The boring parts and getting through them

[bradHart]

First boring writing is a good sign you have told instead of shown. Secondly, if you outlined it ahead of time like most successful authors, agents, and editors will tell you to do and are consistent with your chapter lengths then you shouldn't have anything that is boring to start with.

 

[MJRevell]

Is this in reply to my comments?

Sorry, I didn't say that his/her book or characters were boring, did I? He/She said that some scenes were boring to write and asked advice as to how to get through them.

I replied with some advice that might help him/her get through these 'wickedly boring' parts and the statement that 'no part of any book need be boring'. I wasn't suggesting that the original poster's book or characters were boring.

JDP, it wasn't in specific reply to your post - it was a reply to the general feel of a few replies I had read. Apologies if it seemed pointed at you.

Looking back, it's probably my misunderstandings anyway. As you say, you mentioned how no part of any book need be boring. I presume I thought that that contrasted the OP's statement of the writing of these parts that's boring, not the actual parts themselves.

Apologies

 

[Talysia]

To be honest, I'm rather fond of the 'boring' bits. I like the quiet times in my stories, when the characters can develop outside of the conflict situations. It may seem boring to write at the time - and I've probably felt this way myself on any number of occasions when I've been writing - but these days I like to write this sort of thing.

 

[igloo15]

When I write the way I work is usually without an outline or I create an outline that only explains the world and the geographical locations and their history leaving out specific names of any people. Then I move on to the book and think about how I want to end it. Once I have the ending I start at the beginning but I don't think about the climax or any of the interesting points infact I have no idea what is gonna happen throughout the story just the very very final end.

This way as I write I don't think about what I will be writing in the future and focus totally on what I am writing at the very moment. This allows me to not get hyped up for exciting parts since I don't know what will happen as I write. Now this method is very loose and can cause a lot of continuity issues but those can be solved in redrafts and revisions. If your careful this can be a fun way to write too.

 

[lin robinson]

Ever read a fight or a battle or some similar scene and thought, "Gosh, this is boring"? Ever read a scene between two people chatting and thought, "Scintillating"?

Absolutely

 

[Thor_Doomhammer]

Me too. Interesting. So maybe what makes a part "boring" has to do more with how we view it. If, going in to the writing of it, assume that the part will be boring to write, then it will be. On the other hand, if we write something and are convinced that it will be the most exciting thing on earth, then perhaps for us it will be.

 

[SpaceShip]

I believe the boring bits that are absolutely necessary to the story can be interspersed later throughout the story. e.g. as a reminiscence or during a frightening episode as a "how on earth did I end up here".

 

[WriterDoug]

Yes, I wanted to stress the other day that maybe "boring" is not the best word for us to be using. I initially assumed the thread starter made reference to those passages or portions of the novel that were just less thrilling to write or were simply more quiet.

In reply to the, "If you find such and such boring, then your reader will too." mantra, I cannot completely agree on this. I have had parts of my last manuscript that I thought were so darn cool, but when a friend read the story, she replied, "Really? THAT was your favorite part? I don't see why..." To clarify, she did not dislike the part I chose, but she could not understand why I would prefer it over a number of other scenes that were more enjoyable for her to read. Also, some of what I found to be (not BORING) but a little less exciting is the same bit of material she happened to really enjoy. This section ended up being backstory.

I have a mild obssession with categorizing stuff, and I have taken my own manuscript and broken it up into a certain number of scenes, total. I then arranged them all from favorite to least favorite, and while this may not be very productive at the end of the day, it did prove to me that I favored some sections far more than others. Sometimes I have even slipped and used the word "boring," but I think the term is a little harsh.

To the original thread starter: I think what might be of valuable help to us all is if you briefly explain what these "boring" parts are. Are they idle chatter while characters wait for a camel to run by? Are they the lone, inusufferable nights before a major battle? Are they the dull and quiet moments traveling over great plains and tall mountains from point A to point B? (I was just thinking of the Lord of the Rings movies here. Jackson gives us a glimpse of their great journey here and there by panning around them from a bird's eye view as theyre walking across the vastness of Middle Earth. What are they saying? What are they doing? Who cares, really. Jackson obviously didn't. Can YOU brush over these parts, too?)

cheers,
WD

 

[Thor_Doomhammer]

I initially assumed the thread starter made reference to those passages or portions of the novel that were just less thrilling to write or were simply more quiet.

You were correct.

 

[Lith]

I'm sure you've heard that stories are just like life, without all the boring parts? Which means if it's boring, just summarize it.

Unless of course it's the entire middle section of the book. That could be a bit of a problem.

Be careful writing the interesting bits at the end before writing the parts leading up to them. I've tried it, and it isn't for me. It just sapped all my impetus for writing, rather than inspiring me. But it's worth a try to find out if it's right for you.