Could I somehow salvage this?

I have a scene that I am feeling wishy-washy about. It concerns the 2 good main characters going to confront the gang boss, but I don't feel like it fits right. What should I do?

 

Reilly, we've talked about this. I need you to state a question concerning your plot, not give sections of your WIP for members to critique and pick apart.

 

This, in my mind at least, is a question concerning if I should keep and modify this or if I should scrap it completely. Sorry, if this is against the rules I apologize and will edit the OP.

Edit: Edited the OP so its more like a question and less like a critique request.

 

You know your book better than anyone else. What do you think you should do? Now go do whatever you think is best for your book.

 

Okay, I'm still unsure what to do, but I will think about it and come up with a decision. Thanks.

 

There are certain decisions about your writing that only you can make. My own experience is that if something I've written or am about to write doesn't "feel right", it probably isn't. And my advice is to go for a good long walk, or run, or bike ride, or swim, or whatever you do to relax and clear your mind, and think it through. Why doesn't it feel right? Is it unrealistic? Out of character? Not plausible in the fictional world you are creating? You have to identify the problem before you can fix it.

Good luck.

 

I will follow your advice, thanks. You just gave me a new writing technique.

 

Try this. Get three different colored highlighters (I use green, yellow, and red). Read the scene. Color the stuff that you feel is good, green. The horrible stuff red. And the stuff that needs to be reworked - yellow.

File away the green stuff for another piece.
Try and rework the yellow until it is either green or red.
Toss the red.

 

Why would you file away the good stuff for another piece, instead of using it for the current piece...?

 

Because sometimes I have been forced to admit that far too much of the work is red and while I keep the work for reference, and respect for the characters, it is beyond salvageable as a commercial piece or even a successful piece for my personal collection.

 

Hard to give anything definitive without knowing more, but in my writing classes, we were encouraged, "if in doubt, cut it out."

If you're uncertain about its place in your piece, is your audience likely to feel the same way?

 

You really need to start writing for yourself. Just let it sit there if you're unsure, and if you're using a digital tool cross it over for later. There are no holes in unwoven cloth.