Seeing Sense with Scenes

Join me backstage on my journey to writing more effective scenes ...  

Welcome to Day 1 ... technically 'Day 1' was a couple of years back when I did my initial research into scenes ... but today is the first day of restarting that journey 😅

Here's a quick refresh of the standards I learnt back then. I'll be using these to evaluate my novel's current scenes (and any new ones I write).  

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Guidelines

• Scenes must contain a mini arc of meaningful change from start to finish.
• All scenes need to link to the overarching plot and your character's arc in some way. 
• Without cause-and-effect chains in (and between) your scenes, your story is just stuff happening and won't be effective or engaging.
• Scene changes can be indicated by change of location or time, but these are not the only markers.

Structure

• Scenes need to start with a POV Character's Goal. 
• This could be as small as getting a glass of water, or as big as winning a battle. It just needs to be something they want to achieve/accomplish/learn/do.
• Goals can also span across multiple scenes if the goal is something difficult to obtain in just one scene.
• It is important to make the goal clear from the beginning
• Next is the Inciting Incident.
• The first hurdle - conflict or something unexpected - that hinders your character from hitting that goal
• It could make your character reevaluate their original scene goal, change it completely, or be even more determined.
• Then you have the Turning Point.
• When the conflict in the scene reaches its peak and stops the character from going after their goal in the way they had planned.
• There are two types of turning point:
• Active: something external (i.e. in the physical world) causes a change in plans
• Revelatory: new information or realisation changes the circumstances of their plans
• Following this is the Crisis.
• Your character must make a decision about how to move forward
• Have their options carry the same weight (regardless of whether they are all good or all bad) to make this moment more effective and tense (i.e. interesting).
• There must be something at stake with these choices too. What does the character stand to gain or lose either way?
• Next up is the Climax.
• Your character now needs to act on their choice.
• The decisions they make in each scene will affect their character arc, which will in turn influence their future choices.
• It should be your POV character who takes action or makes decisions here since it is their story
• Finally, we have the Resolution:
• A look at how your character's decisions played out for them.
• What was the immediate consequence? How do they feel about the decision they made?
• Establish the forward momentum in the next scene 
• Because of what just happened in this scene, what will my character do in the next one? What is the inevitable result of the choice they made?

I created this template to help me with incorporating and tracking these elements while planning or evaluating my scenes:

It has been really valuable to me. If it would help you too, feel free to replicate it for yourself 🙂

Openings and Endings

Effective scenes pull readers in from the start and then (at the end) push them into the next one. This is done through entry and exit hooks.

• Entry hooks are the scene's opening. Something that yanks your reader into that part of the story and makes them want to figure out what's going on. This could be dialogue, action, or a question that creates intrigue, confusion, or tension.
• Exit hooks are the last line, image, or question that throws your reader willingly into the next scene. These can be cliffhangers, revelations, unresolved tension, or some kind of hint of what's to come that makes your reader want to keep reading. The most effective exit hooks often mirror or contrast the same scene's entry hook.

This is why not all scene changes are indicated by changes of location or time. Sometimes they are marked by a change in (or completion of) the POV character's goal, switching to a new character's POV, a natural conclusion to the scene's scenario, etc.

You can find more information about these standards (and more) in the resources listed here:

• How to Write a Well Structured Scene by Savannah Gilbo
• 3 Reasons You Should Write in Scenes vs. Chapters by Savannah Gilbo
• How to Plan the Number of Scenes in Your Story by Savannah Gilbo
• Scene Structure: Definitions, Examples, and Writing Tips by Angie Androit at Fictionary

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The other advice I will be following is:

• Continuing to write and edit my novel in scenes rather than in chapters. 
• Writing and editing in scenes has quite a few benefits (including easier to track progress). 
• Chapters can always be implemented later once all of my scenes are behaving as they should.
• Using Savannah Gilbo's formula for planning how many scenes should be in my story to help guide my plot/structure revision

So, there you have it. The first day back into my journey to write more effective scenes has been rife with research. Tune in again on Friday to find out how I get on with my first week doing this ✍️

Are you working on any goals right now? Let me know in the comments - I'd love to cheer for you 💪

Keep your eyes peeled for more news on my writing here and on my Instagram!