I thought it might be helpful if I posted the Scene Creation Steps  you could use when crafting a chapter. If you’ve been following the blog for the past month, we’ve addressed each of these sections/elements in the blogs.

Part One

Keeping Scene Momentum: Character Journal

Ask the following questions:

1. What did you think about what just happened?

2. What are your choices?

3. What will you do next, and why?

4. What is the worst thing that could happen to you right now?

5. And, if it’s a romance –how do you feel about this person?  What do you fear happening emotionally?

 

Part Two

Create Scene Tension

Scene Tension Equation: Sympathetic Character + Stakes + Goals + Obstacles + Fear of Failure.

Step 1: Determine your Action Objectives

What kind of scene is it?

•  Action: Goal, Conflict, Disaster
• Reaction: Response, Dilemma, Decision

 

Ask: What does POV want? What does he/she want at this moment? Emotionally, physically? Answering this question will help you build the conflict.

Add in:    Why? (do they want this?)

                What is the Push/Pull?

Every scene has to have an emotional or physical push/pull (or combination thereof).  It’s the PUSH away from something negative, and the PULL toward something positive.

What’s at Stake: What will happen if they DON’T meet their goal? What fear hovers over the scene?

What is your character’s Goal? (this may be different from the Want, but be driven by the Want and the Why.)

 

Step 2: What are the Obstacles?

What will stand in the way of your character achieving this goal? Obstacles can be People, Situations, (weather, or machines, or even government), or even a person’s own emotions/values.

 

Step 3: Create A Fear of Failure

Will your character reach his/her goal?

ü  If not, then hint that they will in the scene, make them believe they’ll have victory, only to disappoint them at the end.

ü  If yes, then hint that they will fail, only to surprise them at the end.

 

Step 4: Start On the RUN!

Start with the character already in the scene. Can you move your character 5 minutes later into the scene?

 

Step 5: Create Sympathy:

Is your character doing something sympathetic? Something that makes us care about them? Are her emotions realistic?

 

Step 6: Where do you start? (Build the 5 Ws/Facts)

Start with the basics – the 5 W’s. Who, What, Where, Why, When. As the reader we need to know who is in the scene, where it is, when it is, what is going on around them, and a little about why they’re there.

ASK:

• Who – Who are the players in the scene? (And how do they feel about being there?)
• Where – What details stands out to the character? Why is this significant to the character?
• When is it – what is the time of year, and how do we know that (we’re again looking for details here).
• What – What other activities are going on in the scene? What is your pov character doing?
• Why – why is she/he in this place?

 

Part Three

Find your First Line/First Paragraph

• What are the Stakes?
•  How will you create Sympathy for your character (Hero/Heroine ID),
•  Are you starting with a sympathetic situation?
• Are you starting with a relatable emotion?
• How will your Anchor your reader into the scene with Storyworld? (Hint: Sight, Smell, Sound, Touch Taste)
• Are you starting your scene On the Run – with the scene already in motion?
• What Problem/Storyquestion will your character deal with?
• Set the HOOK by asking:  Now, what is my character thinking right now.  How can I express this in a statement, question, action or determination.

Part Four

End with Bait for the next chapter. (How can I raise a new problem, or an “Uh Oh” that compels my reader to turn the page?)

It helps to talk through these steps with a craft partner. Take notes…and then sit down and write!

Have a great writing week!

Susie May

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