This week we’ve bene talking about scenes – the difference between scenes and sequels, what action to put in a scene, and yesterday, what pov to focus on in a scene. Today, we’re going to get our dancing shoes out and talk about rhythm.

Rhythm. A good scene has an unspoken rhythm or beat to them that sets the tone for the scene. It’s the beat of dialogue, narrative, and action, setting the tempo that whisks a reader through a scene, helping them to feel the music of the words and the character’s emotional journey.

What makes up the rhythm of the story?

1. The hook sentence. Yes, I know I’m at it again, but the first sentence of the scene should hook the reader, raise their interest as they dive into the scene. If it’s a high tension scene, then an action hook works well. If it’s an emotional scene, starting the rhythm off with introspective thought, or even scenery can work. Your hook sentence should set the stage for the kind of scene it should be.
2. Set the mood – is it a tango? A waltz? Ever scene has a mood – cheery, dark and creepy, tense, romantic – whatever. Use words – active verbs and distinct nouns to evoke the mood you are looking to create. I know I’ve said this before, but this is truly the secret weapon of writing a great scene.
3. The white space. Yes, seriously…got through a book and check out the scenes. Lots of white space is usually a quickly moving scene, with lots of dialogue and action. Not as much white space means lots of narrative or description, and is probably more of an introspective, slower scene. Knowing what kind of scene it is – high tension, or introspective, should determine the beats of the components. For example, if you want two characters to have an argument, you probably don’t want long passages of narrative between the outbursts – it’ll slow the scene down and lose it’s impact. But, if you want a long introspective analysis of an important conversation, then slow down the conversation with narrative in between.
4. Correct distribution of Dialogue, Narrative, Description and Action. Building on the above “white space” discussion, you want to make sure that do include all the elements of a scene, in the right amount. For example, a high action scene still needs scenery – but in short bites that are integral to the scene. A scene that is all dialogue is like watching a movie with just a green screen. A scene that is all narrative is like hearing a voice over in a movie – worse if there is no description. A high action scene without narrative leaves us wondering who to root for. The rhythm is knowing how much of the other elements to weave in.
5. End with a dip – (I had to get my dancing metaphor in there somewhere!) Don’t forget to end your scene just a few steps before the end – leave a question hanging, or build a new question. I can’t remember who said it (Swain, or Maas, or Stein), but in writing a scene: Start late and leave early. You want to keep the reader wanting just a little more.

Try this: Figure out what kind of scene you have – high action, dialogue, introspective, etc, and write the scene focusing on this element. Then, read through it and add in the other elements, light brushstrokes that anchor the reader, and give the scene a voice, and movement – whatever is lacking.

So much of the time, I read scene with great bones – however, a second or third pass, adding in the texture and layers are all the author needs to take a good scene and make it fabulous.

Tomorrow, we’ll wrap up our talk on SCENES by discussing THEME and IMAGERY – and how to put theme into your scenes without telling the reader what to think and feel.

Dance on!