Lisa Manterfield: Writing a Page-Turner

Narrative pacing is the key to keeping readers immersed in your story. Whether you’re writing an adrenalin-filled thriller or a “slow burn” literary novel, gauging the right pace can make or break a book. Move too fast and you’ll exhaust your readers; too slow and you risk losing them for good.

In this workshop, my frequent teaching partner Lisa Manterfield, will illuminate the three key ingredients that control your novel’s pacing and keep your story moving forward. You’ll discover pace killers that stop readers cold and gather technical tricks to create the illusion of speed. And, you’ll learn a simple litmus test to spot pacing issues in your own work and ensure your readers make it to “The End.” 

Lisa is the award-winning author of five novels, two works of non-fiction, and five non-fiction eBooks. Her sixth novel, the page-turner INVISIBLE INK, is coming out in 2027 from Thomas & Mercer.

Lisa’s presentation was rich with information about pacing and keeping a reader’s attention. You can watch the recording here.

Happy writing!

Shirin