Pace

Z0Marley · Apr 26, 2010

So, I'm re-writing one of my books. After completing the series (which took me a couple years) I decided it was time to freshen up the first book since my writing has grown quite a bit.

Long story short, I LOVE the rewrite I'm doing. I think it's absolutely perfect, but I'm on the tenth chapter (out of twenty-five) and the pace of the book is still extraordinarily fast. I started my first chapter out this way, because I think it's a great way to hook a reader. 28,000 words later, I haven't really slowed the pace at all. Is this a bad thing?

By this time I usually take the time to slow it down and get the readers familiar with the characters/environment. So, do you think having pure action like this is a good thing or should I tone it down a bit more and dig deep into the characters and setting?

Marzipan · Apr 26, 2010

I am also on a rewrite and i'm having this exact problem. Glad you posted.

jvc · Apr 26, 2010

Yep, I had that problem with my first draft too. The start of the book was way too fast paced as I just wanted to get to the nitty gritty of the story. I've since changed the first few chapters to slow things down slightly.

vroth · Apr 26, 2010

Is it weird that I never consider slowing the pace down? Maybe my pacing is naturally slow, so I never encounter this problem, but I want the book to clip along. To me, setting should be developed in the midst of action, and character is revealed through events, so it's all happening at once. I think a fast pace is a good thing. The best example of this is Hunger Games. That book never really slows down. Which is why I read it in a three hour sitting and couldn't stop.

Danthia · Apr 26, 2010

Fast paced it good. The only time it's bad is when things are happening so fast that the reader never gets a chance to take a breath and absorb what just happened. So you want to give them moments of reflection here and there.

Think of it like a movie with really fast editing and lots of action scenes. You come out of it exhausted and can't remember much about what happened. You need those quieter moments (but still maintain the tension) to let the reader catch up and really appreciate what's going on.

I blogged about pacing a while back with some info that might also be helpful if you wanted more on the subject.

Leanan-Sidhe · Apr 26, 2010

Dittoing the good advice above. As a reader, I think a fast pace is generally a good thing--it keeps me from putting the book down. But what really makes the story is the characters' emotional reactions to the action.

But add me to the group that has never had this problem. I tend to have the opposite, in fact.

Ugawa · Apr 27, 2010

vroth said:
Is it weird that I never consider slowing the pace down? Maybe my pacing is naturally slow, so I never encounter this problem, but I want the book to clip along. To me, setting should be developed in the midst of action, and character is revealed through events, so it's all happening at once. I think a fast pace is a good thing. The best example of this is Hunger Games. That book never really slows down. Which is why I read it in a three hour sitting and couldn't stop.

This is the book that came to mind when reading the first post. (How did you read it in three hours? :O I'm a fast reader and it took me 9.)

Anyway, back on topic.

I have the same problem -- always have done. I usually don't really think much about the pacing in the first draft, though. By the time I've finished the first draft, I usually have so much character/plot development in mind that the second draft is much slower.

Sean Wills · Apr 27, 2010

vroth said:
Is it weird that I never consider slowing the pace down? Maybe my pacing is naturally slow, so I never encounter this problem, but I want the book to clip along. To me, setting should be developed in the midst of action, and character is revealed through events, so it's all happening at once. I think a fast pace is a good thing. The best example of this is Hunger Games. That book never really slows down. Which is why I read it in a three hour sitting and couldn't stop.

See, the fact that The Hunger Games never slowed down actually put me off it. Reading it was exhausting, and not because of the emotional weight of the story. I kept wishing the characters would just stop to take a breather for a while.

Which just goes to show that almost everything is subjective! So if you love your rewrite, M. Austen, you're probably on the right track.

Z0Marley · Apr 27, 2010

Sean Wills said:
Which just goes to show that almost everything is subjective! So if you love your rewrite, M. Austen, you're probably on the right track.

Ah! >:[

Great advice, and thanks for the link to the blog!

Just wanted to point out something funny about your blog post too. I was reading through, and I came across:

Shorter sentences pick up the pace. <Insert short paragraph.>
Long sentences slow things down. <Insert long, wordy paragraph that I completely skipped over.>
<Beginning of the next paragraph> Did you notice the difference in pacing between those two paragraphs?

D: You caught me. Perhaps fast paced really is just more my style.

vroth · Apr 27, 2010

Ugawa said:
This is the book that came to mind when reading the first post. (How did you read it in three hours? :O I'm a fast reader and it took me 9.)

Anyway, back on topic.

I have the same problem -- always have done. I usually don't really think much about the pacing in the first draft, though. By the time I've finished the first draft, I usually have so much character/plot development in mind that the second draft is much slower.

Bah. I was doing that "pick the first somewhat accurate number your brain comes across" thing, only I shot too low. *facepalm* It was really more like six or seven. My point was: it felt like no time at all. :tongue

Epiphany · Apr 27, 2010

I wrote a book once. Everyone said it moved too slow. So I rewrote it and an agent said that if I revised and slowed down the pace she'd look at it again.

... I guess I wouldn't be the best one to answer this question...

Sandy Shin · Apr 27, 2010

Fast pace is actually a good thing in YA novels. If you're worried about it being much too fast, though (which can be exhausting to read), there are always chances to go back and slip in a slow moment or two where it seems most natural. Sometimes, that's all the story needs.

eyeblink · Apr 27, 2010

Actually I liked the pacing in Hunger Games - it's first half slow build-up, second half pedal to the floor. Catching Fire does the same - which is not the only way that it's too much of a remix of the first novel for my liking.

Z0Marley · Apr 29, 2010

Since I asked such a personal/opinionated question, if any of you have a bit of extra time on your hands, would you mind looking at my first chapter? I would love some opinions on the pacing, especially. Many thanks for all the advice so far. =)

lisalulu09 · May 1, 2010

I'm a bit worried about the pacing in my current project - I'm worried it'll be too fast and end up being a really short book. Any tips on how to slow it down?

Ugawa · May 1, 2010

vroth said:
Bah. I was doing that "pick the first somewhat accurate number your brain comes across" thing, only I shot too low. *facepalm* It was really more like six or seven. My point was: it felt like no time at all.

Oh, lol. Okay

Z0Marley · May 1, 2010

lisalulu09 said:
I'm a bit worried about the pacing in my current project - I'm worried it'll be too fast and end up being a really short book. Any tips on how to slow it down?

I've been doing a bit of research and haven't found the direct answer to your question.

The one thing I have noticed (at least with my work...) is that fast paced scenes aren't completely connected to your character's voice. If you write anything like I do, it's all action without much thought process with it.

Other than that I'm not really sure if I could slow it down, even if I wanted.

Pace

Z0Marley

Marzipan

jvc

Fearsome Dragon Mod

vroth

...yep.

Danthia

Leanan-Sidhe

leaving trails of fairy dust

Ugawa

It's a catastrophic success!

Sean Wills

Z0Marley

vroth

...yep.

Epiphany

Don't kill the bar, Dude.

Sandy Shin

procrastinating, clearly

eyeblink

Barbara says hi

Z0Marley

lisalulu09

Potterhead Gleek

Ugawa

It's a catastrophic success!

Z0Marley