Exercises from the SWW Pacing Techniques Workshop with Chris Eboch #writing

These are follow-up exercises from my SouthWest Writers class on pacing techniques. If you’d like to take my complete plotting class, visit Writing Classes.

EXERCISES

Review published books.

Do they have strong chapter ends?

Would you rewrite the endings?

Review published books in different genres. How do they compare? What difference does genre make in reader expectations?

 

Review Your Work:

Do you show the character’s goals, motivations, and conflicts in every scene? Should you show them more?

How do your chapter endings answer the scene questions?

 

Find an action cliffhanger and rewrite it to be more dramatic:

Add detail (slow the pace)

Use sensory details (sounds, smells, physical sensations etc.)

Go for emotional impact

Pay attention to sentence and paragraph length

 

Rewrite a quiet chapter ending:

Is there a question (direct or implied)?

Does the chapter ending look forward to what’s next?

Is the main character worried, afraid, excited, expectant?

 

Review your chapter endings:

What changes if you use shorter paragraphs?

What changes if you use shorter sentences?

How much is too much? What works best?

Learn more about Chris’s Critique Services & Writing Classes

ADVANCED PLOTTING: KEEP THOSE PAGES TURNING

Learn advanced techniques that will make a decent plot dynamic. Start with a “grab you by the throat” opening, pack the plot full, maximize your pacing, and use cliffhanger chapter endings to drive the story forward. 8 chapters, 21 lessons, $100. Work at your own pace.

Chris Eboch is a developmental editor, writing teacher, and the author of You Can Write for Children and Advanced Plotting. Her 100 books for children include The Eyes of Pharaoh, a mystery in ancient Egypt; The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan adventure used in many schools; The Genie’s Gift, a middle eastern fantasy; and the Felony Melanie series featuring the characters from the movie Sweet Home Alabama as teenagers. 

Chris writes mystery and romance for adults as Kris Bock, including The Accidental Detective humorous mystery series, the Tales of a Reluctant Psychic mysteries, The Accidental Billionaire Cowboys series, and The Furrever Friends Sweet Romance series featuring the employees and customers at a cat café. Learn more or see her online, on-demand writing classes at https://chriseboch.com/.