Boring Scenes

[CloverReef]

Okay so I've been sitting in the Fresh Hell we all know as writer's block (more like drought) for about a year now. My problem isn't lack of ideas. No, I've got plenty of those. My problem is getting the ideas out. I've started and stopped about a couple dozen fics, and now after googling it for awhile, I've been wondering what people here at AFF think about the subject.

Boring scenes. As a writer, I've had to write many scenes that lack in action or perceivable interest, and there's always been a way to make them interesting. Adding extra emotion, or humor for example. Lately I just can't seem to do it. I'm not really looking for advice - this is a psychological thing and I'll work through it eventually, but I'm curious about your methods.

When you come across a scene that 'feels' boring as you're writing it, what do you do? How do you fix it, what do you add to it, or do you just ditch it altogether? And for you readers out there, what makes a scene really boring to you, and what makes an uneventful scene good/interesting/entertaining?

[Ayato]

Most of the time I write it as is. Yes, it might be boring but sometimes the character and the plot need to have a moment of downtime before more action. If it's all action or excitement, it's easy to get lost.

[BronxWench]

A lot of the time, I'll write past the scene and then go back. Once I've written the post-boring scene bit, sometimes something happens that I can use to go back and liven up my boring bit.

Then again, like Ayato says, sometimes you need the bit of narrative that feels boring to advance the plot.

[Asexual Biped]

As a reader, a scene can be boring if there's little to no description. You don't necessarily need tons of action and excitement, but if you don't at least describe what's going on so that we can paint an mental picture, we'll get lost. There have been many a story that I've dropped because I couldn't figure out what was going on because they had very few details.

As an author, once again, detail. I just go through what I wrote and say 'Do this give a good picture of what's being done?' If not, more detail.

Hope this helps! =3

[CloverReef]

Those are good points. Sufficient detail so readers don't get lost is definitely something a writer needs to keep in mind.

But in those scenes without action and excitement I think it's still important to keep them interesting on a more subtle level. It might just be me, I don't know. I feel like if it's boring to write, it'll interrupt the flow of the story and bog it down. Like they're an opportunity to showcase a character's personlity, or sexual tension, or even some non-sexual intimacy. (forgive me if I'm not making sense, I'm on painkillers atm)

[Concepcion33]

I think I am guilty of skipping writing boring scenes if I think they don't advance the storyline and then merely make mention of it as a flashback if I feel it is necessary to tie everything together. Everyone's opinion is different but if you as the writer feel the scene is boring then it would be difficult for others to find them interesting.

[Hairyhaggis]

wording! words that lack character sit plainly on the page. By adding words like zonked, shoogled, belted (as in singing), splodge or colours the page comes alive - the horse ran red streams down its side as it lay on the crisp green grass. The vet looked down. His feet squelched as he moved closer to examine the poor beast.

[Lisbet_Adair]

I have a fic I'm currently writing that had a lot more exposition and character backstory in the original first draft, but I felt that it detracted from what I was trying to pace a short erotic fic. Now I realise there was some really useful information in those scenes, so I have to keep a note of what I haven't mentioned so far lest people get confused; however I accept that those scenes just slowed the pace. I kept them in a first draft just in case I want them for another similar story later.

[reriddle]

Oh dear dead god I absolutely hate writing those boring scenes! Those scenes that are neccessary to the plot and development but are dry as the desert to write. I have great difficulty writing those unless I have already written the exciting part of the story and even then the going back to rework the boring part drags and is uncoopertive.

[Lisbet_Adair]

A lot of the time, I'll write past the scene and then go back. Once I've written the post-boring scene bit, sometimes something happens that I can use to go back and liven up my boring bit.

Then again, like Ayato says, sometimes you need the bit of narrative that feels boring to advance the plot.

I quite agree. I write past, go back and redraft later. Sometimes I get a flash where I know how to bring it all together.

[Shadowknight12]

Usually, when I think a scene is boring, I introduce a complication that ensures the scene progresses the plot/character development/etc as it is meant to do, but in a much more interesting way.

One of such events, for example, has led to a character revealing they had poisoned every other character in the story. Long story short, he failed, but boy, that made the story a lot more interesting.

[Ajwf]

I don't write scenes I don't like. I just think of ideas on how to throw a wrench in my own plot and then work around it. Adding mental challenges to figure out how to overcome a problem you didn't even figure to add in is kinda fun.

Also, if needed, write the scene just blandly and lightly... Then add text every three or four lines at least... Make a conversation between two people that has no point whatsoever other than to add character depth...