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Q&A I have three dead-end chapters. Should I keep them or remove them?

(Disclaimer: I'm not a writer…) Is it possible that some readers don't see the point of those chapters because they don't have a lasting effect on the story? If so, then the solution may be to gi...

posted 6y ago by gidds‭  ·  last activity 4y ago by System‭

Answer
#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T04:22:17Z (over 4 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/36782
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar gidds‭ · 2019-12-08T04:22:17Z (over 4 years ago)
<sup>(Disclaimer: I'm not a writer…)</sup>

Is it possible that some readers don't see the point of those chapters because they don't have a lasting effect on the story?

If so, then the solution may be to **give** them a lasting effect on the story; most obviously, on the main character.&nbsp; Show her frustration increasing with each failure.&nbsp; Perhaps show some collateral damage that that has on her life outside this particular quest.&nbsp; Or maybe she gains some useful knowledge or experience from each failure, that she can use later.&nbsp; Or you introduce important characters or ideas.

However you do it, I'd suggest making those chapters **necessary** to the story somehow; to reach the point later on where the story would be different (and not as good) had they not happened.&nbsp; That way, readers may come to forgive the lack of progress on the main plot-line.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2018-06-07T14:25:59Z (almost 6 years ago)
Original score: 4