Scenes are the building blocks of fiction. A scene is a unit of time, place, and point of view.Each scene needs to begin by capturing the reader’s attention, continue by advancing the story, developing the plot, and adding to characterization, and end by making the reader want to go on to the next scene.
- What is the primary purpose of this scene?
- What else can I accomplish with this scene?
- Which characters do I need to bring on stage?
- Which characters don’t I need?
- Which characters are possible point-of-view characters?
- What unit of time and place does this scene represent?
- Why does the scene begin at the moment it does?
- How can I best capture the reader’s attention in the opening paragraph or two?
- How can I establish time and place within the first few paragraphs?
- What are the dozen events that could happen in this scene?
- Can I use this scene to foreshadow future actions or events?
- How can I use this scene to build suspense?
- How does this scene lead into or set up the next or subsequent scenes?
- How does the end of this scene draw the reader into the following scene?
Copyright 2013 Leigh Michaels