Pacing and Flow: Editing Tips to Keep Readers Engaged

Have you ever read back through your manuscript and felt something wasn’t quite right? Possibly your dialogue drags, or perhaps a scene that felt great when you were writing it now feels too short, with missing details. You’re probably bumping into issues with pacing and flow. If you want to write a book that’s engaging, that your readers can’t put down, then it’s important to get these two elements right.

In this post, I’ll have a look at the key aspects of pacing and flow, and give you some tips to help you keep your readers hooked.

Pacing. What is it and why does it matter?

Pacing refers to the speed at which your story unfolds. It’s all about the rhythm of your narrative and how things move from one moment to the next. Think of pacing as the heartbeat of your novel—it dictates how quickly (or slowly) the plot develops and how much breathing space you give your readers between important moments.

Get the pacing wrong, and you’ll lose your readers.

If things move too slowly, your readers may get bored and – even worse – put the book down, never to finish.

On the other hand, if the pace is too fast, details may get missed, and readers may feel overwhelmed and disoriented.

Finding the pacing sweet spot is tricky. There needs to be enough tension and excitement to keep people turning the pages, but also enough time to give your audience space digest important moments, connect with characters, and understand the stakes.

Flow: The Secret to Smooth Reading

Flow is how effortlessly your story moves from one idea to the next. How well do your scenes transition? How clear is your prose? Are your readers being pulled out of the narrative by awkward phrasing or confusing shifts in time (or perspective).

You want your readers to enjoy the journey from beginning to end, almost without noticing that they are travelling.

If your story flows well, it’s much easier to manage pacing, because the transitions between scenes and chapters feel natural, helping to keep the momentum going. How do you edit your manuscript to improve pacing and flow?

Tip 1: Vary Sentence Length

An effective way to manage pacing and flow is to experiment with sentence length. Short, punchy sentences speed up the pacing, especially in action scenes.

For example: “She jumped up. The window was opening. Don’t think! Just run!”

The pace in this example is fast and frantic, adding tension and drama. If you described the same moment with long, winding sentence, the urgency would be lost.

Longer sentences slow things down. This can be a really useful tool when you want to give your reader some space from all the drama, or dive into more emotional, thoughtful scenes. Descriptive passages often benefit from a slower pace, allowing readers to take in the atmosphere or the character’s internal monologue.

For example: “The moon was full and round, sending silvery light across the ocean. He took a deep breath, feeling the tension slip from his heart, and turned to face his future.”

It’s also important not to use the same sentence length too much. Keep an eye out for things starting to feel repetitive or monotonous, and vary the rhythm to control how your readers experience the moment, whether it’s fast-paced action or slow reflection.

Tip 2: Cut the Fluff to Tighten Pacing and Flow

One of the most common pacing issues authors face is unnecessary fluff. Every word, paragraph, scene and chapter needs to service a purpose. Too much description, repetitive information, or dialogue that doesn’t move the plot forward should be trimmed or removed completely.

Ask yourself:

• Does this scene contribute to character development or advance the plot?
• Is this description necessary, or am I adding it just because I like how it sounds?
• Could I convey the same information with fewer words?

Have a look at my series of blog posts about tighter writing for more suggestions on how to implement this.

By cutting unnecessary words, you speed up the pacing and ensure each moment of your story has impact.

Tip 3: Use Scene Breaks and Chapter Endings Strategically

Another effective way to control pacing is through scene breaks and chapter endings. These act as natural pauses for readers, giving them a moment to process what just happened before jumping into the next part of your story.

However, scene breaks can also be used to create suspense. If you end a chapter or scene with a cliffhanger, this will encourage your readers to keep reading.

Use these strategic breaks to control the pacing—sometimes a quick scene break speeds things up, while longer scenes or chapters can slow things down when needed.

Tip 4: Make Sure Dialogue Is Snappy

Dialogue is a great tool for controlling pacing, but it can also be a pacing trap. If your characters are discussing the same thing for pages without moving the plot forward, the pacing will feel sluggish.

When editing dialogue, make sure each line has a purpose:

• Does it reveal something new about the character?
• Does it advance the plot or build tension?
• Could this exchange be shorter without losing its impact?

Snappy dialogue keeps readers engaged, especially during tense or emotional scenes.

Tip 5: Watch Out for Info Dumps

Info dumps—where you unload a huge chunk of backstory or exposition in one go—can seriously disrupt both pacing and flow. These sections can feel like a detour from the main plot, slowing down the action and overwhelming readers with too much information at once.

Instead, try to spread out backstory and exposition, weaving it into the narrative where it feels natural. Let readers discover information as they need it, rather than front-loading everything at the beginning.

This method keeps the pacing tight while giving readers the information they need in a way that feels immediate and relevant.

Tip 6: Keep Transitions Smooth

Finally, let’s talk about scene and chapter transitions. Abrupt changes between scenes can confuse readers and pull them out of the story. Check how each scene transitions into the next. Is it clear how much time has passed? Have you established the new setting or character viewpoint smoothly?

A simple time marker or setting shift can work wonders for keeping the flow smooth. For instance: “Later that afternoon, Richard went into the pub.”

Or: “When they arrived in Birmingham, it was already time for dinner.”

These small details (also called signposts) will help your readers to orientate themselves, making the transitions between scenes or chapters feel seamless.

Final Thoughts: Pacing and Flow Make All the Difference

It can be tricky to get pacing and flow right, but if you
crack it, your manuscript will feel more polished, the reading will be more
effortless and, most importantly, your readers will stay engaged, ensuring your
book doesn’t end up on the DNF [did not finish] pile.