In the first episode1 of this series I discussed how the use of present tense contributes to a “visual effect” in writing — now I want to discuss the notion of pace.
I think most writers are aware that there is a rhythm to their prose, and that they can speed up or slow it down as they wish. But by pace here I mean a specific rhythm: dynamic and fast, achieved economically. To borrow from Gilles Deleuze: pace is for me akin to his “movement image” concept, which he argues is central to pre-WWII cinema, and which he contrasts to post-war cinema and its “time image”2. Pace, in other words, is about movement — not necessarily the movement of the characters but the movement and flow of narrative events.
It seems obvious to say that pace is directly influenced by the use of present tense, due to the sense of ongoingness that this tense evokes. But there are other key elements that contribute to pace such as: the relationship between syntax and event, the use of punctuation, and the way in which the text is montaged.
I will discuss these points below.