Ghost Stories

When considering pacing in a ghost or horror story, my preference is a fast pace. I love the heart pounding, adrenaline pumping rush that I get when reading a well-paced story. That rush is what keeps me advancing through the pages, keeping me up way past my bedtime.

From a practical point of view, I think a good story need both fast pacing and slow pacing. These both need to be woven together to tell a story. A symphony of peaks and valleys if you will. The roller coaster ride is what people really want to consume.

If a story is all heart pumping action or terror, then the reader will get exhausted and burned out pretty quickly. The valleys of slower pacing provided the needed break or rest on between the faster paced peaks. The valleys give the reader an opportunity to rest and regroup before the next peak.

Slower part to a story also reset the tension in the story. This gives the author the opportunity to build tension again, to invoke fear and take the reader back up the roller coaster for another thrill ride.

I think having these fast-pacing peaks and reset valleys are an important balance in providing the reader with a thrilling experience through a tense story.