Michala Woodruff

Running. For a short and stalky person like me, running is not my specialty. However, the characters I write love running. Okay, they don’t really have a choice–they must run because they’re being chased or in a battle or racing against time…. you get the gist. You see, running is about pacing yourself. Stamina. Endurance. Writing is the same way. Let’s discover pacing in writing.

Ever read a book that seemed to have fight scenes on every page? Eventually it gets boring because we lose the reason for the fight. It becomes just another scene like the rest. A good book is packed with types of adventure; however, how we show that adventure matters. That is pacing. Pacing is about the order of a scene and the order of scenes.

Pacing is about the order of a scene and the order of scenes.

When pacing a scene, let’s explore what I call the Out-In Method. It goes like this. First, we start with writing what is going on in the scene. What is happening outside of the character? For instance, “Rain pounds on the windshield of her 2001 Grand Prix.” Now, we write about what is happening on the inside of the character. For example, “Her heart pounds in her ears.” Next, we go back to the outside of the character–the car slips! Go inside the character–sweat flows like a steady stream down her back…or maybe that is blood?

Repeat. Out. In. Out. In. Out. In.

What if we started a scene by what is happening inside a character and then pace it with what is happening outside of the character? This would be In-Out.

[In] Her ears rung. [Out] The car behind her flicked their high beams. [In] She squinted. [Out] The car seemed directly behind her. [In] Hands tightening on the wheel, she knew the moment had come. [Out] The ram from the car behind sent her into a dizzy spin.

Whether you begin with what is happening outside or with what is happening inside the character, the scene should alternate between the two. This adds suspense! And here, we love suspense. (; It also shows without telling while connecting the action to the character and the character to the reader. Note, that every scene should revolve around your character.

Pacing adds suspense, shows without telling, and connects the action to the character and the character to the reader. Every scene should revolve around the character.

For the rest of our time, let’s focus on pacing scenes together. This is easily a weak spot in my writing. I love adventure so much that the characters are jumping from scene to scene without a breath, not exactly a bad thing but it can become counterproductive. For instance, a captain jumping from ship to ship in the middle of a battle is totally cinematic; however, when the reader loses the reason why the battle is happening and what is at stake and the reader is deprived of a moment to soak it all in . . . the adventure works against the writer.

Here’s the deal. When pacing scenes together, make sure the character has a moment to breathe. When the character has a moment to breathe, the reader has a moment to breathe and process everything that happened.

The character and the reader become one.

Breathing does not mean boring. Breathing in between scenes can be something such as eating, playing a game, driving somewhere, sleeping, getting sick, comedic relief, etc. Tip of the topic: Use breathing to give a moment that makes the character relatable to the reader. Both the character and the reader need a moment to process everything. Mind as well, make that processing time something that keeps the hero down-to-earth and relatable so that when you jump into the next adventure scene, the reader is even more tied to this character.

Use breathing to give a moment that makes the character relatable to the reader.

In conclusion, pacing a scene alternates what happens outside of the character and what happens inside of the character to add suspense, show without telling, and connect the action to the character and the character to the reader. Meanwhile, pacing multiple scenes together requires a breathing moment for the reader and character to process what is happening and relate better to each other so the stakes and purpose of the adventure stand firm.

Just like running, keep up the stamina! Please, don’t hesitate to shoot me an email with a question or leave a reply with any other tips about pacing. Happy Writing!