TECH: Crafting Scenes (4)

[mbarker]

Original Posting 2022/4/3

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!

Write? 

TECH: Crafting Scenes (5)

[mbarker]

Original Posting 2022/4/11

It must be time for chapter five! You are here: Using setting! A stage, a place, a location? Sure… where are the events of your scene taking place? Raymond tells us that writers sometimes don’t take advantage of setting because they are focused on the dynamics of plot, character, and dialogue. But… the right setting can enhance the impact a lot. It can add thematic dimension or suspense. A different setting can make a scene more exciting, more intense, or more comical. I mean, think about the Wizard of Oz set in… Times Square? Nope… How important is setting? Well, think about some of your favorite story, novel, or film scenes, and imagine setting them some place else.

So, how much setting description do you need? Enough to achieve your goal, but not so much that it detracts from the rest of the scene. Think about the dominating purpose of your scene, then decide how much setting description works. Beware of overdescribing, because you love those purple plains strewn with lots of metaphors. Imply and suggest instead. Also, watch out for clumping, which is infodumping your setting description, all in one huge lump! Figure out what’s essential, then scatter those bits in between actions. A good trick is to ask a question, then give us some description, and then answer the question. The reader will pay attention, and the little delay boosts suspense, too.

Setting also can help with pacing! Both within a scene, and the scenes can help control the overall pacing. For example, suspense novels often have sedentary scenes with plenty of setting description in between the action-packed chases. Detective novels often use settings to help keep the reader interested. 

Setting can even tie into theme. Oh, it might just be interesting, exciting, or suspenseful. But it can be a key part of the story, too. Consider “fish out of water” stories. That clash of cultures and backgrounds makes the story.  Also, sea stories, westerns, jungle tales… the setting helps make the story.

Raymond suggests that there isn’t any best technique here. Try out an interesting setting to pick up the pace, or pick one that fits the theme. Try out longer passages of description, or short punchy ones. Basically, write the scene the way you feel like the writing it. You’re discovering your story, and setting can be part of the discovery.

His workshop focuses on three keys. 1, describe the characteristics of the setting. 2, the setting affects the character(s) in the following ways? 3, the setting affects the plot in the following ways? He suggests tackling this at two levels, one being the grand scene of the general setting, and one being the specific scene you are working on.

Go ahead. Where is your scene? What’s in the background? Is there an elephant in the living room?

Write! 

TECH: Crafting Scenes (6)

[mbarker]

Original Posting 2022/4/18

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.

So we will! Write? 

TECH: Crafting Scenes (table of contents!)

[mbarker]

Original Posting 2022/4/28

Whoops. I realized, I should probably go over the table of contents for the book. First off, the book is called Crafting Scenes by Raymond Obstfeld. And…

The first chapter is What a scene is — and isn’t. Then chapter two is about starting a scene, chapter three is about the length of a scene, chapter four is point of view, chapter five is setting, and chapter six is ending the scene. I notice that he sneakily does not have a chapter about the middle of the scene. Huh.

Chapter seven, which I will run through next, is entitled Shape to Fit: Focusing a Scene on Character, Plot, or Theme. 

Then we have several focused chapters, dealing with specific types of scenes. Chapter 8 is the P cubed equation: Making Payoff Scenes Work. Nine is Hello, Stranger: First Meetings. Ten is When characters Collide: Action & Suspense Scenes. Eleven is What’s So Funny? Comic Scenes. 12 is Love &Lust: Romantic and Sex Scenes. and thirteen is The Long Goodbye: Final Scenes.

Then we’ll finish off with chapter 14, From Mess to Masterpiece: Structuring and chapter 15, From First to Final Draft: Revising.

So, while we have talked about beginning a scene and ending one, we still have quite a ways to go! Nine more chapters, all about those scenes you love.

Write?