Writing a scene takes thought. Before starting, it is a good idea to ask yourself a few questions. This will help you hone in on the core elements of the scene you are planning, and will (hopefully) make it much easier to write.

 

Today I have 6 questions to ask yourself before writing a scene.

 

1. What is the purpose of your scene?

a) Will it advance the plot? If so, how?

b) Will it introduce a new character or develop an existing   

   one? If so, how?

c) Will it develop the romance (if there is one)?

d) If you are writing a mystery, does it introduce a clue or

   a suspect or a red herring?

e) does it introduce a conflict? If so, what?

 

2. What characters will be in the scene? Try not to over-populate a scene. Too many characters make it difficult for the reader to follow.

 

3. What is the conflict in the Scene?

a) is it internal (throwing an obstacle in the way of the

   protagonist’s inner problem?

b) is it external (driving the plot forward)?

 

4. Where does the scene take place?

a) time of day

b) season

c) town, city, state, country, planet

d) location within this place (house, bedroom, kitchen,

   park, spaceship…)

 

5. What is the mood or tone of the scene? A thriller can have comedic moment. A comedy can have serious themes. Think about the mood and tone of each scene and how they impact the other scenes.

 

6. Transition: How will you transition this scene to the next? Will you leave the scene on a hook? With a question? What will you do to keep the reader turning the pages?

 

Stay tuned for more about scene and sequel, the two elements that make up a Scene (uppercase!) sequence.

 

 

 

 

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