An 'hourglass' is a pacing device where the storyteller intentionally slows down language and description when the audience is most engaged and waiting for resolution, extending the moment of suspense and increasing emotional impact when the climax arrives.
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Matthew DicksEvidence Quote
“once you know you have the audience's attention and they're dying for the next sentence, you make them wait as long as possible...I simply use the word orange as a means of making you wait 1 more second”
Created: 8/10/2026, 11:05:43 PM
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