Quote Originally Posted by Razor7826 View Post
Thank you. I was a bit dismayed when you called it a 'travesty of a story', though I guess you were being... sarcastic? Not sure if that is the way to describe it.

Some of my Level Three assignments were rather bad, mostly due to pacing issues. Short works like this are easy, but my longer ones tend to fall apart. Do either of you have any advice with regards to pacing?
Hi Razor,

Pay no attention to Dean on this point. Real writers inevitably find editing removes about a third of what you originally wrote. For most of us it's a winnowing process. Leave it to Mr. H to use it for story inflation.

When you start the story know how it will end, true, but be prepared for detours. Write until the path becomes cloudy then start a new chapter. Use real and/or fake life for inspiration.
Case in point that assignment you were bogged down on.

First you need to strip away the unnecessary details. then you need to come up with a plot/destination. Figure how to get from beginning to end and what twists you wish to put into the shortest route. Now on that particular assignment the beginning was the ending and the twist needed to make the two very different. That part of the assignment you pulled off. It was getting from A to B that needed help.
You could do that well but not in 2000 words. You needed to flesh it out with a few more significant characters, (and get rid of those that don't impact the story your telling) some exposition and a running inner dialog of the narrator as he follows a path that changes that opening into a different closing.
I really don't see that happening in less than three 3000 word chapters and that would be a bare bones approach. You could easily do 5 or more.
If you need some inspiration sit your butt down and watch some CSI reruns or maybe old "Law and Orders".
If you'd rather skip it let me know. I'll come up with something really challenging.

Yours
Lews and Mad