Delaying the payoff has to serve the audience, not the storyteller.
I’ve noticed in a lot of social media clips that people get irritated when a creator drags things out – adding fluff, padding the story, or holding back the “big reveal”.
Some do it cynically to increase watch time. But I think most just believe they’re building tension and keeping attention.
The problem? Tension without reward backfires.
Our brains release dopamine when we anticipate a reward, but only if that reward arrives soon enough to justify the wait. When it doesn’t, frustration replaces curiosity.
It’s a balancing act: the longer you tease, the better your payoff needs to be.
Otherwise, the audience isn’t hooked, they’re just held hostage.
P.S. Thanks to Geoff for pointing out a mistake in my post yesterday about the flood markers getting higher as the tree grew. Trees grow from the top, so the markers wouldn't be affected! Embarassed but grateful to have this corrected :)
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