Ideas To Fix Pacing Problems In Your Novel

Gary Smailes | 5 December 2025

Diagnose Your Pacing Issues First

Before you speed up a book, find the drag. Guesswork wastes drafts. Data saves them.

Spot the symptoms

Start with reader reports. Skimming. Getting lost. Abandoning at the same chapter every time. Beta notes with “slow parts” or “rushed ending.” Pay attention to where complaints cluster.

Example: three readers quit around Chapter 8. Notes mention “too much setup” and “I lost track of the goal.” Flag Chapter 8. Flag the two chapters before it as well. Trouble often starts earlier than the exit point.

Ask sharper questions:

• Where did you pause, and why
• Which scene felt slow
• Which turn flew by without enough weight
• When did you lose the thread of the goal

You need locations, not vibes.

Map your story’s rhythm

Give each scene a label. High intensity or low. High includes action, confrontation, revelation. Low includes reflection, setup, aftermath. Use a simple H or L on your scene list.

Now add numbers from 1 to 10 for intensity. Be honest. A whispered confession with huge stakes might score higher than a car chase with no consequences.

Look for clumps. Five L scenes in a row often lull readers. A string of 9s with no breath often numbs them. Rhythm needs contrast and build.

Quick exercise:

• Write a one-line summary for each scene
• Mark H or L
• Assign a number
• Circle any run of three scenes with the same label or flat numbers

Those circles point to pacing work.

Check scene-level value shifts

A scene earns its keep when something changes. Status, knowledge, leverage, trust, location. No change equals drag.

Weak:

• Start: Nina suspects no one.
• End: Nina still suspects no one.

Strong:

• Start: Nina suspects no one.
• End: Nina sees her sister’s shoes under the villain’s bed.

Even a quiet scene needs a shift. Peace to unease. Confidence to doubt. Harmony to friction. If you struggle to name the shift in one phrase, the scene likely wanders.

Mini-test:

• Write “From X to Y” for each scene
• If X and Y match, merge, cut, or introduce pressure

Test the because/therefore chain

Readers follow causality. Scene A triggers Scene B. Not “and then,” but “because” or “therefore.” If scenes sit side by side without push or pull, momentum fades.

Weak chain:

• A: He loses his wallet.
• B: A friend invites him to a party.

No link. Energy leaks.

Stronger chain:

• A: He loses his wallet.
• B: Therefore he goes back to the bar.
• C: Because he returns, he catches his boss in a bribe.

Now each beat drives the next.

Build a quick chain for your middle third. If you see “and then” more than twice, tighten links or adjust goals.

Consider reader expectations

Pacing lives inside genre and placement. A thriller needs frequent tension spikes. A cozy mystery tolerates more tea and conversation, yet still needs steady discovery. Literary work leaves room for contemplation, yet stakes and turns still matter.

Placement rules help:

• Openings need a hook, orientation, and a problem in motion
• Middles need escalation, complications, and decisions with cost
• Endings need payoff, fewer new threads, and a faster drumbeat toward climax

Mismatch creates friction. A slow, digressive opening in a spy novel bleeds readers. A rushed breakup in a character-driven romance undercuts the heart of the book. Align your beats with the promise you made on page one.

Build a pacing map

Time for hard numbers. Create a simple spreadsheet or a sheet of paper with four columns:

1. Scene number and location
2. One-line event
3. Intensity score, 1 to 10
4. Value shift, written as “X to Y”

Example entries:

• 12, Rooftop confrontation, 8, Confidence to fear
• 13, Cab ride reflection, 3, Doubt to resolve
• 14, Apartment search, 7, Ignorance to clue

Scan for:

• Flatlines, long runs of 3–4 with no spike
• Sudden jumps with no setup, a 2 to a 10 without a bridge
• Missing escalation, numbers wobble without an upward trend toward major turns

Mark problem zones with a star. Those scenes either need compression, added micro-tension, or stronger links into the next beat.

Two quick diagnostics to try today

• The pause test. Read chapter starts and ends only. If the goal at the start fails to connect to the outcome at the end, readers slip.
• The stopwatch test. Read a chapter aloud. Note time. Anything past ten minutes often drags unless it lands a major turn. Anything under three minutes at a crucial twist often feels rushed.

Clarity first. Rhythm second. Speed last. Once you see where the line sags or snaps, fixes get simple.

Fix Slow Sections Without Losing Depth

Slow pages happen. Depth does not require sludge. You want forward motion and substance in the same chapter. Good. Let’s tune the engine without stripping out soul.

Compress exposition

Backstory belongs in motion. Readers lean in when information arrives through pursuit, choice, or conflict.

• Swap a paragraph of history for a line of dialogue with an agenda.
• Let a prop carry a fact. A scorched photo on the mantel says more than a heredity lecture.
• Give a character a small task that reveals knowledge while advancing a goal.

Before:

• Three paragraphs on a father’s temper. Then breakfast.

After:

• “He never raised a hand. He raised the room.” She pushes the chair in, too hard. The bowl jumps. “Pass the salt.” Now the breakfast scene holds the history and keeps moving.

Mini-exercise:

• Highlight every past-tense sentence in a slow scene.
• Keep one sentence as anchor.
• Convert the rest into dialogue with subtext, a choice under pressure, or an object in play.

Add micro-tension

Quiet does not mean flat. Friction keeps attention, even during reflection.

Use small pressures:

• A timer. The parking meter blinks red while two sisters talk secrets.
• Withheld truth. One character knows a detail and avoids eye contact.
• Social risk. A waiter hovers, a boss walks by, a child listens from the hallway.
• Physical discomfort. A sore knee, a cramp, a splinter. Thought fights body.

Aim for a question on every page:

• Will she say the thing
• What hides under that blanket
• Who keeps texting during the eulogy

Not big cliffhangers. Small, human snags. One per scene works wonders.

Quick drill:

• Add a clock, a watchful presence, or a missing piece to a slow passage.
• Reread. Feel the lift in focus.

Use scene–sequel proportioning

Scenes drive outcomes. Sequels process those outcomes. After a major surge, give breathing space. After a minor beat, skim the reaction and move to the next decision.

Recipe:

• Reaction. One or two lines on feeling or shock.
• Dilemma. A clear fork in the road.
• Decision. A choice that sets the next goal.

Too much ruminating muddies pace. Too little processing dulls impact.

Example:

• Big event. She learns her brother stole the bail money.
• Reaction. Air leaves her lungs. The room tilts.
• Dilemma. Tell the judge or confront him first
• Decision. Confront tonight. Keep the judge in the dark until morning.

Now momentum returns through choice, not summary.

Test:

• Pick a quiet aftermath chapter.
• Trim reaction by half.
• Sharpen the dilemma so the decision lands by the final paragraph.

Cut redundant scenes

Repetition saps energy. Two scenes that prove the same point often weaken both.

Spot clones by naming function:

• “Proves she trusts Marcus.”
• “Delivers clue about the ledger.”
• “Raises stakes with the landlord.”

Write a five-word purpose line for every scene. If two lines match, merge or cut the weaker one. Keep the line that also turns a knob somewhere else, such as stakes, relationship status, or timeline pressure.

Example:

• Training montage in Chapter 6 shows competence.
• Sparring match in Chapter 9 shows competence again.

Solution:

• Merge into one sparring match where the mentor cheats, and a hidden camera records everything. Competence plus betrayal plus a future problem.

Start scenes later, end earlier

Open on motion, not warm-up. Close on a turn, not cleanup.

• Skip parking, greetings, and coffee orders unless those steps contain conflict or clue.
• Land in the middle of the argument. Drop the reader into the shove, then feed context through beats.
• Exit on a choice, a threat, or a reveal. Save aftermath for the next chapter’s first lines.

Before:

• He arrives, pays for espresso, checks messages, waits. Then the source sits down.

After:

• “You’re late.” The source sits. “The ledgers moved.” Espresso cools untouched. No one misses the receipt.

Trim the tail:

• If the final lines tidy chairs, walk home, or narrate weather, cut and move on. Readers prefer forward pull over housekeeping.

Keep depth while trimming

Depth lives in specificity and consequence, not length. A sharp sentence with a clear stake outperforms a paragraph of summary.

• Use one concrete detail that reveals attitude. A mother folds a shirt once, then crams it in the drawer. Relationship status revealed.
• Tie interiority to external pressure. Thought arises in response to action, not in a vacuum.
• Ask for the cost. Every reflection answers, “What changes because of this”

Try this:

• Replace three internal questions with one decision that exposes fear or desire.

Action sprint

Pick your three slowest scenes. Use reader notes, time spent, or personal dread as the guide.

• Enter each scene two or three paragraphs later.
• Cut the last one or two paragraphs.
• Read the new version aloud.
• Check for lost essentials. If a key fact vanished, replant in an earlier line or in the next scene’s opening beat.

You will keep depth by anchoring to change. You will gain pace by stripping preamble and exit haze.

One last nudge. Make every scene earn a “from X to Y” label. From safety to suspicion. From waiting to pursuit. Without a shift, the page stalls. With a shift, even a quiet breath hums.

Address Rushed or Confusing Sections

Fast pages feel thrilling until readers lose the thread. Confusion kills momentum. Give key moments room, guide movement between scenes, and shape action with purpose.

Expand crucial turning points

Major turns deserve space for thought and consequence. Reveal, react, choose. Three beats, in that order.

• Revelation. Clear, specific fact lands on the page.
• Reaction. Body, thought, and belief wobble or harden.
• Choice. A decision sets the next line of pursuit.

Example:

• Revelation. The adoption file lists the detective as guardian.
• Reaction. Heat floods cheeks. A hand grips the folder. The office fan clicks, once, twice.
• Choice. Tell the partner now, or hide the file until the hearing. Choose secrecy, for one day.

Two to four short paragraphs will cover this. No monologue. No essay. Give a flicker of interiority tied to external change, then move.

Quick fix:

• Find the last big twist. Add one sentence for body response, one sentence for thinking under pressure, one sentence for choice.

Add transitional beats

Readers track time, place, and point of view through simple anchors. One clear sentence before the next event prevents whiplash.

Use short orientation lines:

• Time. By noon, the pier sits empty. Two weeks later, the subpoena arrives.
• Place. Back in Queens, traffic idles under the bridge.
• POV. From Mara’s window, the alley looks clean. From Grant’s, the alley hides three bikes.

A single beat settles the frame so the next action lands. Write the anchor, then get on with the scene.

Test:

• Before a jump, ask three questions. Where are we. When are we. Who holds the page. Supply one answer before movement resumes.

Slow combat or action

Speed without thought reads like a list. Readers need motive, tactics, and consequence.

Add three layers:

• Strategy. A quick goal line. Draw the guard left. Cross the hall before backup arrives.
• Sensory hooks. Glass grinds under boots. Sweat stings a busted lip. Sirens drift closer.
• Cost. A pulled shoulder limits the next swing. Broken glass risks noise. A missed shot exposes the team.

Before:

• He swings. She ducks. He kicks. She falls. He runs.

After:

• He feints right to pull her guard. Boot slips on glass, balance tips, plan shifts. She lunges, elbow grazes ribs. Breath leaves in a grunt. He grabs the doorframe and bolts, shoulder burning, footsteps pounding behind.

Action breathes when each move changes the next option. Short lines, strong verbs, clear stakes.

Clarify stakes before acceleration

Before a sprint, name the risk and the reward. One beat of context turns speed into suspense.

• If the lock holds, the kid sleeps in a cell. If the lock gives, the brother walks free.
• Lose the meeting, lose the contract. Win the meeting, keep the clinic open.
• If the call drops, the witness dies alone. If the call goes through, rescue arrives in time.

Place a stake line right before the chase, the heist, the confession. Readers lean forward because loss and gain sit in view.

Mini-exercise:

• Scan a fast sequence. Add one sentence naming what breaks with failure, one sentence naming what changes with success.

Use white space strategically

Form guides pace. Short paragraphs and short chapters produce momentum and air. Big blocks slow thought and invite depth.

Tools:

• One-line paragraph for a blow or reveal.
• A cluster of short lines for pressure.
• A mid-page break to signal time jump or tone shift.

Check rhythm aloud. Where breath runs thin, split a block. Where noise builds without purpose, merge two fragments into a thicker paragraph.

Small warning. Choppy lines without shape tire readers. Vary length with intent, not habit.

Action step for confused scenes

Start with feedback. Mark pages where readers flagged confusion. Questions like “Where are we” or “Why does she care” point to missing anchors.

Add two or three grounding lines, no more.

Use a simple formula:

• Setting tag. Night. Hospital roof. Rain ticks on the HVAC.
• Character state. Cold fingers, empty stomach, head buzzing from no sleep.
• Immediate goal. Find the helicopter manifest before the guard returns.

Example patch:

• Before. She shoves papers into a bag and runs for the door.
• After. Night presses on the hospital roof. Rain ticks on metal. She shoves papers into a bag and runs for the stairwell. One page holds the helicopter manifest. The guard makes rounds every seven minutes.

Now readers know where, when, and why, so pace turns sharp instead of messy.

A quick checklist

• Big turns. Revelation, reaction, decision. In that order.
• Jumps. One line for time, place, or POV.
• Fights and chases. Strategy, senses, cost.
• Stakes. Name loss and gain before speed rises.
• White space. Short for punch, long for thought, variety for flow.
• Patches. Two or three lines for grounding, then forward motion.

Do this pass on the next chapter. Keep focus on clarity and consequence. Fast becomes thrilling when readers never lose the line.

Balance Action and Reflection Across Your Story

Stories need both motion and meaning. Too much action leaves readers breathless without caring. Too much reflection turns pages into therapy sessions. The trick lies in weaving both together so neither dominates the whole book.

Apply the 60/40 rule as your starting point

Most scenes work best with 60% plot movement and 40% character depth. This split keeps events moving while giving readers emotional stakes. Genre and story moment shift the balance, but start here.

Action-heavy scenes push plot forward:

• Chase sequences
• Confrontations
• Revelations
• Decisions under pressure

Character-heavy scenes explore inner life:

• Processing major loss
• Relationship shifts
• Moral choices
• Memory or backstory

A courtroom cross-examination leans 70/30 toward action. The lawyer grills witnesses, evidence builds, objections fly. Character thoughts slip in between questions. "She's lying about the time. Push harder on the alibi."

A grief scene after a funeral might flip to 30/70. Physical details anchor the moment—folding programs, washing dishes, answering calls—while internal processing takes center stage.

Test your balance. Pick three scenes from different story phases. Early hook scenes need more action to pull readers in. Midpoint reversals need equal weight. Climax resolution needs more character work to land emotional payoff.

Thread reflection into motion

Stop-and-think paragraphs kill momentum. Readers want to see characters processing while doing things. Motion continues, thoughts weave through.

Weak threading:

• Sarah walked to the window. She thought about her father's death last spring. He would have known what to do. She missed his advice. Then she picked up the phone.

Strong threading:

• Sarah walked to the window, father's voice echoing in her head. "Check the facts twice, trust your gut once." The phone felt heavy in her hand. He would have called the detective first, asked the hard questions she wanted to avoid.

Reflection flows with action instead of stopping it. Characters think while moving, deciding, reacting. Use physical beats to anchor internal shifts.

Try motivation-reaction units. External event triggers thought, thought drives next action:

• Event: The door slams.
• Reaction: He's leaving again.
• Action: She grabs car keys.

Link these units together and scenes stay active while characters process what matters.

Vary sentence structure for rhythm control

Sentence length shapes reader experience. Short sentences accelerate. Complex sentences with multiple clauses, dependent phrases, and embedded thoughts slow the reading experience down and signal time for deeper consideration.

Fast pace uses simple structure:

• The gun fired.
• Glass shattered.
• She ran.

Slow pace uses complex structure:

• The gun fired with a sound she would remember for years, a sharp crack that seemed to split not just the window but something inside her chest, some barrier between who she had been five seconds earlier and who she was becoming now.

Mix both within paragraphs for natural rhythm. Start complex, finish short. Or build short sentences toward a long release.

Example mix:

• The letter arrived Tuesday. She knew the return address before opening it—law office letterhead, cream paper, the weight of bad news. Her brother was contesting the will.

Three beats: short setup, complex recognition, short punch. Readers slow down for the middle sentence, then accelerate into the final blow.

Use chapter breaks to control tempo

Chapter endings and openings control reader breath. End high for momentum. Begin settled for comfort.

Strong chapter endings:

• Questions: "Who told you about the warehouse?"
• Threats: The phone buzzed. Unknown number.
• Decisions: She reached for the gun.

These hooks pull readers forward across the break.

Strong chapter openings give brief orientation before diving back into action:

• Location: The warehouse sat dark against morning sky.
• State: Coffee had gone cold hours ago.
• Goal: Find the shipping records before noon.

Readers need a moment to resettle after the cliffhanger. One or two sentences, then back to speed.

Avoid false cliffhangers. Don't end with fake drama that resolves immediately in the next chapter. "She heard footsteps behind her" followed by "It was the mailman" trains readers not to trust your hooks.

Match POV to pacing needs

Point of view controls how close readers sit to character thoughts. Close third-person gives direct access to instant reactions. Distant third allows faster time movement and scene changes.

Close third for immediate response:

• The door opened. Marcus. Her chest tightened, breath caught. Not today.

Distant third for broader movement:

• The door opened and Marcus entered. Sarah felt the familiar tension return, the weight of years settling between them like dust on old furniture.

Close POV works for intense scenes where every thought and sensation matters. Car chases, arguments, moments of discovery.

Distant POV works for transitional scenes, time passage, or multiple locations. Moving between settings, summarizing events, showing change over weeks or months.

Switch deliberately. Most novels stay close most of the time, pulling back for specific purposes. Test the effect by rewriting a paragraph both ways. Which serves the story moment better?

Action step: Color-code for balance

Take one chapter and highlight every sentence. Blue for external action and dialogue. Yellow for internal thoughts and reflection.

Look for problems:

• Large blue blocks without yellow: readers lose emotional connection
• Large yellow blocks without blue: story momentum dies
• Perfect alternating pattern: might feel mechanical

Good balance shows mixed colors throughout, with intentional clusters. Action sequences show more blue with yellow threads. Processing scenes show more yellow anchored by blue details.

If you see a problem, break up large blocks:

• Add one line of thought to action sequences
• Add one physical detail to reflection passages
• Thread dialogue through internal monologue
• Break long paragraphs into mixed shorter ones

Quick diagnostic questions

Ask these about each major scene:

• Does plot advance while character develops?
• Do thoughts flow with action instead of stopping it?
• Does sentence rhythm match scene energy?
• Do chapter breaks serve story momentum?
• Does POV distance match scene needs?

Balance means both elements working together, not equal time for each. A chase scene needs action priority but character threads. A goodbye scene needs character priority but physical anchors.

Test different balances until you find the mix that serves each story moment. Readers should feel motion and meaning together, neither rushing past events nor getting stuck in someone's head.

Leverage Scene Structure and Transitions

Scenes move the story. Transitions keep readers from tripping. When structure holds, pace feels intentional. When it slips, readers feel lost or bored. You fix both by giving every scene a job and every handoff a reason.

Use Goal, Conflict, Outcome every time

A scene needs a goal. Someone wants something right now. Then a force pushes back. The result changes the board.

Think in three lines:

• Goal: Mia needs the vault code before midnight.
• Conflict: The night manager refuses to talk and calls security.
• Outcome: She learns the first two digits from a sticky note, loses her cover, and must run.

Notice the value shift. From hidden to exposed. From empty-handed to partial code. If nothing shifts, you are stalling.

Quick check:

• Write the scene in three bullets, G, C, O.
• If the outcome matches the starting state, fold the material into another scene or cut.
• If the conflict feels soft, raise the cost. Time, risk, moral pressure.

Think of outcome types:

• Yes, but. Mia gets the code, but security locks the exits.
• No, and. She fails to get the code, and the manager alerts the police.
• Partial. She learns two digits, which sets up the next attempt.

These outcomes create momentum. Readers sense consequence.

Bridge with sequel beats: Reaction, Dilemma, Decision

After a scene, your character reacts, weighs options, then chooses. That choice launches the next goal. That bridge steadies pacing and binds scenes into a chain.

Compress after minor setbacks. One or two lines handle the emotional wave.

• Reaction: Heat rose in her face.
• Dilemma: Fight security or vanish.
• Decision: Vanish. Live to try tomorrow.

Expand after major reversals. Give space to process and reorient.

• Reaction: The judge denied bail. Her throat went dry.
• Dilemma: Turn on her partner or face trial alone. Either path wrecks her loyalty and freedom.
• Decision: Call the reporter and trade information.

Length matches weight. You do not need a full paragraph every time. A breath works for a fender bender. A page suits a death.

A sequel lives in your transitions. End the scene with the outcome. Open the next with the sequel’s decision. Then state the new goal within the first few beats.

Build chapter hooks that earn the next page

Readers forgive sleep if you pay them with a good hook. Hooks are not tricks. They are promises.

Endings that pull readers forward:

• A question: "Why was the vault empty?"
• A threat: The bomb timer ticked at 00:10.
• A decision: He pressed send.
• A reveal: Her mother’s signature on the eviction notice.

Openings that orient before the swing:

• Where: Two hours later, in the parking garage, she waited near the exit ramp.
• State: His hands shook from the night’s cold and the lie he told.
• Goal: Find the courier before dawn.

Avoid fake peril. Ending with a jump scare then revealing a cat on the first line of the next chapter trains readers to stop trusting you. Raise stakes, then follow through.

Use parallel structure to build natural momentum

Alternate threads to create curiosity gaps. While one thread pauses on a hook, switch to another and push that one forward.

Common patterns:

• A and B protagonists in alternating chapters.
• Now and Then timelines.
• Detective and villain viewpoints.

Each thread needs its own G-C-O beats and a clear purpose. Do not park one thread for a hundred pages. Readers forget. They also stop caring.

Tips for clarity:

• Signal thread changes fast. Use names, time stamps, or a grounding detail.
• End a thread on a live question. Then cut to the other thread at a point of action, not throat-clearing.
• Let threads collide. Plan points where one thread’s outcome flips the other thread’s goal.

Mini example:

• Chapter 10, Lina: She cracks the safe, finds a photo of her brother in a prison uniform. Hook.
• Chapter 11, Mark: He leaves the courthouse with a sealed file. The warden signed it. Hook.
• Chapter 12, Lina again: She confronts Mark with the photo. Their threads merge and pace spikes.

Vary scene length with intent

Short scenes feel brisk. Longer scenes invite depth. A book with only one length starts to drone.

Use short scenes for:

• Time pressure
• Action bursts
• Rapid cross-cuts between threads

Use longer scenes for:

• Turning points
• Complex conversations
• Moral weight

Practical ranges:

• Short: 500 to 900 words
• Medium: 1000 to 1500 words
• Long: 1800 and up

Mix lengths inside a chapter. Pair a short chase with a longer aftermath. Place two short scenes back to back near a climax. Slow down after a twist to let readers feel the hit.

If a scene runs long, check for a hidden shift. A second goal often sneaks in. Split at the moment the goal changes and use a small transition.

Action step: Six-beat outline and the “therefore” test

Give each scene six beats on a sticky note:

• Goal
• Conflict
• Outcome
• Reaction
• Dilemma
• Decision

Lay out a chapter’s worth on a table or a screen. Now read only outcomes and decisions in order. Each decision should lead to the next goal with a clear “therefore.” If you find “and then,” momentum sags.

Weak chain:

• Outcome: She fails to reach the hacker.
• Decision: She goes to the gym.
• Next Goal: Ask her coach about the race.

Nothing links. Insert a reason or reorder.

Strong chain:

• Outcome: She fails to reach the hacker.
• Decision: Question the courier who knew the hacker.
• Next Goal: Corner the courier before sunrise.

You feel the pull. Cause and effect. Page to page.

If a scene lacks a decision, write one. If a decision repeats a previous try, raise stakes or alter approach. If the “therefore” feels thin, plant a clue earlier or adjust the outcome.

Quick practice drills

• Take your slowest chapter. Write G-C-O at the start of each scene and R-D-D at the end. Trim any passage that sits between outcome and decision without new pressure.
• Find a rushed section. Expand the sequel beats to three sentences each. Reaction, dilemma, decision. Keep only the lines that add pressure or clarity.
• Map a thread switch. End Thread A with a hook, switch to B for a short, high-energy scene, then return to A with a firmer goal.

Strong scenes plus clean transitions repair pacing better than any line tweak. Give readers purpose, friction, and consequence. Guide them across the breaks with decisions that launch the next pursuit. Momentum follows.

Use Line-Level Techniques for Rhythm Control

Pace lives in your sentences. Small edits change speed. Do enough of them and readers feel the lift.

Favor active voice and concrete verbs

Active voice moves. Passive voice slows and blurs focus.

• Active: "She slammed the door."
• Passive: "The door was slammed by her."

Pick verbs with muscle. Swap weak helpers for action.

• Weak: "He was going to run across the yard."
• Strong: "He sprinted across the yard."

Passive still has a place. Use it when the actor stays unknown, or when you want a cool, reflective tone. Use it lightly. Urgency leaks away if every line drifts into was and were.

Quick drill:

• Pick one page.
• Circle every was and were.
• Rewrite three lines with stronger verbs. Keep meaning, increase force.

Vary paragraph length on purpose

Paragraph shape controls breath. Short blocks hit fast. Long blocks invite thought.

Watch the difference:

He checks the alley.

Empty.

He steps in, counts windows, measures shadows. The dumpster reeks. A siren moans two streets over. He waits for it to fade, then moves.

One-line paragraphs punch. Two or three lines quicken. A dense stanza slows and signals reflection. Mix them across a chapter. Monotony kills pace faster than a misused adverb.

Drill:

• Take a flat page.
• Break one chunky paragraph into two.
• Turn one safe mid-length paragraph into a one-liner.
• Read it aloud. Feel the new rhythm.

Cut filters and hedges

Filters put glass between readers and the moment. Common culprits: seemed, felt like, began to, tried to, noticed, realized, thought, wondered.

Before:

• "She felt like the floor was tilting. He began to speak. She realized he was lying."

After:

• "The floor tilted. He spoke. He lied."

You lose nothing except fog. Keep interiority, skip the filter.

More trims:

• "He tried to open the door" becomes "He yanked the door."
• "She seemed tired" becomes "Her eyes sagged."

Drill:

• Highlight every instance of seemed, felt, began, tried, noticed, realized, thought, wondered.
• Remove three per page.
• If a line goes dull, restore one with precision. Filters are seasoning, not soup.

Use dialogue with intent

Dialogue speeds pace. White space appears. Eyes race. Use it when momentum needs a bump.

But a wall of chat drains energy if nobody wants anything. Give each exchange a goal, a block, a shift.

Slow with interior lines or beats between speech when you need weight.

Fast:

"Did you take it?"

"No."

"Liar."

"Prove it."

Slower:

"Did you take it?" She kept her voice low.

"No." He watched the clock.

"Liar."

He rubbed his thumbnail raw. "Prove it."

Break up monologues. Insert a gesture, a sound, a small cutaway to keep current flowing.

Drill:

• Mark one meaty exposition scene.
• Turn the most important paragraph into a short exchange.
• Keep subtext. Trim throat-clearing.

End on strong last words

The last word of a sentence carries force. End with a concrete noun or an active verb. Not a helper. Not a vague placeholder.

Before:

• "She stared at the photo on the table."

After:

• "She stared at the photo."

Before:

• "He ran through the hall as fast as he could."

After:

• "He sprinted down the hall."

Before:

• "They waited, full of fear."

After:

• "They waited, afraid."

Upgrade paragraph endings too.

Before:

He opened the safe, sifted envelopes, and found a single key on a ribbon.

After:

He opened the safe, sifted envelopes, and found a key.

The clean stop sticks.

Drill:

• Take ten sentences.
• Underline the last word in each.
• Replace three weak endings with stronger nouns or verbs.

Read aloud and cut where you gasp

Your ear spots drag faster than your eyes. Read a chapter out loud. Mark places where breath catches or attention slips. Those lines often hide passive verbs, filters, or bloated syntax.

Tactics:

• Split a long sentence into two.
• Replace a weak verb with a sharper one.
• Swap a generic noun for something specific.
• Trim filler preambles like "There was" or "It was."

Example:

• "There was a noise in the yard that made him pause."
• "A thud in the yard stopped him."

Record yourself on your phone. Walk while listening. Bumps jump out when you move.

A quick line edit sequence

Use this pass on one scene.

1. Verbs first. Replace was and were constructions with stronger actions where speed matters. Keep a few for balance.
2. Paragraph shape next. Create at least one one-line punch and one longer reflective block, placed with intent.
3. Filters and hedges. Remove three. Then re-check flow.
4. Dialogue pressure. Give each exchange a goal. Trim any line that repeats information or posture.
5. Last words. Upgrade three sentence endings and one paragraph ending.
6. Read aloud. Mark two stumbles and fix them with cuts or splits.

Do this on a slow page. Then try it on a fast page with confusion notes. The difference will surprise you. Pace is not magic. It is a stack of small, patient choices. Make them, line by line, and momentum returns.

Frequently Asked Questions

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