Comments on: A Word About Pacing http://cindyprocter-king.com/blog/2010/02/08/a-word-about-pacing/ Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:16:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Cindy http://cindyprocter-king.com/blog/2010/02/08/a-word-about-pacing/comment-page-1/#comment-4195 Cindy Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:06:10 +0000 http://cindyprocter-king.com/blog/?p=2708#comment-4195 I wouldn't say there's a lot of backstory in this book, Edie, aside from a few flashbacks that really didn't need to be in there (in MY opinion). I've never read Harry Potter, so I can't make that comparison, but it sounds like the kind of thing I'm talking about as the way I would have preferred this author to go about things. The pacing in this novel suffers (to me) more from the aspect of, I did this, then I did that, then I ate this, then I chose that to wear, then a blip of something exciting happened and the reader started the next chapter. Then I did this, and I did that, I ate this, then decided to wear that, then a blip of something exciting happened.... Well, you get the drift. ;) I think I'm talking about the long-held recommendation to "leave out the boring parts." Different strokes, though. I read a lot of literary novels, so it's not like I need action all the time. I guess I just don't get the purpose or the audience of this novel. For all I know, I'm in the vast minority of reader responses. I wouldn’t say there’s a lot of backstory in this book, Edie, aside from a few flashbacks that really didn’t need to be in there (in MY opinion). I’ve never read Harry Potter, so I can’t make that comparison, but it sounds like the kind of thing I’m talking about as the way I would have preferred this author to go about things.

The pacing in this novel suffers (to me) more from the aspect of, I did this, then I did that, then I ate this, then I chose that to wear, then a blip of something exciting happened and the reader started the next chapter. Then I did this, and I did that, I ate this, then decided to wear that, then a blip of something exciting happened…. Well, you get the drift. ;)

I think I’m talking about the long-held recommendation to “leave out the boring parts.”

Different strokes, though. I read a lot of literary novels, so it’s not like I need action all the time. I guess I just don’t get the purpose or the audience of this novel. For all I know, I’m in the vast minority of reader responses.

]]> By: Edie http://cindyprocter-king.com/blog/2010/02/08/a-word-about-pacing/comment-page-1/#comment-4193 Edie Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:40:25 +0000 http://cindyprocter-king.com/blog/?p=2708#comment-4193 I don't think a lot of backstory is good in any book. Look at Harry Potter! All those characters, yet it never felt like it was bogged down by backstory, If it had been, I would have stopped reading it. I can name books in different genres that were part of a series, and they weren't slowed by backstory. I have a limited attention span too, and would never have continued to read. I don’t think a lot of backstory is good in any book. Look at Harry Potter! All those characters, yet it never felt like it was bogged down by backstory, If it had been, I would have stopped reading it.

I can name books in different genres that were part of a series, and they weren’t slowed by backstory. I have a limited attention span too, and would never have continued to read.

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