Tips To Correct The Pacing In Your Novel (part 2)

If you missed part one of this post series you can find it here. Today I’d like to talk about structure and show vs. tell vs. really showing. By structure I mean scene and sequel. If you are not familiar with the proper structure of scene and sequel go here, or to a earlier post called Showing Structure: scene, sequel, and MRUs in a novel.

To quickly refresh your memory the proper structure of a scene is:

GOAL: What your POV character wants.

CONFLICT: What prevents him/her from achieving that goal.

DISASTER/SETBACK: Something that makes it even harder to achieve the goal.

Sequel structure is:

REACTION: Your POV character’s reaction to the disaster.

DILEMMA: Another obstacle.

DECISION: Their decision. Which often is the same as or leads to a new goal.

Okay, now let’s see it action. To quicken the pace race through the steps. “Show” them but quickly. Here is an example from my novel, TIMBER POINT.

3 Tips To Correct The Pacing In Your Novel – Part One

What is pacing?

Pacing is the rhythm of the novel, of the chapters and scenes and paragraphs and sentences. It is also the rate at which the reader reads and the speed at which the events unfold. By using specific word choices and sentence structure– scene, sequel, chapter, novel structure– we can tap the emotions of the reader so that the reader feels what the writer wants them to feel at any given point in the story.

Pacing is especially important in crime writing.

Almost everything you read on the internet deals with picking up the pace, because so many new writers pace their novels too slowly. But what if you’re like me, someone who writes at break-neck speed, never giving the reader a break from the action? I know when I’m doing it too. I’m literally on the edge of my seat, feeling like I just drank 40 cups of caffeine.