Writing Excuses

19.04: LIVE Recording - Pacing with Guest Fonda Lee

18 snips
Jan 28, 2024
Guest Fonda Lee, an author specializing in pacing in storytelling, joins the hosts to discuss the importance of pacing in writing. They explore the subjective nature of pacing, controlling pacing and balancing tension, creating tension and variation in pacing, and how pacing impacts the reader's experience.
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INSIGHT

Pacing Is Subjective Rhythm

  • Pacing is subjective and depends on genre, tone, and reader expectations. - It is best understood as the story's rhythm and tension perception, like a soundtrack.
ADVICE

How To Speed Up Pacing

  • To speed up scenes, cut description and exposition and make dialogue punchy and economical. - Use scenes that accomplish multiple purposes and increase white space to help readers move faster.
ADVICE

Slowing Down To Build Tension

  • Slow scenes by giving characters quiet moments to process events and adding interiority. - This ebb and flow of tension gives readers breathing room and keeps pacing dynamic.
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