar to one another and it is only some sort of glitch that prevents them from meeting up with one another.
