A Guide to Writing

This is quite crucial to writing a book, and it's something I'm very bad at myself. But hey, at least I'm trying to fix it, right? Pacing is the tool which controls the speed and rhythm of your story.

If you do not pace your story it can seem rushed or it might drag on for too long. This is very bad for the readers because they'll lose interest and be confused with what is going on. Here are some tools that can help you out with pacing your story at the correct speed you want it to go.

A/N: Keep in mind these tips should be used after a major plot point.

[1] The Pacing Cycle
This should be the rising action of your story, think of your story as a repeated cycle, turning the wheel to allow your story to remain at a constant pace.

[a] Aftermath
Your MC should be doing something after the plot point has been dealt with, whether it's physical wounds that are healing, emotions processing, or people they are thanking. They need to deal with the past event before they can move on.

[b] Acceptance
The MC now needs to accept the terms of their new fate/reality. The plot point might've changed them, but they know they can't let it hold them back.

[c] Setting up Next Plot Point
They've stood back up after falling, so now the MC is ready to go out there and fight the next problem. This is now when you should begin to set up the next plot point. Whether or not it's an internal set up (MC predetermined for what's coming their way) or external (preparing the challenge for the unknowing MC.)

[d] Suspense
By now the readers should know of the challenge that the MC is about to face, difficulties are held high and the reader is held in suspense. This should be like the calm before the storm.

[e] Next Plot Point
Finally, the next point of your story has rolled around, giving the boost of action that your story needs. Once this plot point has played out, the pacing cycle repeats again.

[2] Increasing Pace
This is the point when you realize your book's speed is going much slower than you want it to. Picking up the speed is ideal, and you'll know when it's too slow when you see it.

[a] Beginning
This is when you should be establishing your MC's normal life, that way your reader can appreciate who they'll become later on in your story. But if you feel as though it's dragged on forever, you've probably started to far back from the exciting incident.

[b] Internal Action
There are two types of action, internal and external. Internal is when it's character-made and character-driven (your MC has either created the action or is preparing for it.) this is better for foreshadowing and creating tension when it's needed. (External is when there's a natural disaster, an assault, or a death of a loved one, which is used for creating int icing incidents but can't hook readers for rising action.)

[c] Cover More Time
If your story is taking place over a couple of days, it'll read very slowly. This is because when you do this you are including more of a character's everyday happenings to create your entire book. Even if they are very exciting, time will move more slowly than a book that covers weeks or months.

[3] Decreasing Pace
It's probably what I need to do more often seeing as though my stories are always too fast and need to be slowed down. This is the point when you realize your book's speed is going much faster than you want it to. Dropping the speed is ideal, and you'll know when it's too quick when you see it.

[a] Examine the Beginning
Slow stories begin too early and fast novels begin too late. If your story opens up at the inciting incident or even the first plot point, it's too early and you're jumping the gun on your story.

Your readers need to be able to see who your character is in their everyday life that way they can see how they're altered by the incidents that happen later in the book. Try to add more events before your current opening chapter that way you can slow things down.

[b] Add Dialogue
Start the conversation. Dialogue can force the reader to slow down, it takes time because your characters should pause, sigh, move around, or linger while they speak. But don't just add dialogue because you're slowing down your story. All dialogue needs to serve a purpose such as telling backstory, establishing personalities, or showing relationships or conflicts.

[c] Cover Less Time
Because extending the period of time can increase the pace of your story, shortening the schedule will slow it down for you. If you're flying through weeks and months in the blink of an eye, the story seems rapid. But if you try to have more cation occur within the same day, the story might seem better and easier to read.