TECH: Scenes

[mbarker]

Original posting 2021/6/5

Over at https://writingexcuses.com/2021/05/30/16-22-scenes-and-set-pieces/ this week, they are talking about writing scenes (and set pieces?) for role-playing games and interactive fiction. This week, they recommended thinking about several key elements for a scene. The elements they suggested are setting, challenge, adversaries, rewards, and story development. Basically, where are we, what is the problem or task, who is opposing us, what are the stakes (or maybe consequences?), and how does this scene fit into the overall story.

Now, an interesting question is just how well do these elements play in writing scenes for ... what should I call it? Regular fiction? Short stories, novels, and so forth? And did they miss some things? I have to admit, they seem to be focusing more on providing a background, a stage set, where the players can then act out their version of the scene. They didn't really talk much about the steps in the action, what I guess you could call the fine structure of the scene. That may be a difference between writing for RPGs and writing fiction, of course.

Anyway, something to think about. What are the pieces you put together to make a scene? We talk about them as the building blocks of stories, but what are they? How do you build one?