In this video we'll talk about the pacing formula. Yes, there is a formula for pacing. If we define the pace of a novel by the number of words or pages per unit of storytime or of character time rather than each day of the touch of love story between April 8 and July 22 would occupy just under two pages, or 22 words per story hour. Think of a murder scene a fatal car accident or chasing a love scene, each one described in just 22 words. If that murder accident, chasing first love scene mattered to the characters to the reader. It needs a lot more than 22 words to satisfy, the readers need to know and the characters for that matter.

Think of the first kiss that marvelous experience of nervousness and excitement, hesitation and eagerness. It allows Perhaps seconds or maybe a minute or two. Even pacing would give a two minute kiss about a third of a word. Remember 22 words an hour. On the other hand, describing an insignificant eight hours of your heroes dreamless sleep, and 176 words is ridiculous and boring. We don't need to describe everything but some things need to be described in eyewitness detail.

Even pacing cheats the reader by brushing over significant story events while forcing him to plow through detailed description of objects, events and thoughts irrelevant to the story's purpose. There is a rule for pacing and it can be found in McCauley and landings wonderful book, technique in fiction. Here it is. All episodes meant to show important behavior in the characters to make events dramatic or to bring news that changes the situation should be dealt with in the scenic or eyewitness manner. On the other hand, from the same McCauley and landing passage, stretches of time, or occurrences that are secondary to the stories development are handled by means of what is called a narrative bridge, or as we'll learn later sequel, in other words, if it's not important to the story, move the reader along to the next important thing using a narrative bridge. Let's take a look at pacing in action in the touch of love.

Melody can't turn away the man carrying a baby he claims this her nephew, so although she's not comfortable about it, she invites Scott and the infant Robbie to stay overnight. Here's the first night after melody meet Scott. Remember if I wrote the book using even pacing, the six hours of sleep that melody gets that night would take me about 132 words to tell that Six hours times 22 words in our in our ridiculous formula. Here's the passage. She went into her music room and close the door. She closed the shutters too.

And finally in the quiet of the night, she was able to work. double space for scene break. She woke early, before the alarm rang. So melody sleep didn't get 132 words because it's not important to the story. I used a narrative bridge for those six hours of sleep and in this case, the bridge was made up of a double space between paragraphs to show a scene break, followed by the words. She woke early to tell us that melody did sleep and she's now awake.

Two nights later, Melody does not sleep well. She wakes up twice. This night's sleep is important because it's the hero's fault. She's not sleeping well. So I give Melody's thoughts under tossing and turning in bed, a page and a half. Finally she gets up in the journey from her uncomfortable sleep into Scott's arms begins.

The formula for pacing says if it's important, dramatic or brings news to change a situation, show the scene and I witness matter. And that's what I do. I do it by zooming in my camera lens on these two people on what's going on and melodies head on and her intense focus on Scott. This uses more words, but if I've done my job, the reader is holding the book more tightly and reading more quickly. Here's the beginning of that passage that begins when she realizes Scott is also awake and up. She stopped abruptly but he was only half an arm's length away between her and the door.

She could see the bulge of his chest muscles his heavy biceps pressing against his naked chest. She looked down could not seem to stop herself, and his chest hair thickened as she followed it and then does it trail down to the waist of his jeans. He had not taken the time to put his belt on. He was watching her seeing everything. And it goes on because I'm reporting the scene in eyewitness manner. When an author is editing, she should always be remembering the formula for pacing, or he, I do he and she, I try to do it.

Alternatively, it's an oddity of the English language that there isn't a personal pronoun that's the generic. When you're editing, always remember the formula for pacing. If it's important, dramatic or brings news to change the situation, follow the scene and eyewitness manner. When you want the reader to feel the scene. Use zoom in your camera. lens.

So that's what's what's important can be shown exactly as it's happening. If it's secondary to the stories development, use a narrative bridge to the next important thing gives the reader only the information that he needs to bridge to the next scene. So how do you do that? When you're editing your story for pacing, where do you take words out? Where do you leave them in? And what do you add when you need more?

We'll explore that when we look at scenes and sequels in the next lesson. Thanks for watching, and I look forward to seeing you in the next video.