Scene-making

Here's some advice on making a scene - in the UK that means that someone is misbehaving in some way - but in the context of writing a novel, the scene begins when the blue touch-paper has already been lit - not on the trip to the firework shop. (I'm quoting here from The road to Somewhere. I told you it was an entertaining read.)

Ha ha, I groan. The scene may well have a hook to ensnare the reader. It will often have a reversal for the protagonist. If it starts well, then the scene must end badly for him, and vice versa.
Narrative tension should rose steadily in the scene. It should not be static, but neither will it leap from low level to nuclear alert and counting.
As a scene develops, it often starts to read faster - shorter sentences, dialogue and paragraphs.
The scene needs some kind of climax -  revelation, a cliffhanger, or a hook that demands the reader shall read on.
As soon as possible after the climactic moment, the scene will end. In other words, don't hang about saying Goodbye - head for the door and depart!

Pacing is a skill that some instinctively have and others must learn. A sense of place is important in novels, but chunks of description don't always achieve it. How many times have you let your eye skim over a whole paragraph or even a page of description to get to the action? I know I have. This is where pacing comes into its own. Try inserting small pieces of description into the action and dialogue where it is sure to be read and doesn't slow the action more than a tad.