Hi all. Does anyone else start to thing their story-line is becoming boring because it has to be read over and over? I read it several times to edit and correct typo's if it's needed. But the more I read it the more boring the story seems to become, then I begin to think if it's boring to me how would it seem to someone else reading it? I understand other people haven't read it and it would be new to them, but I need to be able to edit and correct without feeling like this. Help.
Hi Elise. I have that feeling too, and I'm only at the outlining stage! I think I have become so conditioned to what my novel is about, that I am becoming a little bit de-sensitised.
I was, however, encouraged when last week I listened to Desert Island Discs when the author Jane Garden was the guest. At the end of her time on the Desert Island she was asked what two bits of advice she would give to an author who was struggling. She gave two bits of advice. Firstly, that we all think we write rubbish, and that we should believe in ourselves, because it's actually a lot better than we fear. Her second piece of advice was to read widely of other authors, and other genres.
I was greatly heartened by this, and it has spurred me on to much greater productivity and energy.
I'm also now limiting my writing time to four hours per day: two and a bit hours in the morning, and the remainder in the evening. I was simply getting too obsessed about it, and now feel in a much better (and more productive) place than before.
Hope this helps, fellow scribbler.