Learn from Karina Wilson, former story and development analyst for IM Global, who shaped narratives on over 30 Hollywood films including Paranormal Activity and Insidious!

Walk away with actionable exercises and case studies that sharpen your pacing, tension, and suspense skills!

Mastering pacing and tension is the secret to transforming a solid screenplay into an unforgettable page-turner. In this exclusive Stage 32 4-part interactive class, you’ll learn how to expertly control your story’s rhythm and intensity—making every scene irresistible and impossible to put down. Discover how to build suspense, raise the stakes, and deliver emotional payoffs at just the right moments—skills that captivate readers and audiences alike from the very first page. This class takes place live over Zoom, so you can join from anywhere in the world and interact directly with your instructor and fellow likeminded writers!

Too often, screenplays either drag through endless exposition or rush past vital emotional moments. Writers can struggle with when to release tension or how to pace dialogue and action effectively. Dense descriptions bury key beats, or internal conflicts don’t align with external stakes. Many scripts miss subtle tools like moral dilemmas, subtext, and breadcrumbing, which are essential for layered suspense. This class helps you avoid those pitfalls and harness pacing and tension to elevate your storytelling.

Your host Karina Wilson brings nearly a decade of experience as IM Global’s in-house story consultant, shaping some of Hollywood’s most successful thriller and genre films, including Secret in Their Eyes and The Circle. She’s a recognized horror expert who’s taught at UCLA and featured widely for her genre insights. Karina’s global perspective and deep storytelling expertise make her the perfect mentor for writers aiming to master pacing and tension in their screenplays!

You will walk away from this 4-part interactive class with a comprehensive understanding of pacing, tension, and suspense—how to manipulate narrative rhythm, escalate stakes, and time reveals for maximum impact. Across four sessions, Karina will guide you through genre-specific pacing techniques, building internal and external tension, crafting suspenseful scenes, and integrating these elements into a cohesive, dynamic screenplay. You’ll also complete practical assignments and analyze case studies to apply these tools immediately.

This interactive Stage 32 class is held on Zoom and goes substantially more in depth than a Stage 32 webinar. Best of all? As soon as you sign up you will be linked on email with Karina and given a questionnaire to fill out and send back to her. You will have access to her for the duration of your class by email to ask her any questions you have about your craft or career - it’s like having a mentor on demand! And, if you can't make a live session, don't worry! All class recordings will be available 48 hours after each session and you will be able to view them in your Library on your Stage 32 profile. Finally, you can expand your network with like-minded creatives - you'll have a dedicated lounge for interactive support and discussions with your fellow classmates!

PLUS! You will receive the following handouts to help you:

• Building Tension, Pacing, and Suspense Exercises

• Case Studies with Examples and Viewing Links

Praise for Karina from past students: 

"She delivered on the topic and gave an informative lecture. I took many notes on how to immediately improve the horror script I'm writing now. That was my goal!" - Martha C.

""Karina is a master of all things horror and story! She knows more about crafting an effective horror story - from the plot to the villain and the scares - than anyone I've ever worked with or learned from. I can see why she's in high demand in the industry!" -- Mark L.

"Karina is passionate about horror and has a lifetime of great experiences and information!" -Cooke Q.

Session #1: Understanding Pacing

• What is Pacing and how it is different for different genres. 

• Hooking the Reader through effective pace 

• Planning your outline and acts for pacing

• Structuring scenes to influence narrative rhythm.

• Writing Dialogue Pacing

• Writing Action & Description Pacing

• Utilizing Cinematography and sound design for Visual vs. Auditory Pacing

• Introducing Character Tension: Initial concepts of creating anticipation and stakes.

Assignment: Focus on a 5-10 page sequence from one of your favorite thrillers with pacing in mind. Read the section of the screenplay and watch the sequence and observe the techniques we’ve discussed in action. 

Session #2: Internal Tensions and Their Impact on Storytelling

• Defining Tension

• Exploring Character Desire & Stakes for tension

• Using Obstacles & Antagonism to build tension 

• Escalating the tension using emotional and physical Stakes

• The Art of Breadcrumbing: Strategically withholding and revealing information to build suspense.

• Using Moral Dilemmas for impact

• Utilizing Subtext effectively to build tension

Assignment: Create a brief scenario (1-2 pages, outline or rough scene) featuring a single character (either a protagonist or an antagonist) with a clear, strong desire and a significant internal obstacle (e.g. jealousy, lack of self-belief, mistrust of others) preventing them from achieving it. 

Session #3: Crafting Suspense in Your Screenwriting

• 5 devices to create suspense

• The difference between suspense and surprise and how to utilize both for impact

• The art of the reveal

• Using editing techniques to heighten tension on the page.

• Tips to create  Action Sequences for suspense

• Utilizing Dialogue as a Tension Tool

Assignment: Write a short scene (2-3 pages, could be a self-contained narrative, or a prologue, or a regular scene) that builds suspense without relying on jump scares or explicit violence. Focus on techniques like ticking clocks, foreshadowing, or misdirection. For bonus points: Aim to build up to a reveal that shocks your audience.

Session #4: Putting It All Together

How to Marry Tension, Pacing and Suspense for a killer script

• Pacing the Entire Narrative Arc: Ensuring a dynamic flow from beginning to end using these 3 elements

• Varying Pacing & Tension to create moments of release and rebuilding

• Strategies to re-energize that long second act 

• Crafting the essential  opening and ending to your script

• Removing unnecessary elements that drag down pace.

• Conveying information and emotion without relying solely on dialogue.

• Practical tips to Self-Editing for Pacing & Tension

• Maintaining a coherent tone throughout using tension, suspense and pacing

• Fresh Eyes: Using new readers to help refine your story

Assignment: Take a 10 page section from your screenplay (or a partner’s) and re-read specifically with pacing and tension in mind.  Think about how rewrites can sharpen your story delivery base on the elements covered in class.

• Aspiring screenwriters looking to develop a strong foundation in pacing and tension

• Mid-level writers aiming to refine their craft and make their scripts more compelling

• Experienced professionals seeking new strategies to elevate their thriller, drama, or suspense screenplays

• Producers and showrunners interested in story structure and maintaining narrative momentum

• Anyone passionate about storytelling who wants practical, actionable tools to keep audiences hooked

Wednesday, July 16th, 3pm-5pm PT

Wednesday, July 23rd, 3pm-5pm PT

Wednesday, July 30th, 3pm-5pm PT

Wednesday, August 6th, 3pm-5pm PT

Praise for Karina

"She delivered on the topic and gave an informative lecture. I took many notes on how to immediately improve the horror script I'm writing now. That was my goal!" - Martha C.

""Karina is a master of all things horror and story! She knows more about crafting an effective horror story - from the plot to the villain and the scares - than anyone I've ever worked with or learned from. I can see why she's in high demand in the industry!" -- Mark L.

"Karina is passionate about horror and has a lifetime of great experiences and information!" -Cooke Q.