Five Tips for the Tight Pacing That Will Engage Your Reader

by Allie Pleiter

Every writer’s goal is to engage and enthrall their reader.  We want them pulled deeply and quickly into the story so that they can’t wait to turn the page.  Accomplish this, and you’ll have won a loyal fan who not only follows you to the end of your story, but eagerly await your next book.

But how can you accomplish this essential feat? Here are five strategies that have served me in my career of over 70 published books:

Start fast

We often feel our readers need a good deal of backstory or set up. Quick pacing, however, will bring your reader immediately into the story. Grab their attention with a bold statement, an intriguing question, or—perhaps most powerfully—drop them right into the middle of some big action. Here are some examples of fast-paced opening lines:

No one expected the wedding reception to turn into such a battle of words.

Jenny stared at the paper and realized everything she’d been told was a lie.

Mark ducked into the shadow of a doorway, breathless from running.

Launch with dialogue

Narrative can communicate important information, but long descriptions and explanations can drag down pacing. Dialogue, on the other hand, can tell us a great deal with an amazing economy of words. Notice how much you learn in these examples:

“How can y’all stand to live up here? I’m half froze to death!”

“Puppies,” Grant growled. “You gave mom puppies.”

 “Can someone please tell me how this perfectly planned vacation has become such a disaster?”

Use micro-descriptions

Sometimes one word can tell us all we need to know.  When it’s exactly the right word, you allow your reader to paint a vivid picture in their minds of a character or an action.  Grab a thesaurus, use your imagination, and come up with a single vibrant word to slide into a sentence to keep your pacing bright and tight. Find some inspiration in these high-powered examples:

The gawky teenager gave Don a clueless expression.

Neal planted his hands on the gleaming desk.

She shot up out of her chair and stomped out of the room.

Foreshadow

If you give your reader just a hint of the surprise or twist that is coming, they’ll stick with you until the payoff.  The more unexpected the twist, the more readers love it.  If something important in the plot is on its way in a scene or chapter, find a way to leave a clue for your reader to follow. Can you see how the following sentences give us a taste of something to come?

I never realized such a gorgeous day could become he worst one of my life.

The best advice I ever received came from a total stranger.

Bob never expected much from this place…until now.

Surprise

Even if you don’t drop hints, surprising your reader is one of the best way to engage them. Give your gruff and grumpy character a sweet spot.  Show a dark edge to a sunny personality.  Send help from the last place your hero would ever expect it.  Building an enthralling balance of “I knew it!” and “I didn’t see that coming!” will keep readers coming back for more. You can’t often do this in a single sentence, but fill your plot with twists, turns, and  unexpected elements to keep them on their toes.

I utilize many of these in my current release RESCUE ON THE FARM, and they continue to be staples of my writing. I hope you discover how these tactics can do the same for you.

An avid crafter, coffee junkie and firm believer that “pie makes everything better,” Allie Pleiter writes both fiction and non-fiction.  The bestselling author of seventy books, Allie has enjoyed a twenty-plus year career with over 1.8 million books sold.  In addition to writing, Allie maintains an active writing productivity coaching practice. Visit her at https://alliepleiter.com/.