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Story pacing – keeping your readers hooked, line by line

Last updated on November 1, 2024

Story pacing – keeping your readers hooked, line by line

Story pacing is another tool in our writing toolbox. When we talk about story pacing, we’re not referring to how fast a story takes place or the calendar time over which a story unfolds. This is all about how we tell our story. Once again, we’re talking about another facet in the art of storytelling. When we use it well, it helps readers become immersed, or more emotionally connected with what’s going on in the protagonist’s world. When it’s off, while readers may not be able to put their finger on why, it can make them either skim ahead or put the book down altogether.

So what, exactly, is story pacing? In the technical sense, story pacing is how fast a story unfolds. But that’s not specific enough. More accurately, It’s the rhythm of the story, the heartbeat. It’s how fast or slow elements of the story are revealed and done quite on purpose. As the writer, we’re always in control of it, and more, can use that to advance our plot.

Why control story pacing?

We’re always looking for a better vehicle for our story and story pacing is one more device that helps us build our Ferrari. Y’know, as opposed to the donkey cart with the broken wheel we used to use when we didn’t know any better.  So what can controlling story pacing do for us?

It’s how we develop mood during scenes. The magic happens in how well we balance the flow of revealing events. Allowing readers to linger over certain scenes, taking time to add a lot of description about what’s going on, can cool down action or heighten suspense depending on what’s happening. Or we can sweep readers away into the next scene with economical narrative to keep driving the story forward which can add tension or anticipation. You can actually raise or lower a reader’s heart rate by manipulating the pace of your story. Isn’t that wild? And people say there’s no more magic.

Not quite with me? Okay try this… Imagine watching a film and there’s a scene fixed on someone making tea for five full minutes. Unless there’s a bomb ticking under that stupid teapot, that scene’s going to feel like a lifetime! If, instead, the director decided to pan over that scene in five seconds, showing just enough detail to know tea’s been made, then we’re moving at a brisk clip and the story keeps moving.

When it comes to story pacing, you’re the director. You decide how much time readers spend in a moment and when they should be hurried along.

Understand the natural flow of your story

I think of my stories as music. To me, it’s a symphony. Fast-paced, intense sections propel the plot forward and make your reader’s heart pound while quieter, slower beats allow them to breathe again. When you know the shape of your story’s arc, you can manipulate the flow of how you reveal information around it to your advantage. Does it start slowly, building intrigue? Or does it plunge readers right into action off the first paragraph?

To figure out where to speed up or slow down, try asking yourself questions like these:river painting

  • What’s the most crucial moment in this chapter?
  • Are there places where slowing down would add emotional weight?
  • Is the action happening too quickly for the reader to feel involved?

Let the questions guide you as you write. Everyone develops their own approach, of course, but if you’re just beginning to find your own way, this may help you decide where you need the pedal-to-the-metal and where the reader needs some room to soak in events.

Scene length and chapter breaks

Where scenes switch between fast action and intimate moments, it can be jarring. To make transitions smooth, story pacing hinges on how you organise your scenes. Short scenes with quick cuts, quick dialogue exchanges, and actions propel readers forward. Use them in action sequences, intense confrontations, or critical turning points.

For a high-octane moment, try brief paragraphs with punchy sentences. Bam, bam, BAM! The shorter the scene, the faster it feels. Now, when you want readers to slow down and catch their breath again, here’s where you can indulge in a bit more description or introspection. This gives your readers time to reflect and absorb emotions before you ramp things back up again. Mixing up sentence lengths in the same paragraph creates a natural ebb and flow that keeps readers from becoming bored during description and internal monologue.

This is a general rule: If you can feel the energy of a scene rising, the paragraphs should be shorter, and the prose snappier. If it’s a reflective moment, the scene should linger a bit, drawing readers in slowly while allowing them to feel the reality of that moment.

Use dialogue to set tempo

story pacing - use dialogue to set tempo Dialogue is one of the easiest ways to control pacing. You could think of it as the spoken heartbeat of your story. In the same way paragraph and sentence length in the narrative affect story pacing, quick-fire exchanges speed up the rhythm, while drawn-out, thoughtful conversations slow things down. Try using interruptions and incomplete sentences when you want to make the story crackle. Characters cut each other off, misunderstand, or react before the other person finishes talking… This kind of back-and-forth adds an edge.

Conversely, if two characters are having a heart-to-heart, let them get all their words out and speak in complete thoughts. Allow them to reflect on what’s said. Weaving in a bit of inner monologue is a great choice here. This helps relax things and lets the scene breathe.

Control story pacing with description – less is often more

Description can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can immerse readers in your world. While on the other? It can grind story pacing to a halt. To keep things lively, focus on details that reveal something about the character or mood. Say your character is running through a forest. Instead of describing every single tree, focus on what makes this run through the forest unique–the jagged branches clawing at her arms, the shadows twisting in the moonlight, the spooky noises ricocheting around the dark.

Description must have a purpose. Ask yourself, “Does this detail add to the tension, the atmosphere, or the character’s experience?” If it doesn’t, you want to think about cutting it or saving it for a moment when the pace naturally slows down.

How do you change the pace of your story?

So… have we learned anything here? I feel like I’ve been blathering on again. Sorry! Okay, how about some takeaways:

  • Story pacing is all about how quickly or slowly you reveal events in your story. It’s the heartbeat.
  • Change the pace of any story by doing some very specific things like adjusting the length of scenes, weaving in subplots, or switching up sentence structure.
  • When a scene doesn’t have anything to do with advancing the plot, there’s no need to linger.
  • Telling vs. showing. Showing slows things down. Telling speeds things up.
  • Too much information and things get boring. Too much action and it can become overwhelming.
  • Mix action and exposition for a better balance.
  • When a scene feels too fast, it’s likely missing a few things so add some–character thoughts and feelings, atmosphere, tension, or conflict.
  • Use dialogue for more than conversation–change the pace with the way your characters speak to each other.

Really, practice is the only way to learn how these different techniques impact a story’s flow. But once you’re aware of how pacing works, you’ll start noticing it everywhere including, hopefully, in your own writing. Remember, story pacing isn’t about making everything fast or slow. It’s about finding the right rhythm for each scene to keep readers hooked and invested and so, hopefully, turning pages long into the night.

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