writercises | Entries tagged with scene

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?

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?

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!

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?

mbarker

Original Posting 2022/3/28

Here we go again! This time, Raymond turns his sights on size. How long should your scenes be? The title of chapter 3 is Size-wise: Determining Scene Length. He starts off by suggesting that beginning writers tend to make their scenes either too long or too short. Too long destroys the pace and momentum, while too short means readers can’t get involved. So…

What’s the right length? As long as the reader is paying attention and not one bit longer. Two things, the purpose of the scene and its position in the scenes, help determine the right length.

Back in chapter one, Raymond talked about the purposes of scenes. Here, we’re looking at how that affects length. Not so much word counts, as how long can you keep the reader’s attention. Attention span is the key here! Suggestions…

Go short for information dumps, scenes that explain the plot. Also, keep technical information short! Third, scenic descriptions can be short. Finally, erotic scenes should be short, unless you are deliberately trying for comedy. For all of these, imply or suggest, more than giving us every single detail ad nauseum.

Long? Conversations, especially when they reveal character. Emotional scenes, too, can be good at length. Suspense! When you keep the reader dangling, waiting, wondering…

So, that’s some suggestions or hints about length. What about positioning? Well, Raymond suggests it’s like visual arts. Contrasting elements bring out the differences, while similar elements tend to blend. So, put some contrast in to keep it interesting.

His final word, or summary, of this chapter, starts with a reminder. It’s simple. You don’t have to determine the length right away! When you start to write a scene, just write it. Then, later, you can stretch it out or trim it down to suit.

His workshop starts by pointing out that every scene has a hot spot, a moment that the scene is built around. So, he suggests, start by finding that hot spot, and draw a box around it (or highlight it, for electronic media). Then start reading backwards from there. Does that paragraph contribute to the hot spot? Underline or highlight anything that you think might not be useful. Then read the paragraph before that, and repeat. By going backwards, you get a different view of what the writing contributes to this scene, and can be more objective about trimming or changing anything that doesn’t help.

So, there you go! How long should that scene be? Well…

Write!

mbarker

Original Posting 2022/3/24

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!

mbarker

Original Posting 2022/3/12

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?

There you go! Chapter one done, and 14 more to go!

mbarker

Original posting 2022/01/16

So, here's a little bit of fun. Pick a place. It can be somewhere you have been, long ago or recently, or a place you have read about or seen on tv, or whatever. Just make it a place that you would like to explore. Think about the setting, the sights, sounds, smells, what you might feel, all of that. Yes, if you like, walk the little Google maps figure along the road and take a look at it!

Now, take a character or three. Perhaps from a work in progress, perhaps someone you would like to get to know, perhaps from a piece of fiction that you enjoyed? Anyway, one, or two, or maybe three. Probably not too many more, because you don't really want a mob scene.

Then, put them in that place. Why are they there? What are they looking for? Go ahead, let them walk around and explore, perhaps have a bite to eat (or did something bite them?), or whatever. Show us that place, seen through the eyes, memories, toes, and whatever of your characters.

Write that up. This may not be a scene you want to put in your work, but it is both a good way to practice describing places (aka settings, or even milieu) and a way to get into the heads of those characters and see what they notice about those places...

Okay? Pick a setting, put some characters in it, and write up what happens when your characters take a stroll through that place.

Write!

mbarker

Original posting 2022/01/03

I suspect some of you remember JC, one of our Writers from a while back. I still contemplate his advice for writing from time to time. It was pretty simple.

Write the ending first.

See, when you visualize your story, fairly often the ending is the exciting, fun part. It's where the climax is, the detective pointing out whodunit, the fateful happily ever after, the ride into the sunset, or whatever. So, JC recommended that you start by writing that piece. Write that great ending scene, the climax of your piece.

Then, of course, you get to work your way backwards. You can do tentpoles, highlight scenes along the way to that ending, and then tie them all together. By the way, foreshadowing gets easier when you know where you are going! Or you can literally write it backwards, one scene at a time, until you get to the beginning. Or, of course, you can ratchet all the way back, and start from the beginning and go on until the end (which you already know, because that's what you wrote first!).

Heck, even if you are an outliner, carefully working out all the bits and pieces in outline before starting to write, you still might want to consider starting at the end, both for the outline, and for the actual writing. Keep your goal in mind!

It's an interesting twist. Instead of starting at the beginning, and then bogging down in the middle, and never quite getting to the end...

Write the ending first.

Then you can keep your eye on that horizon while you beat your way through the jungle towards it.

Write?

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?

mbarker

Original Posting 2021/5/21

There is a funny bit going around on Facebook, where some poor guy is whispering into his lady love's ear about how he thinks there is a landscape inside every woman, that needs to be unfolded... it ends with him saying, "Let's construct an assemblage."

Now, admittedly, it's kind of a rough and ready version of romance (when I read it, I was reminded of the old joke about the guy who asks women a fairly rude question, and someone asks what happens? He says he usually gets slapped, but once in a while... constructing an assemblage seems almost as far out). But it suggests an interesting twist.

Take an analogy, a process, something like that. Now, wrap it up in a romantic meeting between your two lovers. You can make it their first date, a somewhat more steamy scene, or even an outright adult scene, but let one of them be trying to lay out this analogy as part of their dialogue.

So, perhaps they see the relationship as a chess game, and they are about to force a checkmate? Or it's like automobile repair, and we're about to make the engine run? Or... go ahead, take your wildest analogy, and wrap it in a romantic dialogue.

Write that scene!

mbarker

Original Posting 4/11/2020

Here we go. A simple sort of thing. Take... oh, a cartoon show, such as Spongebob or whatever is on Disney. Or maybe a webcomic (Schlock Mercenary? Okay, take your pick). A favorite movie? Maybe a comic book?Now, simply write it up. Be aware that your reader may not know who the characters are, they can't see the setting or the action, and so forth. So you are going to have to tell them all about it! Okay? Make sure that your version is exciting, sets up the joke, keeps the tension up, and so forth, too!If you want an advanced version, consider the side stories or in between stories. Often in webcomics, especially, they jump from scene to scene. Guess what! You can fill in the in between steps. Sure, for the web comic, it is convenient to let the reader imagine it, but you can actually walk us through all the stuff in between. Or even take a side trip to the stuff that gets mentioned but not filled in.Okay? Movies, cartoon shows, anime, webcomics... lots of stories out there that you can use to practice writing a scene, a narration, a full tale in words, without the visual support of that other medium.Go! Write!

mbarker

Original posting 9/20/2019

All right! So we have taken the lie that our character believes, what they want and what they need, and the ghost that is driving this, and we have at least thought about the characteristic moment that introduces this character to the reader. What's next?Well, in Chapter 5, K. M. talks about the normal world. The normal world? Aren't stories about exciting, different, challenging worlds? Well, yes, but typically they start in the normal world. This is the context for the characteristic moment. The normal world has an important role in act one. Really, this is set up. The normal world grounds your story in a concrete setting. This also provides the baseline to measure the personal and plot changes that are coming. So, think about setting. Where would the character be complacent?Often, the normal world manifests a wonderful surface, until it cracks open and shows what's underneath. It may be safe but boring, and the protagonist wishes they could escape. It may also be lousy, and the protagonist feels that they are stuck there. Or, it might actually be pretty good, but the protagonist just doesn't see it. It may even be challenging, but the protagonist is not yet able to deal with those challenges.Symbolically, the normal world is a place that the protagonist doesn't or can't leave. It's the staging ground, and in some ways it represents or at least supports the lie. You may want to think about what kind of world makes a good backstory for why this character believes the lie. Make it comfy for the lie. Also, make it a good contrast to the adventure world!So, the normal world is the before state.Some questions you might want to ask yourself:1. What setting opens the story?2. How does the setting change at the first plot point?3. How can you best contrast the normal world and the adventure world?4. How does the normal world dramatize or symbolize the lie?5. How does the normal world cause or empower the lie?6. Why is the character in the normal world?7. If the character doesn't want to leave the normal world, what masks the discomfort of the lie?8. If the character wants to leave, what stops him or her?9. Will the character returned to the normal world at the end of the story?10. If the normal world is a good place, how does the character need to change to appreciate it?So, now we're wrapping that characteristic moment in the normal world, a larger setting.Let's step back for just a moment and look at what K. M. Weiland has laid out so far. Basically, the character arc is going to be about some internal problem, a flaw, a mistaken belief, that the character has. So, right up front, think about that Lie that the character believes. This lie, and the symptoms of it, tie right into what the character wants (usually something they believe will give them relief from the symptoms of the lie) and what the character needs (the Truth that will set them free from the Lie!). That conflict, between what the character wants and what they need, drives the character arc, and lies underneath the external conflicts, the plot events, that will teach our character the lessons they need to learn, and eventually result in the change they need to have. Behind that triple threat of lie, want, and need, we have the ghost, the hidden trauma or secret that taught them to believe the lie.All of which you probably want to think about a little before you start trying to put together the characteristic moment, the scene where your readers meet your character for the first time. Then, wrapping around that characteristic moment and the adventure world that will teach our character lessons, we have the normal world! That greater setting that holds the initial scene, and gives us a starting point for everything that is ahead.And that's just the start of the story!

mbarker

Original Posting 9/17/2019

There was a Facebook post that started out with this quote..."In case of volcanic eruption, you will hear mermaids. Do not ignore the mermaids; they are there for your safety."Followed by the note:Perils of Google Translate No. 44a. People seeking greater warning of volcanic eruption want sirens, _not_ mermaids. (Spanish: Sirenas).But, you know, in the fantasy worlds and worlds of mythology, you might very well hear mermaids. So, your exercise is simple. Write up a scene with the character encountering the first quote in a context where it is literally correct! That's right, the character is warned that the mermaids are there for your safety, and... they really are! Go ahead, set us in that world where the mermaids sing when the volcano erupts, and you had better pay attention to them.Bonus points if you go ahead and have a volcanic eruption, and an encounter with the mermaids. What the heck, follow the flicking fish tails?

mbarker

Original Posting Jan. 4, 2019

Okay. Death, brainstorming, keeping creativity going while you write... and now, scenes! The building blocks of fiction. But, what do you need in a scene? Well, James recommends these ingredients...

1. Objective. What is happening? In particular, what does the POV character want in the scene? It might be explicit or just implied, but... it is going to be there. So what is the objective?

2. Opposition! What person, place, thing, or circumstance is keeping the POV character from their objective? Might be outer or inner, individual, social, natural? But what is in the way?

3. Outcome. James suggests it could be good, bad, or horrible. Usually, for fiction, it isn’t going to be good, in fact, it is going to be pretty bad. Now, elsewhere I’ve seen it suggested that this is usually either a yes-but or a no-and. Yes-but? Yes, they succeeded, but now there’s another problem. No-and? No, they didn’t succeed, and there’s an added complication. Trials and tribulations make a story strong, and a character.

4. Something unexpected. It might be a plot twist, a new character, a new setting, or something else that the reader wouldn’t expect. How do you come up with them? James suggests brainstorm for five minutes. Write down the POV character, objective, and possible obstacles. Put down a tentative outcome. Now, what is something unexpected you could put in? Make a list, and go Wild! Then pick one that you like. And... you are just about ready to write!

We’re about to dive into the beats of Super Structure. But before we get there, James has one more section, looking at emotions. Then we’ll look at the beats that Super Structure lays out for you to use...

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original Posting 9 Sept 2011

I can tell from the excitement in your eye that you're thrilled to see step number four! Yes, having battled your way through thinking about character traits that you like and dislike, the kind of story that you enjoy, trying to answer a whole list of questions about your story, and then thinking about the characters, now, at last... It's time to figure out the plot. Something that gets readers interested early, keeps them involved, and pays off at the end.

Writer's Digest, April 1992, pages 40 to 43 have the article by Jack Bickham. All about plot, or structural planning, that creates a desired emotional response in the reader.

So what is plotting? Well, first of all, Jack wants us to understand that the plot is not a rigid structural framework, where you just fill in the blanks. It's dynamic. "It's a way of structuring your work in order to hook readers early, keep them involved then guessing throughout, and let them finish with a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment. Plot is never the same in any two stories. It's a process, not a format."

You actually already started working on plot. After all, when you looked at character roles, you started making decisions about the story line -- locale, the problem, the action, and the outcome. Any research you did also helped to define the action in your story. You've already thought a little about the length of the story, the pace, the mix of action, dialogue, and mood. Those are all plot related.

Another thing that you've already started to think about is what you want the reader to worry about. One reader worry has to be the strongest -- that is the dominant story question. And the most important thing for planning the plot is making sure you know clearly and precisely what the story question is. So what is a story question? Almost anything, but it has to be vital to the happiness of your viewpoint character. Will he get a better job, can he climb the mountain, will they ever stop fighting, who killed Adam Jones, will Marcel ever find happiness again, what is behind the locked door, what makes this strange blue light flash across the lake? Any of these could be your story question.

Your story question has to be something that can be answered. You need a specific story question that you're going to establish early in the story, and you need a clear answer to the story question that will be revealed in the outcome for your main characters. Your opening introduces the character and setting and the story question. Your climax answers the story question.

You should be able to write down your story question and your story answer on a sheet of paper. Okay, some of you will use your computer, tablet, or something else. But any way you look at it, stop now and write down your story question and your story answer. Don't be surprised if your first effort is vague and you have to try again. Remember, a vivid, clear story question helps you build your plot. Also, the story ending depends on a clear answer -- yes or no, a solution to the puzzle, a change in mood or tone. Make it as clear and precise as you can.

So now you have your beginning -- your story question -- and your ending -- your story answer. How do you connect them?

This my friend is the very heart of plotting. And it all revolves around a sequence of scenes and sequels. So what are scenes and what are sequels? I'm glad you asked!

Scenes are simply story actions portrayed as if on stage (in a movie, on TV...). They are immediate, concrete, and portray conflicts.

Sequels on the other hand, let the reader know how your viewpoint character reacted to the scene. Feelings, thoughts, plans about what to do next... If scenes are action, sequels are reactions.

So, plot is a sequence of scene, sequel, scene, sequel... Connecting the opening that introduced story question to the climax that provides the story answer. Now, in some cases the jump from scene A to scene B is so obvious and tight that the writer puts in only the smallest sequel or even skips it. In other stories, the scenes maybe relatively minor, with long, involved sequels.

The kind of story you're planning helps you determine the right balance between scenes and sequels. Adventure story, strong conflict, clear specific goal -- dramatic scenes with very little sequel, maybe. And you have a fast-moving story with lots of action. Another story might make the change in the character's feelings and thoughts the focus, and spend much more time on sequels.

So how do you structure a scene? Well, scenes center on an immediate goal or problem that the viewpoint character wants to achieve right now -- on his or her way to the ultimate answer. Like the story question and answer, the scene question needs to be shown quickly and clearly to the readers, so that they can worry about it. Then, let the main character struggle to achieve that in this scene. And at the end of the scene, there is an answer. However, the answers at the end of scenes are almost always bad news for the viewpoint character. You want to build the tension, so things just get worse for your viewpoint character. Disasters, new roadblocks, all kinds of problems.

Now when the viewpoint character hits that disappointment, you normally want to give them time to react emotionally, think about what just happened, and come up with a new plan. Emotion, thought, decision -- ETD?

Even though you may decide not to actually describe every step of the way in your story, in your planning, it can be very helpful to go ahead and include each and every step. So for each scene, write down:

1. The name of the viewpoint character
2. The goal -- in 10 words or less, what does the character wants to achieve in this scene?
3. The problem: often another character. Identify the character or problem in the way in this scene.
4. Conflict: briefly, sketch in how the conflict will be presented dramatically
5. Disaster: in 10 words or less, describe the end of the scene -- what is the unanticipated setback that your character experiences at the end of this scene

Next, write the sequel that goes with that scene. Three parts:

1. Briefly describe the emotions your character feels after the unanticipated setback.
2. Briefly describe what the character thinks -- review, analyze, plan -- next.
3. What does the character logically decide to do next? (This introduces the next scene!)

Repeat this, making a chain of scene and sequel pairs that reaches from the story question to the story answer. Feel free to adjust, change, and modify -- this is a plan, and plans change.

Consider the story length. Short stories won't have as many scenes and sequels, novels will have quite a few. Also, consider the type of story, market, and how quickly or slowly you want the story to read. You may want to cut out some scenes or add some. You may want to consider the balance between your scenes and sequels. The kind of characters and the kind of story also can influence where you put your effort. But if you've got the scene and sequel chain built, deciding how to transform that into writing is easier.

Jack ends his article with a list of questions to help you check your plot. Here they are:

1. Do you have a clear story question?
2. Does the ending answer that question?
3. Does every scene relate somehow to that story question?
4. Do the scenes follow each other in a logical way?
5. Does every sequel relate in feeling and thought to the scene ahead of it?
6. Does each sequel lead logically to the next scene?
7. Are there scenes that can be trimmed or eliminated without hurting the story?
8. Are there sequels that can be trimmed or eliminated without hurting the story?
9. Does each scene have a clear goal driving the conflict?
10. Does each scene end badly for the viewpoint character?
11. Are the feelings and thoughts of the character in each sequel believable?
12. Is there any scene or sequel that I have forgotten to include?

Take the time now to look over your plan. Make sure that it's as solid as you can make it. And then... Step five! The first draft! Writing at last? No, you've been writing in every step. But now you can let the words flow...

After, that is, you've actually gone through and done the plotting. Story question, story answer, scenes and sequels... Get that skeleton in order.

Current Mood: moldy

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original posting 7 Nov 2010

This will take a little explaining, but I glanced at this posting http://madgeniusclub.blogspot.com/2010/11/sweet-emotion-entertain-and-move-your.html and got intrigued enough to at least look at the links. Good stuff, and in fact, I'm going to talk about what is called motivation-reaction units (MRUs) in one of them. Specifically, over here http://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/art/scene.php Randy Ingermanson talks about these (although he says he got them from Dwight Swain, and kept the name because it is so ridiculous). It's kind of a basic approach to writing narratives with a POV character.

See, the idea is that first you have a short bit of action -- something happens! External, objective, just the facts. A tree falls, the door opens, something happens. So you write that little bit. That's the motivation.

Then, in a new paragraph (or perhaps a sequence of paragraphs), you have the internal, subjective reaction by the POV character. In particular, you may have three parts, and they must be in this order. First, the character may have some instant feelings -- fear, anger, whatever. Then, second, there are some reflex reactions, such as jerking back, jumping, and so on. Finally, third, the POV character gets around to rational action and speech.

And Randy suggests making a discipline of writing your story that way. One bit of objective stuff, followed by a chunk of reaction, and repeat. Step-by-step. Put a series of these together, and build a scene.

Which is the other part of his and Jim Butcher's piece at http://jimbutcher.livejournal.com/2880.html of course. Randy suggests that we build our large-scale scenes using two parts, too. The scene is more external, built out of a goal that the POV character wants to achieve, obstacles that get in the way, and ending in a disaster, a failure for the character.

Which kicks off a sequel, looking at the reaction, the emotional result of the disaster. Followed by trying to figure out what to do now, laying out the dilemma of choices, and ending in a decision, a choice to push ahead -- which takes us to the next scene. Jim Butcher chops up the sequel a bit differently, starting with the same emotional reaction and ending with a choice, but putting two steps in the middle. First is review, logic, reason trying to understand what happened. Then comes anticipation, trying to see what is ahead. But they're both walking us through the internal reactions of the POV character.

And again, as with MRUs, you get this cycle, or layering, with one external chunk, then an internal one, and repeat.

Interesting. I'm not sure about grabbing new writing tools in the middle of the nanowrimo whirl, but it's worth a little thought. Especially that MRU micro-structure. Write an objective paragraph, external action. Then fill in the emotional reaction, the instinctive reaction, and the final rational words and actions. And repeat. Again and again!

Let's see. The aged nanowrimo note over here http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/142259.html was based on an artist who had found that simply turning a picture upside down helped novice artists to draw better, because it forced them to really look at the picture instead of their expectations. And I raised the question of what would convince us to really look and think about the subjects of our writing, so that we could show the reader what is really there instead of simple pre-conceived ideas. In some ways, writing using something like the MRU structure might be that kind of breaker, because filling in the four parts (what's the objective motivation? What's the immediate emotional reaction? What's the instinctive reflex reaction? And what are the rational thoughts, speech, and action at the end?) forces us to think carefully about each step in the story.

I think I see Cape Horn off to the side, or perhaps it's the Cape of Good Hope? Anyway, time to reef some sails and turn this ship. Anyone see a star to steer her by?

Write!

Current Mood: tall ships

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original posting Nov. 4, 2010

Ha! Here's a fun little teaser, if you're having trouble figuring out what to write about for nanowrimo (hey, it could happen, right?).

First, go over to http://tvtropes.org/ -- but DO NOT START BROWSING, because it's way too easy to spend hours here without any words. Instead, click on random (top right hand button). That will give you some kind of weird trope from the troves, with which you should...

Second, consider how this might apply to your characters, scenes, etc. Go ahead and sketch up at least one scene using this trope. Or if you happen to get a series or something, scramble through it and pick out something to use for your story. And write, write, write...

Go!

Current Mood: randomized

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original posting 15 Sept 2009

This will sound kind of odd. But basically, what I suggest you do is think about a movie or a TV story or something like that, and pull one scene out of that. You could also do what I was doing that prompted me to write this exercise -- changing channels idly, I hit one of the anime -- kid's cartoons -- and paused for a moment to see what was going on. The heroines (I could tell, they had the fancy clothes) were taking a child home... and went around the corner, and there is the home, but it's destroyed. Smoking wreck. And the evil monster dropped into the path...

At about that point, I went ahead and turned off the TV, but I was thinking about that scene. Star Wars did it, and...

So I stopped and wrote myself a note. Write a scene with the protagonists taking the child/apprentice home, only to find the home destroyed, friends and family dead or gone or changed, and (optionally) the attack of the bad guys. Or maybe having them disappear, so that the child/apprentice and protagonists have to chase them is better?

I do this with movies on airplane flights, or even sometimes when my wife is watching something. Pull out those scenes, simplify them down to the bone, and then write them again with my own twists, settings, and characterizations for practice and fun...

Go ahead. Write.

Current Mood: slow

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original posting 9 September 2009

Okay, while we're waiting for September... or something like that... how about picking a number from 1 to 6? Roll the die, or just pick a number.

Got your number now, right? Let's see what you've picked:

"Chase destiny like a harpoonist" Edith Pearlman
"Pale blues like old people's eyes" Edna O'Brien
"Tossed all night like a man running from himself" Paige Mitchell
"Writhing like a baited worm" Countee Cullen
"He's like a scalded cat" William Alfred
"A lonely face, pulled in like rain off the wild stretches" Elizabeth Spencer

All of these came from Falser Than A Weeping Crocodile and Other Similes by Elyse and Mike Sommer.

Your task is simple. Take your simile and think about it. When would someone use a phrase like that? What's the character or the scene that this makes you think of? What was the question that someone answered with it, or what did someone say after your character used this phrase? Go ahead, stretch it out, think about what led up to this, what happened next, and then...

Put it together. Sketch that scene out. Put down the words, tell us who the people are, let them rail against fate, let them dodge and duck, let them fight... whatever it takes. And somewhere in your scene, use that phrase.

Write?

Current Mood: choking

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mbarker - TECH: Crafting Scenes (table of contents!)
mbarker - TECH: Crafting Scenes (6)
mbarker - TECH: Crafting Scenes (5)
mbarker - TECH: Crafting Scenes (4)
mbarker - TECH: Crafting Scenes (3)
mbarker - TECH: Crafting Scenes (2)
mbarker - TECH: Scenes (1)
mbarker - EXERCISE: Place settings?
mbarker - TECH: Write the Ending first!
mbarker - TECH: Scenes
mbarker - EXERCISE: Wrap that analogy in romance!
mbarker - EXERCISE: Change media?
mbarker - TECH: Character Arcs (part 6) (665 words)
mbarker - EXERCISE: Pay Attention to the Mermaids!
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mbarker.livejournal.com - TECH: Short Story Blueprint Step Four: Planning the Plot (moldy oldie)
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mbarker.livejournal.com - TECH: A kick start for nanowrimo?
mbarker.livejournal.com - EXERCISE: Pull a scene...
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