Question

so, I just learned about Fast pace/Slow pace writing... And I don't understand. Would someone mind explaining?

Answer 1

I think this is an explanation that is easy to understand. Let me know what you think...
Fast-paced is where there is a lot of action happening and those are the parts where your glued to the book. Slow-paced is the stuff that can be either interesting but no action or just the boring parts of the book. Books that are mostly all fast-paced are usually the more popular ones. A good book in my opinion has both used but the slow-paced parts are very interesting.

Answer 2

thank you! That actually seems more of an overview but it helps me understand so much better! I guess details can be a little confusing at times....

Answer 3

Is there something specific that you would like to know regarding Fast pace/Slow pace writing?

Answer 4

just the differences....I was confused the way I was taught it, it almost looked like the same thing

Answer 5

oh ok...Hopefully this gives you a better understanding...I will try to put in an example of each in my next post.

Answer 6

I think this is really good for explanations and examples of how to use fast paced writing to engage your readers. (Note- this is for a film sequence but it still applies to good writing. Remember the scenes for a film have to be written first, right?)
Fast paced:
The Fine Art of Writing Fast-Paced Action Scenes.
JUNE 13, 2013
RAYNE HALL
Harrison Ford takes charge in Indiana Jones.
Harrison Ford takes charge in Indiana Jones.
In scenes with fast action – such as chases and fights - your writing style needs to reflect the speed. The words you choose, and the way you structure your sentences, can create a fast, exciting pace which takes the reader’s breath away.

SENTENCES

The length of your sentences creates the pace of your scene. In a fight scene, sentences need to be short, especially when the action speeds up.

If a sentence is more than twelve words long, split it into two shorter ones. Some sentences can be very short indeed:

He leaped.

She kicked.

Blades clanked.

To vary the rhythm, insert the occasional medium-length sentence, but avoid long ones with many clauses.

When the action happens really fast, you can use sentence fragments instead of complete sentences; For example:

He had to get through to the castle. Had to reach that door. He hacked, swung, slashed. Five paces left. He leaped.

Use this trick sparingly, only for the fastest-paced moments, since sentence fragments become tedious if overused.

WORDS

Short words create a fast, sharp rhythm, so use the shortest available word for the job. Words with single syllables are best. Two syllables are ok, three syllables are so-so, and anything longer doesn’t belong in a fight scene.

When revising your fight scene, replace long words with short ones. Instead of immediately write at once. Instead of endeavour write try. Instead of indicate write point at. Instead of investigate write check out.

Verbs (hack, swing, slash, kick) convey action and create a fast pace. You can use several verbs in a sentence, for example:

She bit, she scratched, she screamed.

or

They slashed and sliced, they blocked and parried.

Simple Past Tense (hacked, swung, slashed, kicked) is the best for fast-paced action. Avoid Past Perfect Tense (had hacked, had swung, had slashed, had kicked) because it’s a pace-killer.

Be careful about using the ing-form of the verb (present participles and gerunds: hacking, swinging, slashing, kicking). Although it conveys immediacy, it sounds soft and can spoil the pace, so use it sparingly.

Adjectives (blunt, strong, irresistible) slow the pace, so use only a few. Adverbs (bluntly, strongly, irresistibly) slow the pace enormously, so you may want to avoid them in your fight scenes.

Use as few conjunctions and link words (and, but, or, when, then, after, before, while, because, in order to, therefore, thereby, as) as possible.

For example, instead of

He grabbed the liana with both hands, and then he swung across the stream and landed in the mud.

write:

He grabbed the liana with both hands, swung across the stream, landed in the mud.

Instead of

After that, he raised his arm, thereby warding off blows.

write:
He raised his arm to ward off blows.

EUPHONICS

T, K and P sounds create a fast pace and a sense of aggressiveness, so use lots of them in action scenes. For example: Instead of swallow write gulp. Instead of hold write grip. The best sound for chases, races and anything happening really fast is R. Use it a lot: hurry, run, roll, race. Euphonics are especially important if you plan to publish your book in audio format or if you give public readings.

AVOID INTERNAL THOUGHTS

Don’t allow your protagonist to think, consider, wonder, analyse, realise, worry or contemplate while the action is on. Move any thoughts to before or after the action. Any kind of introspection slows the pace.

If it’s absolutely necessary to render his thoughts, do it as briefly as possible. Here are some examples:

Now.

He had to win.

There had to be a way out.

Where was the cavalry?

CONTRASTING PACE

To emphasise the fast pace of your scene, consider slowing the pace before and after the main action. During the build-up when the heroes lie waiting in ambush, and during the aftermath when they bandage their wounds you can slow the pace by inserting adjectives and using longer sentences.

HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF SLOW PACE:

It was a balmy day in Spring when Melissa set off to the village. She breathed in the warm air and gave a sigh of contentment. It was good to be alive.

She noticed all the spring flowers coming into bloom. There were snowdrops nodding their heads in the breeze, and daffodils pushing their way through the earth. There were crocuses, gaily dancing in the breeze. Yellow ones, purple ones, all kinds of colours, resplendent against the dark brown earth. The grass beyond them was verdant, washed clean by the rain of the night before, and across the fields she could see sheep, and two cows. There was Farmer Williams's brown and white cow, who had had a bad foot the year before but was now standing up, thanks to the attendance of the horse doctor, Old Frank. Old Frank was a regular sight around the village. He had been born there, and always returned to see if the villagers needed any help with their animals. He and Farmer Williams had played together as boys, so there had always been a strong bond of affection between them. Next to the brown and white cow was the black cow, Daisy, who had chased little Tommy Marks down to the river last year. Tommy was the naughtiest boy in the village, and had deserved to be chased, particularly as he had been trying to jump on Daisy's back, but perhaps he had not deserved to fall in the river and nearly drown. Boys like Tommy really needed to learn to swim.

She walked down the lane, passing the turning to Sir Graham's house. Sir Graham was the local squire. He had two children, George and John, and his wife was expecting a third child. She dearly hoped it would be a little girl, but Sir Graham wanted another son.


I could go on, but I won't! In a way, there is nothing wrong with the above. It has full stops in all the right places. It has a light, fluent style. But it doesn't say anything! All it does is drivel on about the flowers, the sheep, the cows, and a whole range of characters who are not at all important. Your reader will be asleep before she gets to the end of it! So if you have any passages like this in your book, cut them out! You need to get on with the story, like this:



It was a balmy day in Spring when Melissa set off to the village. She breathed in the warm air and gave a sigh of contentment. It was good to be alive.

She had not gone far, however, when she saw a horseman coming towards her, and to her horror she recognised Lord Levering. She flushed as she remembered the disastrous events of the evening before. She was tempted to turn off the road, but berating herself for cowardice she continued on her way.


In the second example, the pace is right because something happens.

There are no hard and fast rules. It would have been perfectly all right to add a little more description to the second example, but not too much. Remember, your reader wants you to tell her a story, and whilst she needs some descriptive passages to set the mood and help her see the scenes, she doesn't want long, involved descriptions that go on for a page or more, nor does she want to learn the life history of everyone who is briefly mentioned in the book.

Answer 7

thank you, not only did this make the whole Fast/Slow pace writing thing easier to understand but it also taught me a few things that can improve my writing (I write books in my spare time) thanks once again for all the help :)

Answer 8

Wow, that is fantastic that you write books!! eep on writing and best of luck to you!! :)

Answer 9

thank you :) I'll tell if it's one of the bestsellers lol

Answer 10

I hope so, I will buy it!! ;)