Differences Between a Short Story and a Novel # 2

Difference # 2: Pacing

Pacing controls the speed and rhythm in your narrative. It's a literary technique that determines the story's appeal. In a novel, you're going to have to convince your reader to keep going for longer. Pacing is affected by the number of plot events in  your story (quickening the pace), as well as the level of detail (slowing the pace). Variation and balance is the key

How well you handle the pacing is determined by the complexity and sustainability of your main idea. You can control the pace through mix up, which means using short sentences and active verbs in intense action scenes, and details for slower-paced scenes. Writers use pace by choosing the exact words. In short, pacing is moving a story forward with a certain speed.

Elements of Pacing

Let us see a few important pacing elements:

• Action – An action scene dramatizes the significant events of the story and shows what happens in a story.
• Cliffhanger – When the end of a chapter or scene is left hanging, naturally the pace picks up, because readers would turn the pages to see what happens next.
• Dialogue – A rapid fire dialogue with less information is captivating, swift and invigorates scenes.
• Word Choice – The language itself is a means of pacing, like using concrete words, active voice and sensory information.

If you're a short story writer, pace is important but easier to regulate. Lucky you!