Posts
Before we begin - the winners are!!!
Sharon Johnson Mayhew - Signed Rack Card
Leigh Talbot Moore - Canvas Tote
Southpaw - Critique
Jennifer Allis Provost - Ebook
BN100 - Signed Print Book
Congrats! I will email you with info. And NOW the post:
Pacing builds emotion in the reader. How? It creates the mood. Everything from anticipation and fear to grief and hope. It's a very important tool in the writer's repertoire. So how do you control it? Here are a few tips.
- Skip the status quo.
- Ask yourself if the scene is moving the plot forward. If the answer is no, it better at least be building character, but ideally it will be doing both. If you've written the funniest scene in the history of the universe about your character brushing his teeth, you should consider cutting it or changing it to move the plot forward.
- Trust the reader to fill in the blanks. You don't have to take us for the car ride when the character goes to visit his long lost mother. We can use our imaginations to get there.
- Slow it down.
- But ONLY when it counts. If it's a pivotal scene, take your time with it. Immerse us in sensory details. Give us some internal dialogue and character reaction.
- Is the killer about to attack? Build tension by putting the reader on the edge of his seat as each step echoes, each stair creaks, each shadow moves...
- About to have the first kiss? Don't just go for it. Tease us!
- Speed it up.
- Punctuate the right scenes by making sure all isn't equal. You are basically highlighting the important parts in the reader's subconscious by controlling how much attention they pay and how deeply they are immersed in the scene.
What do you think? Other pacing tips you have to share?
Aww, cute snail :-)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the winners!
I like that 'skip the status quo' line. I always cut out lots of 'gangplanks' when editing a scene, so I can cut to the important bits.
Really loving the advice today! Pacing is something I struggle with a lot when working on my webcomic. Thankfully--well, hopefully--I've become better at noticing what's actually necessary and know exactly what to cut during the strip-writing process now...
ReplyDeleteI feel like I'm just learning to do this with some confidence - not a lot, but it's improving!! :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners... great suggestions on pacing... Makes all the difference.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips. Pacing is one of the harder aspects of writing to master! ( I think)
ReplyDeleteGREAT tips! Pacing is something I try to work on. Sometimes I'll read over a story I've written after a short break and realize that some parts seriously dragged, while others went way too quickly and didn't establish enough. What helps me is doing a story outline before I even start writing, and planning out each chapter. That way I can sort of even out the pacing before the ball starts rolling!
ReplyDeletePacing is something I'm always working on, because it doesn't come easy for me! Excellent tips.
ReplyDeleteGreat tips and I can't think of anything else - except don't forget the "beat" of the story, a la "Save the Cat."
ReplyDeleteExcellent tips, and I love the sentence, "Pacing builds emotion in the reader." Six words that convince us why we need to master it!
ReplyDeleteI'd like more details on that last paragraph, especially the "all isn't equal" comment. Intriguing!
ReplyDeleteI think one of the hard things for me to do is when to trust the reader to fill in the blanks.
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips! Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeletewww.modernworld4.blogspot.com
Great article on pacing! I've found that overly slow books don't hold my attention. The other thing that gets me is when there is too much detail...stuff that doesn't move the story forward.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited that I'm a winner. :) Congratulations to all the winners...Thanks for the great giveaway.
I like the slowing down tips, which I put into use.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners.
Great tips. Pacing it just perfect is what hooks a reader and keeps them hooked to the very end!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the winners!
Super tips! Thanks.
ReplyDelete