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Keeping it interesting

Caged Maiden

Staff
Article Team
I've recently went back to a novel I wrote in 2009. In the scheme of things, I wouldn't call it a long time ago, but I'm noticing that for whatever reason, the story itself feels a little... uninspiring. I mean, I like the story, and the concept is both engaging and entertaining, but the style... leaves a lot to be desired.

Is that something other people struggle with? I find when I write short stories or scenes, they are much stronger than when I am trying to connect the individual scenes together. Is there a sort of secret to keeping it interesting? I'm stuck right now in a scene where a secret comes out, and one person is ashamed about it, because he didn't want the other person to k now it. She simply walks away right now, while he's hanging his head, and a short time later he approaches her and tries to apologize and it becomes a conflict of medium proportion.

The alternative would be if when the secret comes out she, I don't know, chucks something at his head and tells him how she can't believe what she's hearing.

I guess I'm torn between the subtlety and realism of the dramatic approach, and the excitement and unpredictability of the fired-up response.

I avoid making characters look like hysterical nuts, but on the other hand, I do want them to be passionate people. Any advice would be helpful. I could post some scenes I am concerned about if it would be helpful.
 

Jon_Chong

Scribe
Posting the scene in question would definitely help because right now I'm getting a lot of vague signals that makes it hard to comment. As to the original question, "How to make things interesting" uhm... I'm not sure to be honest. A lot of that hinges on what you mean by interesting and interesting is a relative matter. It's especially bad if we're reading our own work. A professor once told me, "We are our own worst judges" and I believe him in that. Especially when I read some of my older works.
 
I agree that it's a little difficult to give a good response without being able to read the text, or at least have a better idea of what's going on. I do think, however, that alot of times, the more conflict among the major characters, the better. Although you do want to keep it as realistic as possible, so it would depend alot on each characters' traits; how they react in different situations. Maybe, as the one character walks away, the other responds angrily, and then later feels bad about his/her reaction and talks to the person about it. Just a thought.
 

Rikilamaro

Inkling
Well, I think I know exactly what you're talking about. You can post some samples if you'd like, but let me just say that for me it's often the fact that I've written the scene that makes it less riveting. I know what I meant, I can see what the characters are doing and how they're responding. It's like a movie that I've seen too many times to hold my attention anymore. Usually a break from that story will help, or a fresh pair of eyes on it.

Is this one I have to read? If so, tell which scene and I'll pay attention to excitability when I get there. :)
 

Penpilot

Staff
Article Team
I used to... err... I have these problems too. Writing short stories are easier in certain respects because you can see the big picture of how the tiny bits fit together to move the plot along so you can focus more on making the journey to the end more colorful.

A novel length work his huge compared to a short story with multiple plots threads being advanced in each scene, so it's pretty hard to keep it all in your head like you can with a short story. So most of the effort goes into keeping the scenes focused and on track to move the plot along but it's at the cost of not being able to deal with the interesting bits right away.

Most of my scenes start off a little bland in the first draft, but with each pass I make, I learn more about the characters and the world and I start to add things and put the characters in more interesting places and situations. Sometimes I'll have a scene I thought was pretty cool when I first wrote it, but after a few passes, I realize it's only interesting on the surface level. And as I dig deeper the scene gets torn apart and is almost nothing like the original when I'm done. The only remaining constants are how the scene moves certain plots forward.

For me, the interesting starts to come out after I figure out what the scene means within the context of the whole story, what does it mean to the characters involved and what it's trying to express.

It's kind of hard to articulate. Does that make any sense?
 

Devor

Fiery Keeper of the Hat
Moderator
I've recently went back to a novel I wrote in 2009. In the scheme of things, I wouldn't call it a long time ago, but I'm noticing that for whatever reason, the story itself feels a little... uninspiring. I mean, I like the story, and the concept is both engaging and entertaining, but the style... leaves a lot to be desired.

I've had that happen a lot. In one case specifically, I know matter-of-factly that the material that I've written is generally good and was well-received, but I can't keep myself from criticizing it. I've just gotten too close to it to see it clearly. In other cases, I know it's garbage, but I can't figure out why or what I should do about it.


I find when I write short stories or scenes, they are much stronger than when I am trying to connect the individual scenes together. Is there a sort of secret to keeping it interesting?

I'll use the word bridge, you need to find a way to bridge the two scenes. If I had to give you a formula for making it interesting, it would be to open the bridge with a character reflecting on, reacting to the scene. Then they do something because of it, until finally they're ready for the next scene.

So . . .

"I hate you!" she screamed, and ran out of the door.

While she rushed down the hall and back to her room, she couldn't help but feel bad because of what she had said. Sure, she meant it, and Jasmine deserved it, but did it have to be said? Now the fighting would continue, and there was going to be more crying because of all of this. It wasn't worth it. Even if it was justified, she was going to swallow her anger until she no longer felt it. It wasn't worth feeling.

She spent an hour settling herself, reading through old diary entries one by one over a pint of ice cream. Every time she read a passage which made her angry, she decided afresh that she didn't want to feel that anger anymore and let it go. Maybe this would work, but there was only way to know for sure.

Finally she put away the book and walked back to Jasmine's room. She knocked on the door. When it opened, she was sure.

"Jasmine, I don't hate you."


I just made that up. But you can see the three elements of the bridge which I was talking about. Just one simple writing formula, to give you a perspective for thinking about it.
 
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Caged Maiden

Staff
Article Team
It's kind of hard to articulate. Does that make any sense?

Yes it does. That's very helpful. I am pretty much against making every confrontation explosive, just because I don't think real people act like that, going nuts at the drop of a hat. I mean, don't get me wring, these characters do have some pretty interesting knock-down drag-outs, but this particular scene is more about disappointment and feeling deep shame than about exploding into anger... and that's how I like it, but do readers want to see something more? How do I step it up a little... or even determine whether I need to? I'm going to post the scene in question so I can get some feedback.
 

Caged Maiden

Staff
Article Team
Okay, thanks for looking this over for me. While any comments are welcome, my particular concern was whether it was dramatic enough. I don't want this confrontation to be explosive and hysterical, but one of disappointment and shame. The two characters have been held in a dungeon and tortured because a crazy guy thinks she's able to open a magical crypt. She's never heard of it, and doesn't believe she is who he's looking for, and Logan who was captured with her, broke them out of the dungeon after she'd been brutally assaulted and raped.

Okay here's the passage. Sorry it's a little choppy, I had to edit out stuff so it all fit on one post.
http://mythicscribes.com/forums/showcase/3188-sayan-soul-chapter-7-a.html
 
I don't think real people act like that, going nuts at the drop of a hat.

You should meet my first wife...

On one level, it will always come down to personal taste and the extent to which your natural voice resonates for readers, but on a more important craft level, keeping it interesting is all about how you control the drip feed of information.

This is something it took me a while to discover, but once I hit on the formula I quickly learned to do it naturally. The unfolding of a plot is all about raising questions in the reader's mind - occasionally giving them answers - but every time you give an answer, you raise another question. Learn how to end every scene in a way which both answers and raises a question, and you will have a 'page turner' on your hands.
 
You should meet my first wife...

That's hilarious! I'm sorry for laughing if it is actually true, and painful. But I've had ex's that were that same way... completely psycho.

As far as your last paragraph, that's great advice. I never thought in that way before; what information to allow the reader, at what time, and to raise more questions with the new information, giving them a thirst for more. To actively think in those terms would make for a much more intriguing story. Thanks for the info!
 
This is why it is so important to have your story all mapped out before you start to seriously generate prose. Don't believe anyone who tries to tell you it's OK to just write and see where it takes you.

I'll tell you where it won't take you...to any decent publishing house.
 
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