Continuing the series of writing exercises inspired by Susan Breen’s The Fiction Class, today we are moving on to pacing. For more information on the book and this series of posts, please check out the original book review here.

Pacing: Imagine a moment of crisis: someone shooting a bullet into you, someone about to be hung, someone going under anesthesia, someone falling in love at first sight across a crowded room. Write a few paragraphs describing the crisis, trying to expand time as you write so the moment becomes as tense as possible.

This is ridiculous. Two days ago I was perfectly fine, getting ready to go to lunch with Julie, like I always do on Tuesdays, and thinking about which bathing suits to pack for the trip and whether I should download new e-books now or just wait until I got to the airport to see what I felt like reading. One day ago I was also perfectly fine, pulling travel-sized toothpaste and shampoo together, making sure I had the passports ready to go, checking flight times and figuring out when we had to leave for the airport.
Continue reading Homework Assignment Seven: Pacing