So, here's what I'd love to chat about today: pacing. I have managed to devour in the last week all of the Lux books by Jennifer Armetrout and holy frick it's been nearly impossible to put those books down! And I received some awesome feed back on one of my books about pacing, and the need to ramp it up (something I'd thought I'd managed, but apparently things are far more interesting in my head than to anyone else). I'm digging back into this book and hopefully can get that ironed out.
I'm curious as to what makes a book un-put-down-able for you? What makes it just utterly up-til-the-middle-of-the-night?One of things that I do notice and work on myself is chapter endings. They absolutely must leave things on a bit of a cliff hanger that makes the reader want to go on. Constant tension, either in outside danger, romance, or some internal tension, gets exhausting for me though. I kind of like a bit of introspection and calm times to absorb what's going on thrown in from time to time. The balance is where the heart it though--and mixing the two is tricky.
I'm curious what you think on this, and how you've noticed it either while reading or writing!
And, because it's Friday:
One thing I've been dealing with in revisions is less "meandering" - cutting smaller scenes and giving greater impact to larger scenes. Good luck making yours speedy!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I definitely have a few "meandering" ones I need to work on :)
DeleteI'm a sucker for short chapters and a light touch when it comes to description. And being more dialogue-focused usually keeps thing moving too.
ReplyDeleteYou definitely have a knack for keeping the pages turning!!
DeleteMeradeth, great topic! Pacing is truly an art an, one that I'm also trying to grasp and master. There are probably a lot of ways to go about it, but when I go back and read my own work, if I find my mind wandering, I'm pretty sure, the pacing is slow. Maybe I'm delivering information to the reader that isn't necessary at the moment. That was something really hard for me to learn. What does the reader need now? If they don't need it now, don' t tell them. I guess pacing is keeping things moving:D
ReplyDeleteGreat points!! I definitely have been trying to notice when my own mind wanders--it's a great trick for keeping up the pace :)
DeleteMost nights, I read until I can hardly keep my eyes open, but it's been a long time since I was so into a book I couldn't put it down long enough to go to bed. Most notably, back in the '70s, I started reading "The Godfather" after putting the kids to bed, and didn't stop until I'd finished the book. (I MAY have gotten a short nap before it was time to fix the kids breakfast and get them off to school.) It was the same with some Stephen King and Dean Koontz books, too, and for the early Stuart Woods books. In more recent years, Iris Johansen and Tami Hoag books are tough for me to put down, but I don't give up sleep in the name of reading any more. (I need that beauty rest too much!) I guess suspense, action, thrills, and horror is what keeps me riveted to the pages. You know, the drive to know "Oh my God, and THEN what happened?!" But, and this is a big BUT, that isn't the only kind of book I read, and that certainly isn't what I WANT in every book I read. Riding on a roller coaster may be fun, but there's a lot to be said for a leisurely Sunday ride through the countryside, too.
ReplyDeleteHA! I love that nerd problem. I can relate. There's what? Eight books in John Jakes' American Bicentennial? Each one is fairly long, but I was genuinely sad when I finished reading the last book. I wanted MORE, doggone it!
I'm having awesome book overload here!! I don't know how many times I've managed to stay up WAY too late reading--and usually end up dropping a book on my face (thank heavens my kindle is so much lighter, haha!). I feel that way about all the Gabaldon books too--they're super long, but every time I finish one I can't wait for the next!
DeleteI love chapter cliff-hangers. They get me every time.
ReplyDeleteThey are awesome! :)
DeleteI have stayed up all night reading many books. Usually I like a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter- and I find that I tend to read for a longer time when the chapters are shorter. Sometimes if a chapter is long (20 pages or so) I may flip ahead and see I am far from the end of the chapter and decide to head to bed if there are too many more pages. If the chapter is shorter I may decide to finish it and then I sometimes decide- one more chapter. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's such a good point! I totally do the same thing :)
DeleteI'm all over the unresolved issues at the end of a chapter. I'm reading the Song of Ice and Fire books. They jump characters each chapter so I must plow on to see how everyone is doing.
ReplyDeleteI both love and hate that technique--it works really well to keep me reading, but I hate following a billion story lines :)
DeleteI agree about chapter cliffhangers, though I can't say I specifically work toward them in my pieces (maybe I should pay more attention to that).
ReplyDeleteDialogue and action keep me reading, regardless of chapter cliffhangers, but description bogs me down. I seriously just want to know we're in an old house with a green couch...and GO with the action. My eyes skip over description because it bores me. LOL!
I should probably mention I have ADD...don't know if that plays into it! HA!
Dialogue and action definitely keep the pace up and going! I tend to like a little more description, I think, but maybe that's because I like describing it haha!
DeleteLOL! I always joke I'd be better at writing screen plays! ;)
DeleteI think short chapters are the sneakiest thing an author can do. I justify reading "just three more chapters" because it's not that much to read :D
ReplyDeleteHaha! I totally do the same thing!
DeleteDefinitely chapter end cliffhanger. A chapter ending should be such that you start new chapter straight away. Even if it's 2 am!
ReplyDeleteMe too!! It's way too hard to put it down with those cliffhangers :)
DeleteIt's not Friday anymore, but this post still gives me food for thought. Thanks for the feast! :)
ReplyDeleteThere's quite a bit here to feast on! :)
DeleteWhen I write, I do tend to gear myself towards a chapter ending that makes you want to keep going. It's something that I find appealing when I'm reading too.
ReplyDeleteMe, too!
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