Pace (narrative)
In
Methods
Storytellers have a number of writing tools at their disposal—for example, narration, action, description, and dialogue. When considering how to pace a story, description and narration will move it along slowly, steadily, and easily, while action and dialogue will speed it up.[9] Of all the tools at a writer's disposal, dialogue is the one that most quickly puts the characters and the reader into the present moment, even more so than action.[10]
Pace can be increased through:
- flipping forward past a scene that is in the story but never appears in the book[11]
- skipping steps in a logical sequence of events[12]
- short scenes:[13] editors work with authors to evaluate the order of scenes and chapters, ensuring that the story progresses smoothly. Rearranging scenes can create suspense or build towards a climactic moment, enhancing the overall pace of the narrative.[6]
- frequent paragraphing:[14] by employing frequent paragraph breaks, the narrative becomes more visually appealing and easier to read, allowing readers to navigate through the text more comfortably.[15]
- short sentences:[16] editors may suggest adjustments to sentence and paragraph length to control the rhythm and flow of the narrative. Shorter sentences and paragraphs tend to create a faster pace, while longer ones slow it down, allowing for more detailed descriptions or introspection.[17]
- dialogue:[18][19] dialogue can be an effective way to build tension and conflict within a narrative.
- action:[20] in certain cases, editors may suggest adding or expanding scenes to introduce more tension or action. Doing so can inject energy into the narrative and propel the story forward, keeping readers engaged.[6]
- active voice and aggressive verbs:[21] through conversations, characters can engage in verbal sparring, disagreements, or confrontations, intensifying the dramatic elements of the story.[4]
- flab-cutting (removal of superfluous words and phrases, and unnecessary adjectives and adverbs)[22]
Pace can be decreased through:
Weaving
While dialogue is the element that brings a story and the characters to life on the page, action creates the movement, and narrative gives the story its depth and substance. Writing a story means weaving all the elements of fiction together. When this is done right, weaving dialogue, action, and narrative can create a beautiful tapestry.[25] Pacing is probably the most common fiction element to pay attention to when considering when to and when not to weave dialogue, narrative, and action. Effective pacing in storytelling has a profound impact on reader engagement and the overall reading experience.[26] When creating a fast-paced conflict scene between two or more people, a writer might do well to consider only dialogue, at least for parts of it. Perhaps the characters have just entered into an argument and the writer wants to speed up the scene.[27] Then there are times when a scene should move slowly, so it is not always best to use dialogue.[28] However, reading slow-moving dialogue is preferable to reading lengthy passages of philosophical narrative.[29] There are scenes in all stories that work best using only narrative or only dialogue or only action.[30] There are no definite rules about when to and when not to weave. To weave well is to find the story's rhythm.[31] Tod Hoffman points out that, "Pace in narrative gauges the movement of a story in a specific direction with respect to time".[26] A well-paced story grabs readers' attention from the beginning and holds it throughout the narrative. By balancing moments of tension, action, and reflection, the pace keeps readers invested, turning pages eagerly. Pace plays a significant role in evoking emotions in readers. Intense, fast-paced sequences can create excitement and suspense, while slower, reflective passages allow for emotional depth and introspection. A carefully crafted pace enhances the emotional impact of key scenes and climactic moments.[15]
Variation
Within a story
A good
Between different stories
Different kinds of stories call for different kinds of characters, tension, pacing, themes, and dialogue. A fast-paced action adventure needs fast-paced dialogue in every scene to keep the story moving forward quickly. Likewise, a literary story needs the dialogue to match the pace of the other elements in the story—it needs to move more slowly.[39] Genre stories generally move quickly, employing more dialogue and action and less slow-paced narrative, because they are generally plot-driven rather than character-driven, like literary and mainstream stories. The emphasis is on the action that keeps the plot moving rather than the narrative that keeps the character growing. It pays to know the characters because who they are determines how slowly or quickly they talk.[40] Important information, hints, and surprises can be revealed through character interactions, moving the story ahead. This not only keeps readers intrigued but also keeps the plot moving along without becoming dull or overly dependent on descriptive passages.[6]
See also
Notes
- ^ Bishop (1988, p. 46)
- ^ Schellhardt (2008, p. 66)
- ^ Turco (1999, pp. 67–68)
- ^ a b c d Popova, Yanna, and Elena Cuffari. “Temporality of Sense-Making in Narrative Interactions.” Cognitive Semiotics 11.1 (2018): 32–. Web.
- ^ Bauer (1992, p. 89)
- ^ a b c d e f Fleischman, Suzanne. 1990. Tense and Narrativity. London: Routledge.
- ^ Schellhardt (2008, p. 66)
- ^ Stein (1995, p. 193)
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 11)
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 122)
- ^ Stein (1995, p. 195)
- ^ Stein (1995, p. 195)
- ^ Bishop (1988, p. 209)
- ^ Stein (1995, p. 194)
- ^ S2CID 145113112.
- ^ Stein (1995, p. 194)
- ^ S2CID 256520549.
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 11)
- ^ Stein (1995, p. 194)
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 11)
- ^ Hacker (1991, pp. 151–152)
- ^ Stein (1995, p. 197)
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 11)
- ^ Bishop (1988, p. 241)
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 67)
- ^ ISBN 978-1-003-25204-7, retrieved 2023-06-09
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 78)
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 12)
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 119)
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 68)
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 79)
- ^ Bell (2004, pp. 127–128)
- ^ Bauer (1992, p. 90)
- ^ Bauer (1992, p. 89)
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 72)
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 120)
- ^ Saville (2013, p. 154)
- ^ Lamb (2008, p. 130)
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 32)
- ^ Kempton (2004, p. 119)
References
- Bauer, Marion Dane (1992), What's Your Story?: A Young Person's Guide to Writing Fiction, New York: ISBN 0-395-57781-0
- Bell, James Scott (2004), Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure, Cincinnati: ISBN 1-58297-294-X
- Bishop, Leonard (1988), Dare to Be a Great Writer: 329 Keys to Powerful Fiction, Cincinnati: ISBN 0-89879-464-1
- Hacker, Diana (1991), The Bedford Handbook for Writers (3rd ed.), Boston: ISBN 0-312-05599-4
- Kempton, Gloria (2004), Write Great Fiction: Dialogue, Cincinnati: ISBN 1-58297-289-3
- Lamb, Nancy (2008), The Art and Craft of Storytelling: A Comprehensive Guide to Classic Writing Techniques, Cincinnati: ISBN 978-1-58297-559-7
- Saville, Guy (2013). "Thrillers that sell". In Spring, Michelle; King, Laurie R. (eds.). Crime and Thriller Writing: A Writers' & Artists' Companion. London: ISBN 978-1-4725-2393-8.
- Schellhardt, Laura (2008), Screenwriting for Dummies (2nd ed.), Hoboken: ISBN 978-0-470-34540-5
- Stein, Sol (1995), Stein on Writing, New York: ISBN 0-312-13608-0
- Turco, Lewis (1999), The Book of Literary Terms: The Genres of Fiction, Drama, Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, and Scholarship, Hanover: ISBN 0-87451-954-3