Well I can't, apparently. Feedback I've had on my current WIP, as well as on my first book, has criticised the pace (ie it's not pacy enough). I think I do have a bit of a problem in that area (although having said that, some of the reviews and feedback after book 1 was published said it was a quick read and held readers' interest). I'm just not sure what to do about it - anyone got any ideas for exercises etc? One thing I thought of was choosing a book I know really well and love, and just writing down what happens in each chapter and then, I don't know, analysing it somehow.
Anyone got any better ideas?

Ooh, I came across this recently - http://internspills.blogspot.com/2011/07/how-books-work-hunger-games-part-1.html - and was wondering where to post it. Here might be the right place for it.
If you check out the blog, she's done other posts on a similar theme.

Catcrag - do you have a strong subplot? They are incredibly helpful in keeping pace and tension. When, basically whatever happens next needs to happen immediately but the book will be 10 pages long if it does, in comes a gripping side plot and distracts the reader, also delaying gratification on the major plot.

I'd agree that subplots are brilliant for keeping things on the boil.

But it could also be that you're not giving the moments of high drama enough air - paradoxically. Might it be lack of intensity in the writing sometimes, so that scenes which ought to be quite forward-moving slip pst the reader, without working as hard as the they might to get the reader all involved?

Emma

Thanks guys. I have always had subplots but wonder if I'm not introducing them early enough, or not making enough of them.
You might be onto something too Emma with the lack of emphasis on crucial moments.
I also wonder whether people mean that the pace of the action is a bit 'jumpy', for want of a better word, ie sometimes a lot happens over the course of a day or two (in the book's timescale) then we jump a little while ahead and focus in again for another couple of days.

Have you gone over the book to look for scene variety? Pace can sometimes be managed by varying other factors. E.g. Two person scene followed by group or solo scene; interior scene followed by outdoor, day followed by night; wit then grit etc.

with the lack of emphasis on crucial moments.

I think it's something which can be very hard to spot in one's own writing, because you know that's what you're aiming for, so as long as you then tick the box of having got there, you can't see that you haven't fleshed it out really properly.

Certainly I see a lot of this in other people's manuscripts - where links between scenes and then the build through the scene to the climax are well and proportionately done, but the climax itself goes for nothing, or not nearly enough - whereas proportionately it should be getting the fullest writing. It's as if the writer in some way takes it as read.

There are versions of the same problem in character and setting - everyone except the MC/the author's home town is well and interestingly characterised, but the MC/home town is so vivid for the writer, s/he doesn't realise s/he hasn't given the reader nearly enough: the reader doesn't have the MC/home town already in their imagination, and needs much more.

Emma

Ooh I LOVED that Naomi! Thanks so much for posting..
Sympathies Catcrag...it's something I'm having to work at currently too.

Yes, forgot to say what a great post that was - sometimes looking at something in an analytical, problem-solving way can really help.