Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Tuesday's Inspiration -- Alfred Hitchcock


When I read this quote from Alfred Hitchcock, I was reminded of reading some stories for a competition. "Drama is life with the dull bits cut out."

Sometimes when one is writing, they get on a roll and start writing. The character gets out of bed and eats breakfast and goes to the office and they does their work. You get the idea. Every detail of the day is there but usually this is boring material and sends the reader into yawns. I'm often guilty of this and when I start editing I start looking at passages like this and must decide what to cut.

Thre is another part to this and that's not putting in the details. I'm working on a story right now and I've come across important scenes that are just sketches and must be re-written. What I need to discover when I'm writing is what bits of the story are dull and what are vital.

How about you? Do you find your stories need the dull parts cut out or put in? Just keep this quote in mind when you're writing. "Drama is life with the dull parts cut out." Alfred Hitchcock.

1 comment:

Juliet Waldron said...

Janet, this is so true. I'm bogged in the early stages of a WIP now and I just can't seem to get my characters to do anything except bore me...