• Basic Writing questions is not a crit forum. All crits belong in Share Your Work

Having issues with pacing

Status
Not open for further replies.

Jacob_Wallace

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Nov 29, 2012
Messages
250
Reaction score
2
Location
Tennessee
After attempting to write my first full length novel, it came up short to about 28K words. I ended up publishing it and now I'm working on another one. It too feels like it's going to be short. Any tips on how to pace out a novel so that the characters don't end up resolving the plot in half the time that they should?
 

BethS

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 21, 2005
Messages
11,708
Reaction score
1,763
Sounds like you don't have enough plot to make a novel, and/or you don't take time to develop conflicts. And maybe you have no sub-plots? Can't tell, though, without seeing some of it. You could post some chapters in SYW and see what people say.
 

RKarina

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 8, 2015
Messages
298
Reaction score
37
Location
Charm City, USA
Website
rochellekarina.com
As BethS said - it sounds like you don't have enough of a plot, or a complex enough plot.

Without seeing the story, it's hard to say what would help, but... some ideas...

Look at your characters and story line. Is it one main plot point, or are there any subplots? Are there places where you can flesh out the character, or the events? Are there places that could use more details?

Are you rushing toward a solution? Does everything happen too easily? Are your characters and stories richly developed and "real" seeming, or have you simply scratched the surface?

I'm not an outline writer, but when I was working on going from short stories and novellas up to a full length novel, I did outline a plot. The outline helped me to more fully develop the story arc and was a great reminder to take my time and let the story develop.

Maybe try outlining your current story. It might give you some clues as to where you can flesh stuff out.
 

_Sian_

Ooooh, pretty lights and sirens :D
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
5,867
Reaction score
909
Location
Victoria, Aus
Website
antagonistsneeded.wordpress.com
In my mind, length is a by product of the number of active (as in they want something and change to get that thing) characters/number of settings (which introduce new variables)/number of reversals and decisions made by characters.

So maybe add more characters? Or change their complications and decisions? If you change their entire direction of how they go about achieving their goal (so a turning point), it means you can have more complications without repeating yourself. Maybe try to plan it out in acts and turning points?

It's hard to know how to fix the issue without knowing what sort of writer you are (for example I can't plot out plot points, but I can aim for character decisions - it's odd, no idea why it works that way for me)/whether it's a plot/character issue.
 

G.A. Xandus

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 1, 2015
Messages
165
Reaction score
23
Location
Chicago
Maybe try outlining your current story. It might give you some clues as to where you can flesh stuff out.

Outlining is extremely helpful. I came across this outlining workbook on amazon. It really helps you get to know your character, helping to organize your thoughts, and plot structure. Inner and outer needs, and so on.
 

Jamesaritchie

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 13, 2005
Messages
27,863
Reaction score
2,311
Your problem isn't pace. A one thousand word short story can be very slow paced, and a one hundred thousand word novel can be very fast paced.

Too short usually means you're writing too narrow, the same way you would write a short story. You have to widen the entire novel right from page one. I'm not a believe in using subplots to add length. One subplot that is connected to character and story is good, but after this, most subplots are just padding that take reader away from main story and character.

Add a character, add complications, and add scope. This is how you make a novel full-length without padding. Widen the view, and make sure you aren't writing anything, from characterization, to description, to complications, the same way you write it in a short story.

Many an excellent short story has been turned into an excellent, and long, novel without adding and padding at all.
 

Debbie V

Mentoring Myself and Others
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
3,138
Reaction score
290
Location
New York
Are you telling instead of showing? Telling is often much shorter.

I often have a few sentences that explain a scene instead of the scene itself. It's like my first drafts are partially outlines. When other people read it, they tell me what they can't picture. I add those details that I imagined automatically, but no one else would. Some times it's also about deepening the POV and/or delving more deeply into character.
 

Mr. E

Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 11, 2007
Messages
84
Reaction score
25
Location
Foraging in the wetlands
I try to write my characters into corners. "What's the worst possible thing that could happen right now?" And then solve it.

That's usually good for a chapter or two, and often jerks the story in a wholly unplanned direction.
 
Joined
May 31, 2014
Messages
369
Reaction score
27
Location
Alabama
As it's been said, it sounds like you don't have enough of a plot to make a novel. I remember reading in a guide (can't remember which one) that if your novel doesn't have subplots, then it's a short story and not a novel. You should look into subplots. It's one of those topics I don't fully understand. They flow organically from my own writing, but-- and this is a big but--subplots come to me in the second, third, fourth draft.

It sounds to me you're rushing through your work. That's fine, some writers think you need to strike the iron while it's hot, but you better throw it in a barrel of water afterwards (I'm drunk, WTF am I talking about?)

You say you're self publishing, so there should be little problems. Just call your work a novella instead of a novel and there you go. Even if you were publishing traditionally, just send your work to publishers accepting novellas.

The first draft is shit. The second draft is polished shit. Good subplots will come to you when you're not even thinking about your story.

With all that said, you know if you have told the story you wish to tell. If there's nothing to add, there's nothing to add. Just look at the word count and decide what to call your work. At 28,000 it's not a novel.
 
Last edited:
Joined
May 31, 2014
Messages
369
Reaction score
27
Location
Alabama
Your problem isn't pace. A one thousand word short story can be very slow paced, and a one hundred thousand word novel can be very fast paced.

Too short usually means you're writing too narrow, the same way you would write a short story. You have to widen the entire novel right from page one. I'm not a believe in using subplots to add length. One subplot that is connected to character and story is good, but after this, most subplots are just padding that take reader away from main story and character.

Add a character, add complications, and add scope. This is how you make a novel full-length without padding. Widen the view, and make sure you aren't writing anything, from characterization, to description, to complications, the same way you write it in a short story.

Many an excellent short story has been turned into an excellent, and long, novel without adding and padding at all.

"Add a character, add complications, and add scope. This is how you make a novel full-length without padding."

^^^This is the answer.
 

Loverofwords

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jun 11, 2015
Messages
701
Reaction score
143
You might want to revisit your plot and characters, maybe add more depth. Adding more description could help, just as long as you know when to add it and when not to. Do you have any conflict? Any thing holding the characters back? Maybe flesh out the characters more, describing their wants and personalities.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.