How do you make yourself write the boring parts?

Question

It's hard to write my story. I know the story in my head but filling in the gaps- the everyday normal stuff that happens in between the big scenes- is difficult. I need to do a lot more to build the connection between my character and the reader but really all I want to do is hurry up and get to "the good part" of the story. How do you writers out there summon the motivation to get it done when you are faced with the less exciting parts of your work?

Thanks for the replies so far. I guess I shouldn't use the word "boring". I don't mean that I expect them to be boring to read. It's just that I already know that what is coming up is really exciting so it's hard to write the set-up. I get impatient. But the set up could very well be the most important part of the story.

I'd love to get more input... keep it coming please!

Answer 1

I know what you mean by "boring parts", but they are as important as the "good parts" of the story. I tell myself that if my readers don't understand what's happening, or why its happening, or (worst of all) if they don't care that it's happening, my "good parts" will fizzle.

HBJ

Answer 2

Oh, I am SO in that boat right now.

I have 4 or 5 major events that happen, but getting the inbetween is the hard part.

I find it's easiest if I try not to dwell on every moment of their life. For example, in my story, which takes place over one school year, I spend one chapter with the girl on her first day of school, visiting her classes and getting to know the new school. the next event is not until october... and it's a party, so I simply say, at the beginning of my next chapter.... "Jessica could not believe how quickly her first month of school few by. Highschool classes were harder than she thought but she was lucky to have very interesting classes. Studying was fun, but tiring. She was so excited when she arrived at school to find an invitation stuffed into her locker".

And go from there, simply and very quickly going over her preperations for the party. I might spend a little extra time on the fun part of picking out her dress... for the most part though, I don't go into full blown "point of view" mode until I get to the night of the party.

It's part of the deal. To write the good stuff you need to get through the harder stuff. I find the explantion parts of my stories the hardest part. Getting details of information out without having it should like a character is reading from a book.... tough.

Good luck on your story

Answer 3

You could go ahead and write down the exciting scene on a different piece of paper to get it out of your head, then go back and fill in the rest. I know how you feel though--that ALWAYS happens to me and my stories. I think it would be easier to write down the exciting stuff first--it has helped when I have done that.

Answer 4

I have two answers. One is LANGUAGE. I explore the mundane details with the most poetic and visual language I can. Even if you edit out some of the descriptive passages in your final version, you will have made yourself think about the interesting possibilities in the "dull" sections. The second answer is strange...but true. My characters often take over. They wake me at night and make me get up and write. They take over the keyboard. They show me the colors in the most colorless scenes.

Answer 5

I find it no more boring than reading those parts. Actually, you can make even the "boring" scenes exciting. In your favorite books that you read, how does the author handle the boring scenes. Those authors can inspire you to write those types of scenes.

Answer 6

After writing basic story few pages, go back and try to come up with as much creative word use and metaphors and symbolism as you can. It's hard but as you occasionally hit pay dirt it kind of like getting best answer occasionally it fires up creative juices, plus use to stop writing at interesting part. It made it lot easier to start writing again. Mega thanks to person that invented word processing.

Answer 7

You aren't supposed to write any boring parts. Why would anyone read that? If you're not interested in what you're writing about, then you can't expect your readers to be interested either.

Answer 8

because you know that if you don't then the exciting parts either won't happen of won't make sense.