The Place For My Writers Notes

Let’s see. Crafting Scenes, by Raymond Obstfeld. He’s talked about what scenes are, and in chapter 2, about starting scenes. Then he’s tackled length, point of view, setting… aha! It must be time to talk about ending scenes! Indeed, chapter six is Fond Farewell or Good Riddance: Ending a Scene. Let’s see what he says!

He starts out by suggesting that the ending of a scene needs to project a physical sensation that comments on the scene that’s just ended and makes future scenes desirable. The last lines need to create a feeling in the reader, of completion and anticipation. Make the reader satisfied with what they have just read AND make them want to turn the page and keep reading.

He recommends thinking about each scene as a complete story, with beginning, middle, and end. Then make sure your ending leaves the reader with an emotional or intellectual impact or both. The end should be a reward for the reader.

Now, he says there are two kinds of scene endings, ones that emphasize plot or ones that emphasize character. 

Plot endings are a mainstay of genre writing. Basically, we’re taking the reader on a well-loved ride, and giving them the best ride we can. One key to this is cliff-hangers. Now, frequently earlier scenes in a chapter may just ratchet up the suspense, until the final cliffhanger in the chapter. 

There’s a sidebar pointing out that a cliffhanger plus a jumpcut really boosts the suspense level. I.e., ending a scene with a cliffhanger (he was hanging by his fingertips above the grinding wheels) and then starting the next scene somewhere else, with a flashback or whatever, means the reader wants to know what happened to the cliffhanger and… is still waiting to get it.

The other major type of plot ending is the if-I’d-only-known, where we imply that if they had known what was going to happen next, they would have done something different. This does mean the narrator, whether the character in the novel or an omniscient narrator, needs a dash of oversight knowledge.

Next, Raymond tells us that plot endings usually reveal a change in the direction of the plot, while character endings tend to reveal a change in the character or at least our understanding of the character. An insight into the character, in other words. Some key variations include:

I-know-what-this-means internal monologue. A reflection about the meaning of the scene events.

Poignant dialogue. Especially an exchange that just stops.

Poignant description. Often something in the setting, or some mundane seeming action be the character. But putting it last boosts the reader’s attention.

Final word? Well, Raymond reflects on writing literary and genre, and that you may use both kinds of scene endings in both of them. Yes, genre tends to lean towards cliffhangers, and literary toward character endings, but… mix it up!

His workshop points out that often we tend to stretch the ending, adding a bit more to try to make sure we hit the point. But usually it’s best to trim the extra, to stop.

Alright, where were we? Ah, chapter four. He said, She said: Deciding on Point of View. Where is the reader watching the events from? Raymond starts off by asking us to imagine writing about a basketball game. Player, cheerleader, coach, someone in the stands… hey, just pick one and start writing? But, different points of view have different advantages and disadvantages, so picking the right one can change how the reader sees the scene. Point of view not only influences what we see about the events, but also how we see the characters, and how much we care about the events. So…

Who's the narrator? Often, it’s just the character who is experiencing the events. But sometimes, having someone else tell the story helps, both by adding suspense to the plot, and by developing character. Or, it might be that the events involve several people, and being able to bop around is best. Which means, we have thre options, first person, second person, and third person (I did it, you saw it, and they came, too?). Let’s take a look at these.

First-person (I, me, my). When the narrator talks about “I did it,” it’s first person narration. Advantages? It’s popular, and it is very friendly. It also brings the events up close and personal, so they have impact. Dangers? It’s easy to get carried away with all those thoughts. Make sure the extras add characterization. Variations? Sometimes writers use a first person POV, but the action is about someone else. Or even have different chapters or scenes use a different first person POV.

Second-person (you!). “You walk into the room…” This is rare! It kind of gives a tone to the story, as if someone is giving advice or something. But it makes it hard for the reader to feel involved, too.

Third-person (He, she, they). “They didn’t know what they would find…” Two big varieties. Omniscient, and limited. Omniscient let’s you bop around from head to head, while limited usually sticks with one character, at least for a time. Dangers? Too many points of view can dilute tension, and too much headbopping gets confusing. Which is probably why third limited is so popular!

Next, Raymond takes a look at how reliable your narrator is. Again, there are times when you want the narrator to be reliable, and times when you want them to be unreliable. Even worse, sometimes the narrator may be telling us what they think is true, but… we can see they don’t really understand. 

And, naturally, you may want to think about who your narrator is. Gender, age, race, education, all those little bits and pieces of character may shape your narrator.

This time, Raymond finishes up with the advice to experiment. Try out different points of view! Write some using one point of view, then go back and do it again using a different point of view. See what feels right, see what is involving, and see what you think would be fun to write!

Okay, here we go with chapter 2 of the Novelist’s Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes by Raymond Obstfeld. Title? Jump right in — the words are fine: Starting a scene. Raymond starts by reminding us that like a complete story, each scene has a beginning, middle, and end. So, what is the mission, the goal, of the beginning?

Simple, really. Hook the reader! Make the reader want to keep reading. Some of them also introduce conflict, establish stakes, or develop the theme, but the key thing is taht it makes the reader want more. So how do we do that?

One method is beginning in the middle, aka in media res. Grab the readers interest and make them care, then go back and fill in the details. Or sometimes start just after the action that kicks things off. 

Or maybe you like dialogue? That’s action, too, you know? Which gets the reader involved in trying to figure out the context, and it’s interesting, and helps a little with characterization. 

Or maybe you want to use a jump cut? After all, you may have just finished one scene, and now… give us a new bit of action or dialogue that seems disconnected from that old scene. Like a jump cut in a movie.

Yet another approach is the “big promise” opening. Often melodramatic, but it doesn’t have to be. Just give us a broad sweeping statement or claim, and make it interesting enough that we want to see how you follow it up.

Now, sometimes, you may want to just start at the “natural” beginning. For example, a description of setting when the setting plays a major role in what’s coming. Or maybe with someone waking up, although watch for the cliche… Or you might start with the catalyst action that kicks off the story.

Of course, another beginning is having one character describe another character. Often a side character describing the main character. You get immediate suspense about who is this character. 

Which brings us to beginning with character description. Usually, either self-description in first person POV, or maybe just description via third person POV. Fairly often, the self-description is… shall we say unreliable?  Not always, but often.

Hum, what about a dream? Well, Raymond warns that they can be irritating to readers, when you reveal that it was all a dream. But they can work.

So, wrap up. How do you know which one to use to start a scene? You don’t. You may have to try several different openings, and then pick the best.

Workshop? Raymond suggests you start with an opening line, and see where it takes you. Write an opening sentence that guarantees the reader will want to read the rest of the paragraph. Maybe more than one, then pick out the best. And then write the rest of the paragraph.

His suggestion for an exercise? Take this opening line, and write the next three sentences. Try writing it three times, once with a menacing tone, once with a comedic tone, and one with a combination. The opening line?

“Someone’s sitting there,” the man in the uniform said as Bill started to straddle the stool.

There you go! Write!

Hi, all. I noticed in my to be read pile I had this intriguing little tome. It's the Novelist's Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes by Raymond Obstfeld, and I think I'll walk through it, and share my notes with you. So... let's get started!

Chapter 1 is entitled What a scene is - and isn't. He starts out by reminding us that when we think of a movie (or any story) we generally don't remember the whole thing. No, we focus on moments, little pieces. Scenes, by any other name!

So what's a scene? Well, in theater, it means action in a single setting. In fiction, we tend to use the same rule, but... you could write a more complex scene spanning multiple settings. So what defines a scene? Raymond says it is the focus, the purpose. He suggests these are common purposes:
- giving the reader information needed to further plot
- Show the conflict between characters
- Highlight some specific trait or action to develop a particular character
- Creating suspense
Often, scenes combine these purposes. So, the writer needs to know why the scene exists and makes it memorable to justify it.

Memorable? Something needs to surprise the reader! Readers have expectations about the scenes, and you need to play with those expectations. Make the scene unexpected! Fresh dialog, an unusual situation, or maybe just wonderful style?

However... Raymond points out that while you want to make your scene do all this when it's finished, sometimes you need to just dive in and start writing. Then go back and make it wonderful.

Then Raymond reminds us that good writing often depends on misdirection, on keeping the reader interested in one thing while you slide some other goodies in where they aren't looking.

He finishes this chapter with a note that scenes are part of a bigger work, and need to be considered in how they contribute to that, too...

And for fun, he gives us a little workshop to finish the chapter. Basically, suppose you have a scene, and you are trying to decide if it belongs in your story or not. Well, fill in one of these four sentences.

1. Plot. The purpose of this scene is (finish the sentence!)
2. Character. When the reader finishes this scene, he should feel (finish it!)
3. Theme. When the reader finishes this scene, he should think ???
4. Suspense. When the reader finishes this scene, he should wonder (what?)

If you can't fill in one of these, what is that scene doing there?

And the last of the bunch! Climax (or battle), what does it mean?, what am I going to do now? and where are we now? All from  https://luisanaduarte.com/2018/03/02/trubys-22-steps/ 

19. Battle
During the battle, the goals of the protagonist and the opponent should be crystal clear. There should be no confusion about what each side is fighting for. The story’s plot and subplots usually converge of this point. The winner of the battle achieves their goal.

My comment: The climax, the face-off between the hero and the villian, the final showdown. This is where the whole plot has been aiming, now make it come alive!

20. Self-revelation
The moment after the battle where the protagonist comes to a deeper understanding of their self and what they fought for and perhaps won. The revelation should be meaningful and life-altering. Show, don’t tell, what the protagonist learned/understood. The revelation can be moral and/or psychological.
At the same time, and usually surprising the audience, the opponent can have a change of heart through the protagonist’s revelation.

My comment: Okay, so here the protagonist sees what they have done to themselves, and what they have done, in this story. Final revelation, as the battle fades away...

21. Moral decision
The moral decision is the course of action that the protagonist will take once the self-revelation happens. The protagonist, if that’s the route they’re going for, can even choose to dismiss the moral and/or psychological revelations. It is through the moral decision that the audience learns what the protagonist is truly ‘made of.’

My comment: Now that the hero knows themselves, what are they going to do? What are they planning to do with the rest of their life?

22. New equilibrium
The new stasis in the story world. The ‘new normal’ the protagonist lives in once the goal has been achieved or lost.
 
My comment: And what about the world around them? Has it changed? What happens to it in the aftermath of that battle?

So, we have the battle, and the results of that, both for the protagonist now and in the future, and for the world around them. 

It's interesting that these 22 steps really don't say much about the plot. There's a lot of reflection on the character, the setting or world, and so forth, and on how the revelations of the story affect the character.

Go ahead. Make Truby's steps your own! Take your work in progress, and see how these steps fit your work. Make some notes about the things that don't quite fit, too. And think about whether you want to incorporate some of these steps in your process, your outlining, or whatever.

A few more steps from https://luisanaduarte.com/2018/03/02/trubys-22-steps/ 

12. Drive
The way that I think about this is a football drive. Which are the plays that the protagonist is going to ‘call’ in order to achieve their goal?

My comment: Aha! Now we're laying out the middle. These are the steps that the protagonist plans to take, what they expect to have happen on the way to that goal. I suppose these might also be the try-fail cycles (remember those?), where the protagonist tries to do something, and... yes-but, no-and hits. Yes, they succeed, but in succeeding, learn about a new challenge, or no, they fail, and in failing, learn about more problems.

13. Attack by ally
The hero of our story is never perfect, otherwise, what would be the point of the story?
The attack by an ally is the moment when the protagonist begins to diverge from their moral compass and gets called out by a true ally. This can result in a schism between the protagonist and the ally (because no one likes a goody-two-shoes). This attack also gives the story a deeper conflict, where the protagonist must decide whether or not to follow a moral path.

My comment: One of those problems along the way! The faults and failures of the protagonist get called out by an ally! And what does the protagonist do?

14. Apparent defeat
All hope is lost and the protagonist is about to give up in the pursuit of their desire. This is the lowest point in the story and the reader might be uncertain if the protagonist will succumb to the opponent, or rally and succeed.

My comment: The dark valley, the black hole in the middle of the story? This also sounds like some of the other plot structures I've seen. 

15. Second revelation and decision: Obsessive drive, changed desire and motive
Yay, the protagonist rallied! Perhaps with a changed perspective on their desire or a different goal, the protagonist continues in their pursuit.

There can also be an ‘apparent victory’ for the protagonist at this point. However, the stakes will be raised even higher when the ‘apparent victory’ dissipates.

My comment: And the protagonist bounces back! Keep going, and raising those stakes. So, it feels to me as if that drive step is really where we take the plan from step 10 and really lay out what's going to happen. Then we have some major plot points to hit, the attack by an ally, the defeat, and the second revelation/decision. So we're filling in the middle, step by step.

As usual, you might consider applying these steps to a work in progress.

Okay, next batch from https://luisanaduarte.com/2018/03/02/trubys-22-steps/ 

Looks like one bit of plot/action, a goal, and a whole group of other characters…

4. Inciting event
The ‘spark’ moment that brings the character’s situation from bad to worse. This event also challenges the character into action.

My comment: aha! Here we go with an actual event, the kickoff start to things! Okay…

5. Desire
The goal that drives the character and the story. Usually, the desire grows/intensifies as the story progresses, raising the stakes for the character.

My comment: what does the character want? Okay, that’s what is specific to this story, to that spark we just noted.

6. Ally or allies
The best buds. Those characters that give aid/advice to the main character. The allies can also have a goal. Sometimes, the ally’s and main character’s goals are the same, promoting collaboration.

My comment: Who does the character have along for the trip? It’s good to have friends!

7. Opponent and/or mystery
Opponent: This ‘bad guy’ doesn’t want the main character to achieve their goal. This relationship is usually the most important one in the story as it provides conflict to the story.
Mystery: The opponent can be a mystery at its roots, therefore giving the protagonist the task of discovering their antagonist, and defeating them.

My comment: okay, the antagonist. If we have allies, there’s probably somebody causing trouble, too.

8. Fake-ally opponent
A ‘sneaky’ character whom the protagonist initially believes is their ally. There is usually heartbreak and deception for the protagonist when the truth is discovered.

My comment: ah, it isn’t bad enough that there’s a protagonist, we need someone who betrays the good guy, too? Okay…

So, in this set of steps, we add in something that kicks off the action, a goal for where we are going, and a set of other characters, both pro and con. 

Again, if you like, you could try applying these steps to your own work in progress. Or even start a new work, just playing with these steps, to see where you go!

Over here, https://writingexcuses.com/2022/02/20/17-8-the-alchemy-of-creativity/ they spent considerable time chewing over the question of how one goes from idea to expression, or perhaps how does one shift from one form to another. Interestingly enough, it seemed clear that some people on the podcast basically have a movie running in their head, and need to figure out how to convert that to prose, while others seem to have words running wild, and are more likely to start with drafting, and then work their way into revisions. Anyway, different approaches for different folks.

I have to admit, I'm a word person. Movies? Nah, not in my head. But I can sort of see how some people might start with that kind of visual playground, and need to convert it into words. And, of course, there are folks who are doing what one of the people mentioned, basically starting with a script, seeing what kind of movie that prompts in their head, and then annotating the script with various notes about the cameras, the settings, the scenes, all of that, and then taking that and converting it into a storyboard...

There was also a bit of amusement when one person pointed out that they are a dessert first writer. I.e., they write the parts that excite them first, then have to step back and put it all together. This might be opposed to the "in order" writer, who starts at the beginning and goes on until the end.

Whew! So we have outliners and pantsers or discovery writers, those who prefer to lay it all out in some kind of outline (or perhaps a mindmap or othe visual format?) and those who dive right into the writing, working out the structure as they get the words down... And we have movie in the head people and words and feelings folks? Plus we have dessert first writers and in order writers...

Fun and games! What kind of process do you find yourself using? Do you recognize these differences? Is there something else that shapes your writing, and makes it different from the way other people seem to tackle things?

Something to ponder this weekend, maybe? 

Over at https://writingexcuses.com/2022/02/13/17-7-dissecting-influence/ they are dissecting influences. One of the things they mentioned reminded me of something I do from time to time, and I thought I'd toss it out as something you may want to try.

It's simple really. Take your favorite medium, books, short stories, movies, anime, or whatever, and make a list of your favorites. No particular number, but make sure you have several. Then, take a look, and see if there are common themes, subjects, treatments, or whatever that seem to pop up. Usually, you'll find several that share some elements. Go ahead, make a list of those common threads that attract you.

You may want to take them apart a bit. Why is that theme something that resonates with you? Why do you prefer the youngster growing up main character? Of whatever it is... think about what it means to you, and what the key parts of it are.

You may even want to go a bit farther, and think about how to use these themes, character types, plots, or whatever in your own stories and work. After all, if you really love them, you might as well use them to inspire your own work, right?

Heck, you could probably even go ahead and do some sketches, or mix and match tales, and so forth.

So, here we go. Take your favorite movie, or maybe put pick a number from one to one hundred and go over here https://www.filmsite.org/momentsindx1.html (although they seem to have them listed in alphabetical order, which makes it hard to pick number 43 out? Oh, well, pick one!) Heck, visit Rotten Tomatoes or one of the other movie review sites, and see what they have that catches your eye and attention.

Then, try writing it up, other as a short story or longer. Remember, one of the fun pieces of translating from film to writing is that these different mediums have rather different strengths. Somehow, you've got to convey the setting, the background music, all that fun and games of film, in words!

Or at the very least, write up a review, and tell people why they should see that favorite movie of yours. What makes it resonate with you?

Then you might consider what you might change, if you were writing that story? After all, people complain all the time about how films change the story when it goes from writing to film, so feel free to make some modifications going the other way, too.

So, lights, camera, action... write!