We Got So Much Time

Or, no time a all.

wowow hi. Surprised that I'm here? Yeah me too. I just woke up this morning and decided that I'm finally going to update. I've been staring at me to-do list for months, and now I'm finally going to do it. If anyone's curious to know, I've been busy since September with school starting and all and then when November rolled around, I joined Nanowrimo and finished it. And then December, I'm still trying to let that sink in. I'm still half dead about it, but anyway moving on.

So today, we're going to be talking about pace. Pace, I feel, is something pretty overlooked. It helps set the tone and mood of your story, not to mention frames your characters, letting your readers feel either on edge or laid back. It creates a great effect, but it's also something rather hard to capture. It's all about time.

Let's Take it Slow

Now, a writer would generally slow the pace down if they want the reader to notice details. That being said, yes, slower pace generally involves: alot of details. Think of it like this, if someone was writing a romantic scene, they obviously just aren't going to say 'they had dinner and then went home'. That's not even a narrative, gdi. Okay, let's make a better comparasion.

"It's really nice out, tonight," Daehyun says. He turns to look at the sky before looking at me.

"Yeah," I nod in reply. When his hand touches mine, I pull it away. "It's a full moon,"

"That it is," He says, a small frown making itself known on his face. 

versus something like:

"It's really nice out, tonight," Daehyun comments, eyes briefly rolling towards the night sky where the moon hangs low and the stars are dancing without a care in the world. Without looking back, his hand reaches over to clasp his wine glass, bringing it forth to his pink lips where he tilts it to taste the rich fluid before he's glancing back at me. My heart does a small jump start and my own eyes dart away for a brief moment. I can feel my cheeks lighting up, but I hope the flames of the candle are masking over it. 

"Y-yeah," My teeth catch my bottom lip and I'm chewing before I know it. "It's a full moon," I shift a little, this chair suddenly seems to be too uncomfortable and my back is slowly gnawing on pain. My heart does little to help and I try not to let it get too erratic, especially not when his hand reaches over to touch mine. I do a little jump start and he lets go. I want to slap myself in the face for such the reaction, but it's too late. I let my hand slither away before I glance back up at him.

"That it is," He nearly sighs, the corner of his lips arching down. A small frown is making itself known and I can't help but frown myself. My chest twists and turns a little before I shift again.

Details add to the pace, you know? It adds character. People need to breathe, sometimes they need to take it slow and details add to that. That being said, if you need something fast pace, I'm not telling you to do what I did in the first example. That's just not very good story writing in general. 

So in the first one, aside from the fact that there are like 20 words and huge huge lack in detail, it's short and curt. The sentences aren't as long as the second one and is lacking emotion from either parties, the speaker and Daehyun. It's like they're robots talking, or just there. Taking a slow pace, it gives the readers time to absorb their true character, more of the speaker than Daehyun as this is written in first person pov. 

No Time To Explain!

Awhile back, I was trying to do some reseach on how to write actions scenes, particularly fighting scenes as I am inexperienced with those. I've never really gotten into a physical fight. That's a different story. Anyway, the one thing that I've learned from it was that actions scenes should have a faster pace because you're obviously not going to take things slow when there's a hoard zombies chasing behind you about ready to eat your brains, right? Nope, you're going to be running for your life. Or atleast I am, I don't know about you. 

A faster pace should elict the reader themselves to feel some sort of adreneline. I may or may not have said this, but let the reader experience your story and this is how it takes effect. 

When you watch an action movie, it's sure to get the audience going, feeling adreneline in their own veins and scootching on over to the edge. Books have the power to do the same, pick up any action book. Like the Lightening Thief, I am Number Four series, Harry Potter Series.

I have yet to figure out the magic behind it all, but I was told that if you want something fast pace, then the sentences should be curt and concise. That doesn't give you an excuse to lack in details or anything like that at all. Remember, your characters are (Let's just assume) only human. Or atleast, humanoid. They have feelings that are human, features that are human, look human-ish. maybe. maybe not. They're human enough, alright? Because the author themselves are human and it's hard to think outside of it. No matter how fast you need the pace to be, put it in your own shoes. You'll still need time to process what's being thrown at you.

I'm not at all experienced in writing, let alone an action scene, for the love of all that is Holy, I had to do some research for it. Nor do I really practice it, but we'll have a go at it anyway. 

"Where are we going?!" I demand, trying to pry my wrist out of his death grip, but he doesn't allow it.

"No time to explain," He breathes out, heavy breathed from running here to there. "Come on, we don't have much time,"

Without another word, he pulls me forth and sprints. I can't keep up with him. My feet are tripping over one another but he still doesn't stop. At least, not until we're about to round a corner and suddenly I'm pulled back, slamming against a rutty wall.

He curses, as do I. He presses me further against the wall before peaking over the edge. 

Yeah that's...pretty bad. But you know, books. read them learn. 

"Where are we going?" My brows furrow at the man in front of me. I writhe, twist and turn, but his hand is dead locked on my wrist. It's hurting me, but I don't have the time to complain as he speaks before I can.

"No time to explain," He says, a little too airy as if wind was knocked out of him. He sounds as though he has just ran a marathon without stop and before I know it, he's tugging at me. "Come on, we don't have much time," With that, he's off sprinting. I'm trailing behind, tripping over my own feet. I'm cursing at him, trying to pull myself back or at least squeeze an explanation out of him but he doesn't budge.

I didn't even finish, but there's a grand difference between the first and the second once again putting aside the word count aside and that the first one is longer in content. When you're in rush, you don't really notice too much details. Your mind would be in a jumble. Still, you should be able to throw in something descriptive here or there but don't dwell too much on it before you're trying to keep your reader on edge.

Quick vs Slow

Pace can do a lot of things, including conveying the emotion of your character. And this, is really where the importance of knowing your character kicks in. People have different ways of reacting to different types of situations. How does your character act? Keep in mind that emotions like fear and anger can both be quick and slow paced. Of course, I'm not saying it solely depends on the way your character reacts, there can be situations where the anger has to be slow and other situations that are quick flash. Still, your chracter has some part to wage into it. Are they one to simply lash out without a thought or do they hold it in and think it through? Those affect pace.

Welp, I am done here.I uhm sort of skimped out on the last bit, but that's fine. hopefully. Maybe, maybe not. I'm debating on re-vamping the whole workshop and going back on a few lessons to add or edit a few things. We'll see how lazy I get.

Anyway, it's the holidays. Happy Christmas (because I'm probably not going to update again before it) everyone!