I want to talk to you all about pacing and why it's important to pace your story. There's been numerous stories I've picked up with heaps of potential, until I get to chapter 2 and the love interest already is admitting their adoration for the main character. Or a character gets raped in chapter 3 and by chapter 4, it seems like they've completely healed and are ready to party at senior prom.

Even if your story is supposed to take place in a span of 2 days or 2 weeks, pacing still applies to your book. A poorly paced story is definitely one of my pet peeves. Thankfully, this can be corrected with a bit of practice. So here are some tips to help you pace your story and why it's important to do so.

✖ ROMANCE.

Let's begin with your character's love story — assuming there is a romantic journey in your book. Amateur writers will rush their protagonist's love story. Why? For a multitude of reasons. When I started writing fanfictions (way before Wattpad), I was so excited about my character getting together with their love interest, that there was no build up.

BUILD UP is absolutely crucial when it comes to a romantic journey. It adds a bit of reality into your fanfiction. Again, even if your story takes place in a span of 2 days where your characters fall in love within that duration of time, make sure you create ample build up and tension between your characters before a kiss, or before one of them starts to reveal any deep feelings.

Realistically, characters falling in love in a short span of time isn't always logical. Normally it's lust at first sight; a strong physical attraction that pulls them to into each other's gravity. So even if your two main characters see each other at the mall and suddenly gain an infatuation for each other, make sure there's build up, or hype between the pair.

          ↳ EX: Don't think of BUILD UP as just sexual tension. There doesn't even have to be any sexual tension at all. Build up between the two characters can mean playful banter and harmless flirting; debating on serious topics like climate change and racism, or simple ideas like pineapple on pizza.

          ↳ EX: In many Punk AU fanfictions (popular among the band fandoms), it's common to see the Punk fall in love with the quiet smartypants, the cheerleading princess, or the innocent good girl. These are frequent tropes, and honestly, are popular because of its familiarity. I too love reading these types of fanfictions, BUT I also stop reading many of them because of poor execution.

          Many times I see the punk and their counterpart bickering, or maybe the punk can't stop messing with the good girl in class. But then by the second chapter, the punk is thinking about wanting to be with the good girl; or the good girl is starting to fall in love with the punk. What? Where? How? Whyyyy? There's no build-up between the characters, and if the characters themselves are boring and basic, why is there suddenly sparks?

People who have read any of my fanfictions, know that I'm notorious for extreme build-up. I don't rush my characters to kiss, make love, or suddenly reveal they love each other. In one fanfic of mine, there are 52 chapters and the two main characters don't share their first kiss till chapter 45! That's 44 chapters of pure character development and buildup. 

Of course, there are stories that embrace a female's sexuality and therefore are seen having sex with their counterpart in the first chapter. But that's because it's part of their character; part of the plot itself. Use your best judgement. What kind of story are you writing? Who are your characters? Does it legitimately make sense for them to share a kiss in the 2nd chapter, or for them to wait till chapter 25? It's up to you as an author. You're the one building this world.

✖ TRAUMATIC MOMENTS.

This is another BIG one I wanted to tackle and talk to you all about. Including traumatic moments within your story like death, sexual assault, harassment, domestic violence, etc., can be an incredible way to move a story along. A non-romanticized display of trauma can grow your character; it can make them relatable to a community of people.

HOWEVER, please proceed with caution.

Trauma is very real, and romanticizing it can be triggering for your readers who may have gone through the same type of trauma you choose to display in your fanfiction. It's important to do research. Watch YouTube videos, read testimonies, and even case files to really dive into what trauma victims go through. It's important to let your characters process, heal, and dominate the repercussions in the way they were meant to do.

          ↳ EX: Often times, I come across a fanfiction that includes the unfortunate and hellish rape of the main character. This horrid event will take place in one chapter, and in distasteful manner, by the next chapter this character acts as if she only got pushed on the playground. I understand that everyone copes and handles trauma differently, some don't feel anything until a month later, but the way some authors convey their character post-crisis, doesn't seem at all realistic.

          ↳ EX: I've read fanfics where the main character is stuck on an island with a specific band member of their fandom. While this could be a very interesting story, a lot of the times these books don't do its plot line justice. The author will concentrate more on the romantic and physical attraction side of things, as oppose to the logical balance of being STUCK on an island. Unless the book is meant to be comical, the idea of being stuck on an island can be traumatic. Instead of figuring out how to find help, or tending to burns and scrapes, or even dealing with the initial shock of a plane crash or a cruise ship accident, the main character is hung up on starting a love life with Harry Styles, Ashton Irwin, or Kihyun. Like WHAT?!

If you choose to write a traumatic event in your story, PLEASE do it justice and pace it out, not just the event itself, but the aftermath. Don't write about a character being kidnapped, held hostage against their will, tortured in a basement, only to return home acting like nothing happened. That's a big no-no. I will dive more into traumatic and dramatic moments in the next chapter.

✖ ADVENTURE.

If you're writing a thrilling fanfiction with a high-stakes expedition, then pace your story. Say it with me: PACE. YOUR. STORY.

Your hero/heroine shouldn't be able to figure things out right away. And even if they are able to find clues with ease, have them make mistakes. Let your characters fuck up, why? Because THEY'RE HUMAN! It's imperative that they mess things up on the adventure. Mistakes are chances to grow as a person. It shows an imperfect character who is not a Mary-Sue / Gary-Stu.

An adventure book has impeccable pacing that has you on the edge of your seat with twists and turns. When it seems like the protagonist has figured it out, BOOM, they're hit with a new threat.

          ↳ EX: If the main objective in your fanfiction is for your main character to figure out who murdered her best friend, don't have them ask snoop around at school and get away with ease. Are there security guards that could potentially catch them? Or maybe a surveillance camera? What if the office they're investigating is about to be opened and the main character must hide behind a plant? If your main genre is adventure, then don't just dedicate a couple of paragraphs to the task. Expand it.

          ↳ EX: In my action-adventure fanfiction "You're Dope, Girl," the protagonist's main goal is to save her little sister who has been kidnapped by a group of rogue intelligence. Tasha must complete dangerous assigned tasks in order to get her sister back. These tasks aren't easy peasy though. Although she has help from trusted individuals, Tasha still manages to mess up. Her arrogance and confidence gets her into trouble, and by the climax of the story, faces an unthinkable moment all due to ego.

Adventure stories aren't always fun and games. It's not just fighting off bad guys and wearing cool costumes. There's still an underlying tale; an internal journey that has to be PACED OUT and dealt with. If your main character is shy and timid, by chapter three, they shouldn't suddenly have this trailblazing confidence to tackle the crusade ahead. They must face things physically and mentally in order to find that confidence. And that internal journey, in addition to the physical adventure, should be paced adequately.

✖ GENERAL ACTIVITIES.

The last thing on the agenda, is pacing out your character's general activities. More often than not, I come across a fanfiction where 10 different things happen all in one chapter, but could easily become 3 or 4 different parts if the author had just expanded.

          ↳ EX: If your character and their best friends are heading out on a weekend camping trip after school, avoid going through the entire day. Don't start with the character going to school, going to class, going home to pack, getting in the car, road tripping for a few hours, then making it to their destination ALL IN ONE CHAPTER. At this point, you're just listing shit out.

          To correct this, you can have a chapter dedicated to school where the protagonist is super excited to venture with their friends. Maybe we see them unable to concentrate at school, or we see them get picked on by a bully, only for them to not give a fuck because all they can think about is this awesome camping trip. Then end the chapter with the school bell ringing.

The most important part about all this, is to EXPAND YOUR STORY. If the activity mentioned (going to school, work, grocery store, playing video games, etc.) is not too important, then take it out completely. Or only dedicate one or two paragraphs to act as a synopsis of what your main character's day has been like thus far.

It's incredibly crucial for you to pace your story. Don't rush it. Don't let things happen too fast. Give time for readers to trek alongside your character and process with them. Remember, your audience is also on a journey too. If they decided to read your story, that means they've committed to joining the ride — so give them one hell of a thrill.