Here we are again, Wattfamily! This section has all been around "balance" and keeping your writing even, in terms of long reaching setting, down to the finest formula of character interactions. 

So let's get to work! Anyone struggle with world-building and striking that fine balance between too much description and not enough action? How about dud scenes where every other line is a snarky inner comment from a character that is taking over everything? 

Please share. I'm here to help. Message me if you'd like a second, or third, or hundredth opinion. (Wishful hopes on my part.)

*Shout out to this workshop's first fierce volunteer, @Knack4Things 

Thank you for being amazing, and curious, and all kinds of brave! 

This author reached out with concerns over too-fast pacing (as per comments by readers) in their book, "Rattlebones." 

As we've read in the previous chapters, pacing revolves around the idea of balance, whether in terms of how our character's think, feel, and move, or how exposition and sentence structure tip too far to either side.

(My disclaimer: I read the first chapter and loved the pacing. Quick, sharp, and full of "voice"--And as you all know by now, I love me some good voice--but there are areas to draw out a scene. Whenever a novel is written in first person, as this one is, authors must watch out for "head-hopping" or showing too much inside another character's head. Or, on the flip side, not providing enough insight through the main's perspective.) 

Original: "I was thinking about doing something a little more extreme," I tell him, and open my backpack. "They used to reanimate dead bodies back in the eighteenth century using electric probes. You've seen Frankenstein, right?"

"Yeah, great memory. Amy Santiago was going down on me in my grandma's living room." Eugene says and props his head up with one hand.

"Didn't need to know that, but okay." I roll my eyes and open my skull pencil case. . .

*Two things, I'll be correcting punctuation as I go, but, also, think about how the non-main character's dialogue is vague and confusing. A little clarification with a sprinkling of simile (comparing things) and humor, and this scene draws out with more insight into the main's head. Also, earlier in the chapter, the main talks about their first experience with death when their grandma passes away. This is an excellent time for a call back. (All while drawing out the scene and working that all important "voice" to its fullest.) And remember: Reaction, action, dialogue. 

Revised: "I was thinking about doing something a little more extreme." I open my backpack and take out my skull pencil case. "They used to reanimate dead bodies back in the eighteenth century using electric probes. You've seen Frankenstein, right?"

Eugene's mouth tips in what I can only assume is perverted memory and says, "Yeah, I saw it a few months ago. Amy Santiago was going down on me in my grandma's living room." He props his head up with one hand. "Great memory."

I roll my eyes and swallow distaste at that "teenage dream" image, remembering the last time I had the pleasure of my grandma's company. I'd take her corpse silence right now over the bragging idiot currently poking at the frog like a toddler with a bowl of green beans. "Anyways . . ." I unzip my pencil case. . . 

*Little changes and additions of inner thought and figurative language techniques expand on our writing, drawing readers deeper into our main's "voice" and providing an excellent base for visceral reactions (how a character's body instinctually responds to experiences). I also, likewise, drew out the sentence lengths into more complex and compound types. This elongates thoughts and action to slow a reader's pace when reading. (But remember, everything in balance. Too much of anything and zzzzzzzz.)