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Skip Writing the Boring Parts
  • By : Rob Sturtz

Skip Writing the Boring Parts
“Skip the boring parts”
~Elmore Leonard

Today I want to share with you something I used to tell writers who attended my writing workshops: don’t write anything that bores you. If you’re not excited or fascinated by what you’re writing, your reader won’t be either.

Great writing pushes the story forward, reveals key information in a fascinating way, or furthers our understanding of a character.

Cut out the Boring Scenes

If you are bored by what you are writing, your reader will be as well.
If you don’t want to write a scene because it’s not exciting to you, it will not be exciting to your readers.

So don’t bother writing it.

Figure out a way to get that information across in a scene that you’re excited to write.

No one wants to read about the girl on the train thinking about her backstory for 10 pages.

So how do you get this vital backstory info across?

Start the book when she gets off the train to start her new life, and sprinkle the backstory in throughout the next few scenes as e see what’s going to happen that forces her into action.

Whenever you find yourself having large chunks of backstory, see if you can find a more clever way to disperse the backstory through action or dialogue later on, and as you fill in the important backstory, delete it from your big narrative chunk.

Just don’t fall prey to the “as you know, Bob”.  If the character ever has to say “as you know” then they shouldn’t say it. Find a different way to get it across, through an inside joke, a knowing glance, or another way of getting the info across.

I hope you find this writing tip useful. Sometimes what we think is writers’ block is actually just us not being excited to write the next scene. So don’t write it! Find a better way to move your story forward.

Good luck and happy writing!

ProLiteracy’s Great American Book Sale will Support Adult Literacy Programs in Need

Since the pandemic began, adult literacy programs across the United States have struggled to connect with students remotely. Programs have cited that they are in desperate need of training, books, and digital/print curricula.

ProLiteracy, SPBC’s nonprofit partner organization, will hold the first Great American Book Sale September 21 through 27, 2020. The virtual sale will bring together a variety of literary genres and authors for a unique shopping experience. Autographed books will be available for sale from authors such as Nora Roberts, Michael Connolly, and many more. All proceeds will benefit the Literacy Relief Fund, which will give adult literacy programs access to both digital and print learning materials.

Shop in the comfort of your own home for yourself, or start your holiday shopping early beginning on September 21 by visiting www.greatamericanbooksale.org.

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