That critique about my pacing knocked the wind out of me

I posted a story to a writing swap group last Tuesday and someone said my first 3 pages had 'no forward motion' so I cut 2 whole scenes and added a ticking clock. Now the middle feels rushed, but the reader who gave that note said the new draft is 'way tighter'. Has anyone else gotten feedback that fixed one problem and created a different one?

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mila_campbell251mo ago

Is the ticking clock actually adding tension or just making every scene feel like a checklist? Tbh, I've been there. Cut a subplot once because someone said it dragged, then the main romance felt fake. You traded one problem for another, but that's how notes work sometimes. The real question is which version bugs you less. If the tight draft still feels like your story, keep it. If not, maybe the first reader just wasn't your audience.