How to Write a Scene
Determine what the scene needs to say or accomplish., Choose the characters that you need for the scene., Find an interesting or exciting setting for the scene., Start the scene with a strong hook., Sketch the scene out roughly by hand., Build your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Determine what the scene needs to say or accomplish.
You need to know what your scene adds to the larger work.
A scene should be able, in large part, to stand on it's own as a mini-story.
Your characters, and the reader, need to be at a different place at the end of the scene than the beginning.
If you haven't shown growth or exposed something new to the audience then the scene likely isn't necessary.
The best scenes accomplish many things at once, often very subtly.
Common uses for a scene include:
Moving the plot forward.
Establishing or resolving conflict/tension.
Illuminating new character traits.
Showing how characters have changed.
Exposing or illustrating a new location or new character.
Telling a joke or hitting an important emotional beat. -
Step 2: Choose the characters that you need for the scene.
Once you know what the scene needs to accomplish, you need to find out who needs to be there to accomplish it.
If you're writing a screenplay or script, you want as few characters as you need.
You may not notice a character hasn't spoken in five minutes on the page, but you will notice them sitting around silently on stage.
Remember that, while you want your characters to behave realistically, you still need your scene to accomplish it's goal.
Instead of bending a character to fit your plot, leave them out of the scene or find a way to make them fit into the scene without betraying their character.If you're writing a stand-alone scene, like a skit, spend some time brainstorming characters.
You might write out a few sentences, or do a full character sketch. , Try to think of something beyond the obvious for the best results.
What kind of location would best highlight your conflict, tension, or theme? Where can you believably set the character while still exposing new sides of them.
Oftentimes, the setting you choose provides conversation topics for your characters, especially in the beginning of the scene.
You can try and make a slight metaphor between the location and the actual scene, such as Invisible Man's famous, metaphorical white paint factory scene playing on "white-washing" race relations.
While most dates take place in a park or at a nice restaurant, Rocky's famous courtship scene is extra powerful because it is in an abandoned ice-skating rink, which mimics the shape and feel of a boxing ring.
The violent ending of There Will Be Blood is extra shocking because it takes place in the most innocent setting of the entire movie
-- a home bowling alley.
The turning point of the North Korean set Orphan Master's Son takes place in Texas, putting the characters in perhaps the least North Korean location imaginable to spur their rebellion., You want your first lines of the scene to pull the reader immediately in.
Oftentimes, writers have the first line or two of the scene already in their head, spurring them on to write.
But that doesn't mean the first choice is necessarily the best.
Write down 4-5 different openings, keeping in mind your goals for the scene, and then move forward from your favorite.How many lines can you cut at the very beginning of the scene before you get to essentials? It's best to dive right into the story instead of following your character through a normal day. , Free yourself from perfection and just take off writing.
Once you have an opening, even one you're not sure you want to keep, write out the scene quickly as it comes to you.
Let your characters speak and react to the position you put them in, even if it doesn't conform to your original plan.
Take a detour or unleash a surprise on your characters during a moment of inspiration.
Remember that this is just a quick draft.
You will pick and choose the best moments later on.
The goal is to start visualizing the scene, playing the movie or novel in your head as you write., Monologues are not scenes, and neither are philosophical discussions.
Both have their place in movies and books, but they don't have their place in scenes.
When writing scenes, you need to think in concrete terms, letting tangible events shape the scene and propel your characters and plot forward.
Even a good conversation can be a scene, as conversation can reveal surprising insights and trigger new events.
However, a middling conversation between two best friends that doesn't show us anything new is not a scene.
Some tips include:
Thinking in terms of action and reaction, not random chance, to make more dynamic scenes.
Leading with the action.
If someone thinks about doing something, then does it, like hitting a character, start with the punch first.
Then follow up with "she'd wanted to do that for a long time." Revealing inner thought through action.
Hemingway was a master of this, using small actions to show bigger emotions.
For example, a character leaning back in a chair suddenly leans forward, putting all four chair legs down, as he has just heard news of his long-lost lover, who he pretends not to know, in "The Big Two-Hearted River. -
Step 3: Find an interesting or exciting setting for the scene.
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Step 4: Start the scene with a strong hook.
-
Step 5: Sketch the scene out roughly by hand.
-
Step 6: Build your scenes around action and events
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Step 7: not thoughts.
Detailed Guide
You need to know what your scene adds to the larger work.
A scene should be able, in large part, to stand on it's own as a mini-story.
Your characters, and the reader, need to be at a different place at the end of the scene than the beginning.
If you haven't shown growth or exposed something new to the audience then the scene likely isn't necessary.
The best scenes accomplish many things at once, often very subtly.
Common uses for a scene include:
Moving the plot forward.
Establishing or resolving conflict/tension.
Illuminating new character traits.
Showing how characters have changed.
Exposing or illustrating a new location or new character.
Telling a joke or hitting an important emotional beat.
Once you know what the scene needs to accomplish, you need to find out who needs to be there to accomplish it.
If you're writing a screenplay or script, you want as few characters as you need.
You may not notice a character hasn't spoken in five minutes on the page, but you will notice them sitting around silently on stage.
Remember that, while you want your characters to behave realistically, you still need your scene to accomplish it's goal.
Instead of bending a character to fit your plot, leave them out of the scene or find a way to make them fit into the scene without betraying their character.If you're writing a stand-alone scene, like a skit, spend some time brainstorming characters.
You might write out a few sentences, or do a full character sketch. , Try to think of something beyond the obvious for the best results.
What kind of location would best highlight your conflict, tension, or theme? Where can you believably set the character while still exposing new sides of them.
Oftentimes, the setting you choose provides conversation topics for your characters, especially in the beginning of the scene.
You can try and make a slight metaphor between the location and the actual scene, such as Invisible Man's famous, metaphorical white paint factory scene playing on "white-washing" race relations.
While most dates take place in a park or at a nice restaurant, Rocky's famous courtship scene is extra powerful because it is in an abandoned ice-skating rink, which mimics the shape and feel of a boxing ring.
The violent ending of There Will Be Blood is extra shocking because it takes place in the most innocent setting of the entire movie
-- a home bowling alley.
The turning point of the North Korean set Orphan Master's Son takes place in Texas, putting the characters in perhaps the least North Korean location imaginable to spur their rebellion., You want your first lines of the scene to pull the reader immediately in.
Oftentimes, writers have the first line or two of the scene already in their head, spurring them on to write.
But that doesn't mean the first choice is necessarily the best.
Write down 4-5 different openings, keeping in mind your goals for the scene, and then move forward from your favorite.How many lines can you cut at the very beginning of the scene before you get to essentials? It's best to dive right into the story instead of following your character through a normal day. , Free yourself from perfection and just take off writing.
Once you have an opening, even one you're not sure you want to keep, write out the scene quickly as it comes to you.
Let your characters speak and react to the position you put them in, even if it doesn't conform to your original plan.
Take a detour or unleash a surprise on your characters during a moment of inspiration.
Remember that this is just a quick draft.
You will pick and choose the best moments later on.
The goal is to start visualizing the scene, playing the movie or novel in your head as you write., Monologues are not scenes, and neither are philosophical discussions.
Both have their place in movies and books, but they don't have their place in scenes.
When writing scenes, you need to think in concrete terms, letting tangible events shape the scene and propel your characters and plot forward.
Even a good conversation can be a scene, as conversation can reveal surprising insights and trigger new events.
However, a middling conversation between two best friends that doesn't show us anything new is not a scene.
Some tips include:
Thinking in terms of action and reaction, not random chance, to make more dynamic scenes.
Leading with the action.
If someone thinks about doing something, then does it, like hitting a character, start with the punch first.
Then follow up with "she'd wanted to do that for a long time." Revealing inner thought through action.
Hemingway was a master of this, using small actions to show bigger emotions.
For example, a character leaning back in a chair suddenly leans forward, putting all four chair legs down, as he has just heard news of his long-lost lover, who he pretends not to know, in "The Big Two-Hearted River.
About the Author
Christine Kelly
Committed to making crafts accessible and understandable for everyone.
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