In this week’s blog we’ll continue to build a scene, first discussed in Summary or Scene? Love Your Fiction’s Forms.
Key Terms for Discussions of Scene Craft
Scene: The story shows us what happens. Taking place in real time, it generally has dialogue or interior thought if the character is alone.
Summary: The story tells us what happened. Used to highlight story events, remind the readers of important information, or give background. Can be interwoven into a scene or used to transition between scenes.
Sequel: A kind of scene in which the character reflects on events, processes them, and may decide on a future course of action.
Conflict: Confrontation between character’s plan for reaching a goal and some obstacle. Problems to overcome.
Tension: Threat of conflict. Creates suspense and evokes reader emotion.
Goals: Wants, needs, desires, and drives. Characters, stories, and scenes have them.
Point of View (POV) Character: Generally, the reader experiences the scene from someone’s perspective.
My Scene Card
I at least think about the following questions before I begin writing a scene and refer to them as the characters tell their story. Features of the scene may change in the process. Using the scene card in the editing stage helps me ensure everyone is hitting their marks. Writers Write, an excellent blog and resource website, inspired this idea for me.
Scene Title
I give the scene a descriptive title, especially for a novel. Although unlikely to appear in the eventual book, this practice helps me keep track of the 80+ scenes that will comprise the story.
Example: Luke and Vader Fight in Cloud City (The Empire Strikes Back)
Whose scene is it?
Someone dominates the scene. While all characters may use the scene to try to advance their objectives, one of them is driving the scene; it belongs to them. Sometimes they are also the point of view character, but not always.
Example: Vader
Who is the POV character? What is their goal?
The scene generally describes its action from one character’s perspective (first person: “I” or third person: “they”). Usually, they came into the scene to do something. This character might be driving the scene, be the scene driver’s foil, or be an observer. Often this character is the reader’s proxy, the person with whom they most identify. (Stories/scenes can have an omniscient POV, in which the narrative voice knows and tells what everyone is thinking and feelings. This is difficult to do well, IMO.)
Example: Luke wants to rescue his friends.
What is the scene goal?
Why is this scene even in the story? It needs an energy that builds toward a goal. It might be to expose an important clue, share a plot point, show a bit of character development, impart some backstory, etc.
Example: Audience learns Vader and Luke’s true relationship.
How does the protagonist fail?
Stories need their protagonists to mostly fail, right up to the climax. In the build-up scenes, they may have a small success, at best, but pay a price or not get exactly what they want. How is this scene going to fail for them? (Conversely, a scene may work out well for antagonist-in-charge.)
Example: Vader messes with Luke’s mind, wins the fight, and cuts off Luke’s hand.
What is the setting?
I refresh myself on the details of time, place, weather, historical details as well as emotional setting for the characters.
Example: Cloud City. Techno-industrial, mechanical, perilous drops, machinery. Lots of glass windows. Physical obstacles.
What are some telling sense details?
Sense details ground the scene’s reality. I plan how to evoke the environment for the reader.
Example: Dark, high places, unsafe footing, fall risks. In a written story, characters might notice the air smells weird, the machinery emits an odor, and Luke is sweating profusely. The characters would hear the clatter as weapons fall and the hum of light sabers.
Who is the opposing character? What is their goal?
Someone is going up against the protagonist. They have wants, needs, and goals, too. What are they trying to accomplish in this scene that thwarts the main character’s plan?
Example: Vader. Wants to recruit Luke to the Sith side.
Are there other characters? What do they want?
Anyone else here? Do they have yet another, different agenda?
Example: In this scene, no other characters.
What are sources of conflict and tension (ideas, don’t have to use them all)?
Conflict can be big or small. Stakes, consequences, and reader attachment all create tension. Even the environment can enhance tension from impending conflict. A little brainstorming upfront will streamline the scene building.
Example: Luke’s aim in this scene is to defeat Vader in order to rescue his friends. Vader’s aim is to win over Luke to his own side. The stakes in this scene: one or both could die, be injured, or so filled with self-doubt as to become an ineffective champion for their cause. Can one of them persuade the other? That would be a major advantage in the war.
The audience is already attached to Luke. Tension arises from how poorly he does in the fight and from Vader’s persuasion attempts. The physical environment, the dark atmosphere, and epic music heighten the tension.
“Yes, and . . .” (Think of characters doing an improv scene)
It’s fun to let my imagination run wild and see how the characters might one up each other if given the chance.
Example: “I’m your father” is an awesome line to take the scene, and storyline, in a whole new direction.
Does the scene have enough dialogue?
Dialogue is the life blood of the scene, but summary can efficiently provide key background information. I tend to take dictation from the characters, but other writers hear the story in their heads as summary. All of us can benefit from checking the dialogue-to-summary ratio.
Example: As a piece of film, it’s all dialogue. Imagine this scene told in summary.
Will you have a “disaster” or twist at the end of the scene?
Effective scenes often have a surprise at the end that deliciously undercuts someone’s hard work and sets up the next scene.
Example: Vader cuts off Luke’s hand—that’s unexpected and underscores how poorly Luke is really doing in this confrontation. Double twist—Vader declares he’s Luke’s father.
What’s next?
I may have already planned the next scene, but then the unexpected (even by me!) twist happens. Sometimes the material grows, and an additional scene is needed. Or, once a scene is written, it will require other scenes to move around.
Example: Luke escapes dramatically. His new knowledge about Vader will complicate his decisions for the rest of his life.
As a reader, what makes a scene immersive? Does that experience affect how you make art? Drop me a comment! (Click this blog title, and a comment box will open at the end of the post.)
Check out my other craft blogs: Plot And Story, The Where: Setting Of A Story, Character Terms For Writers And Readers, Character Creation Tools, Character Creation, Summary or Scene? and Snowflake Plotting.
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