Pacing: What It Is and How To Use It

The Writer’s Workout lists pacing as one of our Core Concepts because it has a massive impact on each story we write. Strong pacing pulls readers into your narrative, allowing them to experience each event alongside your characters.

Pacing is how quickly or slowly your story flows. “Good pacing is crucial to the flow of a successful narrative,” says the MasterClass article “How to Master Narrative Pacing: 7 Tips to Help Pace Your Writing.” “Without it, the story is dead on the page. The reader wants to be immersed in the thoughts and actions of your characters. They want to feel that they’re in the world you’ve created.” 

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Action-Based Pacing

For action-packed scenes, you usually want to quicken the pace. Take this example:

“He ran at her with everything he had. She stared at him, frozen in place, like her feet were glued to the floor. At the last second, she was able to unstick herself and dive out of the way, somersaulting across the damp grass. He barreled past her and had to skid to a halt. When he turned back to face her, his eyes were on fire.”

While this writing could work, it builds up too much suspense without much payoff. A scene like this may require shorter sentences and fewer pauses to give the action words more weight. As it stands, the reader doesn’t get the impression that this is the start of a fight. Let’s try this:

“He ran at her with everything he had. She dove out of the way at the last second. He barreled past and skidded to a halt, eyes on fire. He launched himself again, but she swept his feet out from under him, and he slammed face-first into the grass. Now he was really pissed.”

While this example isn’t perfect, it shows that quickening the pace for action-packed scenes can be more impactful. The shorter sentences throw the reader into the fray, letting them feel the back-and-forth of the fight rather than forcing them to wait for each movement. 

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Emotion-Based Pacing

On the other hand, emotional scenes usually call for slower pacing. For example:

“I cried. They hugged me, but I barely felt it. We sat there endlessly, my sobs echoing in the empty house. They just let me sit there and sob. There was nothing more we could do.”

You probably didn’t feel very emotional reading that, right? That’s because the pacing is a bit too quick for the sadness this example is trying to convey. For scenes like this, it’s better to increase description and pauses to make the scene more impactful. Let’s try this:

“I couldn’t stand it anymore. One hot tear slid down my cheek, and then came the flood. I wept into my hands, my choked breaths echoing in the emptiness of our hideout. They wrapped their arms around me, pulling my broken body into their warm embrace. Feeling their heart pound alongside mine, I could only weep louder. There was nothing we could do–nothing that would change the outcome of this war.”

This example does a better job of pulling the reader into the story’s emotions by putting more emphasis on how the characters feel. The descriptions of how the speaker begins to cry and how they feel while being held by their partner add depth to their situation. 

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Pacing and Story Endings

Where pacing can truly falter is at a story’s ending. All too often, an ending feels rushed and unfinished, especially with The Writer’s Games when you have to meet the challenge’s deadline. While it’s a common, understandable oversight, you should give yourself enough time to read back through your story to see if the ending’s pace flows. 

Here’s an example of poor pacing at a story’s end:

“He stabbed his sword through the dragon. It screeched and flailed its wings. He yanked out his blade, tearing its heart from its gaping chest. The dragon collapsed, the ground quaking as its mass slammed into the dirt. 

It was over. He had won.”

This ending feels extremely abrupt after an action-packed battle. The reader will probably go, “Wait–that’s it?” You want to leave the reader at a better spot by slowing the pace in examples like this. Let’s try this:

“He stabbed his sword through the dragon. It screeched and flailed its wings. He yanked out his blade, tearing its heart from its gaping chest. The dragon collapsed, the ground quaking as its mass slammed into the dirt.

He took a deep breath, staring at the carnage. The townsfolk cheered, but all he could hear was his own rapid heartbeat. His sword quivered as the dragon’s heart thudded to a halt, oozing dark blood from where he had skewered it. They congratulated him, patted him on the back, told him how brave he’d been. But all he could feel was revulsion. He’d at last become the killer they’d wanted him to be.”

This may not be the perfect ending, but really, no ending can be. This at least slows the pace and allows the readers to absorb the impact of the hero’s actions. His deep breath lets the reader do the same.

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There aren’t any hard-and-fast rules when it comes to pacing. Explore your options—could you express a character’s anxiety through rapid-fire pacing? Could you express the suddenness of a surprise attack by switching from slow to quick? 

Read back through your story and ask yourself if the pacing flows with each scene. It can be helpful to read sections aloud to catch where you pause. As long as the pace keeps the story engaging, you’ve done your job.

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About the Author

Phoenix Grubbs is a senior at Michigan State University, double-majoring in English with a creative writing focus and Professional and Public Writing. They aspire to be an author and editor and adore everything fantasy and sci-fi.