The Place For My Writers Notes

 original posting 26 April 2008

Make a Scene

Fair warning, I picked up a new book recently. I think it looks interesting, so I am planning to walk through it relatively slowly with postings here. The book is called Make a Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time by Jordan E. Rosenfeld, Writer's Digest Books 2008.

In the introduction, Jordan tells us that he's going to talk about scenes. And there's a useful little two paragraph bit at the end of the introduction:

"To help you avoid tactics that could bore the reader, I leave you with this caveat: the audience is watching. Never forget this. Even though the audience isn't actually present at the moment of your writing, you should write (and especially revise) as if the reader is sitting behind your desk, awaiting your finished pages. What this means is that, if your eye is ultimately on publication, is your job to entertain and inform the reader through clear writing and powerful scenes; if you are using fancy prose or showy strategies to amuse yourself or prove something, you aren't keeping your audience in mind."

"Though it's not wise to write first drafts with the super-ego breathing its foul, critical breath down your neck, your readers should be the most precious people imaginable after your characters. You see, most readers are not writers; they don't know how hard it is to write. They have very little patience or empathy for your struggles. They just want a good story, and they will put down one that doesn't hold their interest. It's up to you to ensure that they don't lose is in your story."

Interesting point, reminding us of the audience -- the reader. I know we've talked in the past about just who is the reader and what is their role in the business of writing. We usually come down to saying that you write to yourself as reader in some ways, or at least to an idealized friend who is sitting there listening to your story, waiting to hear how it comes out. Sometimes I think they must be very patient.

But I do think Jordan reminds us of an essential touchstone for our writing -- does it entertain the reader? Keep that in mind, and damn the critics, write!

Chapter 1: Functions of a Scene

Jordan starts out by saying that what makes stories really come to life is strong and powerful scenes. Unfortunately, he tells us that there really isn't a formula for scenes -- although he does offer to tell us some of the ingredients, and let us put them together creatively and see what happens.

[Remember W. Somerset Maugham's dictum? "There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." But at least Jordan offers us some ingredients for baking scenes . . . er, making scenes. I'm going to put chocolate chips in mine, they are good in most things :-]

So what's a scene? "Scenes are capsules in which compelling characters undertake significant actions in a vivid and memorable way that allows the events to feel as though they are happening in real time." Jordan then provides a list of basic ingredients:

• Characters who are complex and layered, and who undergo change throughout your narrative
• A point of view through which the scenes are seen
• Memorable and significant action that feels as if it is unfolding in real time
• Meaningful, revealing dialogue when appropriate
• New plot information that advances your story and deepens characters
• Conflict and drama that tests your characters and ultimately reveals their personalities
• A rich physical setting that calls on all the senses and enables the reader to see and enter into the world you've created
• A spare amount of narrative summary or exposition

The key to this is action -- events with people acting in what seems like real time -- but well-balanced scenes include many different things.

[people doing something, spiced with talk, a few clues, conflict, and served in a fine setting? Sounds like a fine tale, doesn't it?]

Along with these basics, Jordan promises that later chapters will talk about dramatic tension, scene subtext, scene intentions, pacing, and scene length. But that is later.

Jordan also talks about the difference between show and tell in a couple of ways. First, Jordan points out that telling, aka narrating or narrative summary, is explaining. And while we need a little, we need to avoid over-explaining -- trust your reader! Second, using detailed, specific sensory clues, we help the reader build visual images in the eye of their imagination. "You want the reader to see what you describe as vividly as you see your dreams at night." Narrative summary, however, is more like someone whispering in their ear, describing what's happening. You want your reader to feel as if they are in the scene, not having someone lecture to them about it.

This chapter ends with a very short section talking about scene length. Long scenes are 15 pages or more, and usually slow down the pace, or include a lot of detailed action or dialogue. Short scenes run less than ten pages. They can make the flow feel choppy, but are good for differentiating characters, picking up the pace, and  making the reader feel the rush or urgency.

[or as the White Rabbit said, "Begin at the beginning and go on till you come to the end; then stop." Lewis Carroll.]

Jordan doesn't talk about the scenes that are just right, but they're probably in the range between 10 to 15 pages.

Jordan finishes his Chapter 1 with the comment that every scene needs to have a beginning, middle, and an end. The beginning is vivid, memorable, and drags the reader into the scene. Middles are where the stakes are raised, characters run into conflict, and consequences flow. Scene endings set the stage for the next scenes, leaving the reader with unforgettable feelings, tastes, or impressions. And of course, that's what the rest of part one is all about!

So that's Jordan's Chapter 1. Scenes are the building blocks of stories. They involve characters in action, doing things that feel like they are happening right in front of us. They come in long, short, and just right, sort of like the three bears' pajamas. And that's about it -- the next chapters talk about how to get the scene started, what to fill it with, and how to wrap up the loose ends.

Your assignment? How about taking a chapter in your favorite book or story, which could be one of yours, and identify at least one scene? Take a good hard look at how it starts, what happens in it, and what marks the end of the scene. How do you know that you are going from one scene to the next?

You might also want to consider the checklist:

1. Does the scene have strong characters? Do they change in the scene?
2. Is the point of view in the scene clear, and consistent?
3. Is there significant action in the scene? Does it happen in real time?
4. Is the dialogue in the scene meaningful?
5. Does the scene reveal information that moves the plot forward and deepens characters?
6. Does the scene have conflict and drama?
7. Does the scene have a strong physical setting, with all the senses engaged?
8. Does the scene avoid too much narrative summary, exposition, or information dumps?

Okay? Ready to make a scene? Or at least are you interested in seeing what else Jordan has to say about making a scene?

When we write, we let others see scenes of the mind.