Certain books are leisurely and
reflective like an evening stroll, while others are more like jogging. This
difference is created mostly by the pacing.
In both kinds of storytelling, the pace should change
depending on the goal of the scene. In the tenser moments the speed should pick
up. In between the tense scenes the pace should slow down again to give the
reader time to breath and reflect. Think about what it would be like to read a
story where the hero was always about to be killed or one where the heroine was
always in a furious fight with someone. It would be exhausting. On the other
hand if the story stays at a slow and steady plod, it will not be a very
satisfying read either.
The pace can be controlled through
a variety of mechanisms. One is the length of the scene. Short scenes move the
pace faster, while drawn out scenes slow the story down. Similarly, if you
include a few long paragraphs the scene feels more relaxed. Many short
paragraphs help to create a more frenetic feel. You can use sentences in the
same way. Short sentences are urgent, long rolling strings of words are more
soothing.
Another good way to change the pace
is through dialogue. Adding in beats (physical description such as “she lifted
her head”) varies the flow of the dialogue. At tense moments, you can remove
all beats and the tension of the scene is automatically increased. Look at a
passage from Elmore Leonard’s La Brava.
La Brava said, “You know the big
blond guy.”
“The Silver Kid,” Paco said, “of
course.”
“I want somebody to deliver a note
to him, at his hotel.”
“Sure.”
“And write it.”
“What does it say?”
“I want him to come to the park
tonight, 1:00 A.M., across from the Play House Bar.”
“Sign you name?”
“No, sign it C.R.”
Your eyes can just fly through the dialogue making the
conversation seem to happen in real time.
With
all these techniques, it is essential that you do not use the same pace (either
slow or fast) throughout the whole story. Save your short sentences, short
scenes and fast dialogue for the scenes with the most action, discord and
excitement. Then lull the readers into complacency with a slower pace, until
you hit them again with more action. This will keep them coming back for more
every time.
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