4 Keys to Story-Level Pacing

Can you remember the last book you read that seemed to fly by? Or where some parts sped and others dragged? This is what we think of when we think of pacing in books (see my other blog on pacing for more sentence-level pacing), and is one of the things I work with authors on as a developmental editor. Here are some story-level ideas to watch out for when you're editing your manuscript.

Right Place, Right Pace

Just because you've initially written a scene in a certain place doesn't necessarily mean that's where it should stay. Pacing is all about asking yourself if a scene belongs where it is. Have you revealed a secret too early or left it too late? Did you drop enough clues and red herrings to keep your readers engaged and guessing? Sometimes in edits and revisions you'll discover that the best place for the scene you originally wrote in chapter 3 is actually in Chapter 8—or that chapter 7 should really be chapter 1.

Be open to playing with these ideas when they come to you or when your editor or beta reader suggests them and see if you like the new flow of the story better. I know several authors who have actually ended up cutting the first 6 or 7 chapters of their books completely after talking to their developmental editors because they discovered their books didn't really start where they originally thought they did!

Purpose of a Scene

You've probably heard this advice before: make sure each scene moves your story forward. But what does that really mean?

First, think of your story's major theme. For example, in a lot of romance novels the main characters are each dealing with their own issues that get in the way of them coming together. Often it boils down to trust. Can they trust themselves? Do they trust other people? So "trust" might be your romance book's major theme, or story thread.

With that in mind, each scene you write needs to reflect your characters and their relationship with trust in some way. Why do they have trouble trusting people? How do they maneuver in life only trusting themselves? How does this reflect in their relationships with others? How do they start to change? What happens when they realize they are changing? You aren't using the word "trust" on each page. You might not use it for most of the book. But each scene, each conversation, needs to show your readers how these characters handle what will eventually become a romantic relationship because they can trust each other. (If you're interested in reading a good book that shows this example really well, Jill Shalvis' book He Falls First is one I highly recommend).

If you've written a scene where your main character is just sitting eating lunch and working, ask yourself what the scene is doing for your story or your character. What's meaningful here? How is it moving your character or story forward? If you don't come up with an answer right away, don't instantly assume that means you need to cut the scene. First, ask yourself what you can add that makes it meaningful. There's nothing wrong with a quiet moment—sometimes we need them in our books. But quiet moments still need to move things forward.

For example: you have a scene where Character A is eating lunch at their desk, answering emails, and realises they've been double booked for meetings and will have to rearrange their schedule. By itself that might not be moving the story forward. So you add to the scene. Now Character A emails Character B to see if they can handle one of the meetings and it's only afterwards that they have a little "aha" moment. Before Character B, they'd have rearranged their entire schedule to be at both meetings, now they're fine handing one off. The reader sees what Character A is only vaguely beginning to understand: they trust Character B to help them with the important project. Character growth!

When Scenes Drag

If you think a scene you've wrtten is dragging, why is that? What do you find about scenes in book or movies that you think slow things down? Chances are, the answer is the same: they aren't contributing to the story as a whole. Maybe they have some pretty scenery or nice dialogue, but if they aren't coming back to the main storyline, part of your brain is flagging it as something that didn't need to be there, or that goes on too long. Your first thought might be to cut it, but see if you can add to it to make the scene work for your story before you get the (metaphorical) scissors out.

Alternatively, did you feel like this type of scene was obligatory to your genre? Are you writing a romance and feel like it's expected that the ex-girlfriend show up . . . just because? If your answer to a scene's presence is "just because," take another look. That's another flag that it might be slowing down your story. If you can't figure out how to make adjustments to the scene, "just because" might be a reason to put the scene in your Cuttings folder and see if the story's flow gets smoother without it.

Cutting a Scene

Cutting a scene, a chapter, even a character should never be the first answer, even if it can often be the easiest answer. Play with it first. What would make it stronger, make it pull more weight for your story? Talk with your beta readers, writing groups, or developmental editor about ideas that might work. Only after you've exhausted all of those ideas should you make the decision to completely remove it from your book. And even then, keep those pieces in a folder. They'll make great bits for newsletter extras for your fans or ideas for your next book!

Are you looking for a developmental editor, manuscript evaluator, writing, or marketing coach? Contact me and let's talk about your project!