Directory Writing Workshops

 Workshop: Pacing—What It Is, How To Use It

Dancing Word Writers Workshop

with Gail Gaymer Martin

 October 28, 2005

Hosted by: Anne McDonald

Dancing Word Publisher/Editor

* This workshop has been edited for clarity

Anne McDonald: Shall we get started? Okies, I'll open in prayer,  go over protocol and then introduce our guest.

Lord, thank You so much for seeing to the details in our lives...the little things that we often think go unnoticed. Thanks for the clouds of butterflies in my yard this week. They've been encouraging. Thank You also for each person here tonight...and for those who want to be here, but can't. Please bless each one of them and meet their particular needs.. Bless especially Gail as she gives of her time and talent to encourage other writers. Help each of us use our writing gifts to glorify You. Jesus' name, Amen.

Protocol reminder: When the floor is open to questions, please type ? for questions, ! for comments and ga when you are finished posting—“ga” stands for "go ahead" and keeps us from stepping on each others' toes...

Tonight, I'm blessed to be able to introduce a woman that I have long admired. Not only is she a fantastic writer, but she encourages other writers by posting writing tips on her website, and teaching workshops like this one. Please give a warm welcome to Gail Gaymer Martin.

* AZAnnie leads the applause

Gail Martin: Thanks, Annie

Anne McDonald: Gail, thank you for coming tonight...I am now turning the floor over to you.

* AZAnnie hands Gail the microphone. and takes a seat

Gail Martin: It's nice to be here. I haven't done a workshop on line in a long time. It's about time, I guess. Since this is a workshop, I have tons of information - and what I'd like to do is provide lots of stuff and then open to questions.

Before I do that - I want to invite you to visit my web site at www.gailmartin.com. Go to the For Writers tab. You'll find tons of stuff on writing and I hope you find it helpful.

Tonight we'll tackle a difficult part of writing.  Pacing.  What is it?

Pacing is moving the characters from the opening situation through various growing conflicts to the resolution in a logical, realistic manner  that shows character growth.

and, in Christian fiction, provides faith grow. It is the speed at which action moves and the information is provided.

Most people assume pacing means the book is too slow, and that is very possible. But the pacing can also be too fast if is rushes the conflicts and leaves a sagging middle until the resolution.

By not taking enough time to develop the emotional complexity of the novel, you will not connect with the readers and you will not provide them with a memorable, page-turning story.

A women's fiction or mainstream story will be a slower pace than a contemporary romance or suspense thriller.  As a rule, the longer the book, the slower the pacing can be—but always fast enough to capture the reader. No matter, the pace must still follow the elements of urgency and ebb and flow of action/reaction

Now that gives a general idea of what pacing is —it's the flow of your story — and keeping the reader captured with your wonderful words. : )

To prepare for good pacing:

1) know the stories general plot

2) know some of the major turning points or conflicts

3) know the primary characters needs and goals as well as the their flaws and failures

Now I know that's difficult for seat of the pants writers - but most of us have a general idea where we're headed.

How does pacing work? Similar to a good suspense, take the reader on a roller coaster ride of emotion and detail—or the ebb and flow of the ocean. Fast paced scenes to slower paced scenes. This allows for the action and reaction—scenes and sequence.  The longer scene shows the action and the shorter scene—the sequel shows the characters reaction. 

In suspense, it's time to weigh the information and to develop the love story.  The action scenes build the intensity of plot and creates reader anxiety.  The sequence gives them time for breath and allows them to be involved in the emotion of the characters as they deal with what has happened.

Speaking of suspense,  I invite you all to run to your nearest bookstore and pick up a copy of Finding Christmas - a romantic suspense single title from Steeple Hill : )  Time for promotion. This month you can also find Loving Treasures - a SH Love Inspired - also a romance with suspense. I love writing suspense because it has a natural pacing that works so well.

Okay - the next session - if I haven't overwhelmed you— is on strategic of plot points.  I'll cover that and then perhaps open for a few questions.

1) Alert the reader early of the big scene. Jim can't swim. Sue is afraid of heights. John needs to win the race/business deal or his company  will fold. Sally senses the secret of her past is in Timbuktu.

2)  Every scene needs a type of crisis—small or large.  Begin with the smaller conflicts and allow them to grow. As one is solved or near resolved, the next arises. Conflicts must be purposeful and relate to the character's major goal or need.

3)  Don't provide all information in the first chapter; Feed it into the plot as necessary. Use foreshadowing effectively

I think this last point is the villain for many writers  They think the readers are pretty dumb and need to know information so they can understand. That's not totally true.  Yes, they need info —but they need it when it's vital and not all at the beginning.

Okay - the next section is on techniques and elements of good pacing so - let's take a break and open to a few questions - then I'll go ahead.

Glitters: I have all these "major" events happening and I'm not sure how to tie it together with the day to day filler kind of things that aren't so important to the plot, but needs to be there. The characters have to live life, but how do you keep the flow  going between the bigger events during day to day. How do you keep your reader reading?

Gail Martin: A writer only includes what's pertinent to the story.  We don't need to get them dressed and have dinner or go shopping —unless during the shopping something major happens. Remember each scene must move the story forward in some meaningful way.  You connect scenes that are important. Use phrases like three days later, Julie came out of the office and stopped dead. Bill had his arm around Lulu. This is a transition - so you can skip those unimportant days and go on to the important scenes that provide new information or adds conflicts to the story.

Let me mention that Glitters question can be helped with two workshops and/or articles on my web site. One is called Shoring Up the Sagging Middle. The other is on Hooking The Reader.  These two workshops cover what we do in the middle of our books to keep them interesting and tell us how to hook the reader.

Anne McDonald: You mentioned the roller coaster ride earlier...In my WIP, I show the h/h in their scenes that are lighter, but show the villain up to no good as a short scene break... Is there anything I need to watch out for in regards to contrasts between two different types of scenes?

Gail Martin: Annie - the roller coaster effect is good.  While the couple are unaware and have their relaxed scene that probably strengthens their romance, the villain is up to no good and keeps the pace moving along. These are good techniques to use. I'll cover more of these in the next section.

Ellie Schroder: What is the best way for utilizing flashback scenes? What other ways other than flashbacks are there to effectively provide backstory and/or foreshadowing?

Gail Martin: Flashbacks are so difficult to do - and sometimes come across in a negative way to the reader.  What I do usually is provide bits and pieces of needed backstory as thoughts of the character. i.e.  She thought back to her childhood. Those were the days when she knew what fear was. Okay - that line captures the readers interest.  They want to know what fear!! And sometimes you can stop there - then later add a little more in her thoughts. The fear again — she could picture her father, drunk as always, climbing the stairs. etc. See how that can work. 

Another method is through conversation. The same info could be accomplished - when she shares the horrible info with someone. Or someone might ask why were so frightened as a child and little by little she shares.

Perhaps I should go ahead and provide the techniques . Is that okay?

Anne McDonald: Go right ahead, Gail.

Gail Martin: Going on —Elements and techniques of good pacing:

1) Know what is at stake for each character and write scenes from the POV of the person with the most at stake. This helps the sense of urgency.

2) Establish realistic motivation (often comes from the characters back story), goals and conflicts. Emotion grows out of the characters need to do something. 

Most of you know the movie “Romancing the Stone” —Think of it —. Joan Wilder must go to Cartagena to save her sister.

3) Divide book into quarters and use the first three as a major turning point (crisis), the last quarter is the black moment and resolve.  

Again back to Romancing the Stone.. First quarter Joan decides to make the trip/Runs into Jack/second quarter- complications with Jack occur/halfway - new development (Jack finds the map) and more conflicts occur/last quarter - the black moment and resolution.

4) Open with a dynamic beginning. Open with action and excitement that grabs the character immediately or open with something happening that foreshadows a problem and causes the reader expectation and anxiety.

Example: Opening line— Sam tilted his head backward, "Look at the sky. A storm is mighty brewing." Obviously the storm while be a major turning point in the story - or will create a major conflict.

5 ) Uses plot reversals effectively — things aren't what they seem. They must be logical and unanticipated.  These work great at the end of chapters.

Back to “Romancing the Stone” —Jack isn't the knight in shining armor but a mercenary

Is he romancing Joan or the stone?    The alligator ending.

6) Creating interesting subplots and effective secondary characters. In “Romancing the Stone -it's the kidnappers.

7) Have conflict or new meaningful information in every scene. Get rid of unnecessary scenes that don't move the plot forward.

8) Use tension and suspense — like a rubber band - stretch the tension, then relax it. Allow some tension to be unrelieved. Don't solve one problem before the next one begins.

In romance, create sexual tension between the hero and heroine - begin with a soft hum of feelings then build.

9) Use sequence scenes effectively to explain what has happened, emote over it and develop romantic action.

10) Have an inevitable but not obvious outcome.  We know what will happen but not how.

11) Use fast-paced, meaningful dialogue to move the story forward and balance with narrative

12) Use the ticking clock—give characters a deadline to accomplish the goal/solve the problem.

Gail Martin: Anyway - those are the major points.  Let's go back and talk about these. Ask your questions.

robert: I am writing young adult and it was recommended to use only one POV, how do you have things at stake for other characters and maintain the POV while maintaining the tension?

Gail Martin: Writing in one POV is more challenging - it's more like writing a first person story.  If it's from one person's POV then you will deal mainly with that person's problems. That person will be the one with the most at stake. If the character is helping someone else solve a problem - her/his stake is to help a friend and be effective.

I might add that if a scene isn't going well, try writing it in the POV of the other person in the scene. You may learn that the scene really belongs to that other character.  Naturally this is for two POVs.

Anne McDonald: When writing romantic suspense it is important to show the h/h relationship growing...Is there a rule of thumb in how to tackle this without it becoming too drawn out?

Gail Martin: Absolutely — the romantic suspense is always 1/2 romance and 1/2 suspense. Use those lull moments at the bottom the roller coaster before you head back up into danger to build the relationship. Those are the loving moments as they work to solve the problems or as he holds her in his arms fearing for their lives. Then the problems begin to build - and the suspense takes over - but even then - they can think some of the romance in their minds.

KC: I'm writing a suspense story which has no villain. Is this okay? My heroine is her own enemy.

Gail Martin: I'm not sure I understand how that can be unless she's a split personality.  Could you explain?

KC: No. She comes into possession of a family heirloom which holds great power...her grandfather has just died. She tries to use it selfishly; it doesn't work. She has to let it change her. Kind of supernatural-ish.

Gail Martin: I see - yes I can see that.  That would work very well.  Greed is her enemy or Power.

KC: selfishness, yeah

Gail Martin: We can have battles and conflicts against ourselves and most novels - have the flaws that do undermine the character. In a less dramatic way though than you're stating.  Fears etc hold us back.  Your idea is good.

Anne McDonald: My story is taking an unexpected turn....how reasonable is it to show a change of heart in a villain during a romantic/suspense? (lesser villain, not the main guy)

Gail Martin: You mean the villain becomes a good guy?

Anne McDonald: not quite, but he becomes helpful

Gail Martin: Does he mean to be helpful or it happens accidentally?

Anne McDonald: not sure at this point.

Gail Martin: hard to say if this might disappoint the readers.  Let's remember that even the worst guy has good points.

Anne McDonald: he's not the main bad guy, just his partner

Gail Martin: The villain might love his children - or pets his dog. In Finding Christmas my villain loved his child. We want to make our characters believable so the can change and should if they're main characters. Growth is part of creation of characters.

robert: I hope or at least envision having a servant of the villain changing and becoming a helper of the party in my quest, his loyalty is to himself and he sees the party as serving him better than the villain has, not sure his change of heart will be entirely to good, is that unreasonable?

Gail Martin: Very much so - in fact that is one of the reversals that I mention in heightening the pacing of a story. The reader wouldn't expect him to provide the help - but his motivation is realistic - it will also serve his purpose. If  he suddenly helped without his own motivation the story wouldn't be realistic and that's what we want is believable.

Anne McDonald: My son is working on a juvenile mystery. In the book one of the main characters has to face one of his greatest fears...but, the story is told through the eyes of another main character. L.C. refuses to learn to swim, but then has to deal with falling into a natural pool of water. Jason wants to know the best way to show L.C.'s fear through Sunny's (his friend) eyes.

Gail Martin: He would have to describe the panic of L.C. when he falls.  Sunny will fell the panic also since L.C. could drown.

Anne McDonald: good point

Gail Martin: We can witness this through dialogue, senses, etc.

KC: Back to beginnings…As J.S. Bell puts it, there has to be a disturbance to the main character's world. Is a loved one's death big enough to start with? Can I wait and put it in the second or third scene?

Gail Martin: Jim Bell is a good friend - by the way. <g>  Is the loved one's lack of presence or something about the death major to the story?

KC: No, but the item he leaves to the main character is.

Gail Martin: In other words, the death would have to make a major impact on the character  If they item is the key to the story, that might work - but you need to dwell on the item and stress that in the opening as much as the death.  It would probably be better to be reading the will and hear what the character has received or something like this

or find the box that has the character's name on it and open it to find something strange— whatever it is. That would arouse the reader more than just the funeral.

KC: She gets a letter from him...

Gail Martin: Okay - then the letter scene is what's the opening - and not so much the death.

KC: Thankx

Lamp: Is it possible to write a story narrating the events of a single hour. . . . And to make the story seem long, even though it is short? Or is that not proper pacing?

Gail Martin: Think of the TV show 24 - that's one day - and think of the pacing and all that happens.

Lamp: I've never seen it.

Gail Martin: One hour is a short time - and you would have to be  a dynamic writer to fill a whole book with events to keep the reader's interest but—If the story moved through the events of various characters leading to a final event at the end of the book - that could be exciting.

Anne McDonald: I just wanted to know how long Lamp was hoping his story to be, novel or what?

Gail Martin: Oh - that's a good question.  I assumed a novel.

Lamp: Oh. Short story, of about 7,000 to 8,000 words. The main theme is Redemption.

Gail Martin: Oh - certainly .  A short story lasts only one day — or an hour in that day.

 I thought you'd meant a novel —but that's a good idea —what I said about numerous characters leading to one dramatic event in a day. My idea - I get it. <g>

I hope this helped you with some thoughts on pacing.  I'd love you to visit my web site as I mentioned. I have tons of things for writers.

Also -I'd love you to look for Finding Christmas - and study the pacing as you read. Notice the techniques used.

Anne McDonald: Thanks, so much, Gail. This has been very helpful.

Camy Tang: Thanks, Gail!

KC: Thank you!

Ellie Schroder: Thank you, Gail!

robert: THANKS GAIL...

Noelle: Thanks for all the great information Gail

Gail Martin: Great.  Nice to meet all of you and thanks Annie for inviting me.

Anne McDonald: you are welcome any time.

Gail Martin: Blessings. and good writing!

  Dancing Word Workshops Is A Production Of

Dancing Word Writers Network

 www.dancingword.net

Gail Gaymer Martin

Click cover to purchase book