Most writers know how to write scenes. Fewer know how to link them. Fewer still design sequences that escalate tension, deepen character change, and carry real momentum between acts. The result is fiction that moves but doesn’t evolve. This essay breaks down the five design pillars of effective sequences and shows how to avoid the most common mistake: not designing them at all.

Torque is the difference between plot and story. Most writers escalate conflict. But torque bends character. This essay breaks down how it works—and how to structure it.