"Fillers" in novels.?

It depends on hpw they use them. Personally, I don't like flashbacks. Unless they are used appropriately, I think that they can be tacky. I think that Meg Cabot does a great job using flashbacks in her book Abandon (I highly recommend the book if you are looking for a fun read,) but many books fail at flashbacks. How would you present it? I tink that it you have a book about a dystopian society, your character could have a dream sequence showing life prior to the fall and then wake up as the world starts to crumble. It would be a good impact. As far as dialogue, you have to be careful. Your character shouldn't be like "So, we went on the journey three years ago and discovered the treasure and rescued the princess. Do you remember?" No one actually talks abou it. It would have to somehow come up in natural conversation, and it would have to be discussed in a way that flows. Don't add filler. Add more scenes that help your plot or flesh out your characters. A cozy scene between a couple may seem unimportant to the plot, but it may actually be important to the story in that it establishes the state of the relationship between the characters and pulls out certain traits. Is the man smoldering or playful? Is the woman easy-going or prudish? You can show you reader these characteristics through these seemingly casual scenes. Also, give your characters challenges. If you character needs to find the magic wand to get onto the next part of the adventure, make something terrible happen just as soon as she is about to get it. Make her work for it.

Ideally, nothing really feels like filler, even if it is. Anything connected to the plot--so flashbacks and dialogues that move the plot forward or better explain characters' motives--wouldn't be considered filler, because the story would suffer if you take those things away. Then, there are A plots and B plots. If you haven't heard these terms, the A plot is the main story, while the B plots are other stories that you are following throughout the course of the novel, but are not the main story. For example, in the first Harry Potter, the A plot is the mystery surrounding the sorcerer's stone, while one of the B plots is the ongoing quidditch tournament. I suppose you might technically call B plots filler, but they add to the story in a significant way--I mean, just imagine Harry Potter without quidditch. So scenes that aren't directly contributing to the A plot are fine, as they are probably contributing to a B plot. If they aren't contributing to the A plot or a B plot, then you may want to take a look at whether you need the scene, as they can slow your story down. Every scene should move your plot (or a B plot) forward, or reveal something important about a character. If it does none of those things, you probably don't need it.

I hope this sort of answers your question, I may have gotten way off track.

Bear in mind that if the author is writing a Series, what looks like something that does not deal with a particular story may deal with the next one. Set ups are definitely permitted in Series. Furthermore, when creating a Character, it is helpful to add a bit at a time so that, over the course of the series, you have a fully rounded character. So what you consider 'filler' is more accurately Exposition.

Fillers are generally a big no-no unless they contribute to the plot somehow or help character development.

So flash-backs are okay. Dialogue which tells something of importance is okay. Anything else could be left out.

Filler is a sin against good writing.

Everything I put in a novel will advance the plot, flesh out characters or enhance the conflict. There is no filler.

I use a simple credo to describe my writing: All killer; no filler.