Update…the giveaway winner is Holly. Congrats, Holly!
Today our guest is debut Kensington Brava author Joan Swan. I had the pleasure of meeting Joan at the RWA National Conference, and she is a fun and super sweet lady. 
Joan, thanks so much for coming by–and I can’t wait to read your Brava novels!
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The Real Story Behind Pacing (plus giveaway!)
I used to think pacing was all about action. Car chases, shootouts, hostage situation or, if we’re talking about a contemporary romance, it would be a personal crisis or business in immediate jeopardy.
Then I read the most recent Koontz novel What the Night Knows. And I realized that pacing isn’t about action, it’s all about presenting story questions then making your reader wait to discover the answer. But to keep the reader interested, you also have to answer those story questions periodically, which means you then have to insert others. I think of it as a leapfrog type action.
Can you see the forward movement above?
Pacing, by definition, is a rate of movement, activity, progress. That movement could include gunfire (or explosions…I happen to love both), but it doesn’t have to. Even with very little action at the beginning of Koontz’s novel, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. When I went back to analyze why I remained so intrigued, I discovered this pattern.
I hope to illustrate this with a few examples from What the Night Knows.
Three sentences into the book, we get our first story question:
Suddenly at noon, six days after the murders, birds flew to the trees and sheltered in roosts.
Q: Murders? What murders?
We must read on to find out.
And we find out on page 5:
A: He was fourteen, the unrepentant murderer of his family, capable of unspeakable cruelty…
Yet, the answer introduces another, bigger story question:
Q: Unspeakable cruelty? What constitutes unspeakable cruelty? And how could a fourteen year old be capable of this cruelty? And toward his family?
Okay, so, hopefully, you can see we’ve got the beginnings of PLOT questions set up and going, right? Let’s get a little more complicated and add CHARACTER questions.
At the bottom of page 1, we get our first character question.
John was a homicide detective, but this car belonged to him, not the department. The use of the placard while off duty might be a minor violation of the rules. But his conscience was encrusted with worse transgressions than the abuse of police prerogatives.
Q: Why is he in his private vehicle, but using the official placard?
Q: Worse abuse of police prerogatives? Like what? Is he the good guy or a dark protagonist?
We must read on to find out.
A complex version of the leap-frogging would look like this:
You can see how dramatic the forward movement becomes:
Do you leapfrog? Can you share your method of creating pacing in your novel? Share examples of other pacing methods? Which authors do a particularly good job of pacing? How do you think they accomplish that?
(Comment to enter drawing for a $15 Amazon gift card)
Bio:
Joan Swan is a triple RWA® Golden Heart finalist, and a double Kiss of Death Daphne Du Maurier finalist. She writes sexy romantic suspense with a paranormal twist, and her first novel with Kensington Brava, FEVER, debuts April 2012.
Where you can find Joan: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook
Hi, Joan! Thanks for blogging with us today! I am very intrigued by the idea of leap-frogging. It looks like it would be a great framework for crafting a novel.
Cynthia,
Thanks for letting me guest with you guys on MM. One of my favorite blogs to follow!
Fantastic post. I’m still going over your diagrams and working it through my head before I think I can use it against a book I’ve read. Really going to have to think about this one! Very interesting!
Thanks for comming by Sabrina.
It is a little bit of a complicated trick, isn’t it? I know all about layering and braiding, but this is different and so very effective I discovered.
Hi Miss Joan!
I’m trying to go.over.this “diagram” in my head & see what parts can be used in children’s books. I know it has to be a more simplified form but I want what may be my readers to start thinking about how to solve problems, look for “clues” in my stories, etc.
Great interview!
Kimberly (@Bakin_Goddess)
Hi Kimberly!
I would think (from a mom’s perspective, not a children’s author’s perspective) that the younger the child is the simpler you would keep the structure and the more immediate the answers: Question, Answer, Question, Answer.
For older children where the stories are evolving into character sketches and solid plots, a more sophisticated structure and lengthening the time between Quesions and Answers.
Young Adult lit is sophisticated stuff. I think it could be lumped in with the adult novel model.
Thanks for coming by!
Wow! What a concept! I love it..I am not a writer but I sure do love reading these type of books…I love paranormal but I really really love it when it has a “mystery” or action added to it…I am racking my brain and trying to decide who is my favorite authoer and I think one writer that does this wonderfully is Beverly Connor….She is a crime/mystery writer and I can never put down her books! I have to find out who, what, when and where and all that leapfrogging stuff is in there……LOL Okay I am done commenting..Have a great day!
Hi Kathy,
I’m glad that from a readers perspective this is an interesting topic. Before I started writing, I loved the complexity of books, trying to figure them out.
As a writer, authors should focus on keeping themselves out of the story. Authors should be transparent. Some aspects of craft you also want hidden, to flow with the story so seamlessly, they aren’t visible. But others when designed and displayed with a creative unique style add richness, theme, intrigue, and interest that keeps a reader engaged. And that’s what we all want, writers and readers alike, to be so totally engaged with a story.
As I reader, I appreciate authors who don’t underestimate their audience and give me something complex, unusual and substantial to ponder or figure out. Leap-frogging creates that complexity.
What a great way to analyze pacing, Joan! I had never thought of it that way, but you’re so right. Big things don’t have to be happening all the time, but story questions do. Reminds me of Donald Maass’ “conflict on every page,” but instead, you’re essentially saying to raise a question in the reader’s mind on every page. Love it!
Regarding other methods of pacing, since I write paranormal, I tend to “paranormalize” things to step up the pacing and that’s not always good. To combat that tendency, I read Harlequin Presents to remind myself that an emotional journey can be more powerful and faster paced than fangs and fur.
Thanks for stopping by, Laurie!
While you “paranormalize” things, I shoot and explode things. A little too much “send in a man with a gun”, is not necessarily a good thing. And your point about reading other subgenres to remind yourself the conflict doesn’t always have to be physical/tangible was very apt for me after finishing Susan Elizabeth Philips Match Me If You Can. Not a weapon in sight, but I couldn’t read fast enough to know what happened next.
You’re exactly right — raising questions keeps the pages turning. But not just any questions. Important questions. Questions that matter. It’s just one piece of the puzzle. Plot has to be compelling, so that when you raise questions that deepen that plot, the reader cares about the answer. Characters especially have to be intriguing so when you raise questions about their well-being, the reader can’t stop reading until he/she knows the character is safe or has gotten over that particular hurdle.
Ah, so much to know, so little time.
Joan, thanks for being our guest at Magical Musings today, and with such a fantastic post. I’m only 21k into my wip, and I’m going to go over it and see if I have enough questions and answers.
Thanks for having me, Edie.
I’m just finishing up the third chapter of my proposal and you can bet I’m going to be adding questions in revision as well!
Hi, Joan, I love your graphs of your process! I wish I was that focused and detailed when I plot.
Margay,
I love images. I think they enhance the learning process. (I know they do for me.) Writing is a language all it’s own and different people describe things in a variety of ways. I figure if I’m not “saying” something that’s understandable, someone can look at the images and get the information I didn’t explain as well as they needed.
This process is a relatively new concept to me. Only after I went back to analyze did I see it. Truly masterful. I aspire. Baby steps, right?
Hello Joan!
Wow I never thought about how complicated it is to create good pacing in a book. As a reader I understand why it is so important. It is interesting to see it plotted out that way. Great post!
One writer who consistently makes me finish her books in one sitting is Megan Hart. Whether it is one of her erotic romances or her mainstream fiction books I almost always finish them in one day. What I like is she gives little hints about the ending throughout many of her books. You usually don’t realize it until the end. Her mainstream fiction book Precious and Fragile Things really kept me turning the page. I was still surprised by the ending even thought she pretty much hinted it to us thru the whole book.
Hi Stacy,
I haven’t read Megan Hart, but I will put her on my TBR list!
Those hints sound like foreshadowing, which I suppose could be a form of dropping and answering story questions. It’s a complex weave, but when an author gets it right, they win fans, like Megan Hart has won you!
What a great topic
I’ve heard about this technique before, though it was called braiding, not leapfrogging, since they suggested three levels of QnA. They could be three different characters, three themes, whatever you liked; but the key was to not solve a problem until a different one had cropped up. I love your diagram, though! That really makes things easy to see.
Tami,
This is why I continue to study subjects that I think I already understand–because one person can explain a strategy that goes completely over my head, but another explains it in a different way and I totally get it.
I’ve never heard that explaination for braiding. The descriptions/instructions I’ve seen have always related more to the layering process and this leap-frogging thing I’m explaining here is … well, a combination of foreshadowing and braiding I guess. But the way you just explained braiding, it totally matches. Interesting!!
Wow! It looks incredibly complicated. I thought the hard part was developing the characters but spacing seems to be huge. Thanks for giving me another insight.
Hi Holly,
It does look complicated…even when I tried to keep it as simple as possible. But its an advanced concept. I’ve been writing for 10 years and studying the writing process even longer. I’ve written 10+ manuscripts. And I’m just now seeing this process.
It’s something you can just keep in the back of your mind. When you’re writing, it will pop out at you and you’ll say, “Oh, I can put this here and then wait until there to answer it. And in the meantime…” Etc.
Fascinating. I tend to think of my pacing in terms of circle overlapping one another.
Hi Joan and Cynthia!
Love the visuals! It really helps to understand what you’re saying. Like you I had always thought of pacing in terms of action. Now I have to rethink that. Thanks for doing this blog. Very informative.
Dale
Hi Dale,
Glad I’m not the only one.
And happy to know the visuals worked for you.
Wow, great subject, Joan. Thanx for joining us here at MM.
You’ve taken a subject that I was a little foggy about and made it pretty clear. I knew pacing wasn’t just go, go, go, but rather viewed it as a rhythme to the story. Your explanation was much better.
Hi Liz,
Appreciate you having me as a guest.
I think you’re right — there is a certain rhythm to pacing. What I hadn’t been clear on was the underlying force that created the rhythm.
I think I did most of this unconsciously — probably most of us do without even knowing it. What I love about the analysis process is it shines a light on those shadowy notions. Once you see what’s really there (maybe even confirmed you already knew this), you have the power to use it more purposefully, which I believe will ultimately also be more effective.
Thanks so much for a thought-provoking post, Ms. Swan. I’m going to review my WIP and see how well, if at all, I’ve done this. I think I have some rewriting to do. I will also be sending a link to this post to a fellow writer. I think he’d enjoy it.
Thanks for passing it on!
I am going back through my WIP as well!
Hope I can apply the theory to its fullest.
My husband hates it when I analyze the structure of a book or movie. He’d rather not see the seams where they put the pieces together, but I think it’s helpful to understand the skill it takes to make a driving plot, interesting characters, and a pace that makes the reader focus without feeling overwhelmed.
Little ‘leaps’ showing where a question is resolved while the next one is already coming into focus explains it perfectly.
I’ll be sure not to show my husband. Thanks!
Heather,
I totally agree. If you fully understand a concept, it is 10x more powerful. For me, it often takes several deconstructions to get my mind around something tough or intangible. Like structure. Like theme. I like knowing the nitty gritty so I can put it to good use.
I wouldn’t show my husband either. I’d get that glazed eye look.
I’m printing this out and taking to my crit group meeting tonight. Very well done. A simple concept that’s hard to execute. Kudos!
Wow, Denise…thanks! Made my day.
Fabulous post, Joan!!
— thanks so much for sharing it with us. And, as a fellow Kensington author, an extra big YAY on your upcoming release! Looking forward to reading FEVER when it comes out next year. 
I love, love, love writing craft and structural tools like this
Hi Marilyn,
I’m a craft junkie myself.
Thank you!
Haven’t read your book yet but gonna pick it up ,sounds really good.
Thanks, Tresa. It will be out this time next year — 2012 release.
Can’t wait for your debut to be released, Joan. I think Julie James is an author that does a great job of pacing.
I’ve never heard of Julie James. I will look for her! Thanks!
This was a very, very interesting post.
I know when I read a great, complex book, I’m absorbed, of course, but I’m also thinking ‘How do they DO it?’ It amazes me
Chelsea,
It’s hard to see! Of course, doubly hard to pay attention to boring stuff like structure when you’re absorbed. Yet, you’re absorbed beause of the amazing structure.
You can see why I had to go back and analyze. (And still got caught up in the story again!)
Interesting post, and so clearly explained! Pacing is one of the things that I only seem to notice when it’s off somehow, but as I’m sitting down to start reading a new mystery novel later, I may just take some notes on how the author introduces and resolves questions!
Liz,
Glad it was clear. It’s a complex subject and I was afraid I wasn’t going to explain it well enough to expose its power. Good luck with your own investigation!
Okay, I’m your CP and I’ve read everything you’ve ever written and love it all and know how your brain works but…I have to say you’ve confused me on this one. Explain it to me later in IM.
So like you, E — stir the shit. And right after Liz said it was totally clear?
It’s that pantster brain of yours — balks at structure. You do it all intuitively. I can only aspire.
Fantastic explanation! Love the “leapfrog” concept. Thanks!
Thanks, Jami — and double thanks for the RT on Twitter! Appreciated!
Joan – thanks for the great post. Like Tami, I’ve heard about and sometimes use a braiding pattern, but I’ve never seen the steps laid out this way. Visuals always seem to help me understand something more clearly.
I’d imagine the leapfrogging could get even more complex and go beyond STORY and CHARACTER questions? Would you have separate strings of leapfrogging if you were plotting, for example, a romantic suspense story–i.e., one for each character (hero/heroine), one for the romance, one for the mystery/clues?
Or for a women’s fiction book, might you have separate strings for subplots and the other characters involved in them?
Or do you tend to just keep all character questions together and all story together?
Hope this makes sense!
Barbara
Barbara,
You’ve totally got it! Your brain just automatically took the next step. I just thought it was complex enough as it was…didn’t want to kill too many brain cells today.
I would keep the threads together if they enhance each other, strengthen each other. Or if you can be efficient and strong at the same time – as in the example above where Koontz uses one sentence to both answer a story question, then pose another. It could have as easily been another character question or even a setting question.
The leapfrogging could get choppy and awkward if you try to pull too much apart and keep them seperate. I think it will depend on the story and the writer’s style.
Hmm . . thinking about the WIP I’m about to edit, I think I leapfrog. I do it with oddities that are introduced first and and explained later. I like how this adds layers of complexity. Now I’m going to be thinking about frogs leapfrogging in the back of my mind as I write. Thanks!
Hi CM,
I think it’s instinctive. Something you learn as your writing advances. But it’s nice to see behind the scenes and use your knowledge to add purpose and power to your prose (I love alliteration-couldn’t resist).
I’m working on a revision right now, and leapfrogging is definitely on my mind.
Wow, Joan! I’m happy, since I don’t always get it. LOL
Thanks, and best of luck with your debut!
Barbara
Thanks, Barbara!
Great post! Very interesting. Thanks for sharing! Congrats on your upcoming release!!
Thanks, Donna!
Hey Joan,
Pacing is something I do in a variety of ways: part instinct, part GMC, scene/sequel, and so on, but I love the diagrams. A great visual tool I’ll use going forward. Thanks for the tip.
Sherry
I think most people do it by instinct. The additional ways you design it are great! Glad the diagrams helped. Thanks for coming by.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by and commented.
This morning, Random.org chose commentor #10 as the winner of the Amazon Gift Card, which would be Holly!
Congrats, Holly. I will email you.
Joan
This is awesome! I’m printing the chart out. Thanks so much!
Hey Joan,
I’m still working on MRUs-motivation response units-but I always have story line that looks like a W holding the whole thing together. And then there’s the romance W and the individual characters W’s. But this shows how to lace the overall W’s together. I love the leapfrogging idea and the visual and see a workshop in your future!
Jessica