Class Description
Every novel tells the story of characters moving through time, but how should a novelist manipulate that time span? Which periods should be hurried through with an overarching narrative summary, and which should be lingered on in detailed scenes with dialogue and description? When should the author take the time to create atmosphere and environmental detail, and when should the plot move forward at a faster pace, ensuring the reader’s continued interest and excitement? These questions form one of the most complex and difficult of a novelist’s challenges--the daunting task of determining a novel’s pacing and momentum. In this seminar, we will analyze the elements of pacing and the many speeds and styles with which narratives can carry the reader through time. We will examine the published work of several authors to find examples of different narrative speeds, and we will discuss the pitfalls of books that are too fast, too slow, too stilted, or too detailed. We will also explore, with consideration to the novel that each attendee is writing, the connection between the aim and genre of any given novel and the pacing it requires. By the end of the seminar, each writer will have gained an understanding of the mechanics of pacing and, in addition, will have a better sense of which pacing technique will work best for their own book.
Part of GrubStreet's Novel Essentials Series, led by Ursula DeYoung and dedicated to exploring the fundamental building blocks of the novel. Classes include:
- Novel Essentials: Pacing
- Novel Essentials: Introducing Characters
- Novel Essentials: Style--Showing vs. Telling
- Novel Essentials: Arcs and Endings
- Novel Essentials: Finding, Signing, and Dealing with Agents
- Novel Essentials: Narrative Perspective
- Novel Essentials: Narrative Style
Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.
For more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.
This class will take place using Zoom videoconferencing. After registering, a yellow Resources tab will appear in this section containing a link to join class. Please note that you will need to be logged into view the Resources tab.
Zoom Participation:
In our experience, the intimate nature of a writing workshop benefits from on-camera participation. Students are of course welcome to turn their camera off whenever they need to, but it is a community norm for cameras to be on most of the time. You can learn more about using Zoom here.
Zoom Accessibility:
You can enable closed captioning at any time during the meeting by clicking the CC button at the bottom of the screen. If you'd like to access the transcript after class, please make sure to let your instructor ahead of time that you'd like a copy.