How to fix Pacing Problems

Recently, I've begun noticing that my stories are rushed in terms of pacing and I was pondering how I would go about it. Is there a sort of checklist of what I would need to do in order to ensure that my stories are properly paced?

Padding, in your case, might be useful. Put in more details of the characters, or the scenery. Let your characters breathe—literally. Find moments where they'd logically get tired and pause or slow down the action a bit.

Also, remember to use commas.

It's kinda specific to each story and genre. For example, a zombie survival horror and a multi-generational love story are... different, in that regard.

But in general, I've found that no matter how high you make the tension moments, your characters need time to unwind a little. Apply bandages, have a cry, etc.

Are you, by any chance, skimping on the unwinding in favor of the tension?

Not exactly sure. That might be the problem though.

Padding is never useful.

Is your story rushed, or is it just shorter than you think it should be?

A story is rushed because it fails to develop things adequately. Look at your story, look at what characters, arcs, or plot points feel thin, and give more time to them. Try to take your writer goggles off for a minute- there are probably a lot of things in your head that aren't making it to the page because you're so used to understanding them about your characters/world that you take them for granted. Try to see what a reader, who only has the text you're written, would see.

If your story is just short, then you might need to look at a more complex plot structure.

Padding wasn't the right word.

When someone's pacing seems rushed, it generally means the story feels shallow. So, adding greater depth to prose, dialogue, characterization and so on, beyond the bare minimum.