I've recently started writing on my novel again. Last night I was editing and polishing a scene I'd written when I realized I wasn't sure it was actually needed. Nothing that happens in the scene moves the story forward or has any outcome on how the story will end.
It does add a bit of detail to the world and it adds some depth to one of my side characters. I can reference this scene later on in a conversation about said side character so it can be said that it adds some depth to the story, but strictly speaking, it's not actually needed.
Bearing this in mind I still continued working on it until I was happy with how it turned out.
Now, my question isn't whether to cut it or not, my question is how do you act in a situation like this? Do you keep working on it until it's done or do you stop and move on to another, more important, scene?
My reasoning for sticking with the scene is that it's easier to have it done and cut it than it is to go back and put it back in later on. If I find that when my story is done there is enough depth of world and character I can cut it out easily, but if I need to add more depth of world and character later on, then that's not as easy.
Does that make sense to you? How do you feel about it?
It does add a bit of detail to the world and it adds some depth to one of my side characters. I can reference this scene later on in a conversation about said side character so it can be said that it adds some depth to the story, but strictly speaking, it's not actually needed.
Bearing this in mind I still continued working on it until I was happy with how it turned out.
Now, my question isn't whether to cut it or not, my question is how do you act in a situation like this? Do you keep working on it until it's done or do you stop and move on to another, more important, scene?
My reasoning for sticking with the scene is that it's easier to have it done and cut it than it is to go back and put it back in later on. If I find that when my story is done there is enough depth of world and character I can cut it out easily, but if I need to add more depth of world and character later on, then that's not as easy.
Does that make sense to you? How do you feel about it?