Story Pacers

There’s an ebb and flow to the pace of a story. Everything in the world moves at a pace that changes now and then, so your story needs to flow with a momentum that makes logical sense based on the setting, characters, and plot of the story. Let’s explore some ideas that will help vary the stride of your story.

Word Choices

Words have the power to move the reader along or slow them down, based on what is happening in the story. Words like race, skitter, flash, and launch support the idea that something is happening quickly and may not last or endure. On the other hand, words like amble, linger, glow, and float convey something that is happening at a slower, more relaxed pace and may have a longer duration. Choosing action words that support the plot of the story and what the characters are experiencing will make it believable and easier for the reader to relate to what is happening.

Sentence Length

Short sentences can convey to the reader that the plot is moving along and they need to keep up. There’s no need to linger here. “I want you to leave. Now.” This example doesn’t leave much room for negotiation. On the other hand, here’s one that might leave the door open for characters to change their minds or be persuaded to reconcile. “If there’s nothing here for you, then perhaps you want to leave and find a life elsewhere. Whatever you decide to do, I wish you’d do it before tomorrow morning.” Utilizing both word choices and sentence length supports an emotional tone related to what the characters are experiencing in the plot of your story.

Paragraph or Chapter Length

This is a bit tricky, but is effective in conveying pace and emotion in a story. Like sentence length, keeping a paragraph and/or chapter purposely shorter than others will affect the pace of the story and enhance what is happening to the characters at that particular part of the story. It’s best to do this in moderation for the best effect and outcome. Short paragraphs/chapters call attention to themselves, so be sure to use them strategically.

Let’s take a quick look at a love scene as an example. If your characters are hooking up in the bushes behind the manor house, the scene will probably be short and filled with tension as well as passion. Behind the lust and sex is the fear that they might be discovered. So, choose words that fit the scene, short sentences, short paragraphs, and perhaps a short chapter. Haste. Hurry. Hide.

Conversely, a love scene that has the luxury of time/thought/preparation will have a much different feel to it. All of it can be longer and more drawn out. Describe the room, the candles, the moisture droplets on the goblets, etc. You have the luxury this time to let your characters immerse themselves in the experience. Linger. Languid. Luxuriate.

Taking a few moments to visualize a scene will help you decide its pace. Once that has been determined, the ideas and examples I’ve shared might help in moving it along at its various momentums and make it more immersive and real to your readers.