Pacing refers to the speed or the rate of motion with which characters, setting, plot, and relationships develop through the story. Pacing, when done too fast, creates a hurried atmosphere and does not give the reader breathing room. Too slow and the reader gets bored. Moderate pacing, on the other hand, is like creating the same length of sentences. There is no variation in structure. The pace in a novel must vary depending on what a situation demands. If the pace falls short of fulfilling this requirement, the plot is stalled, the conflict is prolonged, and the episodes lose intensity. Pacing is another element that the writer can recheck in the process of rewriting.

Story example: A lady escort dresses up in a business suit to service a wealthy client—a mob boss who is engaged in drug trafficking. She has to get to the hotel on time. This client is notorious for throwing fits when his impatience strikes. The writer wants to postpone the meeting between the escort and her client: (a) Taxi ride to the hotel. (b) It’s rush hour, and she is having trouble getting a taxi ride. (c) She hitches a ride on a septic tank truck. (d) The truck driver is pulled over for a traffic violation. (e) She finally reaches the hotel. (f) She arrives at the hotel, and the mob boss gives her an open-hand slap in the face.

It is difficult to vary the pacing in these situations because the escort is just commuting. The pacing at which she arrives from point A to point B does not allow for intense conflict or confrontation. The only extension that the writer can do would be scenic descriptions and introspections. Pacing is based on action. It does not happen without dramatic action. The writer should never throw in extraneous material if it does not contribute to effective pacing. Too much introspection or sensory descriptions in a scene that demands time pressure is prolonging the inevitable.

Consider the same story but with a varied pace sequence: A lady escort dresses up in a business suit to service a wealthy client—a mob boss who is engaged in drug trafficking. She has to get to the hotel on time. This client is notorious for throwing fits when his impatience strikes. The writer wants to postpone the meeting between the escort and her client by creating situations that cause major hassles to the escort. (a) Taxi ride to the hotel. (b) It’s rush hour, and she is close to squaring off with other commuters competing for a taxi ride. (c) She offers a blowjob to a septic tank truck driver in exchange for a hitch and dropping her off to the hotel. (d) A cop arrests her and the truck driver for solicitation. (e) She calls a friend to help bail her out. (f) She arrives at the hotel, and the mob boss gives her an open-hand slap in the face.

The same story has the same ending, but the pace in the second version is more effective. The writer has full control over how he creates variations in pacing through effective use of conflicts and situations without resorting to superfluous material.