Another underwriter here too. First draft scenes are more like scene sketches. They aren't well rounded, and don't use all the tools of the trade.
In revision, I flesh out each scene, paying attention to grounding the POV character solidly in his or her immediate surroundings. I look a lot at how the scene moves, the choreography of characters as they interact with each other, and what engine is driving the scene as a whole. How do I build up to the turning point moment? And maybe most of all, I flesh out emotion via internalization, reaction beats in dialogue, and other tweaks. This naturally raises word count, and none of it is fluff.
Another thing to keep in mind is that not every scene needs the same level of the stuff noted above. But often scenes I don't expect -- like a fast-paced action scene -- benefit hugely by slowing down a bit and adding layers to increase suspense. If a character is going downstairs to see who is banging on the door, the reader should feel the dread in each step the POV character takes, or experience the hyper-sensitivity to our surroundings we all experience when we're scared and alert.
In the end, most of what we put in a story is there so the reader has a certain emotional experience. If you keep that in mind in revision, your scenes will expand naturally. So don't worry about first draft word count.
In revision, I flesh out each scene, paying attention to grounding the POV character solidly in his or her immediate surroundings. I look a lot at how the scene moves, the choreography of characters as they interact with each other, and what engine is driving the scene as a whole. How do I build up to the turning point moment? And maybe most of all, I flesh out emotion via internalization, reaction beats in dialogue, and other tweaks. This naturally raises word count, and none of it is fluff.
Another thing to keep in mind is that not every scene needs the same level of the stuff noted above. But often scenes I don't expect -- like a fast-paced action scene -- benefit hugely by slowing down a bit and adding layers to increase suspense. If a character is going downstairs to see who is banging on the door, the reader should feel the dread in each step the POV character takes, or experience the hyper-sensitivity to our surroundings we all experience when we're scared and alert.
In the end, most of what we put in a story is there so the reader has a certain emotional experience. If you keep that in mind in revision, your scenes will expand naturally. So don't worry about first draft word count.