Starting Scenes

ucf612 · Nov 10, 2011

I have a real weakness. I can't start scenes! Once I'm into one I can write pretty easily but as soon as the scene is over and I have to start the next my brain freezes. It is the worst if I'm not really sure where I'm headed next but even if I know exactly what I'm planning to accomplish I still struggle starting it.

I know the rule about "leave early, come in late" which I do as best I can but that only takes me so far.

Any tips or tricks to get a scene started? Anyone else have this problem? Please tell me I'm not alone!

Thanks. Any help is greatly appreciated. I'm a new writer

Mr Flibble · Nov 10, 2011

Heh, I get that too

Forget the start early stuff on first draft - just do something. Man enters room, or whatever. You can always trim the start later to get rid of the 'throat-clearing'.

Once it's written is often the best time to decide when it needs to start. Make sense?

First get it written, then get it right.

JanDarby · Nov 10, 2011

Sometimes just writing stream of consciousness ABOUT the scene can get you into it, and then you can go back and cut the initial garbage. Sort of:

I know I have to write a scene about this guy who's eighteen feet tall, and he stoops to pick a flower, except it's actually a tree, and he sneezes, and a woman comes out of the nearby house, and says, "Hey, you leave my trees alone. I like my trees where I planted them."

And then, before you know it, you're writing the dialogue, and the action and the narrative, and there's no more blank page, and you can backtrack so that the beginning of the scene sets up the end of the scene.

ucf612 · Nov 10, 2011

Great! Thank you both. I will give it all a try.

Steve Coate · Nov 10, 2011

Dialogue is a good way to get the creative juices flowing.

Once you have one statement, it often begs for a response or a reaction and continues from there.

ucf612 · Nov 10, 2011

You know I've never thought to open with dialogue. I guess I felt like I needed some sort of set up first.

SRHowen · Nov 10, 2011

That may be what is stalling you is the thinking that you have to set things up. Instead of worrying about the set up just start the scene, with dialog or with some actin the character is doing, then after you have the scene done go back and round it out.

DeleyanLee · Nov 10, 2011

If you can't think of anything else, follow a formula to get things going:

{Name of POV Char} {action verb} at/in {object or location}. {Character name} stared at him/her in disbelief.

Or some such formula that fits what you're doing. If you force your creative self to stick with something that boring, sooner or later it'll start coming up with more interesting stuff to get away with it. Until then, you can always change it in rewrites.

Me, I hate ending books. I hate coming up with the last line, so I have a standard formulaic ending that I use on every book so I don't have that brain freeze. It works really well.

Siri Kirpal · Nov 10, 2011

Sat Nam! (literally "Truth Name"--a Sikh greeting)

Sometimes, when I'm having this problem, I write down the part of the scene I CAN think of. Then write what comes before it.

I meditate in the morning and that helps too. I can meditate on the upcoming scene so the page doesn't look so blank when I hit the computer, since it's already in my mind.

I also often outline a scene in more detail than the overall outline.

And I sometimes go the opposite of the come late, leave early rule. Sometimes I can get going better if I start early, so I can see the whole scene. I know most people don't recommend it, but...

Blessings,

Siri Kirpal

Penelope Finn · Nov 10, 2011

This is what's slowing me down with my NaNo novel. I can steam along smoothly through a chapter, but once it ends and I'm on to the next chapter, I'm frozen, sometimes for a day or two (which is perilous with this sort of venture!). As a result, I am way behind where I should be by now.

It doesn't help that although I know where I ultimately want the characters to get, I don't know how to get them there. :\ It's not as simple as writing one sentence that takes place in one situation, and the next sentence in the new situation. There has to be a build-up.
And I don't like the idea of outlining it, because I feel that that will ruin any suspense or excitement I have for the story. I like JanDarby's suggestion, though, about writing about what I want to happen. I also like the Phase Outline idea, although I've yet to use it and see if it works for me.

L.C. Blackwell · Nov 10, 2011

Well, I'm just about to start my next scene, and even though I have the lead line written, I'm still feeling the avoidance. Sometimes, it's just not knowing where/how I want it to go--in which case, the freewriting really does help.

Also, when I'm not yet "in the flow," it's easy to be lazy and not keep the fingers moving on the keyboard.

So, no, you're not by any means alone.

LadyDae · Nov 10, 2011

When all else fails I just make a character start talking and usually it gets the ball rolling. In fact, it's part of my style to start with a line of dialogue that sets the tone for a scene or a chapter or a short telling statement about what's going on, the setting, or what the character is feeling. It's usually no longer than three or four words and gets the words flowing.

blacbird · Nov 10, 2011

SRHowen said:
That may be what is stalling you is the thinking that you have to set things up.

My reaction, too. Just like in any story, you don't have to begin at "the beginning". Have something happen. An event, dialogue, something. If you need something to precede it, you can put that in later.

caw

bearilou · Nov 11, 2011

Siri Kirpal said:
Sometimes, when I'm having this problem, I write down the part of the scene I CAN think of. Then write what comes before it.

I meditate in the morning and that helps too. I can meditate on the upcoming scene so the page doesn't look so blank when I hit the computer, since it's already in my mind.

I also often outline a scene in more detail than the overall outline.

And I sometimes go the opposite of the come late, leave early rule. Sometimes I can get going better if I start early, so I can see the whole scene. I know most people don't recommend it, but...

quoting all of this to give it a 'word' as I also do/have done these things.

My favorite is to think about the general scene and what I'd like to happen/cover then drop right into the middle of the character's conversations and reactions in regards to an event that has just happened. IOW not starting with the event to be reacted to, but the event has happened off screen and I'm walking in the middle of them going 'hooshit'.

ucf612 · Nov 11, 2011

Wow, thank you all! This is very helpful. So glad I asked.

Jamesaritchie · Nov 11, 2011

I rarely end one scene and start another. I try to tell a continuous story, even if it can be thought of as having separate scenes. But I don't even think about scenes when writing.

JMVanHorn · Nov 11, 2011

I have been having the same problem lately, but overcame it thanks to writing out some of the dialogue first. Then I went back and added in the details once I was happy with the dialogue. Things began to flow easier.

peace · Nov 11, 2011

Starting with dialogue can be a quick way to get into a scene

Once you've got the ball rolling, you can go back and make changes.

Starting Scenes

ucf612

Mr Flibble

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

JanDarby

ucf612

Steve Coate

...

ucf612

SRHowen

Erotica is not a four letter word!

DeleyanLee

Writing Anarchist

Siri Kirpal

Swan in Process

Penelope Finn

L.C. Blackwell

Keeper of Fort Blanket

LadyDae

New AW user. Veteran Writer 8+

blacbird

bearilou

DenturePunk writer

ucf612

Jamesaritchie

JMVanHorn

peace

Starting Scenes

They've been very bad, Mr Flibble

...

Erotica is not a four letter word!

Writing Anarchist

Swan in Process

Keeper of Fort Blanket

New AW user. Veteran Writer 8+

DenturePunk writer

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