Pacing Revisited
Another Strategy for Setting the Right Pace
In June before the great MailChimp Meltdown, I started sharing strategies for adjusting the pacing in the novel. I got a lot of great feedback, so I thought I’d take another look at this topic.
I keep in mind that pacing doesn't mean FAST>>>, but rhythmical and appropriate. So what does that mean and what are ways I try to achieve both?
If I’m writing a romantic scene, I take some time, slow the pace to savor the intimate moments. One way I do this is to create longer sentences.
But just as in everything, too much of a good thing can soon become tedious. In that romance, I’ll have to have some tense and faster scenes to offset those slow and gentle ones. So how do I do that?
Use Sentence Length:
Let's say that all is going beautifully between the hero and heroine. I’m creating long and flowing sentences to explore how they're in love and relishing the feeling when…oh no…here comes the ex-wife/husband, and what was a calm, loving situation turns into a tense one. So I pick up the pace by shortening those sentences.
Example:
He stood at the kitchen counter whipping the eggs into a savory omelet. When she came into the room and pressed against his back, wrapping her arms around his waist, he halted and leaned back into her embrace. Last night's lovemaking was still vivid in his mind, and for a moment he considered forgetting breakfast and returning upstairs. They stayed locked together—her behind him and out of sight, him inhaling her sweet jasmine scent.
He tensed at the sound of the front door opening. He wasn’t expecting anyone. And then there she stood, Margit. His ex.
Have you played with sentence length to quicken or slow the pace of your novel? Ever notice an effective use of sentence length in books while you’re reading?
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