my stories always seem to move on to quickly i can never move it at the right pace also i hate the word and but it just seems to be in every line i write but when i reread it i can't make out whats truly happening it hapens so fast does anyone have a way of slowing it down a bit so the story isn't like(for want of a better description) a load of explosions going of every few seconds Thank you E
Well judging from your post, you need to learn to use full stops... My suggestion for slowing the pace of your story down is simply so stop and look around. Describe whats happening, the scenery, the characters, rather than rushing off to the next piece of action. Also, if it's the general story that's going too far, put in subplots and other facets, to break up the action of the main storyline.
Using punctuation might help. Seriously, though. You got to have some kind of confidence that what you're going to say is worth listening to, allowing yourself to breathe inbetween sentences and events. More action isn't always better action. Contrast is what makes action thrilling. Building up from a quiet moment into a stressing one has much more impact. You could make an exercise, writing a small story without any action in it. Get to know your characters and find out what they want from your story.
thanks that is help. i know about punctuation my teachers at school get angry about it, i write and get alot of spellings and punctuation wrong. i only got a* in my original writing because i did alot of re writes and my teacher was patient unlike others.
thanks i guess i need a bit more description i just don't put alot in because i have read Austin and Dickens who have alot of descriptionm and it drags on and on i didn't want to write something like that but i will take on board your tips
Description is good, in moderation. You want to find the balance between overloading the reader with boring blocks of text, and painting a picture in their heads. As for pacing, think about the way you talk. A comma is just a small pause in a sentence. A period helps slow things down. Practice writing small sentences. Put only a few words in each. Notice how slow I seem to talk now? After reading only your post, I felt like I was hanging onto my seat, being sped through the paragraph, and not allowed to take a breath until it all finished. Commas and periods simply allow for breathing, and the thought process that can happen in between. Like this:
Thanks for your advice. Alot of the speed is also the plot, it moves to quickly. My stories do have more punctuation then the threads/posts I write.
I had a similar problem and I asked how to solve it on someone else's thread I've learned that sub-plots are the best way to stop and smell the roses. They help you develop your character and the story. Hope that helps and good luck.
Proper punctuation helps But also read over your work to see if you're using enough description. That used to be one of my biggest problems and it's something I'm still trying to work on. I would not take the time to describe things, and then when I read my story it was too fast-paced and it was not enjoyable to read. ~Eliza
Identify the plots that comprise your storyline (What is Plot Creation and Development?). You may need to enrich the story by introducing new conflicts and obstacles if the characters are making too straight a path to the goal. Also, try to get into te habit of writing your posts like your writing. Maybe you punctuate and capitalize flawlessly when you are in "writer mode", but the more consistently you use best writing practices, the more easily you'll pick ou errors from your writing. Also, as you can see, if you ask a general question like te one above, people will naturally assume tha you write the same way. Your words above all rush together, so if tat is how you write, you'll end stories quickly before you can run out of breath.
I've been analyzing great novels, highlighting all action parts in red. Only about one third of the novels are action. The rest is introspection, description, and such. Break up your action by showing what is happening around the characters, what is going on inside their heads, how they feel, etc. Here is an example from Bujold's The Spirit Ring. Fiametta took the keys and exited at a ladylike walk, no childish skipping under the eyes of the Swiss captain, until she reached the stairs in the courtyard to the upper gallery, which she took two at a time. The big iron-bound chest at the foot of her father's bed contained a dozen leather-bound books, several stacks of notes and papers tied with ribbons—anxiously, she tried to remember if she had indeed replaced them last time identically to their previous arrangement—and a polished walnut box. The chest was redolent with the aromas of paper, leather, ink, and magic. She lifted out the heavy box and relocked both chest and room with the complex filigreed iron keys. She returned to the downstairs workroom. Her light leather slippers padded almost silently across the flagstones as she approached. A chance word in the captain's voice caught her ear; she stiffened and listened outside the workroom door. You could try to do this with a modern novel you enjoy. Highlight all the action parts. If you have blocks of actions, the story will move too quickly.
Always know the effect of changes to your story. Adding description can make a scene more vivid, but for every advantage, there is also a potential drawback. Inserting description slows the pace, so you do have to be careful in action sequences. You may want to expand your story and modulate the pace, but you might not want to bog things down where the action is brisk.
thank you i have a taken on board a few things already. I have added description to my currant project, I have also checked every bit of punctuation. if there are any more tips i will take on the advice aswell.
