Lists and Tension

I feel like each time I finish writing a new project, and each time I do a crit for someone else, I come up with a new strategy to improve my writing. Aaaand, I used to be a high school teacher, so for me to really learn something well, I need to put it in a formula where I COULD teach it.

I wrote a thing on this a while back in in questions to ask your self while writing - 1. What does my character want? 2. How do I stop them from getting it?

Here's some randomness to add to that tension building:

I think most books can be separated into sections, so here's an example of a project that I finished a while ago:

1. Initial meeting and dislike

2. Second meeting and truce (ends with going too far, which catapults the tension right back up)

3. Doubt

4. Another buildup and mixed feelings on where relationship stands

5. Moving forward is followed immediately by disaster.

6. Makeup (ending) - each knowing they screwed up, and having NO idea what the other wants.

This is a dual pov book, so it's especially important that I cut out before we know fully what one character plans to do to get what they want UNLESS we know that strategy won't work.

The initial tension from the very first meeting are these two things-
1. the boyfriend of the girl,
2. the anti-relationship feeling for the guy - those things are a source of tension through almost the ENTIRE book.

BUT as they start to be attracted to one another, the tension changes. When one of the two ignores that attraction, the tension changes. When the girl splits with her boyfriend, the tension changes. When the guy realizes he might be falling for her (only he totally doesn't want to) the tension changes. BUT they're just adding to the initial concerns, which are STILL THERE.

IF your readers are telling you that the story's dragging in a specific place, or if you're not sure about how to add tension in a scene, I find this way helpful. It's also good for story arc -
your character in a given situation, should react differently at the end of your book than they would have at the beginning, or they really haven't changed or grown at all, thus negating one of the main purposes in writing their story.
My advice is to make a list of all the places and all of the things that are pressures on the character for each section of your book. Look at where the sources of tension are the same. Watch the pattern of when and how they change.

So, the sources of tension from the beginning are present throughout the WHOLE book. But each time you hit one of these markers, a new source of tension is added. You can't ignore the older sources of tension, and you have to look for all of the possible sources of tension as each new threat comes. We need to be reminded of these things. We need to FEEL all the reasons why your MC is sure they won't get to have what they want.

This is especially important where you're in a multi-pov book, because some of the mystery is gone when we're in more than one head.

How do you make sure that your story continues to move forward?
Where do you find your tension?
What books have you read lately that you COULD NOT put down?