Seconding Dee. There will always be parts of a novel that are equivalent to scene-shifting in the theatre: more functional than thrilling. In fact, yes, you need these breathers. But there should always be a good, solid purpose for them - they should be really necessary, and if they are, the reader won't find them boring. Apart from anything, it's amazing how much scene-shifting seems necessary in the early drafts, when you're working out what happens yourself: later you'll often see you can just do a jump-cut to the next important bit. As Dee says, as the writer you're not always the best placed to judge whether they are or not. Yet again, reading aloud can make you hear it afresh, and so can putting it away for a while... At least till your hangover's gone.

Emma

LOL, Emma!

Thanks, Emma. I shall try it out on my group in a few weeks' time. I think it's necessary but I am at a point where I can't see the forest for the trees.

Sharon
x

fantastic advice on this thread. I have a list of things i must do to my MS. Sentence structure, weather, timeline etc. And i will do each one in turn. I think what many 'writers' don't realise when they begin (me included) that a finished MS is only the beginning of the finishing process. My list keeps growing, but as i am really struggling with the synopsis, i've probably got forever, cuase it feels like i will never get it written.

As for reading out loud, i would say it is vital. My poor husband is getting sick of it hence why i downloaded a speech to text program (just type into google there are 3 or 4), but even reading it to yourself is hugely beneficial.

Good luck Casey, it'll all be worth it in the end.

Juliet

a finished MS is only the beginning of the finishing process.

Yup. I realised that when I type The End, I have to quote Churchill: "This is not the beginning of the end, but it is the end of the beginning."

Thanks Juliet, and the best of luck with yours.

Great quote, emma

Casey

I was typing away the other day and my fingers slipped. This box came up in the bottom right of my screen and a voice started talking. Something to do with reading text aloud. It disappeared again before I knew what it was.

I have no idea what I pressed or anything - does it mean I have this facilty on my pc?

If not, I like the sound of it, can anyone recommend something that can read my work out to me?

Katerina x

Hi, I couldn't remember where people were discussing this, but I downloaded a free reader program which is quite good:
http://www.writewords.org.uk/forum/51_153941.asp
for the details.