How can i make my story go by slower?

Question

How can i make my story go by slower? I'm writing about a girl who is fifteen years old and is first learning to read and write and do school. It sounds lame, but there's a lot more to it. But I feel like it's all going by WAAAY too quickly! Does anyone know how to make a story go by slower and smoother? Thanks!

Answer 1

Pacing is a difficult thing to handle. Even advanced writers find scenes moving more quickly or more slowly than intended. It's completely up to the writer to control the pacing; you can make the entire book happen in 2 days, with several pages describing the span of only a few moments. Or, you can make years pass in a single sentence, followed by a series of quick events that happen one right after another.



Try reading some of your favorite books, with an eye out for pacing. Then look at your own work. Does it feel fast because you're not taking the time to bring out the most of every scene? Do you have interesting subplots to slow the pace after "fast" scenes? Do these subplots deepen your character's main conflict?



Maybe your story feels fast because your characters don't have enough obstacles keeping them from taking action? Does your character say "time to do this" and then, before you know it, their action is done? If so, throw some obstacles in her way. If she's dead set on her favorite reading spot in the library, where she learns best, put some jerk there who refuses to move. Put in a librarian who spies on her. Close the library because of a water leak, and force her to study elsewhere. These kinds of small conflicts make for good character-developing scenes in between the big action scenes.



Hope that helps!

Answer 2

I like fast paced books, so I tend to write my stories fast paced, and if my writing is boringly slow, I tend to speed up the pace by adding tension or action, or something.



Fast paced sentences tend to be shorter. Slower paced sentences tend to be longer. When writers want to speed up the pace they cut out details. If you want to slow down the pace, you add detail (like descriptions).



Your best bet to learn this is by rereading your favorite books.



But, this also depends on what you mean by it goes by too fast. Do you mean pacing or do you mean the story is too short? If you feel your story is too short, add scenes. Again, the easiest way to learn scene building is by reading and learning from published authors.



As for making it smoother - you do that with lots of practice and reading. GL.

Answer 3

hello =]



You can try adding sub conflicts and sudden crises amongst your characters.

I think if you added sub conflicts though, it will really help not only lengthen your story but it will help characters develop easier and more smoothly.



good luck and keep writing =]

Answer 4

add side stories, tell the lives of some of the other characters and that should take up some space, and it opens up room for more complex plots.

Answer 5

Try www.storyjoin.com It allows you to collaborate with other members and write stories together.