{"id":6776,"date":"2023-02-08T11:31:12","date_gmt":"2023-02-08T11:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indiecateditorial.com\/?p=6776"},"modified":"2024-04-12T19:13:01","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T19:13:01","slug":"10-ways-to-improve-your-novels-pacing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indiecateditorial.com\/index.php\/2023\/02\/08\/10-ways-to-improve-your-novels-pacing\/","title":{"rendered":"10 ways to improve your novel’s pacing"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"10
10 Ways To Improve Your Novel’s Pacing<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

While your novel doesn\u2019t have<\/strong> to gallop along at a fast pace, sometimes storytelling gets bogged down and momentum is lost. Too slow and a reader could just give up. Be vigilant of anything that pulls your pace down. Here are 10 ways to improve your novel’s pacing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Slow beginnings and world building<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is perfectly normal to take some time warming up your characters and world when you\u2019re working on an early draft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, when you have the story down, you can start to work on the beginning and other parts of the novel. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When writers don\u2019t address their slow beginnings, this leads to plots that take forever to get started. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in historical and fantasy fiction there can also be a lot of worldbuilding. I call this scaffolding. You\u2019re erecting the scaffolding that your story will be partly built on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, once your plot and characters can stand by themselves, you need to take the scaffolding down. Readers don\u2019t need to know everything about the world of the story at the outset. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The point of the beginning is to hook the reader so they want to read more. Too much info dumping weighs the beginning down and could lead to readers abandoning the novel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Sagging middles and drawn-out endings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If there\u2019s nothing much happening in the middle of your novel, your readers will notice. They have reached the halfway point and the pace will be dragging. There is a good chance readers will bail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, there are plenty of other books out there to tempt them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your midpoint is an important point in your story and you absolutely need to have your readers furiously turning the pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, a drawn-out ending will kill the pace there. Once all the major plot threads are tied up, there isn\u2019t a reason to carry on. Resolution should be short. You also don\u2019t need to explain the fates of all the characters, particular the more minor characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Large block paragraphs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you have too many block paragraphs that run on a long time you are forcing your reader into visually tracking one long line after another. This can be tiring for the eye and the sight of a densely packed page can be off-putting for readers. Especially if they\u2019re tired and looking to wind down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The visual tracking of one long line after another also means that there are more words on the page and it takes longer to get to the bottom. This might work in some scenes, but beware of where you want your narrative to pick up and move more swiftly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want your reader to quickly turn the page, it\u2019s best to break your paragraphs up a bit so that the writing flows down the page rather than across.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are other issues with paragraphing which I will address in another post. However, paragraphing is something you can focus on when you are polishing your manuscript. You don\u2019t need to worry about it when you\u2019re still getting your story down on paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Long sentences<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Long sentences can work well in some places. But if you\u2019re reaching a point of drama and high tension you should aim to break them up more. This helps create a sense of breathlessness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long sentences suggest a leisurely time for contemplation or reflection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short sentences in a dramatic scene suggest urgency and no time to dwell on less important things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, avoid too many short sentences one after the other of a similar length. This can create a monotonous staccato rhythm that will not read well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Baton passes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It’s not unusual in a multi-viewpoint narrative to move directly from one POV in a scene to a different perspective in the same scene. There will be a line break to indicate the change of point of view. But in real time, the scene is just flowing on from the end of the last section. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baton passes can work well, but if there are too many of them, they can slow the overall pace. Where possible, opt for a jump cut forward in time that propels narrative momentum onwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Nothing is happening<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Every chapter in your novel should contribute something to the character and dramatic arc. Each chapter should also propel your story onwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it might be fun to spend more time with your characters, the plot is ultimately the engine of the story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If there\u2019s little plot in chapter after chapter, the pace will drop through the floor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This can leave the reader feeling that nothing is happening. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dialogue and interaction alone will not drive the plot on. Even amusing characters can only keep your reader\u2019s attention for so long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Readers know instinctively that something is wrong with a story when nothing is happening for a while. They have the experience of other novels and films to teach them over time how story structure works. They might not be able to articulate exactly where things should be happening \u2013 they just know something is off. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recommend KM Weiland\u2019s books on novel structure if you want to dig deeper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Too many long dialogue scenes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When dialogue is sparkling it leaps off the page, and the characters are shown off to their full potential. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, if dialogue goes on too long, it can become more tiring to read. Especially if it\u2019s not important dialogue, and it doesn\u2019t reveal anything or advance the plot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often you can summarise what characters are saying to speed things up and only focus on the most important speech. That also allows the most important parts of a conversation to stand out and not be buried among more mundane chat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There will be times when it’s fine to report an entire conversation. Especially if it\u2019s a tense one, or it\u2019s not too long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you find yourself always reporting full conversations, it\u2019s fine for your early drafts. However, you should go in later and shape these scenes so they move better. Aim to highlight the most important speech and interactions\/drama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Too much backstory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While you might know a lot about your characters (because it helps you write their story), your readers should really learn about your characters through their actions, choices, thoughts, and words. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Readers don\u2019t usually need a lot of backstory information. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s fine to include some, and it\u2019s often a good idea to sprinkle it through a scene or story so it doesn\u2019t weigh any particular part down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you weave backstory well through the story, not lingering on it longer than you need to in any one place, you can make it almost invisible at times. The reader gets the information but doesn\u2019t feel bogged down by info dumping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it possible for longer backstory to work? Yes. Just be careful where you do it \u2013 not interrupting a dramatic scene, for example. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think about how long the backstory is, how it contributes to that part of the narrative \u2013 it might actually work after a more dramatic scene when the characters are catching their breath and reflecting on what has happened or what they\u2019ll do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Flashbacks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One problem with both flashbacks and backstory is that they both look to the past. They don\u2019t drive the present day plot forwards, and therefore don\u2019t contribute as well to forward momentum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Does that mean they\u2019re bad? No. It\u2019s a matter of how much and where they are placed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flashbacks can be more dynamic than backstory because you\u2019re taking the reader back into the past directly, like it\u2019s happening now. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

And some plots rely more heavily on the past. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, if handled badly, too many flashbacks can block forward plot momentum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are exceptions \u2013 when flashbacks through the novel build up a picture that explains a mystery in the present. However, that crosses over into multiple timeline storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flashbacks should add something to the story you\u2019re writing. Otherwise, the priority should be to keep things moving forwards where possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Watch your word count<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While there is no ideal word count for all novels, each novel probably has an optimal word count range based on how complex the plot is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s fine to have a 120,000 word novel if there\u2019s plenty going on. It\u2019s not so fine if very little happens. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lack of action and plot development will bog the pace down to a near standstill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, this is not something you need to worry about when you\u2019re first writing your story. With each subsequent draft, you can assess how much can be cut for the benefit of the whole manuscript. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s not always easy to delete scenes you\u2019re fond of, but if you want your novel to be read and enjoyed by others you\u2019ll have to be more ruthless. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The good news is that while you might miss these scenes in the short term, you usually won\u2019t in the longer term. Especially if you feel your manuscript is stronger for the cuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking for feedback on your pacing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

And if you think your manuscript needs to be checked for pacing and other issues, you can check out my services pages<\/a>. Pacing is one of the things I look at when I do either a manuscript critique<\/a> or a full developmental edit<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re on a budget and you’re interested in an opening chapters developmental edit<\/a> of your first 10,000 words or your first 15,000 words, then I’ll look at things like too much world building early on, a slow beginning, paragraph blocking, overly long dialogue scenes, and much more. You can contact me at karen@indiecateditorial.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you want know more about the differences between a manuscript critique and a developmental edit, you can check my blog post on the subject here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developmental edit or manuscript critique? – IndieCat Editorial<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

While your novel doesn\u2019t have to gallop along at a fast pace, sometimes storytelling gets bogged down and momentum is lost. Too slow and a reader could just give up. Be vigilant of anything that pulls your pace down. Here are 10 ways to improve your novel’s pacing: 1. Slow beginnings and world building It […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[137,129],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-developmental-editing","category-writing-advice"],"yoast_head":"\n10 ways to improve your novel's pacing - IndieCat Editorial<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Don't leave your novel's pacing so slow that readers abandon your book. 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