How to Solve Pacing Problems
As I’m editing through Act 2 of my manuscript, I’m noticing a trend in the notes I’m making: many of them have to do with pacing.
This part of the story is a transition — the main characters have both made a significant leap in their inner and external journeys, but I’m also introducing a pivotal new character to the story.
As I’m editing, it’s clear to me there’s a certain paradox with pacing: the author must introduce twists that feel simultaneously unexpected and yet somehow inevitable.
There are a few simple strategies I’m implementing (or noting to add in when I’m editing on my laptop again) to strengthen the pacing in this part of my book:
Include adequate foreshadowing of the new character(s) and/or plot points. This could include dropping a name in conversation, hearing rumblings of the gossip mill, seeing physical evidence of something this new character has done, or mentioning that character in a piece of world building that’s important to the first act.
Weave in an emotional theme that ties the original character(s) in with the new. This keeps the emotional arc of the story intact while guiding the plot along its new path.
Keep it snappy. In the first act of the book, there’s ACTION, then getting to know the characters, maybe a journey begins… it’s different for many books and genres. But to avoid the second act lag, I’m focusing on not dwelling on the new characters/plot points. It’s easy for me to fall into the trap of treating new additions with the same care as I treat my main characters and their journeys. But that’s not the purpose of these new elements! As I redraft, I cut a lot of the “get to know them” fluff. It served me well as an author, but the readers? They might get bored.
Of course, I always save what I remove in a separate document! You never know what might be fun bonus content one day, or what might spark a new story entirely…