I am a pacing moron.
The first inkling I had of this was with my first manuscript. I was told the pacing was “irregular.” How could that be, I thought, you’ve also told me my writing is excellent and flows. I ignored it and moved on.
As editor comments came back with disconcerting regularity that my pacing was too slow, felt off, etc. etc., I began to clue in that perhaps there was something to this pacing nonsense. Even the last rejection letter I received said my pacing was “slow and stately” - which promptly brought to mind a vision of my manuscript ambling down a red carpet cloaked in ermine trimmed velvet and carrying a scepter! When the editor went on to point out that today’s readers do not want “slow and stately”, I raised the white flag. However, I was still in denial – “What do you mean, the pacing is slow? What’s wrong with long sentences!?”
But the more I delved into the matter, the more I realized I had no idea what pacing meant. Or worse, no idea how to fix it. So I did my research - I took an online course, I found websites, I looked through books on writing, I posted to my RWA loop. And finally, the bits and pieces began to come together.
First and foremost – what is it? The best definition I found is from Randy Ingermanson*: “Pacing is the amount of time you spend on each part of the story.” How simple is that – it’s how your story unfolds, how you move your characters, how you manipulate and organize the scenes for maximum emotional impact. Too slow, and you will lose your readers to boredom. Too fast and your readers will feel as if they’re on a speeding train.
What you want is the right balance and the right rhythm. And therein lies the problem for me – I’m a left brain thinker. It’s all very fine and dandy to spout definitions but how do I actually do it? How do I control the pacing? As I discovered, there are a number of practical tips and techniques:
1. Slow the pacing when you want to maximize the emotional effect ie: a love scene, or you want to emphasize something significant to the plot, or after a tense scene. Do this by writing longer sentences, longer paragraphs, longer dialogue, more description and more introspection.
2. Increase the pacing when the tension is high. Use shorter sentences or sentence fragments, active verbs, fewer adjectives and adverbs and switch POV’s. Use sense details ie: taste the blood, smell the sweat.
Other things to consider:
Shorten scenes towards the end to build tension.
Flashbacks and too much back story slow pacing – be judicious in their use.
Remove extraneous details to speed up the pace.
During an action scene, have your characters react, not think. ie: If someone’s drowning, they’re not going to be thinking about anything other than saving themselves.
Be careful with dialogue. Get to the point with the conversation, don’t start with “Hi, how are you, the weather’s nice, isn’t it.” Once you’ve reached the objective, cut to the next scene. Avoid portraying one character as a good listener while the other one conveys information – it’s boring to read.
Ensure every scene contributes to the plot. ie: always make the romance the focal point or at the very least, show the barrier to the romance.
Even the choice of words can affect the pacing ie: perspiration reads slower than sweat.
When working with scene and sequel, remember that sequels slow pacing.
The list I’ve compiled here is only the beginning. As I’ve discovered, there is no right or wrong method to pacing. However, the more you write, you better able you are to identify what you want the reader to feel and when you want them to feel it. Some writers have a natural sense for it; others find it a difficult concept to conquer. For me, it boils down to three things – practice, practice and more practice!
After working as a professional engineer for a number of years, A.M. Westerling now writes historical romance. She is currently working on her tenth manuscript for BWL Publishing. Visit her at her website: www.amwesterling.com
*www.AdvancedFictionWriting.com
Other useful websites:
www.fictionfactor.com - “Pacing” by Dr. Vicki Hinze
www.HollyLisle.com - Pacing workshop
www.ezinearticles.com - “Proper Pacing Enhances a Fiction Writer’s Work”
