Hiya! I'm currently writing a story which focuses on two main characters from eighth grade till the end of high school and I'm not very sure on how to pace the novel so it doesn't drag on with unnecessary information. I'm sorry if you've already answered t
Hiya! Thanks for your question! Lots of authors have trouble with maintaining good pacing.
When writing your story, make sure every scene matters. A scene should contribute to the story in some way. If it doesn’t advance the plot, advance character development, or advance world-building, cut it. Doing this can drastically improve the pacing of your novel.
Since your story takes place over such a long period of time, you’re going to need to use scene cuts. A scene cut is when a story jumps from one scene to another scene or location. If done right, your readers will be able to follow along without any confusion. Scene cuts are a great way to accelerate the pacing of your novel. Readers don’t need to know every little thing that happens to your characters, just the important stuff.
To start a scene cut, clearly establish that you are in a new scene. You can do this by starting a new chapter, detailing how much time has passed directly (ex: Three months went by before they saw each other again.), or indirectly showing how much time has passed (ex: The leaves faded from a vibrant green to a dull red as the temperature dropped.). Scene cuts don’t have to take place in the same location or even with the same characters.
Another way to help with pacing over a long period of time, is to use character and relationship development. Here are some good LGF posts/reblogs to help with that:
Writing Realistic Character Arcs
Thanks again for your question, hope this helps! If you need help with any other writing-related issues, feel free to send in another ask! Happy writing!
- Mod Kellie
If you need advice on general writing or fanfiction, you should maybe ask us!
