Is this a thing? Google says it is, but in a way that's different from where I was going to go with it. Maybe I should instead call this the meet-tense. The meet-bad? Well, whatever. We're doing the scene where the main character and the bad guy first meet. I'm thinking it probably has a … Continue reading Scene Prompt #26: The Meet-Ugly
Category: Scenes
Scene Middles: Middle = Conflict, Part 1 (of 3)
"Now: We've opened a potential scene," as Jack Bickham says, "We have a character, we have a goal that relates to the story goal, and this short-term scene goal has been stated in no uncertain terms. What next? It must be conflict." Why Conflict? No conflict, no tension "Look for conflicts," says Syd Field, "make … Continue reading Scene Middles: Middle = Conflict, Part 1 (of 3)
Scene Beginnings: How the masters do it
So over the past 1, 2, 3 scene posts, we learned that good scene beginnings: Start with a hook Establish the POV Orient the reader with the 5Ws Clue the reader in to the POV Character's scene goal (which creates a scene question that implies action and stakes) Move into the middle of the scene … Continue reading Scene Beginnings: How the masters do it
Elements of Scene Beginnings: Scene Question
Before we get to the scene question, we have a bit of an interlude. I considered making the interlude its own post, because story questions probably most properly belong in the Plot bucket, but in the end, there wasn't enough material for a separate post and, big or small, story questions are story questions. So, … Continue reading Elements of Scene Beginnings: Scene Question
Elements of Scene Beginnings: Goal
As discussed in the last post, despite the fact that, as Deborah Chester says, "authors do a bit of what I call scene positioning" at the beginning of scenes, "the scene actually begins with the protagonist's goal." What is a Scene Goal? A scene goal, or what Jordan Rosenfeld calls an 'intention', "is a character's … Continue reading Elements of Scene Beginnings: Goal
Scene Elements: Beginnings = Orientation
Scenes! They begin at their beginnings. But what, exactly, does that mean? What elements do you need to ensure you include in a scene's beginning? 1. Beginnings Element: Scene Positioning, aka Reader Orientation "Generally, when you look at published fiction to isolate and examine scenes, you may experience some initial difficulty locating the start of … Continue reading Scene Elements: Beginnings = Orientation
Scene Purpose: How James Patterson (and his cowriter) does it
In the last scenes post we looked at the scene purpose, of which Larry Brooks says, "James Patterson has mastered this, and it has become the accepted model of effective scene writing today: One mission per scene." So I picked up a Patterson book (actually a Patterson/Richard DiLallo book) from my library, the most current … Continue reading Scene Purpose: How James Patterson (and his cowriter) does it
Scene Elements: The Scene’s Purpose
According to the craft masters, scenes should have a purpose (also called a mission, intention, focus, point, or function). In other words, it needs a reason for being in your story. This isn't the character's reason for entering the scene. (We'll get to that later.) This is your, the author's, reason for including the scene … Continue reading Scene Elements: The Scene’s Purpose
Scene Structure: Elements of a Scene
So what all goes into writing a scene? Let's find out. As mentioned in the first scene post, these posts are ordered from the macro to the micro (more or less), so this post is mostly another overview post: We're getting a sense of all the elements that make up a scene, with a focus … Continue reading Scene Structure: Elements of a Scene
Scenes: What are they?
Scenes! We're finally doing them! Okay, so, I don't know yet how many posts this series is going to turn out to be, but so far it's looking to be about twenty, and that's not including any Wednesday posts. The plan is to order the posts from macro to micro, so this post here is … Continue reading Scenes: What are they?
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