You’re welcome! I think pacing is one of those aspects of writing that can be approached in lots of different ways. The trick is figuring out what perspective works for you and the way your writing brain works. 🙂
I think in general, yes. Or rather, you need to make sure you have enough processing time between them so that they retain impact. I almost always end up getting notes from my editor asking me to slow down the pace of my drafts, because I tend to pack them full of action and plot, and I neglect giving the characters (and the reader) time to react to these events, which can lead to a feeling of disconnection. 🙂
nrae
2 months ago
I couldn’t figure out why several of my scenes felt slow, and I think it’s because my main character is lacking agency, thank you for the new perspective!
One question – if scenes have to happen in a certain order, but that makes the pacing too fast/slow, is there a way to fix that?
I’m glad the perspective was helpful! Honestly agency is at the heart of a lot of my own writing issues– it’s always something I end up having to grapple with during revision!
And that’s a great question! It’s a little hard to answer in general, since it will depend a lot on the specific scenes in each case, but it’s definitely something I’ve had to deal with personally, and seen my CPs grapple with as well.
If it’s a situation where I have a bunch of high intensity plot revelations or action scenes in a row and the pacing feels too fast, usually I can address it by squeezing in a few moments here and there where the character(s) can pause to reflect on what just happened, even if it’s just a beat to have an emotional reaction that they then have to put aside or stifle. For example, if your characters are, say, fleeing through a haunted swamp after escaping from a band of bloodthirsty trolls, maybe they take shelter behind a large rock and take a moment to bandage a wound so they aren’t leaving a trail of blood. It doesn’t need to last long, but it could give the character a beat to envision the worst (if they catch me they’ll eat me!) and to make a plan (I’m going to head for that fog over there and try to lose them). If you feel like you need to dwell in that moment even longer, they could take a moment to gather their courage somehow– reflect on a loved one, an inspiring memory, or remind themselves what the stakes are and why they need to keep going.
In the other case, where you have several scenes in a row that need to happen, logistically, but feel slow, that’s when I would take a closer look at the stakes and the tension in each of those scenes. For me, this sort of situation is harder to fix, and usually requires some out-of-the box thinking and brainstorming. I’m going to post this comment and think on it some more to see if I can come up with more concrete advice or examples and will follow up in a bit.
Okay, here’s another tool I use when I’m dealing with a section where I have a section of several scenes that feel slow: I try to think about what the reader is anticipating, what mysteries they want answered.
I didn’t really go into in my post, but I think reader anticipation and unanswered questions can both play a big part in pacing. If there’s a romantic couple the reader is anticipating getting together, of a theory about the cosmology of the world they have that they want to see proved, the need to find out those answers can drive the momentum of the narrative.
So if there’s a section that feels slow, one way to address it might be to look at what the current “unanswered questions” are and see if you can seed some sort of revelation into the scene that feels slow.
Another thing that sometimes works is to combine the important parts of two slower-paced scenes into a single scene that accomplishes the story needs of both.
Thank you so much for the advice! I always find pacing such a struggle, its always too fast or too slow! In my current book, the sections of slow scenes are giving me trouble, so I’ll definitely be taking a look at those and seeing what unanswered questions I can work in!
HabonJama
2 months ago
Can too much action ruin pacing? Especially if it’s in Act 2 (fun and games section)?
I think it’s not so much a matter of too much action, but rather too much action without clear stakes and agency. I think about some of those blockbuster movies that are jam-packed with explosions and cool CGI and car chases (lots of “action”) that can still leave a lot of viewers bored and unengaged, because there’s no compelling reason to CARE about all the “cool stuff.”
This is why for me, it’s important to keep asking these questions: why should I care about what’s happening? How is it connected to what came earlier in the story?
Thanks for the questions, folks! I’m signing off for the night now, but I’ll check back over the next few days to see if there are any other questions and will do my best to answer them. Happy Writing!
tgrosch
2 months ago
Thanks so much. I hadn’t considered connections until now. I can imagine how this works in scene-sequel form, but also how, say, chapter 1 connects with chapter 4 and then with chapter 7, on a macrolevel.
Thank you. I have never though of a pacing problem as stakes and agency problem.
You’re welcome! I think pacing is one of those aspects of writing that can be approached in lots of different ways. The trick is figuring out what perspective works for you and the way your writing brain works. 🙂
Is it possible to put too many surprises or cliffhangers or subplots into a book and start to lose the impact?
I think in general, yes. Or rather, you need to make sure you have enough processing time between them so that they retain impact. I almost always end up getting notes from my editor asking me to slow down the pace of my drafts, because I tend to pack them full of action and plot, and I neglect giving the characters (and the reader) time to react to these events, which can lead to a feeling of disconnection. 🙂
I couldn’t figure out why several of my scenes felt slow, and I think it’s because my main character is lacking agency, thank you for the new perspective!
One question – if scenes have to happen in a certain order, but that makes the pacing too fast/slow, is there a way to fix that?
I’m glad the perspective was helpful! Honestly agency is at the heart of a lot of my own writing issues– it’s always something I end up having to grapple with during revision!
And that’s a great question! It’s a little hard to answer in general, since it will depend a lot on the specific scenes in each case, but it’s definitely something I’ve had to deal with personally, and seen my CPs grapple with as well.
If it’s a situation where I have a bunch of high intensity plot revelations or action scenes in a row and the pacing feels too fast, usually I can address it by squeezing in a few moments here and there where the character(s) can pause to reflect on what just happened, even if it’s just a beat to have an emotional reaction that they then have to put aside or stifle. For example, if your characters are, say, fleeing through a haunted swamp after escaping from a band of bloodthirsty trolls, maybe they take shelter behind a large rock and take a moment to bandage a wound so they aren’t leaving a trail of blood. It doesn’t need to last long, but it could give the character a beat to envision the worst (if they catch me they’ll eat me!) and to make a plan (I’m going to head for that fog over there and try to lose them). If you feel like you need to dwell in that moment even longer, they could take a moment to gather their courage somehow– reflect on a loved one, an inspiring memory, or remind themselves what the stakes are and why they need to keep going.
In the other case, where you have several scenes in a row that need to happen, logistically, but feel slow, that’s when I would take a closer look at the stakes and the tension in each of those scenes. For me, this sort of situation is harder to fix, and usually requires some out-of-the box thinking and brainstorming. I’m going to post this comment and think on it some more to see if I can come up with more concrete advice or examples and will follow up in a bit.
Okay, here’s another tool I use when I’m dealing with a section where I have a section of several scenes that feel slow: I try to think about what the reader is anticipating, what mysteries they want answered.
I didn’t really go into in my post, but I think reader anticipation and unanswered questions can both play a big part in pacing. If there’s a romantic couple the reader is anticipating getting together, of a theory about the cosmology of the world they have that they want to see proved, the need to find out those answers can drive the momentum of the narrative.
So if there’s a section that feels slow, one way to address it might be to look at what the current “unanswered questions” are and see if you can seed some sort of revelation into the scene that feels slow.
Another thing that sometimes works is to combine the important parts of two slower-paced scenes into a single scene that accomplishes the story needs of both.
Thank you so much for the advice! I always find pacing such a struggle, its always too fast or too slow! In my current book, the sections of slow scenes are giving me trouble, so I’ll definitely be taking a look at those and seeing what unanswered questions I can work in!
Can too much action ruin pacing? Especially if it’s in Act 2 (fun and games section)?
I think it’s not so much a matter of too much action, but rather too much action without clear stakes and agency. I think about some of those blockbuster movies that are jam-packed with explosions and cool CGI and car chases (lots of “action”) that can still leave a lot of viewers bored and unengaged, because there’s no compelling reason to CARE about all the “cool stuff.”
This is why for me, it’s important to keep asking these questions: why should I care about what’s happening? How is it connected to what came earlier in the story?
Great advice, thank you!
Thanks for the questions, folks! I’m signing off for the night now, but I’ll check back over the next few days to see if there are any other questions and will do my best to answer them. Happy Writing!
Thanks so much. I hadn’t considered connections until now. I can imagine how this works in scene-sequel form, but also how, say, chapter 1 connects with chapter 4 and then with chapter 7, on a macrolevel.
You are welcome! Glad it was helpful!