The Place For My Writers Notes

Original Posting: Wed, 27 Feb 2002 02:32:29 -0500

here we go...

a good companion on
stormy nights when twists of leaves may become serpents

(borrowing from John Bailey)

Take that pair of lines, and let them verberate (I'd say reverberate, but you have to verberate before you can reverb, right?).  Let them bounce around.  Let your tongue taste them, your teeth tangle in those vowels and consonants.  Grumble them through your very own vocal chords, and vibrate.

And let your mind enjoy the echoes of the images, the twists of leaves, the serpents, the stormy nights, and that good companion.

Who is that good companion?  What else lurks in stormy nights?

Then stretch it out.  Add a paragrph (if you be the fictional type), or perhaps some lines (if ye be poetically inclined).  Mix and match, and see where the words take you.

Write?

a good companion on
stormy nights when twists of leaves may become serpents

Write!

Original Posting: Mon, 07 May 2001 22:23:17 -0400

First, the thought:

There is a rhythm -- a flow -- to life.  When we move with it, all things help us along.  When we fight it, when we resist the flow, everything seems to resist us.

Go with the flow!

Now, the work...

Consider this little observation about life.  Can you turn it into a story?  (and the little voice answers: how about a poetry!  to which we answer: write it and we'll read it!)

What kind of situation might show the truth (or falsity?) of this observation?  Can you picture someone fighting hard, and perhaps finding this observation in their fortune cookie, and what kind of change occurs?  (kind of long for a fortune cookie... how about a fortune noodle?)

Scribble, scribble, scribble...

original posting: Thu, 31 May 2001 22:22:55 -0400


a simple sort of beginning, and yet the reader is likely to keep reading just to find out what was wrong.  What is the "something"?  Why was the front door open?

What happens next?  Does he find something else?  Does he do something?

Here's one way that it might go:





And so on and on, until the ending.

What kind of a story could you write, starting with that simple sentence and two words?


Go ahead, make my day and write!

Original posting: Mon, 30 Jul 2001 20:50:00 -0400

Her underwear was purple, her blouse was sheer ecru
the tattoo on her shoulder was just too faint to view

Go ahead, add a few lines.  Remold them, tell us about this young lady with the dark underwear.  Oh, and who is the observer, noting the prurient points of interest?

Spin us a tale, paint us a poetry, make the words sing, and we'll all listen to the thoughts ringing in the aether...

TECH: Make a Scene #12: The First Scene

We're about to start into Part Three Scene Types of Make a Scene by Jordan Rosenfeld. In case you're just coming in, we've already gone through the functions of a scene, including a mixed salad of complex characters, a point of view, memorable and significant action, meaningful dialogue, plot information that advances the story and enriches the characters, conflict and drama, a rich physical setting, and a bit of narrative summary here and there. We've talked about launching the scene, complicating the middle and raising the stakes, and scene endings full of emotional weight.

Then we looked at an array of core elements, including setting, senses, character development and motivation, plot, subtext, dramatic tension, and scene intentions. Which brings us up to date as we plunge ahead into the first scene.

The first scene opens the significant situation of your plot. It has to introduce your plot in the form of the significant situation, introduce the protagonist, establish the setting and evoke the senses, and set up dramatic tensions that suggest complications and conflicts ahead. The best first scenes have an air of mystery, pose a question or problem that needs an answer, or plunge the protagonist into a crisis. Through action and plot information, the first scene needs to compel the reader to keep reading without getting confused without backstory or narrative summary.

"Your significant situation should happen within the first couple of paragraphs. If you force the reader to wait too long for the event that they hope is coming, you stand to lose them before ever getting to it." Where does your first scene start? In media res, in the middle of the action, or at least so close to it that you fall into it immediately. Or should I say the protagonist, the main character, falls into it, dragging the reader along with them?

Successful first scenes involve:

• a significant situation that challenges the status quo of the protagonist
• a catalyst with whom the protagonist interacts
• a quick introduction to the immediate intentions of the protagonist
• a glimpse of the personal history and personality of the protagonist, suggesting motivation
• a decision or action by the protagonist that leads immediately to more complications

So how do the core elements stack up in the first scene? I'm glad you asked, because Rosenfeld has some answers.

-- unless setting is a dramatic part of the significant situation, keep the setting light and suggestive. Subtle details, not great swatches of descriptive prose, no matter how much fun they may be for the writer. Sometimes you can unbalance normal expectations with an unexpected significant situation in a familiar setting, so that the setting and the action play off each other.

-- subtext and dramatic tension. Don't overdo, suit it to your readers and the genre. Set your tone, and suggest the plot direction and themes. The first scene should make the readers worry about the protagonist -- raise the dramatic tension by showing that things can go wrong. Then keep the potential for conflict and consequences open.

-- the pace of the first scene should match the emotional content. Typically they start with a bit of an emotional bang, simply because you want to let the reader know what is happening. First scenes usually move fairly quickly, with actions and introductions to get the reader hooked. Later you can slow down and fill things in.

(Interesting. Rosenfeld didn't run down the whole list of core elements. And I don't exactly recollect pace being in his list of core elements. Oh, well, consistency is a hobgoblin, right? Onward!)

Ending the first scene. Leave the reader with the feeling that trouble, conflict, crises, or a dilemma has only just begun, and you help the reader move on into the next scene. Four ways to do this are [1] to leave the consequences unresolved (the police have just found the protagonist standing over a dead body -- do you want to know what happens next?); [2] end the scene before a major decision by the character, or possibly just after a bad decision; [3] let your protagonist find out something disturbing that could change everything (you mean you've been working for the CIA all these years?); and [4] let your protagonist react without thinking through the significant situation, so that the reaction makes everything more complicated.

Rosenfeld's checklist for first scenes

1. Are the protagonist and the significant situation introduced immediately and clearly?
2. Does the pace match the emotional content?
3. Do thematic images foreshadow the outcome?
4. Does the setting unbalance reader's expectations? Does it play against the significant situation?
5. Keep the pace. Too much exposition or description slows things down, while long passages of dialogue or action may push too fast.
6. Does the scene end with the protagonist in trouble or at least uncertain?

Next, suspense scenes.

The fun part here is to take something you've been writing or a book that you are reading and look at the first scene. How well does Rosenfeld's prescription work? Are there things that you want to change in the scene? Are there parts of Rosenfeld's guidelines that just aren't quite right for you? Go ahead, put this description of a first scene and the pieces and parts to work. See how well it works for you, and make the changes that you need to make.

The thrill of creative effort grows from the mud of spelling and grammar.

original posting: Tue, 12 Mar 2002 22:44:42 -0500

So, here's the basic scenario.

Two people (you pick the characters, the location, the scenery, what have you).

Pick a number from one to twelve.  Got it?

Good.  Here's the emotion you have picked:


Now, pick a number from one to six.  Here's the result:


Your two characters are immersed in their scene (what are they doing?  Oh, that?  Kewl.)

Ding-dong.  Delivery boy, the daily mail, a box dropped from heaven, in one way or another, the object you picked gets delivered (consider having it wrapped, or in an envelope, as you then have the fun of opening it!).

And one of your characters (you flip the coin) experiences that emotion (remember?  one to twelve) in regard to that object.

What is it about that object which pulls them into the emotional maelstrom? What happened that dark day?

And how do they explain this to the other person?  Do they keep a stiff upper lip as their heart breaks again?  Or do they sob on the shoulder of their friend?

A small scene, but one that can go many places.

Just two characters, an object, and the emotions it brings with it.

Write it up!

original posting: Mon, 24 Jun 2002 22:25:18 -0400

"You can have it back," she said, and started to cry.

There you go.  Let the little neurons ponder a while.  Who is she?  Who is she talking to?  What can "you" have back?  And why does she cry?

Now pull back a bit.  What's the scene where this is happening?  Who else is around?  Is this the climax, or just a beginning?

You may want to consider this short checklist:

Background

1.  Where are we?  (setting)
2.  Who is involved?  (characters, strengths, flaws)
3.  Where are they headed? (goals, motives)
4.  What stops or blocks them? (obstacle(s))
5.  What are they going to do about it? (plans to overcome problems)

Story

6.  What hook(s) or bait for the reader will I use? (where start)
    What story question do I pose for the reader?
7.  What backfill is needed? (background that needs to be filled in)
8.  What buildup do I want?  (scenes)
9.  What is the climax?
    - how does the character change? (overcome weakness, etc.)
    - how is the plot resolved? (overcome problems and achieve goals)
    - What answer does the reader get to the story question?

Higher Level

10.  What purpose, moral, or theme am I writing about?

Okay?  You know where you're going with this tale?

Then start with

"You can have it back," she said, and started to cry.

and write!

Original posting: Thu, 07 Nov 2002 00:36:37 -0500

The phrase?


The words?

Write some!

(The challenge here is simple.  Whether as a title, a line within your work, or perhaps even as an inspirational metaphor that is simply implicit, go ahead and use the phrase "to race the wind on gossamer wings."  Or you can begin with this phrase and eventually drop it completely -- but write :-)

Make a Scene by Jordan E. Rosenfeld

Chapter 2: Strong Scene Launches

And we're back, with more notes from Make A Scene by Jordan E. Rosenfeld. The introduction and chapter one were last - do you remember what they covered? Right, that's it. Keep the reader entertained. And scenes are the basic elements of stories, with characters in action right in front of us. Each scene has a beginning where it gets started, a middle that fills in the conflicts and consequences, and an ending that sets up the next scene and wraps up this scene. Okay? For more details, read the last posting or get a copy of the book and read it -- it's pretty good! And now, on to the beginning of scenes, where we drag the readers into the scene.

First of all, since the beginning of the scene may actually pick up in the middle of action or continue something from before, Jordan suggests using the term launch -- where the reader's attention is engaged again. He suggests starting to construct a scene launch by asking two questions:

1. Where are my characters in the plot? Where did I leave them and what are they doing now?
2. What is the most important piece of information that needs to be revealed in this scene?

You need to think about which kind of launch to use. Jordan suggests four flavors: characters, actions, narrative summary, or setting.

Character launches focus on getting the main characters out there. You should probably think about the scene intentions of the characters -- what is the purpose, goal, or intention of the character? This involves four decisions:

1. What are the immediate desires of the character?
2. When do the characters achieve their intention or encounter some type of opposition?
3. Does the intention makes sense to the plot?
4. Who helps your characters achieve their goal, and who opposes them?

Scene intentions usually involve some kind of conflict. It doesn't matter what your character's intentions are, but you must know them from the beginning of each scene so that you can make sure that they are enacted, met, or thwarted.

Action launches are a good way to avoid getting tied up in narrative summary, trying to explain things. Just jump right in and start the action without explaining anything. You do need to pay attention to time and momentum -- it takes time for actions, but once started, they keep going until they are finished. The keys are:

1. Get straight to the action. Jump off the cliff, don't waste time looking at it.
2. Hook the reader with big or surprising actions. Big or surprising action at the launch of a scene allows for more possibilities within the scene.
3. Make sure the action is true to the character. It should create conflict, too.
4. Act first, think later. Lead with the action, then let characters react and think about what they have done.

Narrative launches. We've said so much about avoiding narrative summary, but the launch of a scene is one place where a short, well-written narrative summary can work out. We need to get to the action quickly, but a narrative summary can help sometimes. The keys are:

1. Use a narrative summary where it saves time.
2. Use narrative summary to communicate information before action. A little bit of background or setting can go a long way.
3. Use narrative when thoughts or intentions cannot be revealed in action. Some characters cannot speak or act easily, so narration can let the reader know what they think and feel.

Setting launches. If the setting details are important to the plot or character development, you may need to include the setting in the launch of the scene. In particular, unusual, exotic, or challenging locations that bear dramatically on the characters and the plot can launch us in the right direction. For effective scene launches:

1. Use specific visual details.
2. Let the scenery set the tone and the language of the scene.
3. Use scenery to reflect a character's feelings and perceptions.
4. Show how the character sees the scenery.

The real danger with scene launches for the writer is that they are short and easy to rush through, trying to get to the real meat of the scene. Don't do it. Take the time to get the scene launch right -- or at least go back and revise it into what it needs to be. The scene launch invites the reader to come along, and should be as intriguing and alluring as possible.

So we need to launch the scene, providing the reader with something that gets them oriented and interested in reading in this scene. I think that along with Jordan's question about what's the most important information to be revealed in this scene we need to think about how to make the reader curious about that this information. We want them to read the scene looking for an answer, trying to figure out that piece of information. You want them to be puzzled and curious.

I do think that every scene launch needs to involve all four of Jordan's flavors -- the characters, the action, probably a little narrative summary, and setting. I think the difference is likely to be more in emphasis. So a character launch shows us the characters more than the action or setting, an action launch emphasizes what's going on, and the setting launch tells us more about where we are than the others. But the character launch needs to have some conflict in it, the action launch certainly has to have someone who is doing all that dancing, and the setting launch needs to include someone looking around, at the very least. Still, I think Jordan makes a good point - think about which one you are trying to do, and focus on getting that emphasis right. Think about how that launch leads the reader into your scene.

So your assignment for this chapter is to take a look at a book or story of your choosing, and find at least one scene launch. Take a close look at how the author introduces the scene and gets you into it. Did they use a character, action, narrative summary, or setting launch? If they used a narrative summary, how long is it and what happens right after it? How does the launch orient you as a reader, and how does it get you interested in reading further? I think as writers we often try to explain too much, and miss the fact that some mystery and suspense can be very good for getting the reader interested.

When we write, we invite others to come along?