As the writer, YOU are the driver. The conductor of the symphony. The director of the movie.
It’s your job to “create the read,” engaging readers to the last word. That’s what pacing is all
about. Some of what I share here is drawn from a recent presentation on pacing I did at a
regional conference.
When we define pacing, a narrative technique, as momentum, movement, and flow, it sounds
like it’s the speed of the read. But I think it’s more about the feel of the read. While word count impacts pacing, it’s more about how you use words on the page. An 800-word manuscript can be a slog, or gripping.
Pacing is controlling the tension, the “pull” through the book. In my newest release, HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT: KATE WARNE AND THE RACE TO SAVE ABRAHAM LINCOLN, it was key, part of the narrative—and a challenge. I had to create a sense of urgency in a race against time without sacrificing clarity or drama, enough tension to get the reader to suspend reality—to defy the fact that they already know that Abraham Lincoln becomes president.
As I see it, pacing techniques fall into two areas: tools and content. Here, I’ll share four basic
tools with examples from books I’ve written to show how pacing techniques can affect the
read. The content piece, which gets more complicated, can wait for another time.
4 BASIC PACING TOOLS
Punctuation = traffic signals. They dictate the read. Here are my fab five.
. STOP sign
, pause
— there’s more
… uh-oh
? unknown
Example: In these sentences the only real difference is punctuation. But they feel different.
Word
Sounds: Letter sounds
can affect pacing.
Example: Smooth sounds move quickly. Hard, sharp sounds force a slowdown, used here for a stronger hit with conflict. Can you feel the difference sounds make?
Short sentences = slow
Here's another way to write the text above. This option also has longer sentences. How does this feel different?
Put It All
Together
Example: Consider how punctuation, word sounds, sentence length, and text on the page affect pacing and the feel of the read…
And if you
look at the book, you’ll see how text teams with illustration on this spread.
While these examples demonstrate a few tools used to pace text on the page, pacing is also about shaping and manipulating story content. One way we do that is with page turns and chapter ends that “pull.” Confusion, diversions, and too much information slow a narrative, so how we work with story content is a huge part of pacing. I’ll leave that for another time. 😊 As always, the elements and techniques of writing are all intertwined.
In the meantime, have fun playing with these basic tools of pacing!
TRY IT!
Play with a few spreads or paragraphs of a WIP. Be the driver, conductor, or director
and use the tools to push the reader to read the words as YOU want them to be
read. Speed up and slow down to create tension.
1. Change
up the punctuation. Delete some or add more. Test the differences created by a
comma, m-dash, ellipsis, or line drop.
2. Play
with sentence length. Shorten, lengthen, break sentences into pieces. No rules!
Where do you want speed? Where do you want to force a slow down for drama,
impact, effect?
3. Examine
word choices. Are the sounds slowing or flowing? How can changing a few words
impact the read by making conflict hit harder or action race?
4. Move text on the page. Break up large paragraphs. Play with line breaks and drops down the page.
Does your
manuscript look different? (more inviting?)
Does it read
differently? (more impactful?)
Does it FEEL different? (more engaging?)
About the Author
A former ELL educator and Reading Specialist, Beth’s experience in the classroom continues to inspire and inform her writing as she shares true stories that widen our world and invite kids to laugh, ponder, and question. Born and raised in Illinois, Beth now lives in Colorado.