Feb 10 2009
Writing Tip: Why Delay?
If your writing is too wordy, bland, or sluggish, it may be a victim of delay. No, I don’t mean that you’ve taken too long to get writing — I mean that the writing itself may be full of action delays. Have a look at this paragraph:
I began to head outside, where the sun was starting to peek through the clouds. Sighing, I began thinking about my day. As I thought, heaviness started to settle over me despite the sunshine. As my heart grew heavy, I shook my head and started taking the laundry off the line.
This paragraph constantly delays action. The narrator never does anything — she begins to do things and starts to do things. I’ve also thrown repeated actions to show how these can slow pacing. Here’s what happens if we stop delaying the action:
I headed outside, where the sun was peeking through the clouds. Sighing, I thought about my day. Heaviness settled over me despite the sunshine. I shook my head, snapped a pair of clothespins off the line, and pulled a white shirt down.
Action delays have their place in writing. There will always be times when you’re better off “starting” to do something, especially if that thing never actually gets done. But be vigilant: if action delays are taking the steam out of your writing, it’s time to cut them.
[...] Rachel Starr Thompson explains how delaying the action when writing can slow down the pace. [...]