McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
Dresden Files Pacing
Quantus:
--- Quote from: the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh on August 28, 2012, 04:09:10 PM ---In a book that's one contiguous first-person narrative, some scales of tension aren't an option, because you know if that narrator gets into a jam mid-book, you will see at least that they get through it and usually also how pretty much immediately thereafter. If someone like GRRM puts a character in mortal jeopardy half-way through a book with 16 POVs and no particular pattern to which POVs happen when, there's no guarantee you'll get resolution during that volume, or in that viewpoint - it could be reported to another character in another thread entirely.
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That makes sense to me, but how does that make it easier or harder to put down? For me, if I know or suspect that I may not get the resolution I need for months or years waiting on the next volume (such as with GRRM or Robert Jordan), it would make me more inclined to surrender to sleep and pick things back up in the morning. If I know that I am actually holding the answer and just need to get through to it then Ill be more able to rationalize that little bit of more reading before I sleep, usually telling myself that the question will just keep me up longer. I have even been known to skip ahead until the plotline is picked back up to get my resolution (though in my elder years I have learned enough patience to not do this so much).
the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh:
--- Quote from: Quantus on August 28, 2012, 04:19:40 PM ---That makes sense to me, but how does that make it easier or harder to put down? For me, if I know or suspect that I may not get the resolution I need for months or years waiting on the next volume (such as with GRRM or Robert Jordan), it would make me more inclined to surrender to sleep and pick things back up in the morning. If I know that I am actually holding the answer and just need to get through to it then Ill be more able to rationalize that little bit of more reading before I sleep, usually telling myself that the question will just keep me up longer.
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If I know I will have the answer tomorrow, that's much easier to wait for than not knowing either way, for me. Questions like that can only keep me awake for so long; I sleep a lot, particularly under stress, and I sleep hard.
Quantus:
--- Quote from: the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh on August 28, 2012, 04:55:08 PM ---If I know I will have the answer tomorrow, that's much easier to wait for than not knowing either way, for me. Questions like that can only keep me awake for so long; I sleep a lot, particularly under stress, and I sleep hard.
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Sleep, I have heard rumors of this. It's some kind of street drug for teenagers, right? I hear its all the rage.
o_O:
I see no one has mentioned Slowing the pace down so that the reader can think up expectations (and then potentially dashing them), either by itself or as part of Rate of revelation.
To me, that's more important than POV-constancy in a multiplicity of subplots, and much more effective than a constant, high rate of revelation. A constant, high rate of revelation gives me absolutely no incentive to build up any sort of thought-model of the situation - it is simpler and easier to just read the next chapter.
And if I don't build up a thought-model, then I'm not fully engaged in the story, and it's just...meh.
Quantus:
--- Quote from: o_O on August 28, 2012, 08:19:54 PM ---I see no one has mentioned Slowing the pace down so that the reader can think up expectations (and then potentially dashing them), either by itself or as part of Rate of revelation.
To me, that's more important than POV-constancy in a multiplicity of subplots, and much more effective than a constant, high rate of revelation. A constant, high rate of revelation gives me absolutely no incentive to build up any sort of thought-model of the situation - it is simpler and easier to just read the next chapter.
And if I don't build up a thought-model, then I'm not fully engaged in the story, and it's just...meh.
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Well, the OP was specifically about how to increase the pace, which may be why nobody mentioned slowing it down. I agree that giving the reader enough to build some theories and expectations is important, but Id think there are many ways to do that without intentionally making it a slow/ponderous tale. For me at least, the revelations others have mentioned may simply be revealing that there is another Question out there that needs an answer; it doesnt have to be a steady reveal of plot information, just steady development.
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