Event

Plotting and Pacing

One appealing quality of the young adult novel is the tendency of their plots to move at a fast pace. We'll study stories, both action-driven and quiet, that handle plotting and pace particularly well. Every writer has tools for advancing the plot, and we'll share what we know to help you write a book that makes readers want to turn the page.

Suzanne Collins built a phenomenon with her perfectly paced novel The Hunger Games. We'll study the chapter structure and hooks Collins used to create such a riveting dystopian tale. Gayle Forman's critically acclaimed novel If I Stay expertly manipulates time to dramatize the story of a life in twenty-four hours. We'll examine how she balances past and present through seamless flashbacks without losing the tension of the central crisis. The narrative techniques that you will take away from this session will allow you to grab your readers' attention and control the pace with which your story unfolds.