Every story requires the writer to pay attention to pacing, but none more than the mystery novel. Your literary novel might get away with a few pages of internal monologue, but your sleuth can’t engage in too much navel-gazing or clue admiration. On the other hand, if you try to keep the story moving with too many back-to-back action scenes, your reader won’t get a mental break.
So, how do you balance it all? Mystery writer Zara Altair offers 7 tips for maintaining a solid pace. Number one: Alternate active and reactive scenes. “Control the pace for your reader by balancing action scenes with reflective, internal moments,” Altair writes. “Use quieter scenes to share relationship details or your character’s thoughts and memories. These scenes give readers a chance to orient themselves in the story and process their reactions.”
To accomplish this, Altair suggests you experiment with active and sequel scenes. An active scene has your protagonist’s goal, conflict, and setbacks. The active scene’s sequel has your hero’s reaction, a new dilemma, and a decision.
Read the rest of her tips at the link.
