Pacing: The Rhythm of Storytelling

As writers, we know the elements that tend to draw a reader in: a catchy title, a terrific opening line, a solid premise. But what keeps the reader engaged in your story? What compels them to keep reading line after line, paragraph after paragraph, relishing every delicious word of your painstakingly-crafted tale?

Pacing.

WHAT IS PACING?

Pacing is the speed at which a story unfolds. Specifically, it’s how the writer controls the flow of information presented to the reader. It’s an important part of storytelling because pacing impacts the reader’s experience and emotional connection to the story.

Think of pacing as a story’s rhythm. It’s playing along in the background, sometimes going unnoticed. Just like with music, there might be quick sections that grab your attention and get your blood pumping, creating a sense of urgency. Conversely, there might be slow, reflective interludes that offer moments of introspection, allowing readers to absorb the emotional impact of the story. The best songs–like the best stories–have a bit of both.

WHY IS PACING IMPORTANT? 

In storytelling, pacing directly influences the reader’s engagement. A well-paced story will keep your readers on the edge of their seats, eagerly anticipating what comes next. Move too fast and you might leave the reader breathless and unable to process all that is happening in the story. If your story drags, the reader might lose interest and disengage.

Pacing can help control the reader’s emotional response, perhaps by creating a sense of excitement or a moment of respite. This interplay provides a rich and immersive reading experience.

Additionally, pacing contributes to the overall structure and coherence by helping readers follow the story and understand the progression of events. For example, short stories tend to move faster than novels simply because of word count. In short stories, you want every action, every character, and every bit of dialogue to advance the story. Also, certain genres also tend to have faster pacing than others, just as different styles of music have varying rhythms. Thrillers and adventure stories move more quickly than, say, romance or literary fiction.

HOW DO I PACE A STORY EFFECTIVELY?

So what techniques affect story pacing and how can you use them to speed up or slow down a story? 

Scene length (as well as the length of paragraphs and lines) can significantly affect pacing. Shorter scenes tend to move the story along quickly. Longer, more descriptive scenes slow things down. Creating scenes of varying lengths improves the flow and prevents the story from becoming monotonous.

Dialogue and action by your characters tend to speed up pacing by pulling the reader right into the story. Short snappy dialogue speeds up the action, while longer, more detailed dialogue slows it down. Scenes that are important to the plot provide momentum and move the story along. However, other action should happen “offstage.” Readers don’t need to see your characters eating breakfast and driving to work in the morning unless it’s integral to the story.

Description in fiction writing is important in order to set the scene, create atmosphere, and provide backstory. But description often slows down the pacing of a story and should be used only when it’s necessary to advance the plot or develop the characters.

Word choice is also important when it comes to pacing. Transition words help control the flow of a narrative. Consider how the use of the word “trudge” has a different tone than the word “skipped.” Formal language can slow things down. 

And some words pack more of an emotional punch than others.

HOW DO I KNOW I HAVE IT RIGHT?

Sometimes it is difficult to know if you have the pacing just right. One tip is to read your work out loud. This way you can literally hear how your story unfolds and adjust pacing as needed. (Besides, reading aloud helps point out all kinds of errors such as poor dialogue, grammar mistakes, clunky sentences, repeated words/phrases, etc.)

Pacing is an essential element of storytelling that has a profound impact on the overall effectiveness of a story. By controlling how a story unfolds, writers can use pacing to build up to a climax, provide moments of respite, or control the reader’s emotions.

And just like a beautiful piece of music, a well-paced story takes readers on an emotional journey–with all of its highs and lows–leaving them captivated from the first phrase to the last. 

Need a few more tips? Check out this post from Jericho Writers or take a Master Class in narrative pacing.

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About the author: Karen Scott is an author, teacher, writing judge, and book reviewer from New Jersey. She enjoys spoiling her new grandbaby, traveling to warm climates, snort-laughing with friends, and sipping a good cosmopolitan. Visit her online at www.karenkinley.com.