Writing a scene: the essentials

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A story, whether it is a short story or a novella or a novel, is a collection of scenes, right? So, it follows that, if we get each scene right, we will have a good story.

Hmmm.

Maybe.

But let’s start there. If those scenes are right, we’re on our way to a good story.

So, what makes a scene a good one? All sources I’ve read agree on this one.

It is not a wonderful sentence, although the sentences can be wonderful; it is not wonderful characterisations, although those characterisations can be useful; it is not tension and pace in themselves, although tension and pacing are important.

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The most important thing about a scene is that something must change. The change is not necessarily a plot twist or a dramatic explosion, but it is a shift, a movement, a tilt towards whatever we are aiming for in the bigger story.

It is well-known in writing circles that a scene without a change is just a beautifully written pause button. If nothing changes, it needs to be cut (hence the famous ‘kill your darlings’ expression).

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How do we know that something has changed? When editing, ask yourself, scene by scene:

·       Did anything shift here: emotions, power, knowledge, desire?

·       Did the character learn something new?

·       Did the character lose or gain something?

·       Did the character do something they cannot undo?

Or one simple question:

Did the scene leave the story, i.e. the reader, in a different state than it found them at the beginning of the scene?

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Some examples of shift/change:

·       A character begins the scene angry at their partner but ends up realising this anger is harboured in fear of losing the partner.

·       A detective learns a new detail that changes the entire direction of the case.

·       A student meets with the principal regarding suspension but finds out that the principal is protecting them from a bigger evil.

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A couple of examples from literature:

·       Beloved by T. Morrison – Sethe finds a young woman who calls herself Beloved.  She recognises something impossible in the woman.

·       Hills Like White Elephants by E. Hemingway – A couple wait for a train and talk around an unnamed operation. The power shifts from the woman being submissive to withdrawing from the man and thus withdrawing her submissiveness and need for approval.

·       The Handmaid’s Tale by M. Atwood – Offred is at breaking point when she’s being punished for being insubordinate but gains strength from the message she discovers in the wardrobe.

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How to go about writing a scene? I always tell my students to not worry about anything during the first draft; just write, keep writing till you think you’re done. Everything else comes later. Once the inspiration well is empty, one can start working on each scene.

For each scene, answer the following questions:

1.      Who is the POV character? What do they want right now?

2.      Where is the scene set? Include specifics about the location with two or three sensory details.

3.      What is the initial state? How does the character feel at the start of the scene?

4.      What has changed by the end - emotion, power, knowledge, desire, …

5.      What causes the change - a revelation, a choice, a confrontation, a mistake, a discovery, a shift in tone, ….

6.      Start as close as possible to the shift (yes, delete everything before that)

7.      Introduce friction early on; this is the seed of the change.

8.      Escalate the friction, through dialogue, silence, action, thoughts, …

9.      Show the moment where something changes. This can be new information for the character, or a decision, or a reversal, or a confession, a realisation, a loss or a gain.

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Here are some useful resources that can help with writing scenes:

‍ Story Genius by Lisa Cron – focuses on the internal change driving scenes.

‍ ‍How Fiction Works by James Wood – not scene specific, but it is invaluable for understanding micro moves within scenes (I think this is the best book no one talks about when it comes to writing craft)

‍ ‍Steering the Craft by Ursula K LeGuin – not explicitly discussing scenes but providing excellent exercises that improve sentences and structural elements that make good scenes.

‍ ‍‘How to Write a Scene’ by K. M. Weiland – an excellent breakdown of a scene: https://writenowcoach.com/learn-how-to-structure-your-scenes-in-5-minutes-by-k-m-weiland-kmweiland/

‍ ‍The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donal Maass – helps writers identify when emotional shift is needed.

‍ ‍ Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody – includes scene cards and beat sheets that help track change regarding the overall story/novel.

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