In a post on CrimeReads, Lucy Clarke offers advice on finding the right rhythm for your novel. “Every novel runs to a rhythm,” she says. “It’s in the fabric of the sentences, sewn into the pauses between scenes, weaved into the beats of the plot. Tied together, these threads create the pace – or the speed – of a novel.”
A psychological thriller needs a fast past more than a high body count, Clarke says. She shares seven lessons she’s learned about about creating a sense of pace and propulsion in a novel.
- The ticking bomb. “A simple and straightforward solution to adding pace to a scene is to introduce a time limit,” Clarke says. “The ticking bomb; the train pulling out of the station; the final call at the boarding gate.”
- Shift the lens. Zooming in on a specific detail can slow your pace at the right moment and create a sense of tension as the reader wonders why you’re showing that particular moment and reconsiders what they thought they knew.
- Closing lines. Clarke shares the adage: Enter late, exit early. Start your scenes as late as possible and leave just as fast. Leave the reader at a point of intrigue or raise a new question.
- Sentence, paragraph, and chapter length. Short sentences, paragraphs, and chapters create a sense of urgency. “Keeping them short and punchy provides a propulsive reading experience, like a good piece of music with the pauses between beats perfectly placed,” Clarke writes.
- Oscillating pace. Do insert some quiet moments to break up the tension. “After a big chase, we crave those quieter scenes to catch our breath, process the action,” Clarke says. “Let the drama settle and allow the reader to grow comfortable again – before sticking them with the next reveal or twist.”
- Heating up the slow burn. Slow is also a pace, Clarke says. “There’s value in a slow burn – that gradual, delicious building of characterisation and care, the simmering tensions that heat into a blaze,” she writes.
- Hitting delete. If you find your pace lagging, start cutting.
