How To: Write a Well Paced Story

There are a few critical elements to a well-written story. One of these is pacing. Pacing determines the rate at which the action unfolds within a story, or how quickly or slowly a reader gets through the material. Finding the right tempo is important- too fast and a reader might be bewildered and not fully take in the story, too slow and a reader might get bored and switch off from it. How do you determine what the right tempo is to write a well-paced story? That's an excellent question and that's what I'll be discussing in this post.

What is Pace and what does it do?

Pace is speed. It's how quickly a reader can peel back the layers of a story to get to the core. To understand pace as an author is to actively dictate this pace, it's to slow down or speed up how somebody reads the material, and that is a certain kind of artistic power. Used well, it ensures that the reader has the storytelling experience the author intended. But what exactly does that read like in real life?

Let's consider two kinds of pace within storytelling.

The pace of Unfolding (Story Arc)

This is the pace of the overall story and is more a measure of how quickly the events within the entire story arc unfold. A good way to think of this sort of pace is visually. Think of 'slow' or 'artsy' movies, what makes us give them this classification? It's the pace, it's movies where the plot unfolds at such a gradual pace that you really take in the story, frame by frame. The pace is so slowed that it forces the viewer to appreciate the dialogue, the cinematography, etc.

An example of slow movies include: A ghost story (2017); 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Now think of an action movie, where things are happening so fast that the viewer is on the edge of their seat trying to not miss anything. Both inspire concentration and result in getting and keeping the viewer's attention (when done well), but they go about it very differently.

An example of slow movies includes: Any of the Marvel superhero films; most Guy Ritchie films, such as Snatch (2000).

Books work in much the same way. Some are slow in such a way that forces the reader to appreciate the language used and the character development. Think of literary fiction as a genre. On the other hand, some books are fast-paced, with many events thrown at the reader in such a way that keeps them guessing what comes next. Think of 'whodunit' books or spy thrillers as a genre.

Pace of Reading

This is the rate at which a particular passage is read. It's affected by word choice and sentence length. Words can either tumble out, which forces the reader to speed through the material or they can come out in a natural rhythm. Alternatively, the words can feel dragged out and force the reader to slow down. This pace will naturally affect the current emotions of the reader as they read a particular passage. They can feel frantic or sluggish, or neutral.

It thus becomes important to match the pace to the scene to ensure a harmonious reading experience. A scene where a man is secretly admiring the gentle curve of a woman's neck shouldn't feel rushed, and a scene where a woman is searching through the grocery store for her toddler shouldn't feel relaxed. While there are a few things to consider, the best pacing is that which feels natural and appropriate for the scene.

Let's consider some examples:

Fast:

One. Two. Three- everybody out! Every foot that hit the pavement was a foot that should already be out there on the front lines. Bombs exploded as the soldiers ran back and forth, trying to make sure they were simultaneously out of the way and in the right place. Brian averted his eyes from the boys of eighteen or twenty, all fresh-faced and fucked.

When I read this, I can't help but t read it quickly. It's the content- war is a fast-paced event, but it's also the way that it's written. The sentences are short and to the point. The action feels immediate. The pace is quickened.

When do you want a fast pace?

A fast pace conveys a sense of urgency. So, if something is happening that the reader needs to be on full alert for, like a high-speed car chase or even a quiet robbery, it makes sense for the pace to be quickened. A faster pace is also the appropriate choice when trying to convey fast action like a character who talks fast- quick, short sentences that come in a burst are an effective way to get this across. A fast pace can also be used to showcase nervousness. Such a person would most likely have very frantic thoughts, which tend to happen at a rapid rate.

Slow:

The barn was always my favorite in the summertime. The river flowed lazily and life all around it did the same. He would deny it, but even Brian seemed his happiest during that warm stretch between June and September.

When I read this, I can't help but take my time. Both the content and how it's written make me want to savor the intake- as such, I do so slowly and deliberately. The pace is slowed down.

When do you want a slow pace?

A slow pace conveys a sense of low energy like relaxation and even boredom. In general, any time you want to tone things down, you'll want to slow the pace. Exciting things generally don't happen slowly. Even if the build-up is slow-by the very nature of its essence, excitement is a quick, present-tense emotion. So, a slow pace is an appropriate choice when trying to convey a sense of waiting- or any situation where space exists between events because nothing else is happening. Here, you want to write as though you're painting endless rolling hills.

Combined Pace

Things get interesting (or tricky) when we consider that a slow story arc can have fast pace segments. That is, a very slow story where very little happens can have segments of very fast-paced action.

For example, say the main event of your story is that the characters go from the small town of Lilac to the next small town of Indigo. That's the main event, and as a background, it's quite boring and naturally a slow unfolding. However, within the group of people traveling there can be a fiery sister pair who just can't stop fighting with each other. Their dialogue and exchanges will be fast-paced. Or perhaps along the way, the group traveling get's robbed. The scene in which they get robbed will be fast-paced (because robberies generally are) even though the general arc of the story remains slow. So, in this way, there is a mix of slow and fast pace events that work together to make for a more complex and satisfying reading experience.

Is a Slow or Fast Pace better for Storytelling?

This is difficult to say as a lot of what we perceive as 'better' comes down to personal preference. I don't think either a fast or slow pace determines if a story is good or not. It's more about choosing the appropriate pace for that particular story. It's important to consider several different elements such as: what you want the story to do; where exactly you are within the story arc; how this fits with the characters in the story; etc. Some stories will lend themselves to a faster pace while others will be better served by a slower pace.

Conclusion

Many things go into writing a good story, pace is just one of them. So be mindful of it, but don't get hung up on trying to make sure yours is perfect. If all the other things are done well, the pace will almost take care of itself. Remember that pace unfolds with the story, and so you might not fully know the pace of yours until you're well into it.

I hope this has helped you to better understand what pacing in storytelling is, and how to identify it as you read or consume other forms of content. I hope this in turn helps you with your own writing.

Take care and happy writing,

Nonjabulo