Tip #50: Stakes: Don't Go Too High Too Fast

{If t}ensions can't rise because the stakes can never increase... there's nowhere to for the story to go... escalating stakes is a sure way to suck a reader in.

Mixing up the types of stakes is good, as it gives you the ability to pace your story so things keep getting worse and worse... save your biggest risk for the climax, and... build up to that. Waves of low to high stakes, peaks and valleys like a roller coaster.

http://storyflip.blogspot.com/2010/12/up-up-and-away-raising-stakes.html


Also see: Low Stakes, Medium Stakes and High Stakes.