TECH: Scene and Sequel Plus?
May. 9th, 2013 04:40 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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writercisesOriginal Posting 16 Feb 2013
Yesterday, when I was pontificating about a way to generate ideas, I mentioned that I don't really think scene and sequel by itself is enough to make a story. But then I got to wondering just why I thought that. So, if you'll lend me some bits, let me see if I can make that notion a bit clearer.
I mean, scene and sequel is one of those building blocks that's really useful for writers. Especially if something doesn't seem to be working, sitting down and making sure you have the pieces -- scene goal, obstacles, and disaster at the end, followed by reaction, thinking, and making a decision as to what to do next -- can help pinpoint problems. Skipping something, or getting them out of order, makes the story feel uneven. But... Just having scene-sequel, scene-sequel, scene-sequel sequences grinding along isn't really a full story.
I think it's a little bit of the strategic-tactical division. When you're fighting a war, the strategic goal is the big picture, we need to win, thing. But the tactical pieces making that up are landing on the beach, take that hill, blow up that factory -- a pile of little steps that together make a journey. So if scene-sequel is the tactical view, what's the strategic picture? That's where I drag in the 20 Master Plots or other lists like that, along with the structural arrangements of 3 acts, seven point structure, Hero's Journey, or the Save the Cat beats.
Now, between these big pictures and the fine details of the scene-sequel, we toss in some extra events to fill, but... It's still not enough. We also need the setting, which is where the history and world building and so forth come into the picture. Think of it as the stage setting, the backdrop and stage props, that are going to make the action feel real.
And, of course, we also need characters. That's the other big pole in the tent, I think. Along with what is going to happen -- that overall plot plus the little steps of scene and sequel -- who is doing this? Who are the actors on our stage? And as the method actor will say, what's their motivation? What do they believe they are doing on this stage, why are they crunching along the steps of scene and sequel?
Okay? We need to have the big picture -- what kind of a story is this? Who are the actors? Where does it take place? Then we need several scene and sequel sequences. For each of these, we'll need some characters, in a place, and what's going on there. Which is where the fine details of scene and sequel help us, as we lay out each step in the grand plot that ties it all together.
One way to practice this? I'd suggest taking a look at comics -- not the illustrated magazines, the short shows on TV. Shaun the sheep, Spongebob Squarepants, the Penguins from Madagascar, or even old ones -- Roadrunner? Whatever. They almost always are good illustrations of an overall plot -- getting apples from those rascally pigs -- and a whole bunch of little scene-sequel steps. They're fun, too.
So there you go. Take one wide view, with setting, characters, and genre/plot. Break it down with one of the plot structures to get the intermediate scenes. Then tackle each of those scenes with the scene-sequel chain of scene goal, obstacles, disaster, reaction, thinking, and decision. That gives you a pretty good set of tools to tackle figuring out which way the story is going.
Or, of course, you can do it by the seat-of-your-pants, in what is known as panting or discovery writing. Just let those words flow, and see what turns up.
Write?
Yesterday, when I was pontificating about a way to generate ideas, I mentioned that I don't really think scene and sequel by itself is enough to make a story. But then I got to wondering just why I thought that. So, if you'll lend me some bits, let me see if I can make that notion a bit clearer.
I mean, scene and sequel is one of those building blocks that's really useful for writers. Especially if something doesn't seem to be working, sitting down and making sure you have the pieces -- scene goal, obstacles, and disaster at the end, followed by reaction, thinking, and making a decision as to what to do next -- can help pinpoint problems. Skipping something, or getting them out of order, makes the story feel uneven. But... Just having scene-sequel, scene-sequel, scene-sequel sequences grinding along isn't really a full story.
I think it's a little bit of the strategic-tactical division. When you're fighting a war, the strategic goal is the big picture, we need to win, thing. But the tactical pieces making that up are landing on the beach, take that hill, blow up that factory -- a pile of little steps that together make a journey. So if scene-sequel is the tactical view, what's the strategic picture? That's where I drag in the 20 Master Plots or other lists like that, along with the structural arrangements of 3 acts, seven point structure, Hero's Journey, or the Save the Cat beats.
Now, between these big pictures and the fine details of the scene-sequel, we toss in some extra events to fill, but... It's still not enough. We also need the setting, which is where the history and world building and so forth come into the picture. Think of it as the stage setting, the backdrop and stage props, that are going to make the action feel real.
And, of course, we also need characters. That's the other big pole in the tent, I think. Along with what is going to happen -- that overall plot plus the little steps of scene and sequel -- who is doing this? Who are the actors on our stage? And as the method actor will say, what's their motivation? What do they believe they are doing on this stage, why are they crunching along the steps of scene and sequel?
Okay? We need to have the big picture -- what kind of a story is this? Who are the actors? Where does it take place? Then we need several scene and sequel sequences. For each of these, we'll need some characters, in a place, and what's going on there. Which is where the fine details of scene and sequel help us, as we lay out each step in the grand plot that ties it all together.
One way to practice this? I'd suggest taking a look at comics -- not the illustrated magazines, the short shows on TV. Shaun the sheep, Spongebob Squarepants, the Penguins from Madagascar, or even old ones -- Roadrunner? Whatever. They almost always are good illustrations of an overall plot -- getting apples from those rascally pigs -- and a whole bunch of little scene-sequel steps. They're fun, too.
So there you go. Take one wide view, with setting, characters, and genre/plot. Break it down with one of the plot structures to get the intermediate scenes. Then tackle each of those scenes with the scene-sequel chain of scene goal, obstacles, disaster, reaction, thinking, and decision. That gives you a pretty good set of tools to tackle figuring out which way the story is going.
Or, of course, you can do it by the seat-of-your-pants, in what is known as panting or discovery writing. Just let those words flow, and see what turns up.
Write?
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