Last week we talked about MRUs. Time to see them in action. I'm going to color code them as follows: Motivation (Setting, Action, and/or Dialogue) Reaction Feeling (Reflex, Visceral Sensations) Thought Action Dialogue (Commentary/Voice/Deep POV/Depth) Storm Front by Jim Butcher I heard the mailman approach my office door, half an hour earlier than usual. He … Continue reading Motivation-Reaction Units: how the masters do it
Author: Megan
Scene Elements: Motivation-Reaction Units (MRUs)
So it's been a while, but we've been looking at Scene middles, composed of conflict and tactics and action. You may be wondering, as Deborah Chester asks, "But how is scene conflict actually written? How is summary avoided?" "And how do you structure this large, vital conflict portion of the scene to make it moment … Continue reading Scene Elements: Motivation-Reaction Units (MRUs)
Scene Prompt #51: Conflicted
Last one! I made it! Woohoo! (If you're wondering why this is #51 instead of #52, it's because somewhere back around scene prompt #8, I did an #8.5. I don't know what I was thinking. But I'm not going to take the time to fix it, so . . . Anyhoo . . .) This … Continue reading Scene Prompt #51: Conflicted
Scene Prompt #50: What was the question?
The penultimate prompt! This is more of a revision process than a prompt, and you can use whatever scene you want--or all of them, because they all need what? Scene Questions. What's your scene question? Often it's the scene goal restated as a question with a yes or no answer. For this exercise, you'll follow … Continue reading Scene Prompt #50: What was the question?
Scene Prompt #49: Epiphany Time
For this prompt, pick a scene where the point-of-view character needs to realize something. Or, if you're revising, pick a scene where the character has an epiphany but the execution is pretty clumsy right now. (Need help finding such a scene? I'm thinking of the scene after the Dark Night of the Soul, where the … Continue reading Scene Prompt #49: Epiphany Time
Scene Prompt #48: Clustered
For this prompt, pick a scene that you know your story needs but you don't know much about. Or, if you're revising, pick a scene that came out fairly bare. This would work well for a scene that has some substance, but is lacking, so far, in details. Maybe you don't know where to best … Continue reading Scene Prompt #48: Clustered
Scene Prompt #47: So Frustrated
You can pick any scene for this prompt, written already or not, but it might be easiest to pick a scene that you know results in a clear twist. But all scenes should be somewhat surprising, so any scene will do. We're going to make that twist as twisty as it can be. How? Through … Continue reading Scene Prompt #47: So Frustrated
Scene Prompt #46: Show Me First
This is more of a revision prompt, and I'm taking it wholesale from Jack Bickham. You want to make sure, at the beginning of every new scene, that the readers are oriented. How do you do this? By making sure you let the reader know the scene's 5Ws. The reader of your novel has to … Continue reading Scene Prompt #46: Show Me First
Scene Prompt #45: Storyboard
For this prompt, pick a scene you may be resisting because you're not sure how to write it. I've got one right now that I should be writing that I haven't written (yet!) because it's "big." Let's tackle that scene. How? By asking ourselves: What is the core of this scene? There are several ways … Continue reading Scene Prompt #45: Storyboard
Scene Prompt #44: Resolution
How does your story end? I was reminded of how JK Rowling said, somewhere, that she wrote the epilogue of the Harry Potter series first, before writing book 1. She knew she wanted Ginny and Harry to end up together, that kind of thing. So how does your story end? How do your characters continue … Continue reading Scene Prompt #44: Resolution
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