Time is an odd concept. On the one hand, it is hard and set. It is measured by scientists, egg timers, stopwatches and (apparently) my dogs on Saturday and Sunday. They wake me up Saturday and Sunday to the exact minute we would usually get up Monday through Friday. On the other hand, it shortens and lengthens itself in odd ways. If I’m stuck in a boring meeting, an hour is interminable. If I’m visiting with friends, an hour passes in seconds.
The older I get, the weirder this
flexible aspect of time gets. It is almost the end of August, but I could swear
I’ve only blinked once since it was early July. The day before I leave work on vacation
lasts a century, but when I realize next year is 2021, I have to shake myself
to remind myself I’m not dreaming. Surely any year in the 2000s occurred just
last week.
And can anyone explain why reading
an 80-page Supreme Court opinion seems to take more time than reading a mystery
book of 200 pages or more?
Writers struggle with time as well. Not
just with the more mundane aspects of making sure your 32-year-old heroine
doesn’t remember an event that occurred 40 years earlier or get confused about
the day of the week, but also with the rhythm and tempo of our words and the
flow of the story. Rhythm, tempo, meter, and flow are all part of what writers
call “pacing.” Pacing is the speed at
which the story is told, not the speed at which the story happens. And it is
not bound to hard and fast rules of physical time. For example, the show 24 made
an entire season last one 24-hour period. But the show’s events and the way
they were presented certainly did not drag on the way a 24-hour video of my
life on a quiet Sunday would. Pacing is
one of the many writing techniques I am still struggling with. While I like
thrillers, the constant action is wearing. I prefer quiet moments interspersed
with faster action, but there is a fine line between a quiet moment and a
dragging scene. While common sense tells you that a quiet moment or a pause in
conversation might be the perfect moment to end a chapter, the better practice
is to end chapters in the middle of a cliffhanger, to keep the reader wanting
to keep reading to find out what happens next.
If you’re a writer, what sources
have you used to refine your pacing skills?
And if you’re a reader, how does pacing affect the way you enjoy (or
don’t enjoy) a book?
This is a subject I've been thinking about a lot lately. March, April, and May all had about 300 days each, but June, July, and now August have sped past. How can September be only a week away???
ReplyDeleteI haven't read any books on the topic of pace (but would love to, if anyone has recommendations). Mostly, I pay attention when reading, dissecting how an author does it when I notice pace is being done well. Also, my editor doesn't hesitate to point out where I need to "get on with it."
Excellent post, Nancy. Pacing is so difficult, especially if you fall in love with a particular scene. I've not read any books on pacing, but like Annette, recommendations welcome. To keep me moving, I follow a tip from Rachel Aaron's 2,000 to 10,000 to bullet point each scene and write from point to point. When I the draft is done I try to read it as a reader, not a writer to check for pacing and I'm blessed with fantastic beta readers and editors who keep me on pace.
ReplyDeleteI add action or conflict to narrative scenes to move things along. Great post!
ReplyDeleteNancy, you certainly captured our feelings! I've never lived through a year where time felt so distorted and plain "messed up."
ReplyDeletePacing is one of those almost invisible elements of writing. We all know what it feels like when we're reading and want the protagonist to get on with it. How to avoid the "mushy middle"? EB, pacing would make a great workshop!
Time has always seemed relative; this year extremely so.
ReplyDeleteI have to fight the impulse to give chapters a nice, wrapped up ending. I always ask myself, if I were reading this before bed, would the chapter ending make me think, "I have to see what happens next. Just one more chapter?"
As Class Guppy, I've looked for a teacher of pacing. We had one, but she got bad reviews. I'm working with one instructor, but if anyone find someone good on pacing, please let me know.
ReplyDeleteFrom my own reading, I get bothered by too fast of a pace. Wanting to turn the page is a must, but not because I'm always on edge. Just like myself, a bit of leisure is a good thing and doesn't make for a rushed book. Having impact doesn't always mean fast.