Pacing is defined as the flow of your story. I want to use a river metaphor here, but I won't. You get the drift (insert rim shot and cymbal here).
Unless you're writing in the style of a Russian novel where you feel compelled to show the reader every footfall on every mossy stair leading to the palace (and I recommend that you don't), then you need to pick and choose what parts of the action to show and what to leave to the reader's imagination. Choose what's most important and leave out the rest.
Don't write what you an infer. But don't rush, either. Discovering this balance in your writing takes practice.
Write what's important to furthering the plot or character development. Ask yourself: How does what I'm writing now matter to the discovery of new information about my story and characters?
Unless you're writing in the style of a Russian novel where you feel compelled to show the reader every footfall on every mossy stair leading to the palace (and I recommend that you don't), then you need to pick and choose what parts of the action to show and what to leave to the reader's imagination. Choose what's most important and leave out the rest.
Don't write what you an infer. But don't rush, either. Discovering this balance in your writing takes practice.
Write what's important to furthering the plot or character development. Ask yourself: How does what I'm writing now matter to the discovery of new information about my story and characters?
Here's a selection from Hemingway's brilliant memoir, A Moveable Feast. Hemingway proves here that you don't have to show each character's mundane actions or flesh out scenes that may be salacious. Rather, with a little craft, you can skip to the aim of the scene and/or leave out a scene altogether for a different kind of impact. Read it first without my notes, and then see my notes below.
(Click on Read More below)
(Click on Read More below)
"Finally when we were eating the cherry tart and had a last carafe of wine he said, 'You know I never slept with anyone except Zelda.'
'No, I didn't.'
'I thought I'd told you.'
'No. You told me a lot of things but not that.'
'That is what I want to ask you about.'
'Good. Go on.'
'Zelda said that the way I was built I could never make any woman happy and that was what upset her originally. She said it was a matter of measurements. I have never felt the same since she said that and I have to know truly.'
'Come out to the office,' I said.
'Where is the office?'
'Le water," I said.
We came back into the room and sat down at the table.
'You're perfectly fine,' I said. 'You are O.K. There's nothing wrong with you. You look at yourself from above and you look foreshortened. Go over to the Louvre and look at the people in the statues and then go home and look at yourself in the mirror in profile.'
'Those statues may not be accurate.'
'They are pretty good. Most people would settle for them.'
'But why would she say it?'
'To put you out of business. That's the oldest way in the world of putting people out of business. Scott, you asked me to tell you the truth and I can tell you a lot more but this is the absolute truth and all you need.'
'You could have gone to a doctor.'
'I didn't want to. I wanted you to tell me truly.'
'Now do you believe me?'
'I don't know,' he said.
'Come on over to the Louvre,' I said. 'It's just down the street and across the river.'
We went over to the Louvre and he looked at the statues but still he was doubtful about himself.
'It is not basically a question of the size in repose,' I said. 'It is the size that it becomes. It is also a question of angle.'
I explained to him about using a pillow and a few other things that might be useful for him to know.
'There is one girl,' he said, 'who has been very nice to me. But after what Zelda said--'
'Forget what Zelda said,' I told him. 'Zelda is crazy. There's nothing wrong with you. Just have confidence and do what the girl wants. Zelda just wants to destroy you.'
'You don't know anything about Zelda.'
'All right,' I said. 'Let it go at that. But you came to lunch to ask me a question and I've tried to give you an honest answer.'
But he was still doubtful.
'Should we go and see some pictures?' I asked. 'Have you ever seen anything in here except the Mona Lisa?'
'I'm not in the mood for looking at pictures,' he said. 'I promised to meet some people at the Ritz bar.'"
'No, I didn't.'
'I thought I'd told you.'
'No. You told me a lot of things but not that.'
'That is what I want to ask you about.'
'Good. Go on.'
'Zelda said that the way I was built I could never make any woman happy and that was what upset her originally. She said it was a matter of measurements. I have never felt the same since she said that and I have to know truly.'
'Come out to the office,' I said.
'Where is the office?'
'Le water," I said.
We came back into the room and sat down at the table.
'You're perfectly fine,' I said. 'You are O.K. There's nothing wrong with you. You look at yourself from above and you look foreshortened. Go over to the Louvre and look at the people in the statues and then go home and look at yourself in the mirror in profile.'
'Those statues may not be accurate.'
'They are pretty good. Most people would settle for them.'
'But why would she say it?'
'To put you out of business. That's the oldest way in the world of putting people out of business. Scott, you asked me to tell you the truth and I can tell you a lot more but this is the absolute truth and all you need.'
'You could have gone to a doctor.'
'I didn't want to. I wanted you to tell me truly.'
'Now do you believe me?'
'I don't know,' he said.
'Come on over to the Louvre,' I said. 'It's just down the street and across the river.'
We went over to the Louvre and he looked at the statues but still he was doubtful about himself.
'It is not basically a question of the size in repose,' I said. 'It is the size that it becomes. It is also a question of angle.'
I explained to him about using a pillow and a few other things that might be useful for him to know.
'There is one girl,' he said, 'who has been very nice to me. But after what Zelda said--'
'Forget what Zelda said,' I told him. 'Zelda is crazy. There's nothing wrong with you. Just have confidence and do what the girl wants. Zelda just wants to destroy you.'
'You don't know anything about Zelda.'
'All right,' I said. 'Let it go at that. But you came to lunch to ask me a question and I've tried to give you an honest answer.'
But he was still doubtful.
'Should we go and see some pictures?' I asked. 'Have you ever seen anything in here except the Mona Lisa?'
'I'm not in the mood for looking at pictures,' he said. 'I promised to meet some people at the Ritz bar.'"
THE VERSION WITH MY NOTES:
"Finally when we were eating the cherry tart and had a last carafe of wine he said, 'You know I never slept with anyone except Zelda.'
'No, I didn't.'
'I thought I'd told you.'
'No. You told me a lot of things but not that.'
'That is what I want to ask you about.'
'Good. Go on.'
'Zelda said that the way I was built I could never make any woman happy and that was what upset her originally. She said it was a matter of measurements. I have never felt the same since she said that and I have to know truly.'
'Come out to the office,' I said.
'Where is the office?'
'Le water," I said. MEANING THE MEN'S ROOM
HERE A NOVICE WRITER MIGHT INSERT WALKING TO THE RESTROOM, MUNDANE ACTION.
We came back into the room and sat down at the table.
IT WOULD BE TEMPTING HERE TO SHOW THE SCENE OF ONE MAN PULLING DOWN HIS PANTS, AND THE SUBSEQUENT EVALUATION. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SCENE, BUT IT IS MADE MORE IMPACTFUL BY LEAVING IT TO THE READER'S IMAGINATION.
HEMINGWAY ALSO SKIPS SHOWING US THE TWO MEN RETURNING TO THE TABLE.
'You're perfectly fine,' I said. 'You are O.K. There's nothing wrong with you. You look at yourself from above and you look foreshortened. Go over to the Louvre and look at the people in the statues and then go home and look at yourself in the mirror in profile.'
'Those statues may not be accurate.'
'They are pretty good. Most people would settle for them.'
'But why would she say it?'
'To put you out of business. That's the oldest way in the world of putting people out of business. Scott, you asked me to tell you the truth and I can tell you a lot more but this is the absolute truth and all you need.'
'You could have gone to a doctor.'
'I didn't want to. I wanted you to tell me truly.'
'Now do you believe me?'
'I don't know,' he said.
'Come on over to the Louvre,' I said. 'It's just down the street and across the river.'
HERE THEY LEAVE THE BAR FOR THE LOUVRE. WE DON'T SEE THEIR JOURNEY, BECAUSE THAT WOULD INTERRUPT THE FLOW OF THE SCENE AND IT'S NOT THE POINT.
We went over to the Louvre and he looked at the statues but still he was doubtful about himself.
'It is not basically a question of the size in repose,' I said. 'It is the size that it becomes. It is also a question of angle.'
I explained to him about using a pillow and a few other things that might be useful for him to know.
'There is one girl,' he said, 'who has been very nice to me. But after what Zelda said--'
'Forget what Zelda said,' I told him. 'Zelda is crazy. There's nothing wrong with you. Just have confidence and do what the girl wants. Zelda just wants to destroy you.'
'You don't know anything about Zelda.'
'All right,' I said. 'Let it go at that. But you came to lunch to ask me a question and I've tried to give you an honest answer.'
But he was still doubtful.
'Should we go and see some pictures?' I asked. 'Have you ever seen anything in here except the Mona Lisa?'
'I'm not in the mood for looking at pictures,' he said. 'I promised to meet some people at the Ritz bar.'"
"Finally when we were eating the cherry tart and had a last carafe of wine he said, 'You know I never slept with anyone except Zelda.'
'No, I didn't.'
'I thought I'd told you.'
'No. You told me a lot of things but not that.'
'That is what I want to ask you about.'
'Good. Go on.'
'Zelda said that the way I was built I could never make any woman happy and that was what upset her originally. She said it was a matter of measurements. I have never felt the same since she said that and I have to know truly.'
'Come out to the office,' I said.
'Where is the office?'
'Le water," I said. MEANING THE MEN'S ROOM
HERE A NOVICE WRITER MIGHT INSERT WALKING TO THE RESTROOM, MUNDANE ACTION.
We came back into the room and sat down at the table.
IT WOULD BE TEMPTING HERE TO SHOW THE SCENE OF ONE MAN PULLING DOWN HIS PANTS, AND THE SUBSEQUENT EVALUATION. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT SCENE, BUT IT IS MADE MORE IMPACTFUL BY LEAVING IT TO THE READER'S IMAGINATION.
HEMINGWAY ALSO SKIPS SHOWING US THE TWO MEN RETURNING TO THE TABLE.
'You're perfectly fine,' I said. 'You are O.K. There's nothing wrong with you. You look at yourself from above and you look foreshortened. Go over to the Louvre and look at the people in the statues and then go home and look at yourself in the mirror in profile.'
'Those statues may not be accurate.'
'They are pretty good. Most people would settle for them.'
'But why would she say it?'
'To put you out of business. That's the oldest way in the world of putting people out of business. Scott, you asked me to tell you the truth and I can tell you a lot more but this is the absolute truth and all you need.'
'You could have gone to a doctor.'
'I didn't want to. I wanted you to tell me truly.'
'Now do you believe me?'
'I don't know,' he said.
'Come on over to the Louvre,' I said. 'It's just down the street and across the river.'
HERE THEY LEAVE THE BAR FOR THE LOUVRE. WE DON'T SEE THEIR JOURNEY, BECAUSE THAT WOULD INTERRUPT THE FLOW OF THE SCENE AND IT'S NOT THE POINT.
We went over to the Louvre and he looked at the statues but still he was doubtful about himself.
'It is not basically a question of the size in repose,' I said. 'It is the size that it becomes. It is also a question of angle.'
I explained to him about using a pillow and a few other things that might be useful for him to know.
'There is one girl,' he said, 'who has been very nice to me. But after what Zelda said--'
'Forget what Zelda said,' I told him. 'Zelda is crazy. There's nothing wrong with you. Just have confidence and do what the girl wants. Zelda just wants to destroy you.'
'You don't know anything about Zelda.'
'All right,' I said. 'Let it go at that. But you came to lunch to ask me a question and I've tried to give you an honest answer.'
But he was still doubtful.
'Should we go and see some pictures?' I asked. 'Have you ever seen anything in here except the Mona Lisa?'
'I'm not in the mood for looking at pictures,' he said. 'I promised to meet some people at the Ritz bar.'"
ACCELERATING A SCENE
It might seem like a good idea to keep your prose clipping along with action after action, but like a person, your prose must breathe to live. Give the reader moments of suspense followed by moments to relax.
Too much "slow" can bore a reader. Too much "fast" and the story will lack tension because the entire thing is tension.
To accelerate a scene (pick up the pace, move faster) try the following:
1. Use dialogue, but cut any "warm up" dialogue. Your characters generally don't have to greet each other and make small talk. Remember, this is craft on a page, not real life, even if you're writing memoir.
2. Avoid long description in dialogue. Your characters shouldn't be "talking heads." They need to "do things" while they talk, but excessive description inside of a dialogue section kills the action.
3. Scenes in which there tends to be a lot of action -- fight scenes, sex scenes, car chases, etc. -- don't require literal, elaborate, and particularized descriptions. Try to condense the action. For example, in a "sex scene," it may be enough to have one paragraph describing walking into the bedroom and the next paragraph describing the next morning's breakfast.
4. Use sensory details. When the reader can see, feel, hear, taste, and touch along with the character, the prose seems to move faster.
5. Shorten sentences. Now is not the time to channel your inner Poust. Shorter paragraphs will quicken a scene as well.
6. Internal dialogue should be constrained. Save most of it for the before/after a fast paced scene.
7. Eliminate flashbacks. They slow down the narrative.
8. Limit exposition. Save the explaining bits for a slower spot.
Too much "slow" can bore a reader. Too much "fast" and the story will lack tension because the entire thing is tension.
To accelerate a scene (pick up the pace, move faster) try the following:
1. Use dialogue, but cut any "warm up" dialogue. Your characters generally don't have to greet each other and make small talk. Remember, this is craft on a page, not real life, even if you're writing memoir.
2. Avoid long description in dialogue. Your characters shouldn't be "talking heads." They need to "do things" while they talk, but excessive description inside of a dialogue section kills the action.
3. Scenes in which there tends to be a lot of action -- fight scenes, sex scenes, car chases, etc. -- don't require literal, elaborate, and particularized descriptions. Try to condense the action. For example, in a "sex scene," it may be enough to have one paragraph describing walking into the bedroom and the next paragraph describing the next morning's breakfast.
4. Use sensory details. When the reader can see, feel, hear, taste, and touch along with the character, the prose seems to move faster.
5. Shorten sentences. Now is not the time to channel your inner Poust. Shorter paragraphs will quicken a scene as well.
6. Internal dialogue should be constrained. Save most of it for the before/after a fast paced scene.
7. Eliminate flashbacks. They slow down the narrative.
8. Limit exposition. Save the explaining bits for a slower spot.
DECELERATING A SCENE
To slow down your prose's pace between moments of action and tension, try the following:
1. Describe setting and character details. Character history will also slow down a scene.
2. Longer sentences and paragraphs will slow your prose.
3. Scenes depicting romance, familial tenderness, and other emotional moments should be slow. Don't rush these scenes.
4. Scenes just before and after the sex scene, fight scene, or the car chase are typically slower. We need to know the impetus of the scene and we need to see and feel the aftermath.
5. Use internal dialogue. What the character (you, in a memoir) thinks will slow the pace.
6. Use flashbacks -- but sparingly.
7. Expository writing (explaining) will slow down a scene.
1. Describe setting and character details. Character history will also slow down a scene.
2. Longer sentences and paragraphs will slow your prose.
3. Scenes depicting romance, familial tenderness, and other emotional moments should be slow. Don't rush these scenes.
4. Scenes just before and after the sex scene, fight scene, or the car chase are typically slower. We need to know the impetus of the scene and we need to see and feel the aftermath.
5. Use internal dialogue. What the character (you, in a memoir) thinks will slow the pace.
6. Use flashbacks -- but sparingly.
7. Expository writing (explaining) will slow down a scene.
The story, Bullet in the Brain, by Tobias Wolff is a great example of how to use pacing masterfully. The story is fast paced up front when it's written in scene and dialogue, but then slows into pages of lyrical prose that last less than a second in "real time."
CHOOSING YOUR STORY
Part of pacing is choosing the right story to tell. If your story has a lot of moving parts (many characters, settings, dramatic scenes, lengthy time span, etc.), you will want to slow down give each element its due. If you rush, the reader will feel that something is missing.
If your story takes place in a short amount of time, has few characters, and is about one dramatic moment (maybe two), you can quicken the pace. No need for lengthy flashbacks and a lot of exposition. Just tell the story in scene, simply, and make the dramatic tension the star of the story.
If your story takes place in a short amount of time, has few characters, and is about one dramatic moment (maybe two), you can quicken the pace. No need for lengthy flashbacks and a lot of exposition. Just tell the story in scene, simply, and make the dramatic tension the star of the story.
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