Friday, October 14, 2011

Friday Round-Up - #178


We've all been there. Inspiration rains down on us, and we start the future bestseller. Somewhere along the line, our writing seems flat and even boring.

Gail Gaymer Martin, of Writing Right, gives suggestions on how to get the story moving again.

Writers: What methods do you use to get your story off life support?

Readers: What makes you lose interest in a book?


Have a blessed weekend!

10 comments:

Unknown said...

You have a great weekend too! :)

God bless and keep you,
Sonia

Wendy Paine Miller said...

I usually do one of two things add another character or make the conflict even more punishable for my MC.
~ Wendy

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Sonia - Thanks! Always nice to see you.

Hi Wendy - Great suggestions! I've added more characters and sometimes a subplot to prop up a sagging middle. :)

Blessings,
Susan

quietspirit said...

Susan:
When I found myself thinking my novels were becoming boring to me. I stopped writing them and went back to other facets of the craft.

Have a blessed weekend, yourself.

Anonymous said...

I need Gail's post today! Sometimes reading a book in a similar genre, or a blog post, gets me writing again. As a reader, repetitiveness can make me lose interest in a book. Or too much foreshadowing dulling the suspense.

Jaime Wright said...

I'm with Wendy on this one ... I typically try to up the ante and torture my main character. >:)

Karen Lange said...

I lose interest sometimes if the writing isn't that great, or I can't get into the story.

Have a great weekend!
Blessings,
Karen

Jan Cline said...

Something has to HAPPEN in each chapter to keep me reading. Or at least begin to happen.

Blessings, Susan
Jan

Susan J. Reinhardt said...

Hi Quiet Spirit - It's good to switch gears now and then. A couple of times each year, I submit to devotional publishers.

Hi Lynn - That's interesting - too much foreshadowing. You identified the problem I had with a recent book. The author gave out too much information.

Hi Jaime - LOL! I've seen authors put their characters through so much that I wanted to tell them to please stop.

Hi Karen - A story that doesn't take off in the first chapter spells trouble. Pacing is important.

Hi Jan - Hooking the reader keeps those pages turning.

Blessings,
Susan :)

Kristen said...

Hi Susan!
One thing I do when I'm stuck and don't know what to do, is I start editing backward. I will start with my last chapter and go through it. Then the next to last, and so on. I guess it just gives me a different way of looking at the story. I never go through the whole manuscript like this because inevitably I'll recognize that I left that thread hanging, or this character needs more fleshing out and I'll go back to correct it, and that gets the juices flowing again.
I hope you have a fantastic Sunday!!
Kristen