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Boring Story Parts
- Thread starter Agamemnon
- Start date
DreamerYou should probably check out scene/sequel story structure.
SCENES: jimbutcher
SEQUELS: jimbutcher
Using these labels, scenes are where that action takes place, and sequels are reactions to what happens in the scenes, usually a setback.
Sequels are where a lot of the deeper character development happens. Each Scene is followed by a sequel, which leads into the next scene. This goes on and on until the end. Some call this a try/fail cycle.
Helen
Inkling
The debate. Of which your characters are representative.
THE SOPRANOS is superb for this.
- Thread starter
- #4
1) Can't quite get to the big action yet, settle for little action, or at least activity. Have them walk around. Have a street preacher or annoying salesman get in their face.
2) Recap. Have the characters puzzle over something that happened earlier. 'Why did so-and-so do this? It's so out of character.'
Cut it out. Write twenty more chapters. Then go back and see if you really needed it after all.
Honestly, there's no point in worrying about this stuff before the fact. Write it. Even if all you do is walk your character to the next scene.
Also, remember that what you are writing is conflict, which can take many forms. Some writers think action automatically involves conflict, but that's not at all the case. I've read any number of action scenes that were boring because the writer got preoccupied with describing the action.
Honestly, there's no point in worrying about this stuff before the fact. Write it. Even if all you do is walk your character to the next scene.
Also, remember that what you are writing is conflict, which can take many forms. Some writers think action automatically involves conflict, but that's not at all the case. I've read any number of action scenes that were boring because the writer got preoccupied with describing the action.
BWFoster78
Myth Weaver
If no action = boring, then I don't think you're approaching writing the same way that I do.
Conflict is interesting, and there are many types of conflict other than action.
- Thread starter
- #8
BWFoster78
Myth Weaver
Conflict/tension is easy to create. Simply:
1. Give the POV character a goal.
2. Create opposition to that goal.
3. Establish consequences to that goal not being met.
A good example would be romantic tension. The character wants a girl to like him. The opposition is the girl likes someone else. The consequence is the POV character's life will be over if this girl doesn't like him.
Or the conflict can be completely internal. Your character wants to graduate high school. To do so, he needs to ace a history presentation. The opposition is that he'd rather be partying than studying. But not graduating means that his dad is going to send him to military school.
Any conflict can be made interesting as long as each of the three elements are a) strong enough and b) effectively communicated to the reader.
1. Give the POV character a goal.
2. Create opposition to that goal.
3. Establish consequences to that goal not being met.
A good example would be romantic tension. The character wants a girl to like him. The opposition is the girl likes someone else. The consequence is the POV character's life will be over if this girl doesn't like him.
Or the conflict can be completely internal. Your character wants to graduate high school. To do so, he needs to ace a history presentation. The opposition is that he'd rather be partying than studying. But not graduating means that his dad is going to send him to military school.
Any conflict can be made interesting as long as each of the three elements are a) strong enough and b) effectively communicated to the reader.
In a recent work, I had two characters struggling to communicate. This was resolved by the guy—seeing that the girl was not a good language learner—playing music. The girl danced. It was a happy, seemingly romantic scene. That the girl was a lesbian seemed a boring conflict, so instead I had her step in liger shit (while dancing barefoot). The liger (which the MC was hunting) swallowed what appeared to be a diamond, and this led to a totally different—and way more interesting story than the one I had planned.
The improvement was the result of taking a scene that was in need of conflict, then asking myself what conflict would be more interesting: can't have a relationship because she's a lesbian (yawn) or stepping in shit (cheap gag)? Both have potential to suck, but I made stepping in shit turn out to be a discovery. Now my MC isn't just hunting a liger, but she spends the rest of the story finding out what the diamonds (that the liger swallowed) are—being misled by each new discovery until the end. And the final action scene ended up being waaaaaaay more action-packed than what I had originally planned.
EDIT - Note I'm following BW's 1-2-3 steps in the above thought process. Establishing consequences is why I didn't go the she's-a-lesbian-so-he-can't-have-her conflict. What's the consequence? They don't have sex. Good. I don't wanna write a sex scene.
My point: if you have a boring part, take it as an opportunity. You need to delete this scene or make it not boring. If the non-boring version goes against your plan, so what? Change you plan accordingly. The best stories surprise, and if you the author are surprised by your own work, that should work to your advantage. (For example, readers won't see it coming either.)
The improvement was the result of taking a scene that was in need of conflict, then asking myself what conflict would be more interesting: can't have a relationship because she's a lesbian (yawn) or stepping in shit (cheap gag)? Both have potential to suck, but I made stepping in shit turn out to be a discovery. Now my MC isn't just hunting a liger, but she spends the rest of the story finding out what the diamonds (that the liger swallowed) are—being misled by each new discovery until the end. And the final action scene ended up being waaaaaaay more action-packed than what I had originally planned.
EDIT - Note I'm following BW's 1-2-3 steps in the above thought process. Establishing consequences is why I didn't go the she's-a-lesbian-so-he-can't-have-her conflict. What's the consequence? They don't have sex. Good. I don't wanna write a sex scene.
My point: if you have a boring part, take it as an opportunity. You need to delete this scene or make it not boring. If the non-boring version goes against your plan, so what? Change you plan accordingly. The best stories surprise, and if you the author are surprised by your own work, that should work to your advantage. (For example, readers won't see it coming either.)
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Gurkhal
Auror
To be honest, if there are boring parts of the story then you should probably look over the story again. I don't see why any part of the story should be boring, least of all from the author's perspective, and my opinion is that you should fill this with interesting stuff. If the author describes the stuff that is writen as boring, then I dread what the reader will think of it.
- Thread starter
- #12
Okay, let me give a little perspective here, I'm already getting some ideas. The chapter is about the a character who was recently promoted to captain and given command of a ship (sci-fi setting). She's actually taking over for the former captain, to whom she was first officer for seven years as he's recently been reassigned to command a space station.
I already know where some conflict is coming in, Ruja (the new captain) is very nervous about being captain. It's something she is confident she can handle, but it's still a big step forward. As first officer the captain always provided something of a buffer zone. Now being in that position all eyes are on her and a lot of people are depending on Ruja, especially if a ship-to-ship fight takes place. She's also having to adapt to the new position.
As I mentioned earlier the story is fairly calm to start. The first chapter deals with the captain taking his new position on the space station and the two part ways on good terms. The second chapter focuses on Ruja and starts with her leaving the station on her first assignment as the new commander of the ship.
I've even got two things going that play into each other, Ruja is trying to redeem the reputation of the ship. This stems from her former captain being accused of a crime, but the authorities were never able to prove anything. Because of this the former captain had a black cloud hanging over him. Ruja now has a mission as part of the story and she wants to complete it to prove herself as a captain and to kinda get some of the suspicion lifted.
I already know where some conflict is coming in, Ruja (the new captain) is very nervous about being captain. It's something she is confident she can handle, but it's still a big step forward. As first officer the captain always provided something of a buffer zone. Now being in that position all eyes are on her and a lot of people are depending on Ruja, especially if a ship-to-ship fight takes place. She's also having to adapt to the new position.
As I mentioned earlier the story is fairly calm to start. The first chapter deals with the captain taking his new position on the space station and the two part ways on good terms. The second chapter focuses on Ruja and starts with her leaving the station on her first assignment as the new commander of the ship.
I've even got two things going that play into each other, Ruja is trying to redeem the reputation of the ship. This stems from her former captain being accused of a crime, but the authorities were never able to prove anything. Because of this the former captain had a black cloud hanging over him. Ruja now has a mission as part of the story and she wants to complete it to prove herself as a captain and to kinda get some of the suspicion lifted.
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If it's boring, it doesn't belong.
Drama is life with the boring bits cut out.
- Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock knew a thing or two about tension.
Think about the following:
1. Consider if the scenes are really needed.
2. Are you beginning your story or scene too early?
3. Are there other, more interesting ways to get the same information across?
4. Are you including mundane, everyday bits of life? If so, cut them out.
5. Are you telling the reader how things are rather than showing the drama, as it unfolds, through character action & interaction?
6. Are you including redundant details? Meaning, if a girl is crying with her hand on the dead body of her lover, do you need dialogue that tells us she's sad? Or, should the dialogue move understanding, character, & plot forward beyond her general sorrow?
7. Are you writing with an over-reliance on passive voice?
8. Are you over-describing, miring your reader in unnecessary description or character emotion? (One I'm often guilty of in early drafts)
Those are just a few things off the top of my head. I hope they help.
Drama is life with the boring bits cut out.
- Alfred Hitchcock
Hitchcock knew a thing or two about tension.
Think about the following:
1. Consider if the scenes are really needed.
2. Are you beginning your story or scene too early?
3. Are there other, more interesting ways to get the same information across?
4. Are you including mundane, everyday bits of life? If so, cut them out.
5. Are you telling the reader how things are rather than showing the drama, as it unfolds, through character action & interaction?
6. Are you including redundant details? Meaning, if a girl is crying with her hand on the dead body of her lover, do you need dialogue that tells us she's sad? Or, should the dialogue move understanding, character, & plot forward beyond her general sorrow?
7. Are you writing with an over-reliance on passive voice?
8. Are you over-describing, miring your reader in unnecessary description or character emotion? (One I'm often guilty of in early drafts)
Those are just a few things off the top of my head. I hope they help.
Russ
Istar
A piece of advice I greatly respect is always start where the story or conflict starts. The first chapter sounds a little dull. You may want to start later.
FifthView
Vala
My impression is that you are on the point of her & the ship setting out, but not yet at the point where they enter into combat?
One thing you might do to fill the transition, which will also flesh out setting and character, is find something else beyond the broad ideas of her reputation and the ship's reputation but will nonetheless bear relevance to both of those things.
So for instance, after the ship gets under way, some kind of crew problem or ship problem will become apparent, and these are things she will have to handle in order to maintain the ship/crew. This could be an opportunity to show her general competence while also showing that the ship and crew are either worthy of a good reputation or can be made more reputable (efficient, noble, whatever) through her influence. The possibilities are endless, so I hesitate to make any more specific suggestions.
Since this is early in the novel, you might just want to introduce a hint of the sort of things she'll have to deal with, ship-wise or crew-wise, without actually fully resolving them in the second chapter. I mean, things beyond whatever the main plot will include.
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