Writing the boring part to get to the exciting part

​I’ve been working on my WIP for a few months now (I only write once a week so my WIPs always take a long time) and I’ve hit that place. The part that makes me sneer and think, Ugh and argh!
 
The Boring Part. 
 
I don’t know if other writers experience this. Maybe it’s just me. Is the Boring Part a Thing? Or just something I’ve made up? 
 
See, in order to move my story forward and get my characters where they need to be, they have to have certain conversations and do certain things. If they don’t the story won’t make sense.
 
But y’all, I’m just not into these two chapters that have to happen. 
 
I think the problem is that I know what’s going to happen next. 
 
Action! Fight scenes! Passion! 
 
But none of this can occur without what I’ve written during my past two sessions. Not gonna lie, both sessions were tedious. I found myself staring off into space or at my screen or wondering what everyone on Twitter was doing rather than writing.
 
After contemplating the nature of the universe, I did manage to get something down. I’m not sure it’s any good, but at least the words are on the page (or rather, in the Word doc) and I can move forward. I still have one more Boring Chapter to write before I can get to what I’m excited about, but next session I’ll be stepping back from my current WIP to start editing my romance novella. 
 
I’m thinking of it as a reward for getting through the Boring Part. 
 
It’s Journaling Time!
 
Last week I talked about my much-needed reset. In addition to taking other concrete steps toward better mental health, I decided to start journaling.
 
You’d think as a writer I wouldn’t have a problem putting pen to paper and pouring out my thoughts. But for me, journaling is much different than writing fiction. I haven’t kept a journal since I was in high school. During undergrad I simply didn’t have time. Then I graduated, got a “real job” and thought of myself as an adult and what adult keeps a damn diary?
(I had a lot of opinions about What It Means to Be an Adult in my 20s, most of which I’ve since discarded as patriarchal, capitalistic garbage.)
 
I’m finding it very difficult to be honest with myself when I write in my journal but I’m really trying. I’ve only got two entries so far, but after almost two decades of keeping everything inside I’m back to journaling. 
 
A Thing I Enjoyed This Week
 
I went out. To a happy hour. To one of my favorite bars. With a friend. (Yes, we’re both fully vaccinated.)
 
That’s it. That’s the Thing I Enjoyed This Week. 
 
Happy rest of the weekend, y’all!