Over the last few weeks, we’ve been looking at some basic essentials for writing for kids. One of these is pace.
You can have great characters, a wonderful plot and the perfect narrative voice, but if you don’t have the right pace, you could lose your readers.
If the pace is too slow, readers will put your book down and do something else. Sadly, in this age of distraction and poor focus, this is a very real issue.
Conversely, if your pace too fast, it could confuse your readers. They might need to read a bit again, to check on what went on… and that’s annoying.
So getting your pace right is essential. This will vary through the novel, like a wave – you will have a fast bit, then slow down again as a conflict is resolved… but generally, you need to make sure the story is always moving forward at a good pace. Cut those unnecessary scenes! Trim down descriptions if you need to… or add some in if there aren’t enough!
So this week, take a long hard look at the pace of your novel. Is it too slow in the beginning, too fast at the end? Or a bit slow in the middle? Or perhaps the final conflict ends too quickly?
Pace is tricky to get right. Why not get some beta readers, to help you get this basic essential right? Or join a writers’ group, to get some honest feedback? We’d love you to join our Writers for a Reason Unite group! You can read more here.
Peace be with you,
Janet