In a new post, Janice Hardy tackles the problem of pacing and how you can keep your novel moving forward at the right speed. “Too slow can be an editing issue, a stakes issue, or even a structure issue,” Hardy says. “Too fast can be a plotting problem, a characterization problem, or yes, a structure problem.”
Step one: Identify your problem. “While any number of things can contribute to a slow pace, ‘too much of something’ is usually the culprit,” Hardy says. “Maybe it has too many long sentences, or it’s heavy exposition, or characters give too many speeches.” She suggests looking for long descriptive passages and dialogue that doesn’t convey important information. Other culprits are internal monologues, stage direction,
If your scenes still feel slow, check your character’s goals and the stakes. If a scene has no drive or suspense, it will feel slow. Keep your protagonist active and make sure the reader knows the consequences of failure.
Structure can also be a problem. If a scene ends raising a question for the reader, the story will feel like it’s not moving. A long scene might need to be broken up, giving you the chance to insert some tension.
But what if your pacing is too fast? A story heavy on action and dialogue might not give the reader room to absorb what they’ve read. They might have trouble tracking different characters or plot lines. Hardy suggests some more areas to check, including whether your character’s obstacles are too complicated; if your heroes don’t get a chance to catch their breath; and whether you introduce a lot of new characters in a short amount of time.
In contrast to a story with slow pacing, you might consider fleshing out your characters and setting descriptions. As with slow pacing, pacing that’s too fast might mean your hero doesn’t have a strong motivation. Short sentence, scenes, and chapters also can make a story feel rushed.
“Pacing is all about the speed in which you convey information to the reader to achieve the best impact,” Hardy says. “Techniques aid you in controlling your pacing, but they aren’t rules set in stone. If the pace works, don’t feel the need to comply with arbitrary structures. Keep the reader turning the pages, however works for you.”
