Pacing
Controlling the speed of event progression to serve tension and respite
The five levels
Each anchor describes what separates one level from the next — not a general description of quality. This is the text the evaluator itself reads.
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Level 1 Below Standard
A single monotonous pace that doesn't breathe
Example All scenes at the same speed so the reader tires
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Level 2 Approaching
Pace variation present but misplaced
Example A slowdown at a moment calling for speed
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Level 3 At Standard
A varied pace serving the build of tension
Example The narrative quickens toward the climax and calms after
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Level 4 Above Standard
An intentional pace controlling the reader's breath
Example Short breathless sentences quickening the reader's pulse
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Level 5 Exemplary
An exceptional pace where time control becomes a dramatic tool
Example A one-second scene stretched to a page so the reader feels its weight
Where does your own work sit on these levels?
Submit one work to be read against this criterion alone: your position across the five levels, why you are not higher and why not lower, three literal quotes from your own work, and one exercise with its success check. Your first card is free.
Price: 7 SAR · Included in Pro & Artist Plus · First one free — Pricing details
Read my work by this criterionOther criteria in the same art
Building story according to: setup, confrontation, resolution
The five levels →Separating what the character outwardly pursues (want) from what they inwardly need, and the tension between them.
The five levels →Building main character with motivations, problems, and transformation
The five levels →Creating anticipation making reader want to know what happens
The five levels →Building external and internal conflicts that intertwine to enrich the drama
The five levels →Moments that shift the story's course and raise its stakes irreversibly
The five levels →The ending's ability to close the story and leave a lasting impression
The five levels →Does each scene turn a dramatic value (+ to − or vice versa)? A scene that changes nothing is a dead scene.
The five levels →