As someone who has been a devoted reader since a very young age, as well as a reviewer and author of fiction, story flow is something I've learned to feel intuitively without properly considering its defining nature. I'm not convinced it's simply another name for pacing. Perhaps a better way to describe it is a "momentum of attention. Momentum of Attention In physics, we learn that momentum is mass times velocity—you could think of it as the "staying power" behind something

20 years go by with your friend, and wow, you are pretty much family at this point. That's what it feels like. Like, those sewing classes you took at Emily Griffith Technical School, when your head ping-ponged between the sewing teachers as they vied for power and authority. Or that time you decided to make Christmas PJ pants, calling yourself Elf Co. while listening to 93.3 to the very band, OneRepublic, you'd see in 2026 at the Hollywood Bowl.

When a story is boring and confusing, the problem is often its inciting incident.