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③⑤ ✍️ Writing Tip: Pacing

AAAAAAAAAAAH.

Don't get me wrong, I love anime—the colors, the designs, the music—but sometimes, the pacing can be a bit...

Every culture accepts different kinds of pacing, of course. While fast, heavy-handed exposition is acceptable in Japanese culture, in English a slower, subtler exposition is preferred.

Now, we've talked about the word:idea ratio, the need for action to have space... but we haven't explored pacing as a chapter topic. Let's do so now, even if some of it is mere refresher. It's worth the refresh! Your story succeeds or fails based on its pacing, and it's perhaps the most difficult, the most subtle writing skill one can master.

First of all, we should define exposition.

Exposition is the setup that allows the reader to know the context and the direction of the story.

Context: the setting, the main character(s), and the time period

Direction: genre, main plot, and style

The exposition needs to be cleared up within the first couple of chapters. I suggest giving the readers an idea about "direction" as soon as possible, and consider "context" second. As I said though, all six elements mentioned above should be clear by the end of the second chapter, if not the first.

Let's go over each element separately.

Setting: where in space the story takes place. Is it India, a fantasy world...?

Main Character(s): the characters around which the narrative is formed.

Time Period: when in time the story takes place.

Genre: action, horror, etc.

Main Plot: the principal story in which the characters partake.

Style: how a story is told. Is your writing humorous, mysterious, dark, light-hearted?

Making clear the main plot is very important. You need to show people what to expect in your story. Will it be action-packed? If so, allude to that fact. Is it going to be a romance? If so, make that clear. Try not to float from chapter to chapter, gradually dusting off your plot. A reader should be able to tell you by the end of chapter 2 what to expect from the rest of the book.

Make your words, and your plot, stick. Make them stick like the back of your hand!

Again though, make sure all elements are handled by the end of chapter 2, and if possible chapter 1. That being said, don't force anything. Here are some general pacing tips:

#1 Don't make people say what everyone but the reader already knows. If two people are talking about a topic they're both familiar with, don't make one of them start explaining it just for the audience's benefit. This is HUGE in anime, but it doesn't fly in English-language writing.

#2 The reader isn't you. We've discussed this, but it's very important with regard to pacing. After grammatical errors, the most common problem for Wattpadders is a lack of empathy with the audience. It's hard, but you really have to think: does the reader know everything they need to know?

#3 Add more details and use less dialogue. On the note of making your reader feel like they're there, contextualize contextualize contextualize! Make sure to describe what places look like, what people look like, and how people physically respond to their environment. Does someone say that with a smile? Do they shift nervously? Do they have a tic, or say words in an interesting or noticeable way? All of these things help ground someone in your world, and if you can craft a world that the reader can dive into, you've also crafted a world where pacing works. Readers can pick up on real-life cues to feel through your story like a real life person would feel through his or her own life.

#4 Read your chapter straight through. This is my very best tip. Writing is slower than reading, and while you might think something is paced well when you write it, read it again straight through and you'll probably find it goes by too quickly. Every time I write something, I inevitably edit it for pacing afterwards, even if it seems brilliant on the first run. If while reading the chapter top to bottom you have to stop for any amount of time to edit... after you finish editing, start the chapter again from the top. Keep starting over until you finish the chapter without needing to pause for editing.

#5 Believe what people tell you. One of the hardest things to judge as a writer is how a story paces out to a reader. Does it feel too fast, too slow? It's hard to tell as a writer because you know everything. After all, you wrote it, and you've probably been staring at the same words for hours! Your readers haven't. Therefore, if someone tells you something is too fast, or too slow, take their opinion seriously. It's through trial and error that you'll eventually get a sense of how to pace your story in a way that resonates with most readers, but you won't get very far if you don't listen to those readers.

Don't worry though. You got this.

Especially because, coming up next, I have another great editing tip. This one might even beat out Tip #4...!