4 Kinds of Pacing for Your Self-Edit

Have you ever started reading a book where the idea excites you, but you can't get into the writing? The flow of the words seems off, the the sentences can't find a rhythm that works for you. Or maybe someone has read your writing and liked your ideas, but "something is off." In both cases, this could be a pacing issue.

There are two major kinds of pacing: story-level pacing and sentence-level pacing (which breaks into word, sentence, and paragraph pacing). As a developmental editor, I focus on story-level pacing, while line or copy editors will focus on sentence-level pacing. Over the next two blogs I'll give you an idea of how each works together to improve your writing.

Word-Level Pacing

Some people may argue that this doesn't really fall under pacing, but to me if it slows the reader down, that makes it part of pacing. Here, it is the so-called "$10 word." Are your readers going to need a dictionary to figure out what a word you're using means? Are you using a fancy word because it sounds nice (some words do), to show off that you know the word, or for another reason? Ask yourself if it's the right word for your character and time period. For example, if you're writing a book set in Regency England, a word like "felicity" would fit right in—and your readers wouldn't be surprised by it. Using "felicity" in a novel set in 21st century will surprise people. It no longer fits the time and place for your writing. Can you still use the word? In the end of course it's up to you as the writer, but think of your audience. Does your word choice take them out of your story? Either because they don't expect the word (like "felicity" in modern conversation) or because they have to stop and look it up. You're using "lachyrmose," why not just use "sad"? How often do you think your readers are going to be willing to be pulled out of the story before deciding not to continue reading?

Sentence-Level Pacing

When we're talking about pacing at this level, we're talking about looking at words, sentences, paragraphs, and the flow that they have—or don't have. Are you using long, complex sentences or short, choppy ones? When you read these sentences out loud, notice the difference in the rhythm they give your story. Short, abrupt sentences might pick up the pace and be a perfect fit for a scene that needs extra tension. Longer sentences can slow a scene down, which might be useful for a more introspective, moody scene. Varying the length of your sentences is important to keep readers engaged, but it also keeps the rhythm of your words changing to fit the actions in the scene you're setting.

Of course, these aren't hard and fast rules. Think of Hemingway. He's famous for writing in short, concise sentences. It may not be a style that would work for an entire book today, but it's a good reminder of what I always say: these are only guidelines. See what works for you and the story you're writing.

Paragraph-Level Pacing

Do you remember being assigned a book for high school reading, a "classic" novel like Dickens, and seeing nothing but massive blocks of text? Do you remember your eyes glazing over because even one paragraph seemed like it went on for pages? Obviously that's a writing style that's changed over time, but watching your paragraph length is another way to vary your writing pace. Mixing things up can also emphasize information and change what sticks in the reader's mind.

Let's say you're desribing a room. It could read like this:

It was a cluttered room. Littered with bits and pieces dropped from other places, abandonded on the way to somewhere else. Dusty stuffed animals shot by family members decades ago lurked on the matlepiece, the desk, the floor, staring out with glassy, dead eyes. Books stuffed the shelves and piled haphazardly on one table near the couch. Two coffee cups perched on the low table in front of the couch.

But what if you made just one change?

It was a cluttered room. Littered with bits and pieces dropped from other places, abandonded on the way to somewhere else. Dusty stuffed animals shot by family members decades ago lurked on the matlepiece, the desk, the floor, staring out with glassy, dead eyes. Books stuffed the shelves and piled haphazardly on one table nead the couch.

Two coffee cups perched on the low table in front of the couch.

Do the coffee cups stand out now? Without knowing anything about what has happened or will happen in the story, do they seem sinister to you? Making the line its own paragraph (so to speak) changes the rhythm of the writing, but also changes the reader's expactations. A careful reader now has their internal red flags raised. Now that I've emphasized these coffee cups, I need to come back to them later on in my story.

Story Breaks

Pacing is about where you pause as much as what you say. Your scene breaks and chapter endings. Are they in the right places? Do they move your scenes and characters easily to the next place? Scene breaks are always a good place for changing character POV or actual scenes, but if the scene itself hasn't come to a natural end, your reader may not easily make the transition you want them to make. Check that you aren't ending a scene too abruptly and that your reader will follow the flow of your ideas as you move to the next scene. Sometimes this might mean asking a beta reader if you've done a smooth job of it because what you think you've done and what's on the page don't always match up.

What about cliff hangers? Particularly in thrillers and mysteries some authors like to end chapters on some kind of cliff hanger. That way the reader is (hopefully) so engrossed in the story's tension that they want to find out what happens next and won't think about putting the book down. Personally, I recommend not overdoing the cliff hanger as a chapter ending. Strong writing relies on varying everything, and that includes the endings of your chapters.

Check the next post where we'll dive into my favorite kind of pacing: story pacing!

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