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My writing flaw (resolved)



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73 Reviews



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Thu Jul 10, 2014 1:09 am
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Authorian says...



Hello, I would like to ask the advice of other writers on this site to help me fix my largest flaw- my writing is to fast paced. Any advice to fix the problem?
Last edited by Authorian on Thu Jul 10, 2014 1:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. A man who does not read has only one life, and even that he may not live
  





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Thu Jul 10, 2014 1:23 am
MaryEvans says...



Why don't you post something to begin with? You know, give us an example. Why do you think it's too fast paced anyway?
  





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Thu Jul 10, 2014 1:24 am
Authorian says...



I can tell by reading it. I've never completed a story because I get upset with the pacing.
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. A man who does not read has only one life, and even that he may not live
  





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131 Reviews



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Points: 11451
Reviews: 131
Thu Jul 10, 2014 1:32 am
MaryEvans says...



You shouldn’t really get discouraged (or even read your writing) before you actually finish writing it. You can’t expect everything to be perfect from the start and you can’t fix it if you don’t have something to work with.

As for too fast pacing in general, you can focus more on descriptions, or make your sentences longer on average. Include a quiet moment or have the characters think (if it’s first person). Too fast usually means too many things happening too closely in the plot, so you might want to go back and think on your story line some more too. Draw out a timeline and fill in the action to imagine the story better, then tweak the plot, move some things apart, remove others, rearrange your action, that kind of thing.
  





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Thu Jul 10, 2014 1:35 am
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Authorian says...



Alright, thanks so much. I'll try that.
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. A man who does not read has only one life, and even that he may not live
  





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Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:06 pm
GoldFlame says...



Pacing, and why it is important discusses how to speed things up and slow things down.

To second what MaryEvans wrote, your best chance is detail. More specifically, the setting. Link it to your character's mood. Rain, shadows, undusted bookshelves ... show us, don't tell us.

Try isolating narration from dialogue, too. You don't want to toss too much on your reader.

Other articles:

Show and Tell
Summary vs. Scene
“He leant tensely against the wall and frowned like a man trying to unbend a corkscrew by telekinesis.” – Douglas Adams
  








We know what a person thinks not when he tells us what he thinks, but by his actions.
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