How does an author determine what scenes and situations to use throughout the story? What must I ask myself to determine what scenes are neccessary or not?
Coming up with scenes and situations
- Thread starter DwayneA
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A scene must:
a) further the plot and/or
b) develop the characters and/or
c) deepen the themes
Sometimes scenes may do all that but are just redundant, or they don't add anything to the story. If you take them out, does the story still work? If you add the scene in, does it bog down the story with unnecessary details?
Writing is an art. There's no template or rules on what makes a scene. There may be conventions, but mostly a scene is to do either or all of the three things above, without being redundant.
a) further the plot and/or
b) develop the characters and/or
c) deepen the themes
Sometimes scenes may do all that but are just redundant, or they don't add anything to the story. If you take them out, does the story still work? If you add the scene in, does it bog down the story with unnecessary details?
Writing is an art. There's no template or rules on what makes a scene. There may be conventions, but mostly a scene is to do either or all of the three things above, without being redundant.
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so basically, all I need to determine if a scene is worthy if is answers one of those questions? Gee, I'm beginning to understand now. You learn something new everyday.
What's the point of your story? Eternal love? Overcoming hardship? Perseverence pays off in the end?
read a lot of books. Learn from the masters. Sales. What will make a person believe what you have to tell them? Use that.
I agree with maestrowork that the scenes should do a, b and c. However, or in addition to this, a scene should answer a prior story question. (the first scene/opening sets up a story question.
For detailed explanations of this see: Sol Stein "Stein on Writing" and "How to write a d*mn good novel I" (and II).
In a nutshell it would outline like this: (using a story I just read as an example "the Stupidest Christmas Angel" by Christopher Moore)
Opening: Pine Cove, CA
Santa suit wearing, Pine tree planter, and developer with a heart of christmas coal stiffs the local Salvation Army bell ringer. Bell ringer (also ex wife with an axe to grind) rings bell in face, he hits her with a bag of ice. Local (former pot-smoker) constable is called to the scene, developer drives off in a huff.
story questions raised: will the developer retaliate?
Scene two: Introduces more characters including a stupid Christmas angel who is looking for a boy. Will he find a boy, or will he get arrested for child molestation?
scene three: Constable is back at home tending to his victory farm of plants which will pay for his wife's Christmas present, a special antique samurai sword. His wife, former B-movie action starlet, buxom blond, and local looney is off her meds so she can afford his Christmas present of a custom blown bong.
Question: will the constable smoke his pot rather than sell it? Will Kendra the Warrior Babe of the Outland reemerge from her med-induced retirement?
Scene four: bell-ringer Lena is digging up pine trees for poor people. It's illegal, but that's ok because the pine trees are owned by her ex. Right?
Well... ex (and Santa suit wearing, drunk, Dale) doesn't like people digging up his pine trees so he's going to do something about it this time. He threatens Lena with a gun, she tries to defend herself, and Dale falls upon the blade end of the shovel, nearly decapitating Santa, and killing Dale in the process. (I can see him played by Benicio Del Toro, can't you?)
But...little Josh Barker is in trouble of his own, he's past his curfew, so takes a short cut through the pine forest where...
He sees Santa murdered.
Scene questions, a bunch!
Get the idea? One thing begins to lead to another thing and it keeps you hooked on the story.
Amy
For detailed explanations of this see: Sol Stein "Stein on Writing" and "How to write a d*mn good novel I" (and II).
In a nutshell it would outline like this: (using a story I just read as an example "the Stupidest Christmas Angel" by Christopher Moore)
Opening: Pine Cove, CA
Santa suit wearing, Pine tree planter, and developer with a heart of christmas coal stiffs the local Salvation Army bell ringer. Bell ringer (also ex wife with an axe to grind) rings bell in face, he hits her with a bag of ice. Local (former pot-smoker) constable is called to the scene, developer drives off in a huff.
story questions raised: will the developer retaliate?
Scene two: Introduces more characters including a stupid Christmas angel who is looking for a boy. Will he find a boy, or will he get arrested for child molestation?
scene three: Constable is back at home tending to his victory farm of plants which will pay for his wife's Christmas present, a special antique samurai sword. His wife, former B-movie action starlet, buxom blond, and local looney is off her meds so she can afford his Christmas present of a custom blown bong.
Question: will the constable smoke his pot rather than sell it? Will Kendra the Warrior Babe of the Outland reemerge from her med-induced retirement?
Scene four: bell-ringer Lena is digging up pine trees for poor people. It's illegal, but that's ok because the pine trees are owned by her ex. Right?
Well... ex (and Santa suit wearing, drunk, Dale) doesn't like people digging up his pine trees so he's going to do something about it this time. He threatens Lena with a gun, she tries to defend herself, and Dale falls upon the blade end of the shovel, nearly decapitating Santa, and killing Dale in the process. (I can see him played by Benicio Del Toro, can't you?)
But...little Josh Barker is in trouble of his own, he's past his curfew, so takes a short cut through the pine forest where...
He sees Santa murdered.
Scene questions, a bunch!
Get the idea? One thing begins to lead to another thing and it keeps you hooked on the story.
Amy
Write down everything you want in your story then consider all of the above. Cut out anything that is not needed - yes, even if you really like the scene and are really proud of it. If it's not needed, off with its head.
The situations you use, ask yourself are they cleaver. Would they surprise the reader or are they same old, same old. Can you put a twist into things, look at them from a new and exciting angle. If you haven't done this you might have a lot of work on your hands.
The situations you use, ask yourself are they cleaver. Would they surprise the reader or are they same old, same old. Can you put a twist into things, look at them from a new and exciting angle. If you haven't done this you might have a lot of work on your hands.
Your novel is the dramatization of a story. So that means your plot will focus on the events and actions that best illustrate that story. Most stories have your A plot, which is you main storyline the goal driving your protagonist, and a B plot, which is a smaller plot that usually is at odds with the A plot. If the protag gets A, he loses B and vice versa. This provides extra conflict, usually internal. Plot A is usually external, plot B is typically internal. (and internal doesn't mean it's all in his head. It means his actions are at odd with his feelings on a subject) There are other setups but this is the most basic and quite effective.
Every scene in your story will advance one of those plots. The protag will be doing X to gain another step toward achieving the goal, or being pushed away from it. You can have tons of obstacles to reach either of those goals (which is the plot and bulk of your novel) but each obstacle will be there to build toward the resolution of the story and the achievement of that story goal. You won't have your protag stuck in a cave in unless being stuck in there advances the plot in some way. Maybe the protag is there because he needs to overcome his fear of the dark in order to fight the shadowy bad guy. Maybe he finds a secret way into the villain's lair. Who knows, but it need to be more than just "he gets stuck in a cave in and has to find his way out and exciting things happen."
When I plot, I keep my core conflict and end goal in mind. With every scene, I ask myself, "Does this advance one of my two core plot lines?" If yes, I keep it, if no I scrap it. Or I find a way to make it do that. And it doesn't have to be direct advancement. If the protag needs to rescue his wife, and he needs money to pay a ransom, then robbing a bank might be the goal to getting the money to save the wife. To rob the bank he needs to get equipment or information. Getting that could be another goal (and step) toward the larger end goal. The problems he runs into trying to get the gear to rob the bank to get the money to save the wife are all scenes of the novel, and they all advance the story of a man trying to save his wife from kidnappers.
Knowing that core conflict and end goal is critical, or you can wander off and find yourself stuck. That's what the one-sentence pitch line is great for. It reminds you about the protag, antag, problem and stakes. It doesn't have to be agent-worthy, but it needs to be clear enough to show exactly where the protag is going, why he's going there, who's trying to stop him, and what's at stake if he fails. If you don't know those four things, you're not ready to write the story yet. You have a premise, but no actual story.
Every scene in your story will advance one of those plots. The protag will be doing X to gain another step toward achieving the goal, or being pushed away from it. You can have tons of obstacles to reach either of those goals (which is the plot and bulk of your novel) but each obstacle will be there to build toward the resolution of the story and the achievement of that story goal. You won't have your protag stuck in a cave in unless being stuck in there advances the plot in some way. Maybe the protag is there because he needs to overcome his fear of the dark in order to fight the shadowy bad guy. Maybe he finds a secret way into the villain's lair. Who knows, but it need to be more than just "he gets stuck in a cave in and has to find his way out and exciting things happen."
When I plot, I keep my core conflict and end goal in mind. With every scene, I ask myself, "Does this advance one of my two core plot lines?" If yes, I keep it, if no I scrap it. Or I find a way to make it do that. And it doesn't have to be direct advancement. If the protag needs to rescue his wife, and he needs money to pay a ransom, then robbing a bank might be the goal to getting the money to save the wife. To rob the bank he needs to get equipment or information. Getting that could be another goal (and step) toward the larger end goal. The problems he runs into trying to get the gear to rob the bank to get the money to save the wife are all scenes of the novel, and they all advance the story of a man trying to save his wife from kidnappers.
Knowing that core conflict and end goal is critical, or you can wander off and find yourself stuck. That's what the one-sentence pitch line is great for. It reminds you about the protag, antag, problem and stakes. It doesn't have to be agent-worthy, but it needs to be clear enough to show exactly where the protag is going, why he's going there, who's trying to stop him, and what's at stake if he fails. If you don't know those four things, you're not ready to write the story yet. You have a premise, but no actual story.
Your scene is not necessary if, after reading it, the reader wonders why he should bother wasting his time reading the next scene or even the next page.
The expected question from you to follow that, Dwayne, is 'How do I know what the reader's reaction will be to the scene?"
Answer - You don't, but if you make darned sure the scene has a connection with what has happened so far, is interesting, and will make the reader want to read on to find out what happens next, you have reached the half-way mark.
Next question - What is the half-way mark?
Answer - That is. Now all you have to do is write the scene, and edit it and revise it and polish it...
How do I......?
Happy New Year to you, Dwayne. Hope you enjoy your new base in Humboldt.
The expected question from you to follow that, Dwayne, is 'How do I know what the reader's reaction will be to the scene?"
Answer - You don't, but if you make darned sure the scene has a connection with what has happened so far, is interesting, and will make the reader want to read on to find out what happens next, you have reached the half-way mark.
Next question - What is the half-way mark?
Answer - That is. Now all you have to do is write the scene, and edit it and revise it and polish it...
How do I......?
Happy New Year to you, Dwayne. Hope you enjoy your new base in Humboldt.
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