on Jane Friedman site:

Unless you’ve been living in an underground bunker devoid of wifi access for the last months—or let’s say decades—chances are you’ve been experiencing a fair amount of conflict and uncertainty recently.

These are uncomfortable feelings, and most of us peace- and security-craving people try to avoid them. I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling all full up on tension and suspense at the moment, thank you very much.

But as is so often the case, what makes for effective story doesn’t necessarily reflect our everyday lives, and questions, uncertainties, and friction are the lifeblood of story.

These crucial story elements may be easy to instill in scenes of setback, conflict or challenge, but not every story or scene lends itself to overt tension and suspense. You won’t always have obvious antagonists or arguments. Not every car ride ends in a crash. There aren’t knife-wielding killers lurking behind every door (hopefully).

Some stories are “quieter.” So how can you keep tension strong without scenes of overt tension and suspense?