Your best scene ever?

Mr Flex · May 13, 2008

I'd like to hear tales of writer's best scenes. Perhaps not the best written. The one where you've explored the limits of your inovation and originality. Something that privately, you think is brilliant.

The scene where, if your book were made into a film and the director cut the scene out. You would use the royalty money to pay people to kill him.

I'd also like to know. What made you do it?

Obviously I have mine. I was tired, I was writing and I just did this bizarre thing. I don't know why?

I'd like to hear a few other people first.

CaroGirl · May 13, 2008

They're all gems, my friend. Or duds. I don't yet know which.

Exir · May 13, 2008

It is my opinion that no scene can be considered in isolation. They're all related - a scene that may be good in association with other scenes might not be good alone.

So, I have no favorite scenes, just favorite stories.

Andre_Laurent · May 13, 2008

I can't pick one...they're all brilliant.

ccarver30 · May 13, 2008

I like when my female MC talks to herself- er, not out loud.

Mr Flex · May 13, 2008

If you can't manage a scene can you manage a moment. Not dialogue.
An example...

In a Michael Jackson video (not sure which one). He flicks a coin across a room and into the slot of the jukebox. That action, for me, is the ulitmate statement of coolness. I wonder what was in that writer's mind. The moment before he generated that thought.

Susan Breen · May 13, 2008

This is an interesting question, and one I was planning on talking to my class about today because I recently read about a conference in Iowa at which you just bring one scene to the workshop (your favorite), the assumption being that if your work has one great scene in it, at least, you're in good shape. I remember the first scene I got excited about writing was in a short story I wrote many years ago, and it involved a quadriplegic woman getting out of a car that she was driving. It sounds really weird, but there was so much action in the verbs and so much intensity and I remember being so pleased with myself for writing it.

Elodie-Caroline · May 13, 2008

I have lots of favourite scenes in my stories, mostly ones where a lot of dialogue is involved. But one scene I really do love, is in the very first novel I ever wrote (and need to edit).
The main male character is on his own in his apartment, after spending the day as a witness in a police inquiry of a baddie getting shot by armed police. He's listening to the December rain beating against his window pane, a whiskey in his hand and trying to close out the Christmas lights adorning everywhere he looks. He is reflecting on his once promising life, especially on the love that he has lost. He's lonely and desperate and is seriously considering taking his own life.

Elodie

Kalyke · May 13, 2008

I always find myself chortling when I write.

CDarklock · May 13, 2008

There are a lot of scenes that I'd kill a director for cutting out of my story, but they're not necessarily my favorite scenes.

Watch the recent movie of Sweeney Todd. When Mrs. Lovett is telling Sweeney what happened while he was away, for some unknown reason, they decided to cut the part where she lies to him... which is critical to the story. When he eventually discovers the lie, and accuses her of lying, any member of the audience that doesn't already know the story is confused.

So if I were Stephen Sondheim, I'd be hunting Tim Burton.

There are certain "extraneous" scenes that I particularly love and wouldn't want cut from my work. In my current WIP, there's a part where Alain - a desert-dweller - looks out at the sea for the first time in his life. It's completely irrelevant to the story, but it's important to the character. It says something about who Alain is. I'd be very angry indeed if some director cut that scene.

Mr Flex · May 13, 2008

Okay, I'll tell.

I only wish I could write it as well as I can visualise it. I cannot paste it as it is too long and out of context. This novel is a straight thriller, not S/F or anything like that.

Daniella and Morgan love each other and are housemates. Daniella was a prostitute five years ago when they met. Now she is a respectable lady. Morgan will not sleep with her, he has too many issues with her past.

They live in Los Angeles.

They are drinking and watching the TV. Morgan is on the sofa, Daniella is sitting on the carpet between his legs. Daniella's glass is empty, she intends to go to the kitchen for another bottle of wine.
"Is there anything that you need." She asks politely.
"While your down there." He replies, joking. She hears a clunk, followed by a tremor. She believes it's an earthquake. No, the Earth has stopped spinning, everything except for her is perfectly still. She paces the room and reasons with herself.

As his partner and a bonefide decent woman? Would she perform the act? Of course, she loves him so, Yes.

As the prostitute that she was, with no cash on the table would she perform the act? Morgan had saved her life. One freebie was the least she could do. So, yes.

Daniella kneels in front of him and undoes his fly. She can't do anything because time has stopped. While she is waiting for time to start, she has an epiphany. If today was true and if today were to be officially the beginning of their relationship then this would be the equivalent of thier first date. She flies in to a rage. What do you take me for!! She slaps him so hard, all the abuse that she has ever suffered, all the physical frustration of loving him for five years with nothing back goes into the one slap. The intertia and shock wave from her mighty blow flows through his body. There is a clunk followed by a tremor and the earth begins to rotate again... You're now back in the real novel.

Did I just say... Real novel?

JoNightshade · May 13, 2008

I do have a favorite scene, which in my mind I refer to as "The Pool Scene." I like it because it's the turning point in the relationship between two of my favorite characters. Essentially, Male MC has just made it clear he doesn't want to see Female MC anymore. Female MC (being stubborn) follows Male MC to his mansion, and is let in by some other people who live there. Male MC is in the pool room, in the hot tub, with a wine glass and a bottle he is slowly draining (because he actually does like Female MC). Female MC lets herself in and from her POV we get this impression of the entire pool room, that humid smell, the play of the watery lights on the ceiling, a view of the city lights out the wall of windows, and the Male MC covered in a sheen of condensation or sweat. He's got his back to her and for a minute she just stands inside the door. Then she changes her mind and decides to leave-- but he speaks, letting us know that he's been aware of her standing there the entire time. Thereafter follows the entire scene, but I've always loved that setup. The visual in my mind is very clear.

Your best scene ever?

Mr Flex

CaroGirl

Living the dream

Exir

Out of the cradle endlessly rocking

Andre_Laurent

ccarver30

Nicole Castro

Mr Flex

Susan Breen

Elodie-Caroline

Kalyke

CDarklock

Yes!

Mr Flex

JoNightshade

has finally arrived