What is pacing in writing?

Pacing is the speed that a story unfolds. It’s often used to indicate the quality of books and films. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say things like, ‘that was perfectly paced’ or ‘that had terrible pacing’.

Pacing tends to fluctuate throughout a story, some moments happen quickly and others slowly.

Why is pacing important?

Good pacing is important for the flow of the story. Readers want to feel immersed in the thoughts and actions of characters, and the world you’ve created. Poor pacing draws people out of the story, while good pacing keeps them invested.

What makes pacing "good"?

It is important to remember that fast pacing does not necessarily mean good pacing and slow pacing isn’t always a bad thing.
The story being told, and the genre, should always be considered when deciding the pace to tell it.

Techniques to keep readers engaged with effective pacing

Vary sentence and paragraph length

Mixing up sentence and paragraph lengths can keep your story engaging.

Short, concise sentences and paragraphs are great for action scenes and moments of high tension, creating a sense of urgency and excitement.

Longer sentences and paragraphs slow the pace, allowing for detailed descriptions and deeper exploration of themes. They give readers a little more time to absorb and reflect.

Varying your sentence and paragraph length will help you avoid a monotonous rhythm and therefore make the reading experience more enjoyable.

Balance action and dialogue

Action scenes speed up the pace and add excitement with fast-moving events and intense conflicts. They break up slower parts of the story, keeping readers engaged and the plot moving forward.

Dialogue creates a natural pause, giving readers a moment to catch their breath without losing momentum. It provides insight into characters and their relationships. And helps to drive the story forward by introducing new information, uncovering secrets or revealing plot twists.

 
By balancing fast-paced action scenes with dialogue, you can keep the story moving while allowing readers to absorb key information.

Use cliffhangers

Including cliffhangers at the end of chapters will keep readers turning the pages. These unresolved tensions or revelations tap into peoples’ curiosity and create a sense of urgency, making it hard to put the book down!

Effective cliffhangers are things like unexpected plot twists, sudden dangers, emotional confrontations or unanswered questions.

The key is to create a compelling hook that makes the reader feel they must read on to uncover the resolution.

Control the flow of information

It’s important to reveal significant information gradually to keep readers interested. Too much information too quickly can overwhelm them, while too little can create frustration.

Introduce new pieces of information slowly and at strategic points throughout your novel, such as the end of chapters or during pivotal moments, to maximise their impact. This approach tends to answer some questions while raising new ones, which maintains your readers' curiosity and investment in the story.

 
What you want to avoid at all costs is info dumps. This is a large amount of info shared all at once. It slows the narrative down and overwhelms the reader.

Structure chapters carefully

The length of chapters has a big impact on story pacing.

Shorter chapters create a sense of urgency and keep the story moving quickly. Frequent breaks can make reading feel faster-paced, as people often want to continue reading the next chapter. Short chapters can make a book more engaging and accessible.

Whereas, longer chapters allow for deeper exploration of themes, character development and detailed descriptions. They may slow the pace, but they also create an immersive experience. Long chapters are great for complex scenes that need more time to unfold, like intricate plot developments or detailed world-building.

Recap & quick fixes

Effective pacing is crucial for keeping your readers engaged and maintaining the flow of your story. By varying sentence and paragraph lengths, balancing action and dialogue, using cliffhangers and controlling the flow of information, you can create a compelling story.

Remember, proper pacing not only enhances the emotional impact of your story but also ensures a satisfying reading experience. As you edit your work, pay close attention to pacing to improve the overall rhythm and keep your readers hooked from start to finish!

• Is your story moving too slowly? Try adding action scenes where you can speed things up.
• Is it moving too fast? Maybe include more dialogue to give the characters (and readers) time to reflect and absorb information.
• Is it monotonous? You may need to vary the sentence, paragraph and chapter lengths.

Need a fresh set of eyes to look over your writing and give you feedback? Click here to learn more about my editing and proofreading services.