Ten things to do when you've gotten bored with your novel

[limyaael]

This one won by a huge margin, by which I conclude that a) a lot of people have gotten bored with their novels in the past, b) a lot of people think they might get bored with their novels now or in the future, or c) a lot of people want to be pointlessly entertained.

Comments

[tiferet]

I think I love you.

And Liuterin thanks you from the bottom of her black little heart.

[pariyal]

I know I love you.

[limyaael]

*grin* Thank you.

[fadethecat]

*slogs diligently through two different stories*

I'm trying to juggle four plot threads at once in one story, and I'm currently trying to actually explain how a bunch of them are connecting up. Which is...damn boring. But I shall perservere.

Or, y'know, toss in more celestial-form smut, because that's always entertaining.

[limyaael]

That's why I generally prefer action scenes for explanation, of the "Ohmygod, he's a traitor and he's moving now!" variety. I don't like exposition scenes, so I tend not to write them well.

another suggestion

[gyes]

When all else fails then just write whatever non-sense you can come up with. It won't make much sense at the time, but if you re-read it in a few days you should be able to figure out why you couldn't continue and how to prevent the same problems from popping up again. This works remarkably well for me, but obviously YMMV.

[robling_t]

No, a book can’t be all sex scenes, even if that’s what you like to write the most.

{as everyone in the room turns around to glare at Laurell K Hamilton...} :)

[ladylight]

Don't forget Chris Bunch. ;P

[madwriter]

>>...from scenes preceded by clues like “He knew that he wanted to touch her, but he didn’t know why.”<<

Heh. I never found this believable. When I want to touch "her" I always know why. >:)

Unless you're thirteen or you've lived in the woods or a cave your whole life, wanting to make physical contact with someone (or somesuch similar situation) will always have one or another familiar reason, urging, or longing behind it. Just because the person is in a book doesn't change this bit of human reality.

[limyaael]

Yep. This is the point at where authors seem to look at what other writers have written before them and just borrow it without considering whether or not it fits. Maybe everyone else has written "He had a flutter in his stomach, but dismissed it as nerves," but that doesn't mean that it fits the character or the situation, and that doesn't mean it's funny or clever anymore.

[madwriter]

>>Maybe everyone else has written "He had a flutter in his stomach, but dismissed it as nerves," but that doesn't mean that it fits the character or the situation, and that doesn't mean it's funny or clever anymore.<<

Much better, though it's sadly becoming cliche too, is a variation of "He had a flutter in his stomach, and thought, 'Oh crap, I really was hoping I wouldn't feel this way about anyone again'."

[onyxflame]

Now I want to write something to the effect of:

The moment he met her, he felt his stomach flutter. He thought it was love at first sight, until shortly before he lost consciousness, whereupon he realized it was actually poison.

And for some reason I have a tendency to equate love with gas. Go figure. :P