Guest author Lindsey Hughes frames momentum as consequence chains: choices create fallout, fallout forces new choices, and the reader leans in because the next beat feels earned. The post contrasts that with "pretty scenes" stitched together because they're thematic cousins, not because one event forces the next.
It also gives a quick diagnostic checklist - what changed, what did it cause - so revision isn't just vibes. If you're stuck in the middle of a manuscript and everything feels randomly stressful, this is the kind of middle-draft craft language that helps you name what's broken.
(Shortened and summarised to avoid devaluing the source)