Those pesky boring moments

by Rose

Question: How do you pass through those parts in your story when nothing particular is going on? For instance if your character is alone during a trip from one town to the next, what is the main character supposed to do or supposed to be thinking during the trip when nothing else is going on? How do you keep the story entertaining?

Thanks for all of your help!

Answer: The short answer is that you cut those parts. You simply go from the end of the previous scene to the scene after the train trip. Include a brief explanation to set the stage, something like "The next day, Bob got off the train in London and took a taxi to the office."

There is no reason whatsoever to include a scene that is boring or pointless. The most basic rule in writing is to include what is necessary to the story and nothing else.

Now, if your character makes an importat decision or has a revelation on the train, or if something important happens on the train, that's a different story.