I’ve spent a few hours…

I've spent a few hours today re-reading Part II of the novel. There's all sorts of great scenes in here, character-developing, rich in setting, even poignant -- that don't actually contribute to any kind of interesting plot arc. Argh. I think they just need to be cut. My poor babies. This doesn't happen when I write short stories. I'm not sure I have the heart to be a novelist.