“So much snow!” Sally came into the coffee shop stamping her feet.  Overnight, the sky had buried our little village in thick frosting.

I sat nursing a hot cocoa. “I know.  It feels a little overwhelming, thinking of plowing the driveway, the porch, the deck…”

“Not unlike doing the macro edit on my novel,” Sally said, unwinding her scarf. “But I think I have the big picture/content edits figured out. What’s next?” 

Kathy handed her a peppermint mint mocha. Sally sat down, warming her hands on the cup.

“Now it’s about looking at every scene to make sure it has enough tension and that you’re building in the emotional layers.  I call it: Scene by Scene Editing.”

“First, start with the scene structure. Determine if it is an Action or ReAction scene. Then define your goals, conflict, disaster, or your response, dilemma, decision.

“Then, use the Tension equation and make sure you have built enough story tension!” (Sympathetic Character + Stakes + Goals + Obstacles + Fear of Failure.)

“So, look at the Scene Structure first. Done,” Sally said.

“Yes. After your Scene Structure is in place, then it’s time to see if you delivered through the Scene Elements.  In other words, have you drawn the reader into the world of the Character?

Storyworld?  

• Do I have the NEWS of the scene – Who, What, When, Where and Why?
• Do I have the 5 senses?
• Have I created a mood with the use of my 5 senses, the verbs and nouns I use? 

POV? (Point of View) 

• Would the scene have more impact if it was in a different POV?  (remember, write it in the POV of the person who had the most to lose). 

Dialogue? 

• Dialogue moves a story and creates tension. If you have even one page without Dialogue, insert something – a remembered conversation, a phone conversation, even a letter or journal entry to create another voice. 
• Have you created sparks with your dialogue?  If it feels tired and expected, have your character say something they shouldn’t – that should cause some tension! 

Emotion through Action? 

• Give your character something to do, and have it convey his emotions. What does the character do because of the way he/she feels? 

Most importantly, have you allowed your reader to experience every important nuance of the scene?  Slow it down.  Describe the scene.  Take your time.  Your character will still go off the cliff – you are just helping the reader understand how dangerous it is and how hard he tries to stop it.

“It’s only after I do this phase that I begin to start wordsmithing – really fine tuning the words.”

“Seriously?  There’s another editing phase after this?”

“Two more, in fact. But just do this for now, or you’ll get overwhelmed.  Or,” I took a sip of my cocoa.  “Some might say…snowed in.”

“Ha,” she said.

Truth:  Editing a story is best accomplished by looking at the big picture first, then the individual scene.  Does your story deliver the emotional impact?  

Dare:  Look at your scene structure before you dive into the scene and you’ll have a better understanding of how to weave in the scene elements.

Have a great writing week!

Susie May

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