Keeping It Interesting

We learn lots of stuff by doing things wrong. Unlike most new writers who ask lots and lots of questions before penning one word, I dove right in. A select few are successful that way, but the numbers are minuscule. I watched an old interview with Mike Nichols the other day, and it was clear that every pursuit he undertook was wildly successful on the first try. There might be a handful of people throughout the world for which that happens. Then there are the rest of us.

I was certain I would write a great book, despite having zero experience. I'd never even written a short story, much less a full novel. But I did have an idea. That's all it takes, right? The novel didn't turn out bad, per se, but it wasn't good. Trying to achieve the required word count was daunting, and thus the novel ended up with a lot of filler, unnecessary scenes that added nothing to the story. Worse, they detracted from it. They made the novel drag, and were no doubt frustrating to the (hypothetical) reader.

Now that I've gained more experience, I am always mindful to ensure that each scene I write adds, rather than subtracts from the story. I still sometimes find myself penning scenes that serve no purpose, but now I either delete them or find their purpose. Can this scene lead to something interesting? Or is it a dead end?

I have no idea how outliners work, but I'm making things up as I go, so naturally there will be some false starts. The difference now is that I recognize how these duds will sabotage the story. 

Sadly, avoiding filler isn't a guarantee that a story won't drag, but it's an important rule. Right now I'm struggling with what I fear is "too much story". While I like all the twists and turns I've added, I can't help but wonder if those, too, will doom the book. Rather than a boring read, it could turn into a frustrating one. 

Does a writer, if he does it enough, at some point suddenly "get it"? He no longer second guesses himself? I would love to be in that place. Still, I've taken what I've learned to heart, and filler is one faux pas I am sure to avoid.