Change of pace should be applied subtly and frequently. Change of pace adds variety to the narration. It conveys to the listener the rhythm of your book.

There are two decisions to make regarding pace:

• Where do I change the pace?
• Should I slow down or speed up here?

Pace has no punctuation equivalent. You won't find easy clues in the written text.

Good change of pace will improve the naturalness of your narration. Presenting important new information more slowly and with greater pitch range will add emphasis.

Some guidelines:

• If you are in a climactic section, let your listener savor the experience. Don't rush through it. Just because your characters are running for their lives doesn't mean you have to read faster. Try to deliberately speak slower, to see what the effect is. Think of the movie where there is a timer on the bomb. 40 seconds to go! A minute later in real time, there's still 20 seconds to go. Stretch it out.
• Don't apply change of pace only in highly dramatic situations. The slight change of pace here and there keeps you listener attentive. Change the pace for no particular reason if your pace has been the same for a while.
• Change of pace has other uses. One is to express the world currently being experienced by one of the characters. If a character is dominant, the pace may reflect it: John wants action now and he is in charge. The story moves along brisker. If the character is subordinate, the pace may act reflect that experience: Mary wants action now, but no one else is moving as fast as she wants them to. The slower pace reflects the frustration that Mary is experiencing.
• Change of pace can help maintain interest during long passages of description.

When you are marking up for change of pace, use the words faster and slower in the margin.