Slow Down, Your Writing Moves Too Fast
Slow Down, Your Writing Moves Too Fast
Don't cheat your reader
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In my current WIP (work-in-progress) novel, I’m heading to the midpoint. A quick review of the midpoint: it usually falls, amazingly enough, at or near the middle of the book. But it doesn’t technically have to, and in novel-writing parlance it is most often used as a plot structure term. The midpoint signals a shift, and is often the point of no return in the story. In the four-act structure, the midpoint is at the end of the second act. In the three-act structure, it comes in the center of Act Two.
(Don’t worry about the difference between the four-act and three-act structures. They’re basically the same thing, with different names, because the second act of three-act structure is divided in two by the midpoint. So for all intents and purposes it’s four acts.)
Okay then, didn’t mean to get off on that tangent but it’s always good to chat about story structure, right? Anyway, in my own current novel, I’m very close to the midpoint. I’m 29,000 words in and I figured I had one more chapter before I hit the midpoint chapter. Considering the yet-to-be-written chapter would be close to 5,000 words, I was feeling good about my midpoint hitting at 35,000. Because 35,000 times two is 70,000 and that’s a good ballpark to aim for.
But as I looked at that chapter I realized I was rushing things. Cramming things in without fulling mounting them on the page. And the chapter wasn’t working because of it. Why? Because I worried that I was getting too close to the midpoint. And by worrying I mean obsessing about something that somebody somewhere said about when the midpoint should fall and how many words a novel should be, yada, yada, yada.
So I took a step back and did some side writing. And the one chapter actually morphed into three. And probably I’ll end up writing to over 90,000 words, as I usually do, or maybe even longer. (I’ve been known to crank out 100,000 word novels. Don’t try this at home, kids.) And I’ll feel bad because it’s too long. But I can always edit things out. And here’s the important thing: the story is going to work sooo much better for my readers. Because by slowing down and adding details that show what’s going on, the world will come better alive. By overloading your chapters you’re cheating the reader of the enjoyment she gets from reading.
So here is my two-fold recommendation and they go hand in hand with each other:
Slow it down. I read so many manuscripts that feel rushed. Like the author has so much she wants to say and she throws it all out there and moves on. Sometimes this comes in the form of telling, with lots of narrative summary. Rushing does not engage.
Plump it up. My writers have gotten used to this comment because I make it often. In all the hundreds, possibly even thousands of manuscripts I’ve read, I think I’ve read two where the main task was to pare back. Nope, no, as my two-year-old grandson likes to say, no, the main task is to add on. Because people tend to write bare bones in their first drafts.
Take a look at your manuscript and see if there are places where you are cheating the reader. and then slow it down and plump it up.
Oh and by the way? You’re probably overloading your life as much as you’re overloading your chapters. Take a step back and ponder that. It might help you untangle your scenes. (And thanks to my coach Camille Pagán for helping me see this.)
Paid subscriptions
I’m planning my first workshop for paid subscribers. It will be sometime in September after everyone has gotten back into their routines and the topic is going to be, wait for it: Plotting for Pantsers and Pantsing for Plotters. Several of my clients requested this and I cannot wait to dig in. When it comes to plotting and pantsing, most will convince you that never the twain shall meet. But I think each camp has much to offer the other and that often a middle road is the best. I’ll explain all in the workshop!
When you subscribe at the $8 a month level, you’ll get access to this class and others I’ll offer monthly going forward. Founding members get a one-on-one coaching session upon sign-up!