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- That’s why pace is so important in literature. If your story advances too fast, the reader will feel rushed and disconnected from the characters; too slow, and the reader will fall asleep.
refiction.com/articles/pace-book
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Should a story be fast or slow?
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When should you slow down the pace of a story?
May 10, 2018 · You need a connecting thread, an underlying cause, for that to happen. If it is just "getting in trouble" every day, that is mild enough to be plausible. If it is being injured, breaking something, causing somebody else harm every day: That is too much to be plausible without some underlying factor MAKING this happen.
- Rhythm
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- Nonlinear Novels
Some good examples of this kind of story to study: E. L....
- Rhythm
- Lengthen Your Sentences
- Add Descriptions
- Include Subplots
- Use Flashbacks and Backstory
- Add More Introspection
- Shorten Your Sentences
- Use More Dialogue
- Remove (or Limit) Secondary Subplots
- Use Cliffhangers
- Increase The Action
Longer sentences and longer paragraphs help slow down the pace, since they take longer to read and are often associated with formal writing and the explanation of more complicated ideas. Now, this doesn’t mean you should start adding unnecessary words, but rather that you should be intentional about your word choice — this will allow you to fully d...
In other words, stop and smell the roses. Don’t rush to show what happened: show how it happened and in detail. Sure, it’s useful to be concise — but if your purpose is to have your readers take a breather, then adjectives are your friends. Tolkien is famous for describing his scenery in detail and providing plenty of information about his world. W...
Shifting your story’s focus to a secondary storyline will decrease the pace at which the main story line progresses. The more shifts and subplots you include, the longer it’ll take to reach the resolution of the main storyline. In Anna Karenina,there are two main storylines: Anna’s and Levin’s. These stories take place simultaneously, with constant...
A good way to break the focus from the current narrative is to go back and show the readers what happened in the past. This way, you can simultaneously halt the story and give additional information and context to your readers. However, keep in mind that these devices should not be used for the sake of a change of pace. Instead, they should always ...
More than just describing your character’s actions, show what they are thinking and how they are feeling. Show the reader the thought process that leads a character to make a specific decision. Let’s take The Book Thief,for instance. This particular passage takes places right after Death has taken an enemy pilot who was involved in the bombing of M...
As you might expect, shorter sentences quicken the pace. They usually give a sense of urgency because they take less time to read. They also get directly to the point, allowing you to skip unnecessary description and processes that can be implied. Consider this sentence from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: Instead of taking the readers through th...
Rapid dialogue will go a long way to increasing the pace of your story. Instead of long-winded descriptions, create captivating dialogue where your characters confront each other and show their personalities and quirks through it. You can also use dialogue to show — or allude to — your character’s backstory, instead of interrupting the flow of the ...
The fastest route is a straight line — so, if you want to get directly to the resolution, the best way to do so is to cut out any unnecessary plot points that take the reader away from the main narrative. To use a previous example, if Tolstoy had limited Anna Kareninato her involvement with Vronsky, we would have a much shorter romance, instead of ...
Nothing keeps a reader hooked more than wanting to find out what happens next, which is why cliffhangers are such a popular device. They create a sense of tension and uncertainty that will drive the story forward — if you end a chapter on a high note but don’t resolve the action, there’s little option for the reader than to keep going. Let’s see ho...
A chase. A fight scene. A race against time. Few things increase the pace of a story like a sense of urgency and danger! Even if you are writing a story with a lower pace, exciting plot points are necessary to keep your readers hooked. So, whether it comes from a battle of wits or otherwise, make sure you include some action. (And don't forget to u...
Nov 16, 2023 · Worried you’ve zoomed through your story (or bits of it) too fast? Here are some signs that you may need to slow down the pace: Scenes feel rushed or underdeveloped.
Apr 24, 2012 · It refers to how fast or slow events in a piece unfold and how much time elapses in a scene or story. Pacing can also be used to show characters aging and the effects of time on story events. Pacing differs with the specific needs of a story.
- Courtney Carpenter
- Break down the structure of your story. Whether you have an outline or plan for your story, or you’ve already completed your first draft, one way to work out how pacing should flow is to break the story down and examine the pieces closely.
- Use sentence, paragraph and chapter length to influence pace. One of the easiest ways to control pacing in your story is through the length of your sentences, paragraphs and chapters.
- Use heightened detail when you want to slow things down. Another way to slow down the pacing – especially for a single moment that you want to highlight – is to heighten the attention to detail.
- Use introspection to develop character and control pace. Never forget that character development is just as important as plot development in fiction. An exciting plot is all well and good, but it will mean nothing to readers if they don’t understand or care about the characters involved in it.
Pacing in Writing: Fast or Slow, Examples, & Tips Per Genre. The pacing in writing is really important to keep readers hooked and move the story forward. There's an important balance to hit, and here's how.
Sep 3, 2019 · If your story advances too fast, the reader will feel rushed and disconnected from the characters; too slow, and the reader will fall asleep. Hitting the sweet middle point that keeps the reader turning pages eagerly is precisely what we’ll learn to do in this article.
