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drpaladin

drpaladin 117,309
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Momentum requires effort to maintain, except for gravity assist.

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Bill W

Bill W 64,319
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The word momentum comes from the Latin root.s, meaning "movement", "moving power", or "Impetus",  and is a contracted form of movimentum, derived from the verb movere ("to move").  It is formed with the suffix -mentum (used to turn verbs into nouns), yielding movimentum and shortened to mōmentum.  

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the noun momentum has its earliest known use in English during the Old English period (pre-1150), long before its modern adoption in classical mechanics.  In the 1690s it was adopted into scientific mechanics for the "quantity of motion" (mass times velocity).  In 1782 the first recorded use of the figurative meaning ("force gained by movement or impulse").  
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Bill W

Bill W 64,319
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Momentum in storytelling is the vital forward drive that captures a reader's attention, builds emotional investment, and prevents a narrative from feeling stagnant.  It relies on core elements like dramatic questions, cause-and-effect actions, and rising stakes.  

Why Movement Matters:  
Holds Attention: Keeps the audience actively engaged instead of clicking away or putting a book down.  
Drives Stakes: Makes outcomes feel consequential so the audience cares what happens next. 
Prevents Stalling: Moves the plot past boring filler and repetitive descriptions.  

How to Build Momentum:  
Intent and Reaction: Connect scenes through clear character goals, failures, and immediate reactions. 
Raise the Costs: Force characters to pay a heavy price for their choices, creating natural turning points. 
Unresolved Tension: End scenes or chapters with lingering questions or sudden shifts in safety.  

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sandrewn

sandrewn 29,725
Checking In

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23 hours ago, drpaladin said:

Momentum requires effort to maintain, except for gravity assist.

I enjoy the way many of your comments, cause me to look back on some the choices I made in my life. Like this one!

Momentum requires effort to maintain, not always. As I stepped off the rear ramp of the Chinook CH-147F, I was calm on the outside, screaming on the inside. As I sped towards the ground at about 120 mph, waiting patiently for my cute to open, this is the gravity assist portion. Yes, the chute deployed(I'm still here). Just so you know, if, in my case, when the chute opened the speed slowed to about 15 mph. Except for that last inch(touch down), a most enjoyable ride. Yes, I passed the course and got my wings.

 

:cowboy:

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