One of the most difficult things to pin down as a writer, especially a NEW writer, is the pacing of your story. Pacing is the speed and rhythm of a story, the speed with which events take place, and the balance between each part of the story. Does the story start with a hook? Is the beginning too long? Does the middle drag on? Does the ending feel sudden? Is the resolution too abrupt?

The writer is often detached from what a story feels like to a reader. We know this story intimately, so it’s...