Literary prose and paced action have joined forces
Do you pause over certain lines in your story, especially in the editing process, to illuminate the sentence, to reach for more concrete words to make the passage richer? Such efforts are never in vain. Even action stories benefit from ‘passion in the prose’ where the thoughts and emotions of the characters are elaborated, and the stakes of the scene are deeply investigated.
What readers are not interested in are long, drawn-out, 19th Century practices of describing every button on the stable boy’s waistcoat or spending half a day in one room counting the number of flowers on the wallpaper. Modern readers expect and appreciate momentum in the storyline. Each and every sentence can and should present something new. A vigorous pace does not preclude literary prose--just makes it all the more important to select the right words.
When your story moves to a new setting, pick one unique aspect of the setting, emphasize it whether it be the chandelier, the grand piano, or the fireplace, then get on with it. And yet, there is always a time and place for the story to slow, and spend time in a scene of deep emotion, consequences, or ramifications.
When writers languish in one place, it is often because they don’t know where they want the story to go. Know the ending ahead of time, if you can. At the very least, know what you want to happen in the story before you begin to write. Such preparation is not absolutely mandatory, but it certainly helps.
Do you love words? Always keep your future reader in mind, Today’s reader wants stories that evoke feelings and dig below the surface meaning of events to add color and depth to the story. At the same time, they appreciate brevity. Don’t belabor a point unless you are adding meaning and insight to the scene.
Literary prose and quickly-paced action have joined forces. Don’t neglect either and your stories will be cleaner, richer, and read by the masses. Everyone enjoys a story steeped in emotion and turmoil that doesn't take forever to read.