: Re: How can I improve my writing's pacing and sophistication? How can I improve my creative writing skills? I have many ideas for short stories but I feel as if my writing is very slow paced

@Ravi5107385

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Controlling the tempo of a story is a very important yet difficult skill to master. At first glance, you may be susceptible to the thought that it is because your writing contains too much information the pacing is poor. In reality, manipulating the pace of a story is a mental technique and has little to do with the number of words included. That is, if when comparing two stories that are 80k words respectively if we find that one story is quicker than the other, it is because the brain perceives one story as denser than the other. In regards to pacing, density is the foremost element to consider.

There are various tactics that an author can use to increase the density of a story. Jack Bickham suggests the use of scenes and sequels to accomplish this task. According to him scenes "are densely packed with action and dialogue and therefore fast reading." (Bickham, 1999) This is contrasted to sequels which he describes as thoughtful, extended and summary. Therefore if a writer finds their story is in dire need of acceleration they should include more dialogue and action. Conversely, if the opposite problem is determined to be true, an increase in the amount of exposition is warranted.

With respect to your last aspiration towards improving the sophistication in your writing, the only known remedy for that is reading. As you read your vocabulary and diction should ameliorate. But be careful to ensure that the level of language you employ matches the tone of the story and its intended audience. There are days when I would like nothing more than to bathe in a pool of obscure Norman influenced quasi-French English words such as accoil, septentrion and viand. That being said, I also understand that the majority of readers may not be familiar with such terms and may even question their legitimacy in spite of their formal inclusion in the English lexicon.

Bickham, J. (1999). Elements of Fiction Writing - Scene & Structure. Writer's Digest Books.

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