Understanding scenes
If you’ve ever seen a play or a movie, you’ll know that the heart of the story lies in its scenes. The same principle applies to fiction writing, whether it’s a novel, a novella, or a short story.
What is a scene?
A scene, at its most basic, is a unit of story in which specific events take place. It’s the ‘showing’ part of the story, as opposed to the ‘telling’ – where characters interact, decisions are made, and the plot moves forward. Think of it as the stage where your characters act and react, pushing the narrative ahead.
We love this description of scenes from Story Grid by Shawn Coyne: ‘At its most basic, a scene starts in one place and ends another. It starts with a negative [event] and ends with a positive [event], or it starts with a positive [event] and ends with a negative. It can also begin negative and end double negative (bad to worse) or positive and double positive. That’s about it. Scenes must turn. If they don’t turn, they are not a scene.’
Why are scenes essential?
- Progression – Scenes advance the story. Every scene should introduce something new or change something, be it in the plot, characters, or the emotional landscape.
- Character development – Scenes provide a platform for your characters to display their personalities, motivations, and transformations.
- Engagement – Well-crafted scenes pull readers into the world you’ve created, allowing them to experience events alongside your characters.
Components of a scene
For a scene to fulfil its purpose, it often includes several elements:
- Setting – Where and when the scene happens.
- Characters – Who is in the scene and what are their roles?
- Objective – What do the characters want?
- Conflict – What stands in the way of the characters getting what they want?
- Resolution – How does the scene end? This doesn’t mean every scene should resolve its conflict, but rather indicate a change or shift in the narrative.
Building your scene
Understanding the basics is the first step. Next comes the crafting, and there’s a plethora of techniques and approaches to delve into. Consider the questions you should ask at the beginning and end of each scene, the elements every scene should possess, and when (and how) to transition between scenes – not to mention the nuances of specific scene types, such as meet-cutes, romantic scenes, and flashbacks.
In conclusion – it’s a jigsaw puzzle!
Scenes are the building blocks of your story. Each one is like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle, and your job as the writer is to ensure each piece fits perfectly, contributing to the bigger picture. Dive deeper into the specifics with our other articles to truly master the art of scene construction.
Dive into more resources
Beginning a scene
- How to write a scene
- 10 questions to ask yourself at the beginning of each scene
- 7 things that every scene must have
- What is rising action and how do you use it?
- The role of time in creating compelling scenes
Ending a scene
- 5 questions to ask yourself at the end of each scene
- Understanding how scenes turn
- How to know when to cut a scene
- Positive and negative scene resolutions
Scene transitions
Writing fight scenes
- Tips for writing fight scenes and weapons accurately
- How to write a great sword fight
- How to write a great gunfight
- How to write a great fistfight
- How to write a massive battle scene
Writing romantic scenes
Writing flashbacks
