Writing Prompt: The Skill Builder: Pace Yourself

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

This week’s prompt focuses on an exercise designed to work on a particular skill or technique, such as a POV exercise or character builder. Today’s skill:

Pacing

Pick a scene from your current project and copy it into another file. If it’s a slow-paced scene, revise it so it’s fast-paced. If it’s fast-paced, revise to slow it down. It might require changing elements of the scene, but that’s okay. This is just for fun.

If you want to challenge yourself, find a way to keep the original intent of the scene while dramatically changing the pace. For example, writing a slow-paced action sequence that’s still exciting won’t be easy, nor will a fast-paced soul-searching period of reflection.

For tips and advice on pacing, try these articles:

And the Pace is On: Understanding and Controlling Your Pacing
7 Tips to Improve Your Novel’s Pacing
Move Along: Fixing Pacing Problems
The Perils of Pacing