I’m on deadline, and I’ve been thinking a lot about the book’s pacing. It dawned on me that the pacing of a book is a lot like that Broadway show Stomp. Have you seen it?  It’s the one where dancers and musicians bang on garbage cans, pots and pans and PVC pipes in a way that makes you say, “WOW! That’s cool!” While they’re making music with these seemingly ordinary household items, your foot’s tapping and your head’s bobbing and you’re dancing in your seat.

On the other hand, if you’ve ever had someone sit next to you with a retractable pen click, click, click, clicking away you probably wanted to smack the pen out of her hand to stop the monotonous noise.

I’m sure you’re wondering what the heck this has to do with a book’s pacing?

A lot, actually.

Just like the artists in Stomp incorporate cadences and sounds into an arrangement that makes you tap your foot and snap your fingers, good novels have a cadence or rhythm — pacing. Pacing is the arrangement of words into sentences and sentences into paragraphs and how they’re woven into scene and sequel to form the chapters in a book.  It’s also the speed at which events within the novel unfold.

As author and teacher Vicki Hinze says, good pacing “…is using specific word choices and sentence structure to tap the emotions of the reader so that she feels what the writer wants the reader to feel at any given time during the story.”

Good pacing can mean the difference between an editor writing that ambiguous, maddening, “I just didn’t love it” rejection letter or calling you and uttering those anticipated golden words, “I couldn’t put it down. I want to buy that book.”

Pretty powerful stuff, huh?  With pacing, it sort of sounds like we are the mistresses of our universes, doesn’t it?  Well, we are.  If you’re interested in writing, here’s some tips on how you can use pacing to create a novel that keeps editors and readers turning the pages:

 1. Get a solid grasp on scene and sequel. A scene is a unit of drama that contains action and dialogue and moves the story along at a good clip; a sequel is the aftermath that follows. It’s generally more medative or thoughtful and slows the pace.

2. Back story, introspection, long blocks of narrative, long sentences, softer verbs, and descriptions with layered sensory detail slow the pacing and encourage reader’s minds to linger in the scene. 

3. Dialogue and action quicken the pace; as do short, snappy sentences and punchy, active verbs.

4. Pacing that’s too slow runs the risk of putting the writer to sleep. But slower pacing used right can emphasize a point or expand the emotional impact. It shows the reader that this is something important and she should pay attention.

5. Use flashbacks sparingly.  Flashbacks bring the story’s momentum to a screeching halt and, if they go on too long, you run the risk of making it difficult for a reader to reconnect with the story.

6. After an intense scene, slow the pace so that the reader can reflect on the action that’s just happened. Pacing that’s too fast leaves the reader exhausted and in turn encourages her put down the book. Give reader moments of intensity, but also allow her to catch her breath.

7. Every scene should have a purpose. In a romance, each scene should further the romance. Be very picky about what you put in your book. Remember, you are the mistress of your universe and can condense, compress, or expand time.

8. Use transitions to move past the mundane. 

9. The French author Gustave Flaubert said to convince a reader that something is important, it must be mentioned three times.  For important points, think in threes: Foreshadow the point; reinforce the point; have the character act on the point.     

10.  Familiarize yourself with the fundamentals of three-act structure (beginning, middle and end); pay special attention to turning points and hooks.

We writers are gifted at procrastination. Shocking, I know! But there are days when the thought of sitting down and cranking out thousands of words is a bit daunting. Are we on the right track? Do we like our characters? Why is this book strewn with dead bodies? Isn’t this supposed to be a romantic comedy?

Suddenly, ironing seems absolutely critical. Not ironing out plot points…ironing clothes. Or, if your clothes are already unwrinkled, maybe, I don’t know…pillowcases. Socks. Facecloths. And oh, what’s this? My brother’s birthday is only four months away! Maybe I should go to Amazon.com for a few hours. Because I have to get my brother a giftie, of course…no time like right this very moment!

Working from home can be tough. Distractions are everywhere. Time to weed, switch the laundry, decide what’s for supper, make calls to the kids’ schools, stay in touch with friends, vacuum the house, let the dog out, let the cat in (then out, then in, then out, then in). Music helps me get in the mood. For writing, that is. Other stuff, too, but definitely for writing.

Sometimes when writing a book, I’ve found a song that really hits the nail on the head in terms of mood. For The Next Best Thing, I came across a song called “Always On Your Side” by Sting and Sheryl Crowe. That song instantly transported me into the conundrum faced by Ethan and Lucy, and heck, I listened to that bad boy 602 times, according to iTunes. his doesn’t count the number of times I listened to it on my iPod, either — this is just on the computer while I was actually writing that book. I still love the song, too! I refer to the song in the book; if you’ve read the book, the song is playing when Lucy goes to see Doral-Anne at Starbucks. In my summer release, All I Ever Wanted, one of the songs listed below is heard during an important scene. But I’m not telling which one. You’ll have to read the book when it comes out.

But not all my writing songs fit a moment. Some of them just get my butt in gear, get the blood flowing, make me happy. Figured I’d share my “stop whining and start working” playlist.

Where the Streets Have No Name, U2

Rosalita, Bruce Springsteen

Vida La Vida, Coldplay

If I Ain’t Got You, Alicia Keys

Feelin’ Alright, Joe Cocker

Boom Boom Pow, Black-Eyed Peas

One Flight Down, Norah Jones

Everyday I Write the Book, Elvis Costello

Ain’t No Other Man, Christina Aguilera

Do you folks have any songs that get the your heart pumping? Make you feel happy no matter what? Put you in the mood to get your job done? I would love to hear what gets you going, maybe order a few more great songs from iTunes, so spill!

(By the way, the title of this blog comes from Leo Tolstoy’s quote: “Music is the shorthand of emotion.”)

Thanks to every one who posted this weekend. You are all the best!

Deb and Michelle- you are the winners of my drawing! Congratulations!!

Please email off my website www.cindykirk.com and give me your snail mail addy and I’ll get the book in the mail to you!

In the book I’m currently finishing (The Christmas Proposition, December 2010) one of the issues is being second-best. The hero had experienced that up front and personal several years earlier when his fiancee went back to her old boyfriend right before their wedding. Of course the hero moved on and is now seeing the heroine, but she has a dead husband she’s put on a pedestal. Will he ever be first in her heart?

This story line got me to thinking. Was there ever a time I felt second-best? When I was younger, sometimes I felt that way with certain friends. I was okay to do things with IF their best friend was unavailable. I knew I wasn’t their #1 friend, but rather an okay replacement. But…other than that example, I really can’t remember a time I felt second-best.

That got me to wondering if you’ve ever been in a situation where you felt second-best. I’d love it if you’d share the situation and how you dealt with it.

Oh, and this week I’m giving away a copy of my June 2010 release “In Love With John Doe” to two lucky winners drawn from everyone who comments.

We writers tend to be solitary types. We work alone, isolated inside our heads, creating characters and worlds only real to us. Granted, some of us write with a partner, but these are few and far between. And for some of us, the first time any eyes but our own see our work is when we hit SEND and the manuscript whooshes through cyberspace to our editor.

Brave souls, indeed, in my opinion.

I don’t know the percentages, but from my observations maybe 50-60% of romance authors work with a critique partner or group. We’re still brave, but we want a little feedback before we hit SEND. That’s where the critique group or partner comes in.

Every group works differently, but usually critique groups operate something like this: members submit chapters from their current work-in-progress and the other members use Track Changes to make comments and suggestions. Some groups prefer to meet in person at a restaurant or coffee shop. Their members might take turns reading chapters and receive oral feedback. Other groups meet solely online. Still others are a combination of the two.

I’m not even sure how long I’ve been working with my current critique partner, Christina Hergenrader. I think we started working together in 2003, but it might have been early 2004. In any case, it’s been so long that she’s now one of my best friends. She was a bridesmaid at my wedding, and she and her husband are godparents to my daughter.

There’s something about writing and sharing that writing that engenders close friendships. Maybe it’s because in those early drafts of our work, we feel vulnerable. There has to be some element of trust in order to share such a personal part of ourselves.

I started critiquing with Tina and another friend, Courtney, before I was published. I hadn’t even told some members of my family I was writing romance novels. It wasn’t a secret, exactly, it just wasn’t something I wanted people laughing at me about. I wanted to see if I would have any success before I started calling myself a writer. I can’t tell you how much my CP’s praise and encouragement meant to me at the time. They believed in me, so I believed in me. They shared my successes and commiserated with me on my defeats. They understood in a way that no one who isn’t an author can understand. When I signed with my agent, I called Tina first. When I got that first contract, I called Tina first. And when I found out I was pregnant, I told my husband first (I’m not stupid!). But I told Tina second.

Do you have close friends who support you like this, friends with whom you can share those most vulnerable parts of yourself?

I would have a house full of cats if I could. The litter box duty would be daunting to be sure — and I’m certain I’d try to figure some way around it, such as hiring an assistant — but I love me my furry kids.

Aside from my cat Mufasa a.k.a The Spawn of Satan, all of my pets have been rescues or adoptions. We have a local shelter here that we simply adore. This week we brought home our 3rd cat from Rose Hope. He’s an adorable buff-colored tabby who the shelter named Cody. I think I may have rename him. He doesn’t seem like a Cody to me.

My frequent contact with our shelter has made me more aware of just how important pet adoption is. You see, I’m convinced there’s nothing crueler or more sadistic than the human race. To abandon kittens in a dumpster, or intentionally scar them — well, I won’t go any further. Suffice to say I’ve had my eyes well up a few times after seeing the things that have happened to some of these sweet, undeserving animals. June is National Adopt a Pet month, so I’m going to get up on my soapbox a little early and make a suggestion: if you’re looking for a new family pet, please go to your local shelter. Most pet stores get their animals from mills, which is a disgusting practice in its own right.

If you can’t adopt, consider making a donation to your shelter. Go on in and see what they need, or simply give them a check to buy whatever items necessary to give the animals in their care the best life possible. In addition to adopting, my husband and I regularly buy cat food for our shelter, and we’ve donated toys and other items as well. Sometimes we’ll simply leave a monetary donation. You can also volunteer and give your time to the the shelter, because chances are they can use more help. Maybe you can foster some cats or dogs — or even a bunny, such as the one at Rose Hope.

I’ll step down from the soapbox now and put my money where my mouth is. Post a link or story about your local shelter, or share your own involvement with similar non-profit groups that benefit animals. I will pick one random poster and make a $25 dollar donation to a shelter of your choice.

C’mon Muse!! What the heck is going on? Why is it that when I need to write, I can’t? And when I can’t write, I get great ideas? It’s just not fair!!

So, last week I’m at home, trying to write before leaving on two back-to-back work trips (one planned, one unplanned) and do you think my muse would get off her lazy bum and help me? Oh, no, of course not!

In my writing process, I struggle truly madly deeply over the first 100 or so pages of any book I write. If it’s a novella or short story, it’s about the first third of the work. I guess it’s because the story and characters are still percolating in my brain and not ready to come out and play? I force every word out of my brain and onto the page and angst over every single one of them…changing them, moving them, deleting them, fixing them. I finally figured out that it’s because I really don’t know what my characters want from their adventure (besides love and a happily-ever-after ending!).

When I run into a block or a problem, I play the ‘what-if’ game with the characters, trying to guide, ease, finagle, arm-twist them into behaving the way I want them to… and they usually won’t. Then, I try staring at my synopsis to see if that will help….it usually doesn’t. Then? What do I do then?

I go driving! For some reason, driving (or listening to my former pastor’s Sunday sermons, but that’s a topic for another blogging day!) puts me in the writing zone and allows my unconscious mind to sort things out in my story and solve my. . .er… their problems. I can’t explain it or how it helps, but it happens.

But, did it have to happen as I was cruising at 65 mph on Route 88 through rural NY state TODAY? When there was no one to tell and no way to write it down so I wouldn’t forget it? As I said, SHEESH! Does my muse have to work at the most inconvenient of times and places?

Apparently….Then to make things worse, I did forget something that seemed oh-so-brilliant when I thought of it… I lost it when I drove through a construction zone and had to think about actually driving instead of not thinking about it…. My only hope is that I have about a 5-hour drive home on Thursday with lots of quality driving…er…’musing’ time AND I figured out how to use a cool iPhone app so that, with a touch on the screen I can record voice memos! I’m very hopeful that I will return home with my muse under control…or at least beaten into semi-submission….and more of those terrible-horrible-first-hundred-pages planned out.

Since the book is due by the end of the month, I’d better!!

Terri

Terri is thrilled to see her Kensington BRAVA anthology UNDONE on the shelves and available online now! Visit her website at www.terribrisbin.com for more info about it and her other books!

PS – thanks to InkyGirl.com for use of her Muse cartoon above!

Mary M!  Congratulations!  Please email me at author   at   catherine kean  dot com and let me know which one of my Knight’s Series books you’d like me to autograph for you!  I’ll mail it out to you right away.  Thank you to everyone who posted!

So I just returned from the convention in Columbus and I just had a great time. I’ve been to RT conventions before, but this one was special. It might have been because my two favorite writers roomed with me, my mom and Emily McKay. And it might have been because I won an award and it’s all fancy and beautiful. More than likely it was just the combination.

The award ceremony was just fun and I mostly was trying to hold it all together because, let’s face it, I’m a total weeper. Not just about this sort of thing, I’m just a cryer in general. And my goal was to get on and off that stage without falling or crying. My cover looked so pretty up on that big screen.

Here I am rambling up there. I had decided to not write anything down, which isn’t like me, since I’m normally such a planner. But I figured if I winged it, then I’d be less likely to get emotional. And because of which I totally forgot to thank my editors and agent so here and now I will do so. Thank you to all of Grand Central, but especially my editors Amy Pierpont and Alex Logan. And a big ol’ shout out to my agent who rocks, Christina Hogrebe.

Pretty shiny award that resembles the People’s Choice Award. Right now it’s sitting on my big bookcase right where I can see it from my desk. Nice inspiration.

Then I got to see lots of my writing friends and writers whom I read and am a total fan girl about. Here is the lovely Shannon Butcher who writes fantastic romantic suspense and paranormal romance. She was a fellow award winner.

Here are Emily and I trying very hard not to make fools of ourselves with Jim Butcher. I’m pretty sure we’ve both blogged about his books, the Dresden Files, on here and we’re both just silly fan girls about him.

Me and Michelle Rowen. And thus begins the photos where I look unbelievably tired. I’m an introvert and this many days with this many people is like having a vacuum attached to me that sucks out all my energy and coherent thoughts. In any case, the very funny Michelle Rowen who I got to sit next to at our publisher dinner along with Lori Wilde and Christie Craig.

Charlaine Harris. I saw here speak on two panels, but never actually met her. The lines were always really long. But I got a picture and I got to hear her talk and she’s just a delightful Southern Bell.

Me and Kerrelyn Sparks. We’ve known each other for a while and I don’t get to see her as often now that I don’t write for Avon, but she’s lovely and I really enjoy her books.

Me and Caridad Pineiro. We both write from GCP and she’s a total hoot. And so tiny, I hardly ever feel tall, so thanks for that, Caridad.

Me and RWA chapter mate, Sherry Thomas, who is just hilarious. We had a great time at the convention and then on the plane ride home. And Sherry actually wrote during the booksigning, wow, I was way too overstimulated to do that.

All in all, it was a wonderful convention and I had a great time. And I came home with all this stuff. Swag, you might say…bookmarks, pens, doo-dads, oh and a bunch of free books. Whatever will I do with all of it? I know, I’ll give it to one of you who wasn’t able to go to the convention. So comment and maybe you’ll win a ton of RT goodies.

Oh and one more thing that I have to share. While I was at the convention I found out that Seduce Me is a finalist in the short historical category of the RomCon Readers’ Crown. I’m just thrilled. It’s a huge honor to be recognized by readers!