Ashley Wood asked Shannon Messenger:

I feel kind of bad asking another question, but here I go. I'm stumped on adding "fillers" you could say, to my book. I don't want to make it fast paced, but I don't want it to be boring either. Do you have a method to get your imagination working? (By the way, thanks for answering my last question! I was super excited! :) )

Shannon Messenger Aw, you don't have to feel bad asking another question. I don't mind, so long as readers are patient with me as they wait for me to answer. :)

But I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "fillers" because the way I'd define the term--it's not really something I'd ever want to have in my books. It sort of implies something that's just there to fill a space, and that's basically a ticket to be boring. Something should only be in your book if it adds something unique and important to the story--that goes for settings, characters, backstory details, on and on and on. If they aren't furthering the plot, you need to either find a way to tie them in--or cut them. And only you the writer knows which is best.

But maybe that's not what you mean by fillers. Sorry if it isn't.

As for how to get my imagination going--fortunately that's not something I have to really work at. My imagination has always been incredibly overactive. But sometimes I do have to brainstorm sometimes, and I do it by playing the "What if" game, which basically means just constantly asking myself, "What if thing X happens?"

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