Need Pacing Help!

ryanswofford · Oct 3, 2012

As I'm writing my novel, I'm also noticing that I have a pacing issue. Oftentimes, my character will be doing something, and I'll immediately jump to him/her doing something else. For example, let's say I wrote something like: "Darcy nibbled on the graham cracker and sat down to watch TV." In the reader's mind, there isn't a clear vision of that. I admire writers who can make actions as simple as this really seem that simple, without making it quite as bare-bones as I do.

So, what are some techniques with pacing - specifically, when working with action, dialogue, and other things that are immediate to the story? Or even, what are some techniques with pacing when working on the novel as a whole? Should the beginning be quick, slow, or what? And what are some ways to maintain (or level-out) this pace throughout the course of the novel?

Thanks! :hi:

dangerousbill · Oct 3, 2012

ryanswofford said:
As I'm writing my novel, I'm also noticing that I have a pacing issue. Oftentimes, my character will be doing something, and I'll immediately jump to him/her doing something else. For example, let's say I wrote something like: "Darcy nibbled on the graham cracker and sat down to watch TV." In the reader's mind, there isn't a clear vision of that.

I don't understand. I was able to visualize the action here with no trouble at all. While it appears that the two actions are simultaneous, a reader is going to figure out that it ain't necessarily so. Give your readers some credit for imagination.

John342 · Oct 3, 2012

ryanswofford said:
As I'm writing my novel, I'm also noticing that I have a pacing issue. Oftentimes, my character will be doing something, and I'll immediately jump to him/her doing something else. For example, let's say I wrote something like: "Darcy nibbled on the graham cracker and sat down to watch TV." In the reader's mind, there isn't a clear vision of that. I admire writers who can make actions as simple as this really seem that simple, without making it quite as bare-bones as I do.

So, what are some techniques with pacing - specifically, when working with action, dialogue, and other things that are immediate to the story? Or even, what are some techniques with pacing when working on the novel as a whole? Should the beginning be quick, slow, or what? And what are some ways to maintain (or level-out) this pace throughout the course of the novel?

Thanks!

I too didn't find your sentence problematic... or at least demonstrating jumping around. The only tip I may offer for writing action scenes is not to do info dumps during them... or to be specific, write short concise sentences.

Your beginning is your first chance (and perhaps only chance) to interest your reader. If you flub that you loose people. Many of us (raises hand) started out with a tendency to tell too much in the first pages, thinking we needed to explain everything about the situation in one breath as it were. Many believe that a good beginning has either action or dialogue or both...

Pacing and beginning are two different issues. Pacing has to do with how the story evolves and whether there are new conflicts/drama that add to the story and keep the reader motivated to turn the page.

Please enjoy writing your story. If this is your first novel all the advice in the world won't replace the experience of writing it and looking at it yourself with a critical eye. I find that I "iron out" pacing issues in editing.

Good Luck,

John

Chris P · Oct 3, 2012

Okay, I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't see a problem with the sentence. I picture someone walking through the house, graham cracker in mouth and TV remote in one hand and coffee cup in the other, stepping in front of a recliner and sitting down. You don't need to give us every single detail for us to figure it out. The reader will picture this scene in his or her own way, and for me that's part of the joy of reading; I can picture the finer details in ways that are interesting to me without losing what the author intended for me to see.

As far as pacing, in dialogue I limit each person's speech to no more than three sentences before the next person speaks. This is how most conversations happen; you just don't get many opportunities to speak more than 100 words at a time unless you are a minister or schoolteacher (or writing posts on online message boards). Also, I have the next person react to the last thing the previous speaker said. This is, in my experience, how actual conversations happen as well. If the next speaker wants to react to an earlier part, I have the second speaker interrupt.

Pacing in the big picture is more difficult for me. I know not to have the characters have a conversation during a sword fight, but I have a bad habit of being too understated in progressing the plot. To me, the plot is advancing but since the reader doesn't yet know what the scenes are leading to he or she thinks nothing is happening. "I don't care about politics!" screamed one reader, not knowing that understanding the politics makes the later parts where the characters are kidnapped make sense. I'm still working on that.

French Maiden · Oct 4, 2012

I agree with every one here, I can see this happening in my minds eye. I think also, the more a reader gets to know a character or set of characters, they dcome to learn how they do things and in what way.

Bufty · Oct 4, 2012

Nothing wrong with that sentence and it has nothing to do with pacing.

Pacing is the speed at which a story is perceived to read/unfold.

All-action on every page will have a rocket-like pace.

Intersperse the action with more contemplative sections where the protagonist is, say, weighing-up the progress to date and considering his position (either alone or with others) and deciding his next move and the pace will slow down during those sections.

SomethingOrOther · Oct 4, 2012

Bufty said:
All-action on every page will have a rocket-like pace.

This is an excerpt from my latest best-selling novel, Painstaking Description of a Kiss.

He lifts his left hand an inch. She rotates her head five degrees to the left. He lifts his right hand an inch. She parts her lips two millimeters. He lifts his right hand another inch. She rotates her head three degrees to the left. She curves the corners of her lips up one millimeter. He lifts his left hand another inch. She begins to sniff. He lifts his right hand another inch. She completes 5% of a sniff. His wee-wee shifts two microns in his pants.

John342 · Oct 4, 2012

SomethingOrOther said:
This is an excerpt from my latest best-selling novel, Painstaking Description of a Kiss.

He lifts his left hand an inch. She rotates her head five degrees to the left. He lifts his right hand an inch. She parts her lips two millimeters. He lifts his right hand another inch. She rotates her head three degrees to the left. She curves the corners of her lips up one millimeter. He lifts his left hand another inch. She begins to sniff. He lifts his right hand another inch. She completes 5% of a sniff. His wee-wee shifts two microns in his pants.

LOL... so vulgar!

backslashbaby · Oct 4, 2012

ryanswofford said:
As I'm writing my novel, I'm also noticing that I have a pacing issue. Oftentimes, my character will be doing something, and I'll immediately jump to him/her doing something else. For example, let's say I wrote something like: "Darcy nibbled on the graham cracker and sat down to watch TV." In the reader's mind, there isn't a clear vision of that. I admire writers who can make actions as simple as this really seem that simple, without making it quite as bare-bones as I do.

So, what are some techniques with pacing - specifically, when working with action, dialogue, and other things that are immediate to the story? Or even, what are some techniques with pacing when working on the novel as a whole? Should the beginning be quick, slow, or what? And what are some ways to maintain (or level-out) this pace throughout the course of the novel?

Thanks!

In a first draft, I don't flesh it out more than that unless something particularly nice comes to me at that time. It's better to get the story down, imho.

Then I do a first flesh-out of scenes after I've finished all the new stuff I can think of in a day or week. So I don't wait till an official second draft for this part, if that makes sense.

I read through the scene and notice which parts went too quickly or not in enough detail. The taking of a cookie won't be one I flesh out, but I'll have important things that are written that bare-bones way.

So I flesh them out according to how much I want the reader to linger on that part. Mostly, I think of what needs to jump out more or literally go slower. Those are stylistic choices, but I do notice that some things I thought should jump out can get lost if they go by too quickly for the reader to really pick up on. I know they are important because I'm the writer, lol. The reader needs more of a flashing sign compared to how my first draft goes.

Someone whose problem is going on too much about a scene would have to pick focus points and cut words, btw. But I'm like you, I think. I usually need to flesh important things out more.

Specval · Oct 4, 2012

I get what you're saying Ryan, but I don't think it's a pacing issue. At least not in the example you gave. It just seems to me you want to be more descriptive.

While I think most authors need to give their reader's imagination more credit, some scenes just call for more description for what ever reason. When I want to add more description to a scene I just imagine it unfolding in front of me over and over again until I've describe it the way I think works best.

With that being said, I'll caution you with the same advice that was given to me. Careful not to become too repetitive. If this is an after school snack, I don't want to read the same thing each day. Also careful of info dumps. You don't always have to describe the room the first time your character walks into it.

Good luck and what ever you do... just keep writing!!

rwm4768 · Oct 4, 2012

SomethingOrOther said:
This is an excerpt from my latest best-selling novel, Painstaking Description of a Kiss.

He lifts his left hand an inch. She rotates her head five degrees to the left. He lifts his right hand an inch. She parts her lips two millimeters. He lifts his right hand another inch. She rotates her head three degrees to the left. She curves the corners of her lips up one millimeter. He lifts his left hand another inch. She begins to sniff. He lifts his right hand another inch. She completes 5% of a sniff. His wee-wee shifts two microns in his pants.

This is great. It made me smile.

ryanswofford · Oct 6, 2012

Chris P said:
Okay, I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't see a problem with the sentence. I picture someone walking through the house, graham cracker in mouth and TV remote in one hand and coffee cup in the other, stepping in front of a recliner and sitting down. You don't need to give us every single detail for us to figure it out. The reader will picture this scene in his or her own way, and for me that's part of the joy of reading; I can picture the finer details in ways that are interesting to me without losing what the author intended for me to see.

As far as pacing, in dialogue I limit each person's speech to no more than three sentences before the next person speaks. This is how most conversations happen; you just don't get many opportunities to speak more than 100 words at a time unless you are a minister or schoolteacher (or writing posts on online message boards). Also, I have the next person react to the last thing the previous speaker said. This is, in my experience, how actual conversations happen as well. If the next speaker wants to react to an earlier part, I have the second speaker interrupt.

Pacing in the big picture is more difficult for me. I know not to have the characters have a conversation during a sword fight, but I have a bad habit of being too understated in progressing the plot. To me, the plot is advancing but since the reader doesn't yet know what the scenes are leading to he or she thinks nothing is happening. "I don't care about politics!" screamed one reader, not knowing that understanding the politics makes the later parts where the characters are kidnapped make sense. I'm still working on that.

This post probably helped me out the most. Thanks for the clear advice, everyone!

Debbie V · Oct 8, 2012

To me, the key to pacing is in letting the actions happen naturally. Never use words like suddenly - it no longer feels sudden. Also, make sure you are pointing out only things that would matter to the character in the moment. Don't lead the reader by the nose, trust him or her to get it. Keep your exposition out of your dialog unless people would really say that. No ne would really say, " You know, I live in that brown and white house with the red shingles on the corner over there." They'd just say, "I live in the house over there." while pointing. If confusion followed, they'd add one of the other details but not both.

The most important thing it to make sure every word matters in th moment in the story in which you use it.

Jonathan Dalar · Oct 10, 2012

This is not pacing; it's description. Your description is fine. Pacing is action vs. information.

To get the feel of pacing, compare the swordfights in Pirates of the Caribbean with the swordfights in The Princess Bride.

angeliz2k · Oct 10, 2012

Yeah, as others have said, this is not a pacing issue per se. This is more of a description/transition issue. What seems to be your specific problem is getting from here to there without confusing or boring the reader. That can be difficult.

I would recommend: 1) coming back to it later and checking for logic; do characters jump from place to place, and do they hit all their "marks" (ie, are they where they need to be at a given time)? and 2) getting beta readers who can tell you if something is too thin or too heavy on description.

Part of your job as a writer is to sketch in the necessary parts for your reader while leaving them to fill in the rest using clues you give them and their own imagination.

RemiJ · Oct 12, 2012

Chris P said:
As far as pacing, in dialogue I limit each person's speech to no more than three sentences before the next person speaks. This is how most conversations happen; you just don't get many opportunities to speak more than 100 words at a time unless you are a minister or schoolteacher (or writing posts on online message boards). Also, I have the next person react to the last thing the previous speaker said. This is, in my experience, how actual conversations happen as well. If the next speaker wants to react to an earlier part, I have the second speaker interrupt.

Pacing in the big picture is more difficult for me. I know not to have the characters have a conversation during a sword fight, but I have a bad habit of being too understated in progressing the plot. To me, the plot is advancing but since the reader doesn't yet know what the scenes are leading to he or she thinks nothing is happening. "I don't care about politics!" screamed one reader, not knowing that understanding the politics makes the later parts where the characters are kidnapped make sense. I'm still working on that.

What you wrote reminded me of the theme and pacing of Hunger Games. Have you read it? Suzanne Collins handles the challenge of introducing politics to an reading audience that would not usually be interested in that subject.

It might be good for you to read and examine how she balances those elements. Good luck.

Gateway · Oct 13, 2012

ryanswofford said:
As I'm writing my novel, I'm also noticing that I have a pacing issue. Oftentimes, my character will be doing something, and I'll immediately jump to him/her doing something else. For example, let's say I wrote something like: "Darcy nibbled on the graham cracker and sat down to watch TV." In the reader's mind, there isn't a clear vision of that. I admire writers who can make actions as simple as this really seem that simple, without making it quite as bare-bones as I do.

So, what are some techniques with pacing - specifically, when working with action, dialogue, and other things that are immediate to the story? Or even, what are some techniques with pacing when working on the novel as a whole? Should the beginning be quick, slow, or what? And what are some ways to maintain (or level-out) this pace throughout the course of the novel?

Thanks!

It's a big question with a big answer. Massive topic.

Each action has a purpose. If all your actions have purpose, then the pace takes a natural form.

In four words, cut out the waffle.

Need Pacing Help!

ryanswofford

dangerousbill

Retired Illuminatus

John342

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

French Maiden

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

SomethingOrOther

-

John342

backslashbaby

*

Specval

rwm4768

practical experience, FTW

ryanswofford

Debbie V

Mentoring Myself and Others

Jonathan Dalar

Science fiction, horror and fantasy

angeliz2k

never mind the shorty

RemiJ

Gateway

You Are My Density

Need Pacing Help!

Retired Illuminatus

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Where have the last ten years gone?

-

~~~~*~~~~

practical experience, FTW

Mentoring Myself and Others

Science fiction, horror and fantasy

never mind the shorty

You Are My Density

*