In addition to scenes that require amputation, you may find some scenes that just need a little more get up and go. Scenes can lag due to some extra weight or the wrong focus. Look at your sluggish scenes to see what shouldn't be there and check if the focus of the scene is on target. Following is a list of reasons your scenes may not be moving along at the right pace:

• Too much casual chitchat

• Too much description and narrative and not enough action

• Not enough emphasis on the scene goal

• Not enough conflict to create interest

• A scene written in the wrong point of view

By removing the extra weight from the scene and adding significance to what matters most, you will have your scene moving at the pace your readers crave.

Get Rid of Passive Voice

Sometimes what slows your scenes down isn't so much the amount of description or narrative, but the manner in which those words are written. Passive voice can be the culprit in bad pacing. Look for an overabundance of the verb was, or the “to be” verbs.

Another sign of passive voice is telling instead of showing. For a quick review on what passive voice is and how to pinpoint telling versus showing, refer to Chapter 7.

Remove the Fluff

There's also a chance it's not what's on the page, but how many words you took to get the idea across. Tight writing makes for a faster read. Below is a list of words that could be weighing down your sentences, and examples of how they are used and could be removed.

To say these words shouldn't appear in your manuscript is wrong. All words serve a purpose. It's when your manuscript is peppered with them that they add unnecessary weight to your story.

Remove the Purple from Your Prose

There's nothing wrong with beautifully written, descriptive passages. But sometimes a little goes a long way. Are you overdescribing something? Are the visuals you're creating important to the story? Does the description enhance the mood or add something to the story other than just being beautiful? If the answer is no, then cut back on the adjectives and focus on what is important. You may also find adverbs that can be removed and replaced with stronger verbs. This isn't to say all adverbs should be sent packing, but when used in excess, they could be hindering your pacing.