Sunday, March 30, 2014

Anatomy of a Scene

When you set out to write a scene, you should know:
  • POV: who has the spotlight?
  • Goal: what does the POV character want to accomplish?
  • Motivation: why is it important that he accomplish it?
  • Conflict: what is blocking him from getting it?
  • Resolution: the resolution is normally either No-and-Furthermore, or Yes-But. Increase the stakes.
  • Setting: where is this taking pace? What makes it more interesting than a blank sound stage?
  • Senses: what senses do we engage? Three senses per page, or about every 300 words. 
  • The scene should be about 1000-1500 words; "a crisis every thousand words", as John Ringo says.

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