5 Goals for Any Scene You're Writing
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2022
- It's one thing to write a scene, but it's another to write a scene that fits into the larger narrative. There's a lot to juggle so that the story doesn't come off feeling too monotonous, rushed, or slow-all of which is heavily influenced by how you've structured your scenes goals.
There's (generally speaking) five things that every scene in your story needs. Each is a kind of goal. Is the scene meant to create conflict, expand on the setting, or endear us to the characters? It could be all three. The most important thing is that you understand the goal and keep pushing the plot forward with each scene.
Script and VO by Adam Bassett
Animation by Cole Field
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-References-
4 Questions to Ask Yourself when Writing Scenes: www.writersdigest.com/improve...
How to Keep Score in Your Story with Scene Goals: thewritepractice.com/scene-go...
Scene Goals: jordanmccollum.com/2013/03/sce...
Structuring Your Story's Scenes: www.helpingwritersbecomeautho...
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10/10 mate. As an avid reader I can attest to how funky the story gets when this isn't "in balance". As a writer, well, I'm hoping to learn that first hand in the next few weeks. You guys are a credit. Thank you!
I’ve been learning craft after I watched a particular author tuber’s video. Her whole presentation and approach really connected with me. I binged her channel and got hooked on the idea of trying to write a proper novel. I always wanted to but never got farther than just pantsing random scenes around an idea that I had. I’ve done that for years!
Well when I started learning craft I read back over the random scenes and was gratified to see that instinctively I was on the right track but there were also plenty of mistakes like POV head hopping and such. You don’t know what you don’t know right up until you do 😂😂
Anyway as I begin to evaluate what I’ve written to see what will fit into the plot I am contemplating I will be keeping my notes on this video handy so that I can evaluate them based on this objective criteria. I can tell it’s a major concept best learned and grasped up front in my outlining process.
I don’t have a process developed yet but I know I personally need to be a through and through plotter 😂. I think I will also dip into maybe what is a screenwriter technique of creating a SCENE LIST that shows the entire progression of the plot from start to finish. Two or three sentences each should give me a summary of the content.
The author-tuber I referenced before also has videos about scenes but this one here was really focused in a different way. It’s so about the way people organize and present the information. I’ve got a whole dedicated section of notes specific to scenes and I added my notes from here to that reference binder that I’m building.
May I suggest if you haven’t already done so research the idea of scene cards here on YT. It’s a great way to get really clear about how each scene will function in the story once you’ve established it should be included. Im going to “interview” each scene before I commit to writing it 😂😂😂
For each scene I will fill out a card (index card, word document, Excel document whatever works best) and check off the boxes given in this video.
In addition I will list chapter; whether it’s the main story or a subplot scene; who is in the scene; whether the scene begins, continues or ends a major plot point or story beat; establish which character has the goal in the scene and make sure the goal is consistent with the plot, moves it and is not random 😂; list the POV character which will will usually be the character with the goal; the source of conflict or tension in the scene; whether the goal is achieved or not; and perhaps most importantly-does the scene naturally follow the scene before it and does it properly ‘cause and effect’ into the very next scene - unless I’m switching story lines (b story, villain /opponent scene).
That’s what I have so far but there are other aspects I think I will add as well. I’m thinking I’ll use an Excel spreadsheet with tabs that I will color code - maybe by POV character. That can visually clue me into too long stretches of POV from one character for instance.
BTW, I’m planning to write in third person limited. That’s another great video they’ve done here as well - their series on POV.
Have you started writing a draft or you perhaps even to editing? It’s so cool reading about other people’s journeys. Wishing you continued progress whatever stage you’re in!
I’m a new aspiring writer so that will explain why my comment will be such low hanging fruit craft-wise: I need to justify each scene. It cannot just be there in the story for it’s own sake. This topic and this checklist are essential to grasp and to embrace because I think as readers we don’t even realize the craft that takes place within a well written scene and how the scene sequences progress the story. We just take it for granted - unless we notice or feel something is off.
Thanks for making a video about this. As a newbie I really appreciate it.
I'm working on two stories -- fics -- actively right now.
In one all the scenes are meant to advance the story in one or more of these ways. I have a goal in mind, and I'm leading myself towards it.
In the other story, I'm just having fun writing. Each scene only needs to justify itself by me enjoying it being there.
The energy of writing the two stories is SO DIFFERENT even before you take the content into account, just from this split alone.
I love the intro! 😂
Thanks, we're thinking about quitting this whole writing thing now and becoming an ATLA cover band.
There’s an Extra Credits episode that talks about dialogue in a similar way, stating that if you want to avoid throwaway lines, then each one of them should do at least one of four things:
1. Advance the plot
2. Say something about the speaker
3. Say something about another character
4. Inform the audience about the world.
Unless a line is particularly funny or heartfelt or carries some other artistic value on its own, if it fails to meet any of the above criteria, it’s a throwaway line.
This is a great video!
Great video! It took me until my third edit of my novel to be able to reeeaalllyy delete stuff--not words or paragraphs, but whole chapters. I like that advice. Now that I'm able to do that, when I'm stuck in my edits and can't figure how to shape the scene, I often realize it's because I don't need the scene at all.
Writing is an art, but the accountant in me loves the 5 checkboxes AND your focus on the first 2.
Thanks!
I like using GMCs for checking the scenes value and fleshing them out. I think I'll also add this checklist in that same editing pass (gardener here, so the only framework I lay is DH's story circle for a barebones direction).
Thanks for this.
One suggestion in a comment elsewhere (which seemed rather brilliant) was, If a scene just isn't working, try changing the weather.
Superb on its own. Yet you can expand "weather" from its literal meaning to include characters' states of mind, political climate, imminent natural disaster, an illness or injury, a shortage (rain, salt, bank credit, ammo, workers, light) or relief from a shortage...
Anything considered to be part of the environment, fairly unchangeable, that has a perceptible effect on people could become your 'weather'.
Oh yeah. Weather doesn't do a lot for the plot goals for a scene (*most* of the time) but it's a great tool to use to set the mood or foreshadow something. I remember it was used to great effect n The Great Gatsby where as tensions rose the weather got hotter and hotter until those tensions broke on the hottest day of the year.
@@AroundTheCampfire I've just spent half the night indulging the guilty pleasure of bingeing on some new-to-me Tenerife Airport Disaster videos.
When those thick clouds rolled down to the high little airport from the 3rd largest volcano in the world, _everything_ changed. The videos with better budgets build on that ominous look with slow deep music, grave speaking voices and carefully timed cuts & fades... it can take you part way to being back there yourself.
(The 46th anniversary of that tragedy is this coming Monday, March 27.)
Interesting approach. Perhaps another suggestion could be to get feedback on the scene from a reader to find out whether they think the scene falls short.
If the scene fulfills at least one of the checkboxes but you still feel it’s off, you might be too close to it. If you’re a plotter then perhaps there’s an issue with the fact you know what’s going to happen but your reader won’t know and their perspective will be different. It might not be the scene itself - maybe it’s the lead up if the scenes don’t properly show the progression of the plot.
If you’re making a stew and you’ve put too much salt in it, changing the cooking temperature or adding more tomatoes or potatoes won’t address the excessive saltiness. It might take another person to say “it’s too salty”. Then you know to add sugar and or increase the volume of the stew. Bad analogy probably 😂😂.
Hey this is awesome, thanks for making it.
Dope tips. Very helpful, to me at least.
Thanks bro
i love the intro specially the sound effects 😂