So I am working on book four and I am trying to write this chapter. The problem with the chapter is it is a travel chapter, so at the close of the previous chapter my characters are at location A, and I need them to get to location B so they can do something at that location. So the chapter needs to tell a little about why they are going to this new location, and get them there. Well I have been struggling with it because frankly, its boring.
At a round a thousand words... it does not hold attention but I could not fix it no matter what I did to it.
So when this happens to me I have a way out... I stop writing and go watch TV. Currently I am finishing up Dr. Who (just have the 2011 Christmas Special left), started watching Heroes and currently reading a very good suspense book called Relentless that has an X-Men kind of feel to it. While doing that I do not think at all about my book... and then it hit me in the shower "Its to flipping long, cut it back to a paragraph or two and move on" so I sit down and start working that out when the real problem hits me... the characters would never do what I have them doing! Duh! That is why it does not work. I have them being stupid, and they are not stupid. So fixing the chapter by cutting it the whole plot line and working a new angle.
The thing is... I could not see that till I left the story and watched/read other peoples work. I do not understand why that works, but it typically does. How about anyone else? That work for you?