Training sequences.

Ten chapters and training is (one of) the most exciting thing happening? You've probably lost me there as a reader. The only time training should be included is when it introduces conflict or a distinct challenge, imo. Unless its quiddich practice, no one wants to read pages and page of repetition and slow progression; there's a reason for the good old montage.

So I guess no, I don't enjoy training sequences for the sake of the training.

 

Well, it sounds like you might have too many training sequences. I think if you kept them down to 2 or 3, it might work ok. You definitely need to make sure the story flows. If you are sensing a slowdown in action, the reader will definitely feel it. You may need to trim down some of the chapters. I could see a beginning training scene, showing his inexperience, maybe one middle one, and one later when he has essentially mastered it.

10 chapters of calm? I think you need to find some conflict somehow, somewhere. It could be personality conflicts, or whatever. Good luck!

 

Ok, I've been doing the same thing for all the reasons you've stated, though perhaps in fewer chapters which, like the others, I would recommend. You mentioned character development which can greatly improve any scene in my view as a reader. I gave my protag a sparring partner as well as a mentor for his training scenes, which allowed me to develop a kind of friendly rivalry between them, as well as the possibility of future romantic interest.

To repeat what others have said, try to keep the training sequences as un-repetative as you can. Show him training his mind as much as his body, maybe he ends up talking to his mentor in the process about killing or something? Maybe make it so the training is one of the few oppertunities he gets to spend time with one of the characters? If done well then that could mean the readers might look forward to it as well.

If you feel the story is lagging and you've gone ten chapters with little actual action, thats not good. Personally I try to not have any more than 3 or 4 passive chapters in a row, and its still an effort to write, because passive chapters require very subtle working. See if you can work some of the sublots in. Maybe he finds a letter to one of his friends, and isn't sure how to interperet it? Does he bump into a familiar face in a crowded market? Hear a scream coming from beneath the town streets? Get seduced by an elf ?

Hope I was some help anyway.

 

Okay, that struck my funny bone for some reason. Note to self: "If narrative begins to drag, have somebody get seduced by a random elf."

:Laugh:

 

Like in real life, learning something new is fun, repeating it over, and over is boring.

Break training up if you can. Again, like in real life, if you focus on it too long, it gets boring.

Training is a good way to educate your reader as much as your character, but in small doses.

Think of someone writing about modern day school, they don't go through the classes all day. They hit the interesting classes,
have some secondary event happen while at school, or make school secondary to the action.

Don't lock yourself into endless training, most students find something to take their minds off of learning when they aren't in class.

 

I am reading Kristen Britain's Green Rider series and I think she writes training sessions really well. Each one advances the story further, sometimes by getting interrupted by something important, or there is a crutial interraction between two or more characters (sometimes including a romantic interest). There is also a very good reason for the MC to be training in the first place, which I think is often overlooked by some authors.

You are right to want to show progression in the character's skill as it is very frustrating to read about a farm hand who is suddenly a swordmaster.

Just like what others have said, keep the training sessions, but make sure that each one shows progression as well as some action (physical or otherwise) with the characters involved. Good luck!

 

If those four chapters cover a span of time in which the character is training, but other (more interesting) things happen in that time, there's nothing wrong with that. (Keep in mind that 90% of Harry Potter chapters take place during school, but even during those chapters, for the most part we're seeing other adventures, not classroom time.)

But if you're demonstrating all the ways they're learning for four chapters... that's almost certain to be boring.

 

You'll know if a seductive elf comes along in my story that I'm running out of ideas .

 

I'd apply the rule of three here:

First somewhat detailed training session, the character 'falls flat' or fails miserably.

Second somewhat detailed training session, he does better, but still has some flaws that need working out.

The last one, he aces it.

And - Keep them short.

Cut all the others except for occasional references in conversation: "Did you see what happened to Fred?" "Oh man, I don't think I'll ever walk right again after that workout." that sort of thing.