Activity

Today, we’ll be looking at pacing in your paragraphing. This kinda leads on with our last lesson as it is to do with structure, but it is still quite different.

 

When you write, you’re trying to write in the way that the reader feels. This textual structure will result in the readers being manipulated into feeling a certain way. Short paragraphs and short sentences are one way to do this.

 

Here is an example of how short paragraphs help create the atmosphere and the pacing:

 

Pain flashes in my back and a cry breaks out of my throat. My hands grope at my side as I stumble. Warmth seeps over my fingers until they grasp around the hilt of a knife. A knife. They found me.

 

We won’t accept failure.

Or we’ll get her ourselves. We made this deal before, yes?

No one betrays them and lives.

How did they find out so fast?

 

A hand grabs my arm and drags it up behind my back and lifts me until I stand straight. The knife digs further into my side. “You let her get away.”

 

I flinch at the voice, my breath coming out laboured, fighting its way through my chest.

 

The first time I’ve done something right was because I was useless to do anything else. And apparently it will be the last thing I will have done, right or wrong.

 

They never leave failures alive.

 

I raise my blood slicked fingers in front of me, signing, ‘You won’t find them.’

 

A hand slaps my face and I grunt, falling on my unwounded side with a gasp. The knife is pulled out and instantly I’m bathed in fire. A boot slams into my side and I barely stifle a scream, curling on the ground. Sand scrapes across my face and blackness slides over my vision.

 

In the above example, the character’s thoughts were choppy due to pain, and that’s shown by the short and choppy sentences. Also, I’m wanting the reader to be joining the character in the pained panic and shock by having them only able to follow by reading the short sentences and paragraphs. It also adds the temptation to skim read to the end, but you can’t quite manage it as each individual sentence in a new paragraph.

 

Obviously you don’t want to use this all of the time, but in some cases, it can be super effective and engaging.

 

Your task today, is to write a short, fast paced excerpt of no more than 500 words, using a combination of long and short sentences, and playing about with paragraphing.

 

Good luck, and have fun!

 

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