What makes a great scene stand out? Is it dialogue? Action? How about setting?
All those components create a great scene, but I believe the one element that makes a scene live for ever is the symbolism that evokes emotion and truth. Maybe it’s a dialogue zinger, or through a meaningful action. Or even a metaphor in the setting, but all these elements are just tools writers use to create symbolism.

What am talking about? There’s a great scene in the recent Sandra Bullock movie, Premonition, where the heroine is told the fate of her husband. We don’t even hear the policeman talk, really. What we see is what Sandra sees as she is told – a woman pushing her child in a stroller, a man mowing the lawn, a child riding a bike. And then a flock of crows flying across the slate colored sky. I remember thinking …predators, flying in to destroy…

That’s symbolism. The director took her grief and played it out against a backdrop of everyday images – -the things we hold dear, and then inserted a metaphorical “vulture” that mirrored the heroine’s emotions.

How do we, as writers, discover symbolism in a scene? Here’s a few hints from my own notes:
First: Ask, “What is the character’s emotion at the end of the scene?”

Then: Walk into the scene. Stop. What is the scene about? Is it poignant scene? Is traumatic? Is it funny? Now, what tools do you have in props, scenery, or even words from a character in the room?

Think about lighting, weather, household chores, objects (and what is their associated meaning), other people’s comments, (either sideline or direct). Other activities going on around her. What can you use to symbolize what the pov character is about to learn?

(BTW, this is why every scene must have a setting and a goal! If you don’t have a setting, then you don’t have anywhere to look to pull your metaphors.)

This is where the “crafting” the scene comes into play. Sometimes, you’ll be writing through the scene, and the symbol will just “drop” into your mind/lap/laptop. Or, you might have to work for it. Or both. But if you want the scene to really pop, and linger in the reader’s mind, you must connect it to a symbol they can take away. Take your time, perhaps even write the scene first, and then go over it and discover the symbols already embedded in your writing. I promise, it’ll deepen your story, and your reader’s delight.