set the scene essay example

Setting the scene: 6 ways to introduce place in stories

Setting the scene for a story is important. Giving readers a vivid sense of where and when events take place anchors action and dialogue. When readers are able to picture the environment clearly, the story is more immersive. Read 6 creative ways to set the scene:

• Post author By Jordan
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Setting the scene for a story is important. This is vital whether you are writing a fictional story or a nonfiction book, although the scene will not be fictional then, of course. Giving readers a vivid sense of where and when events take place anchors action and dialogue. When readers are able to picture the environment clearly, the story is more immersive. Read 6 creative ways to set the scene:

1. Try setting the scene by showing scale

In her brilliant short story ‘Runaway’ , Alice Munro begins the story with simple details of place in her character introduction:

Carla heard the car coming before it topped the little rise in the road that around here they called a hill. Alice Munro, ‘Runaway’, p. 3. Runaway, 2004

This scene-setting description communicates the scale of where the story takes place (a small mobile home park). The words ‘…the little rise in the road that around here they called a hill’ tell us a lot about place . They suggest a quaint, smaller setting where there aren’t dramatic contrasts in landscape. A rise in the road is taken for a hill. ‘Around here’ and ‘they’ also suggest that Carla isn’t from the area, originally.

We learn that Carla and her partner live in a mobile home in the woods, where they keep horses and earn a living by giving tourists trail rides.

Carla’s story traces the ways relationships and places stifle people sometimes. How one or the other party sometimes wants to escape (and may attempt to do so). And also how people embellish the truth. The way Munro sets the scene, by suggesting differences in perception of place (some see a hill in the rising road, some don’t) , fits the story’s development.

2. Show what is surprising or strange

Giving your reader a sense of how small (or vast) a place is is one way to introduce a story setting.

Another option is to open with what is strange, unusual, mystifying or odd about a place. Try starting a story, scene or chapter with scene-setting that shows some of the ways places are unique:

Example of setting the scene with ‘strangeness’: Tokyo in Number9dream

Take, for example, David Mitchell’s scene-setting near the start of his novel Number9dream (2001), about a boy’s search for his father in Tokyo:

PanOpticon’s lobby – cavernous as the belly of a stone whale – swallows me whole. Arrows in the floorpads sense my feet, and guide me to a vacant reception booth. A door hisses shut behind me, sealing subterranean blackness. David Mitchell, Number9Dream,  p. 6. 2001.

Eiji Miyake, the protagonist , describes the lobby of a building he visits in search of his father.

Mitchell uses the poetic device simile, comparing the lobby to a whale’s belly, to make the place seem vast and prison-like. Like The whale swallowing Jonah, the lobby swallows Eiji whole and plunges him into darkness. ( The ‘PanOpticon’ is also the name for a famous jail concept in which a warden could see into every cell from a central tower). Mitchell extends these images of the setting as a strange, almost living being in the futuristic feet-sensing floorpads and automatic hissing doors.

Mitchell’s scene-setting effectively evokes a place that makes Eiji seem a little lost and vulnerable. He is at the mercy of this clinical, automated urban space.

3. Introduce emotional qualities of place

Good scene-setting can quickly establish the tone and emotion of your story or chapter. It may introduce an undertone of the tragic, cheerful, nostalgic, or another emotion. se sensory details, too: smells, temperature, color, sounds and so on.

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Example of scene setting conveying emotion

Take, for example, the sorrowful sense of place in the opening chapter of Toni Morrison’s Pulitzer-winning novel Beloved (1987):

Winter in Ohio was especially rough if you had an appetite for color. Sky provided the only drama, and counting on a Cincinatti horizon for life’s principal joy was reckless indeed. Toni Morrison, Beloved , p. 4. 1987

To create scene-setting that builds affect (emotional tone or quality) like this, show:

• Aspects of your setting a character feels strongly about – what do they love (or loathe) about this place?
• Setting details that suggest and evoke abstract feelings. Use concrete images to convey abstract feelings. For example, a park bench with weeds growing through its slats may suggest neglect
• Consider how you can create an emotional connection to your characters using scene

4. Give immersive details

Instead of the broad sweep of what a Cincinnati winter is like (as in the Morrison example above), you may want to set your scene in minute, intriguing detail to start.

Take, for example, the opening to Barbara Kingsolver’s The Poisonwood Bible (1998). She creates a believable setting in a few lines.

Example of setting the scene using descriptive detail

Imagine a ruin so strange it must never have happened. First, picture the forest. I want you to be its conscience, the eyes in the trees. The trees are columns of slick, brindled bark like muscular animals overgrown beyond all reason. Every space is filled with life: delicate, poisonous frogs war-painted like skeletons, clutched in copulation, secreting their precious eggs onto dripping leaves. Barbara Kingsolver, The Poisonwood Bible (1998), p. 5.

The story follows the lives of a family of missionaries from the US in the colonial times of the Belgian-occupied Congo. The rich detail in how Kingsolver sets the scene evokes the intensity, the vivid life, of a jungle wilderness to western eyes.

One disadvantage of detailed scene-setting is that it unfolds slower than the kind in David Mitchell’s example. Yet Kingsolver is also writing in a more ‘literary’ style that allows for slower scene-setting. Mitchell’s novels tend to straddle literary style and genre elements (such as adventure novel and sci-fi).

Use whichever you prefer – a slow build-up of introductory detail or a short, sharp setting intro. Only make it fit your story. Both kinds have their value and help to create immersion in a story’s world .

5. Establish time period or time-frame

Time is also a key aspect of setting .

Time period, the era or epoch in which a story is set, contributes many interesting constraints and details. What time in history are you referring to? For example, whether or not women had the vote yet. Or what people wear. What medical treatment involves. Time frame refers to the duration the story spans (a few hours, weeks, years, decades). Consider the time of day that the story takes place: this could influence plot, as well as characters’ actions.

When setting the scene, giving your reader a sense of time period gives context. This is particularly important when you are creating a historical setting that differs from its modern counterpart. Read this example:

Historical scene-setting in Ragtime

In 1902 Father built a house at the crest of the Broadview Avenue hill in New Rochelle, New York. It was a three-story brown shingle with dormers, bay windows and a screened porch. Striped awnings shaded the windows. The family took possession of this stout manse on a sunny day in June and it seemed for some years thereafter that all their days would be warm and fair. E.L. Doctorow, Ragtime (1974), p.3.

This simple scene-setting opening the first chapter gives a clear idea of when Doctorow’s historical story is set. Early 1900s, pre-War New York.

Simple details of the year and the the home’s architecture are all it takes Doctorow to establish a sense of time period, and the year date gives us a specific time-frame for the start of the family’s story.

6. Show characters interacting with their surrounds

Setting the scene with action that draws us into your setting is another simple and effective way to introduce place. Every place has its specific details.

For example, if introducing the pilot’s cabin in a commercial aircraft, your opening scene setting might focus on the many lights on the dashboard, or the view of the runway, people waving in the distance from the departure terminal.

An important consideration is to look at how your POV character experiences the fictional setting of your story, and to write in details of that world from your character’s viewpoint. How would your character engage with the surroundings? How, too, might this contribute to the character development of this person? Do they change because of the setting they find themselves in? 

Find details that lead your reader into what makes your setting interesting. For example:

Example of setting the scene via interaction in Oryx and Crake

He takes a few deep breaths, then scratches his bug bites, around but not on the itchiest places, taking care not to knock off any scabs: blood poisoning is the last thing he needs. Then he scans the ground below for wildlife: all quiet, no scales and tails. Left hand, right foot, right hand, left foot, he makes his way down from the tree. Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake (2003), p. 4

In the opening chapter of Margaret Atwood’s speculative fiction novel Oryx and Crake , we see the character Snowman waking in a tree in an environment that Atwood gives us clues is post-apocalyptic in some way:

On the eastern horizon there’s a greyish haze, lit now with a rosy, deadly glow. Strange how that colour still seems tender. Atwood, Oryx and Crake, p. 3

The slightly ominous environment (the ‘deadly glow’ giving away the first hint Snowman is living after a calamity of some kind) mixes with Snowman’s actions. He sleeps in a tree for shelter, as we learn from the narration on page 4. Simple acts of climbing a tree for shelter, noticing ‘deadly glows’ and dangerous wildlife, give us the signs we need to begin realizing important details about Snowman’s environment.

When you introduce a place in your story, think what small interactions between your characters’ and their environment can give your readers an idea of where your story unfolds.

Use our outlining tool to develop your story’s settings, step by step, and get extra help when you work with a writing coach.

Related Posts:

• Plot and setting: Driving stories using time and place
• How do you describe a place? 6 setting tips
• How to introduce characters: 6 ways to be memorable
• Tags setting the scene , story settings

Jordan is a writer, editor, community manager and product developer. He received his BA Honours in English Literature and his undergraduate in English Literature and Music from the University of Cape Town.

2 replies on “Setting the scene: 6 ways to introduce place in stories”

Useful but it isn’t for my question so not that helpful for me.

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How to Ground Your Reader with Story Setting

By Gina Edwards

New writers often miss the opportunity to improve their writing by fully developing their story’s setting. While setting serves as a backdrop in all stories, it is far more than when and where .

What Does Setting Do?

No setting isn't always a problem, setting as character, setting as symbol, setting as atmosphere, the basics of writing setting, key elements of setting.

Setting provides the space and place for the story to unfold, but it also imbues atmosphere and mood, tension and conflict. It can stand as a symbol for a situation, for a person, or for a concept. Setting also can operate as a character and can add depth and richness to your plot and theme.

Can a story take place in Anytown, Anytime? Can the scenes play out before a mere curtain the same way a play is acted out in front of a stage set?

Let's look at an example. The stage adaptation of Henry James’s story The Turn of the Screw had minimal stage setting, no props, and no costume changes. How did they make this work? The director, cast, and crew went to great lengths in other areas to aid the audience in using their imagination to fill in the “blanks.” The actors used different physical and vocal nuances for each character, and lighting was used to set the tone of each scene. The lack of a stage set was a deliberate choice supported by other well-calculated methods for establishing location and mood.

With the right approach, it’s certainly possible for a story to occur in an indeterminate place and/or time. But that lack of setting would need to be a calculated decision by the author and would have to benefit the story without confusing readers. Moreover, the other elements of story development would have to be expertly executed to make up for the lack of setting.

Having no setting at all is a tricky balancing act. Instead, I like to think of setting as a tool used to support the other areas of my writing. Here are some ways you can think about setting:

Setting can operate in either the main plotline or a subplot as an obstacle or challenge for the main character to face.

Person versus Nature stories are the clearest examples of setting as an antagonist force . Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Orhan Pamuk’s Snow contain landscapes and environmental conditions that the characters must endure or overcome. The settings in these novels hinder the main characters in their individual quests in the same way that a human character can.

How main characters interact with and respond to the setting, proactively and reactively, can reveal the depth and complexity of the characters to the reader, which should support the story’s plotline and theme.

A scene set in a traffic jam could symbolize the main character’s “stuckness” in his or her life. A significant object within a setting, such as a mountainside or a cliff, could also stand as a symbol related to the story’s theme.

In The Lord of the Flies , author William Golding uses setting to reflect and represent the darkest aspects of human nature.

Characters are influenced by both the natural and artificial elements of their physical surroundings. The tangible and intangible features of a setting combine to create an emotional state, a tone, or a mood for a scene or a story. Light levels, smells, temperature, colors, sounds, and other sensory details can affect your main character and influence different characters in different ways.

One character might find an early morning rain to be a refreshing and welcome event, washing away pollen and leaving behind a glistening landscape. Another might find the gray dampness of a rain shower first thing in the morning to be depressing, which might drive them to do things the other characters would never do, thus affecting the plot.

We, as humans, don’t operate in the world without constant references to place and time. Our routines are marked by calendars noted with holidays and special events. The framework of our memories includes place and time, anchored by details such as a smell in the kitchen or a color in the sunset.

Readers need markers like these as well. They expect, at a minimum, to receive some orientation about the location and the time of a story. At its most fundamental, setting informs readers about where and when the story occurs. Without these, the characters would seem to drift about aimlessly, hovering in a groundless world.

So, where and when are the two most basic factors for grounding your reader. But the potential for setting to enhance your story is far greater if other essential elements are considered too.

Three broad categories comprise setting:

• Society and culture

Within those categories are key elements for you to consider in developing your story’s setting. It isn’t necessary to include every element discussed here in your stories, but by asking yourself the right questions and interweaving the aspects that are relevant and revealing, your story’s setting—and your story, in general—will be more believable to your readers.

Decisions about location should be made early in your writing process as this aspect of setting will have more effect on your characters and plot than any other element. Your choices about location will inform other decisions you’ll need to make including, among others, your story’s social environment, the flora and fauna, character dialects and speech patterns, culture, politics, and weather.

Location as an element of your setting should be considered through both a wide-angle lens and then on a closer scale. Genre authors (like fantasy writers ) develop location on the widest scale, going deeply into world-building, sometimes creating entire universes . But that sort of expanse might not be applicable to your story. The general locale (country, state, region, or city) might be more relevant.

The geography and physical landscape you choose for your story could affect your plot and characters. Decide whether your story’s setting is urban or rural. Characters in densely populated settings will navigate their lives differently than those who inhabit vast, open expanses. A scene on a mountaintop will be quite different from one that plays out on a beach or inside a cave.

Don’t forget about human-made landscapes too, such as amusement parks or high-rise buildings. But maybe your story doesn’t happen on terra firma at all. Perhaps your characters are in space, on a ship, or in an airplane.

Examining location at the most precise level, every scene will include your characters’ immediate surroundings , the physical features and tangible objects in the spaces nearest them. And when you’re developing this intimate space, don’t forget the intangible aspects – all the possible sensory elements within that setting that could influence your characters and plot and make the setting believable.

Other aspects that must be portrayed accurately for your story’s chosen location are climate and weather . Unless you’re writing an apocalyptic tale, your characters won’t experience a blizzard in Fiji. A plot that unfolds in a harsh, frozen environment could hold direr consequences and greater challenges for your protagonist than one that happens in a calm and temperate climate.

Another aspect of location to consider is nature . This is usually more important for stories in a rural or remote setting, although elements of the natural world—rats, spiders, cats, pigeons, potted plants—can appear in stories with an urban setting.

Just as for location, time in your story should be considered from a broad scale down to the specific. Does your story take place during a significant time in history such as the Elizabethan era, the Roaring Twenties, or the Macedonian era? From this wide-angle view, the year(s) in which your story happens might influence your characters as well as the plotline.

Now consider, what is the passage of time over the duration of your story , beginning to end? Is it years? months? days? If you’re writing a short story, it might even be hours or minutes.

Will the season in which the story happens affect your characters and plot? Does your story timeline encompass holidays or other significant events , either real ones such as Christmas or Passover, or ones you’ve imagined for your story such as a character’s birthday or a funeral?

Finally, on an even closer level, the time of day or night in a particular scene could influence your characters’ behaviors and activities, and perhaps the plot too.

Society and Culture

Various aspects of society and culture contribute to a story’s setting. The values, mores, and morals of a population or region provide social context for the story, as would the political environment , if politics are relevant for the story you’re telling.

Culture contributes to creating a believable setting in the form of local or regional customs , events such as festivals or religious services, personal or community rituals , hobbies , cuisine , social and family roles , and occupations .

Writing great story setting will set you up for success!

Every aspect of the setting you design for your story will influence how readers interpret and internalize your characters, the situations they find themselves in, and the choices they make. But pages of description aren’t necessary to create an appropriate setting for your story. Well-chosen, specific, and relevant setting details can create a believable setting and a realistic experience for your readers.

Do you want to know how to build a world your readers won't forget? Download this free book now:

World-Building 101: How to Construct an Unforgettable World for your Fantasy or Sci-Fi Story!

This guide is for all the writers out there who want to construct an unforgettable world that your readers can't help but get lost in, learn how to invent species, gods, monsters and more in our immersive guide..

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Gina Edwards

Gina Edwards is a writer, retreat leader, certified creativity coach, and editor. Through retreats, group coaching, and the community Women Writing for CHANGE, she provides safe spaces for women writers—aspiring and published—to claim their voices, write their stories, and leave their legacies. Gina, her clients, and her writer-friends are on a collective mission to positively impact the world through their written words.

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Writers in the Storm

A blog about writing.

Frame Your Scene with Essay Structure

Lori Freeland

Does the blank page cause you anxiety? Do you have a scene that’s just not working? Do readers miss what you’re trying to get across? Using essay structure can help you start and finish clear, purposeful scenes.

When we wrote essays in school, there was always a basic format to follow—OPEN with an intro, move into the BODY, and close with a CONCLUSION.

That made it easy for us to write and for the teacher to evaluate. From the first paragraph, she could tell what to expect. By a few lines in, she was already forming an opinion about your grade.

The same idea holds in fiction. From the first paragraph, readers can tell what to expect. By a few lines in, they’re already forming an opinion about your story.

The Opening

An essay OPENS with what will be discussed. In fiction, this is where we SET OUR SCENE and HOOK our reader.

First lines are important—not just for the book, but for every scene. They drop us into the story.

Example: Tuesday was a fine California day, full of sunshine and promise, until Harry Lyon had to shoot someone at lunch. Dean Koontz , Dragon Tears .

Clarity in building a scene is crucial. If you remember these Four W’s (who *we are, when we are, where we are, and who’s with us), you’ll hit the information readers need to know up front.

*We because readers like to become your characters. It’s a way to escape our lives to experience someone else’s.

Open with the POV character—the character telling the story in a scene. Readers experience the world through one perspective at a time. We only see what that POV character sees, hear what he hears, feel what he feels, and know what he knows.

POV Opening Example: Taking a ride through backwoods Kentucky wasn’t George’s first choice.

In this scene, our perspective will be through George’s eyes.

Where We Are

This is your setting. Use at least a few words of description. Until you show a reader differently, they see a white room. Remember to weave in setting so it doesn’t feel like an information dump.

Example: I pulled my ’69 mustang along the curb behind David’s boring black sedan. That was where I locked my gaze. Not on the iron gates to my right or the sprawling estate behind them that could be a fancy bed-and-breakfast—but wasn’t. 

If you’re picking up from a previous scene, remind the reader where they are. We bookmark at the end of chapters.

When We Are

If relevant, tell us the time-period, time of day, or how much time has passed.

Example: Chicago in 2096 wasn’t the safest city to commit a murder.

Example: There wasn’t an hour over the next few days I didn’t spend wondering if I’d ever see him again.

Who's With Us

Who else is in the scene? Don’t let lurking characters “beam in” with no warning.

Example: The crowd from the diner showed up, and the drone of loud conversation kept Jill in the corner.

You don’t have to list each person, but we know Jill’s not alone.

The Four W’s don’t have to be in order. Watch for them in the scene opening below.

Example: Kim (who we are) stretched her legs under the table, bumping Jason’s (who’s with us) foot with her sandal, and tried to distract herself with the early-morning (when we are) conversation buzzing through the congested coffee shop (where we are).

The BODY of an essay is filled with information. In fiction, this is our STORY.

Each scene needs to add something new and move the story forward—a piece of the story arc, a clue to a mystery, a character’s introduction, his internal growth, relationships, or obstacles.

Don’t repeat what you’ve already done. In scene three, if your character plays a hockey game, don’t have him give an interview in scene four that recaps what the reader already saw.

Helpful Hint: Ask yourself— If I deleted this scene, would the reader notice? Would the story suffer?

The Conclusion

The CONCLUSION brings the essay together. In fiction, this is our TAKE AWAY from the story and our LURE to turn the page.

Unlike an essay, we don’t summarize the current scene, we dangle the next. While the first line drops us into the story, the last line keeps us reading.

Example: I trained the light on the lump floating on the water. The chill in my spine wove a web of ice around my ribs and through my heart, my lungs, my throat. I opened my mouth and screamed. And screamed. And screamed.

Helpful Hint: Don’t fortune-tell.

Example: If Jim had only known the meat was spoiled, he never would’ve made it his late-night snack.

Not only does fortune-telling kill tension, unless Jim’s psychic, he isn’t going to know the decision he made today will ruin his tomorrow and neither can the reader.

Now that you’ve seen essay structure in action, let me add one more helpful hint.

Before you begin a new scene, write a summary of what needs to happen. This gives you your scene goals.

I prefer a short paragraph at the top of the page where I delete things as I use them. I also ask myself questions. Sometimes I don’t know what I need to include until I’ve started writing.

Example: Beth stops over to see John unexpectedly and sees him kiss Mary. That pushes her to return Liam’s phone call. Add picture of Beth and John’s daughter, Chloe. Do I need to intro her here or in the next scene?

If my way doesn’t work for you, play around with what does. Maybe you’re a bullet-points person or someone who likes longhand. Find your scene-goal happy place. Writing tools don’t work if you’re not comfortable using them.

Next time you’re frustrated by a blank page or a confused reader, try using essay structure.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.  

*     *     *     *     *

Lori Freeland, author, editor, and writing coach holds a BA in psychology from the University of Wisconsin and currently lives in the Dallas area. She’s written numerous blogs for writers and presented at multiple writing workshops. When she’s not snuggled up with her husband or worrying about her kids, she spends her days dreaming up romance and messing with the lives of imaginary people. You can find her Young Adult and Contemporary Romance at  lorifreeland.com  and her inspirational blog at  lafreeland.com .

30 comments on “Frame Your Scene with Essay Structure”

This is a very helpful framework to help a writer launch into a scene gracefully, yet with the necessary information for the reader. I love it! Your examples were clear and now I feel like I have another tool in my toolbox when faced with blank page paralysis. Also, I will be going over and editing all my openings with this in mind.

Thank you! I'm happy to add to your toolbox. La

Excellent advice, Lori. I'm saving this for my First 5 Pages class, as a reference! It's a great checklist for openings!

Thank you . And thanks for having me on the blog today. I'm very excited to be here.

I love this approach to teaching scene! Saving for my workshops as we!!.

Very helpful. I'm starting my first editing pass, and these reminders are timely.

In my critique group, where it may be days before we see the next chapter, really drives home the importance of grounding the reading in the who, when, and where at the beginning of a scene. Same goes for writing alternating POVs in scenes, especially if the characters are apart.

Those openings are important. I find that I bookmark at the end of a chapters when I'm reading, then I have to go back a few pages the next time I pick it up to remember what's going on. But with that information right up front in every scene, it makes for a smoother read.

This is so helpful, thank you very much!

You are welcome. I'm glad I could help.

If I deleted this scene, would the reader notice? Would the story suffer? - I'm asking that very question about a favorite scene today. Just seeing this kind of answers that questions. Darn it. 😉

I know, right? That's the worst question! And the best.

Wow, Lori. I don't think I have EVER read a more helpful blogpost! I'm printing this out NOW and taping it to the wall above my desk as I tackle rewriting my current WIP. Thank you! The examples were terrific, too, btw.

Thanks, Holly! I'm always trying to look at writing in new ways. It's like we hear the same thing over and over and it becomes white noise. I need "fresh" too!

Hey stranger! Good to see you, Holly...and I'm glad you got tons out of Lori's post. 🙂

Wow, this rocked! Love it. And so necessary for me right now as I'm editing and need to go back through these scenes and make sure they have solid openings and pull their weight. Thanks, Lori!

Thanks, Julie! And thanks for asking me to guest post!

Really great post. Thank you!

Thanks! You are so welcome!

great post. excellent info presented in clear easy- to- understand way. thank you.

You are welcome. I'm glad that it was easy to understand.

“*We because readers like to become your characters. It’s a way to escape our lives to experience someone else’s.”

Indeed! Even when that someone else's life is much worse than ours! It's also interesting just HOW we become someone else and how much characterization is enough to draw us in without alienating us with vast differences from ourselves. Some writers hardly describe their characters at all, not even their protagonist, though thought, speech and action reveal character of course.

Very true. There's a fine line between painting us a good picture and letting us become the character ourselves.

[…] Read the rest of this post HERE. […]

This is a wonderful post, Lori. You are the reason I write and you never cease to amaze me. I'm saving these wise words for my edit group this next month. Thank you...thank you!

Wow, I had great English teachers! (For whom I am eternally grateful.) As I read your post, I remembered the points. Thank you, Lori, for reminding us of something most of us were taught in school, and letting us know that it still works—in particular for putting together scenes.

Great read here Lori. And you're right, fortune-telling kills tension! Readers don't want to be told what may or may not happen. They want to experience it first hand, with action and dialog.

Thanks much for this!

[…] Frame Your Scene with Essay Structure […]

[…] 3. Here’s another great post at the Writers in the Storm Blog. Lori Freeland checks in with some tips on how to Frame Your Scene with Essay Structure. […]

[…] pages, Peter Selgin demonstrates how to craft setup and payoffs in scenes, Lori Freeland says to frame your scenes with essay structure, and Jami Gold explores if a story can still be compelling with a “quiet” back […]

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How to Set a Scene in Writing | Craft the Perfect Scene for Your Story

• by Andrea Feccomandi
• December 27, 2023

When you embark on a new writing journey, what’s the initial aspect you focus on? Perhaps the  characters , maybe the  setting , and undoubtedly, the story.

But when do you begin to delve into the art of scene creation? Explore our guide to discover how to set a scene in writing and master the craft of constructing the perfect scene.

What is a perfect scene?

A story consists of a set of scenes. Each scene represents an  element in itself , which must be conclusive in its own way.

Alongside the  fabula and plot , scenes form the  fundamental building blocks  of storytelling. Literary works, be they descriptive, dialogue-driven, or introductory, can be effectively segmented into scenes.

The strategic division of a novel into scenes serves as a valuable tool in outlining and navigating the writing and revision processes. Writers may opt for a chronological approach, subsequently rearranging scenes to infuse dynamic movement into the narrative rhythm.

However, a word of caution is necessary –  avoid the inclusion of superfluous scenes . Not only do they disrupt the narrative flow, but they also pose the risk of perplexing and disengaging the reader.

How to set a scene in writing: suggestions

There are eight different steps on how to set a scene in a novel.

In crafting a perfect scene, the purpose is paramount. Align each scene with the concept of  action-process-decision-new action,  mirroring our daily decision-making.

Whether revealing  character nuances  or  advancing the plot , defining the purpose ensures the scene’s relevance.

Every scene must reach a  climax , a pinnacle of tension that defines its narrative significance.

This moment, the climax,  unravels the true intentions of the scene , capturing the reader’s attention and making a lasting impact.

3) Conflict

Injecting tension into each scene is vital to captivate readers. Focusing on  conflict , be it interpersonal or internal to the protagonist, is key.

Clearly defining  what’s at stake  maintains reader engagement and propels the narrative forward.

Character evolution  is inherent in storytelling. Scenes should portray characters undergoing transformations, facing challenges, and adapting.

Demonstrating character change within a scene contributes to the overall dynamic of the narrative.

5) Point of view

Choosing the narrative  perspective , whether from the reader, another character, the author, or the character experiencing the scene, is a crucial decision.

Aligning the point of view with the scene’s purpose  ensures a coherent and impactful storytelling experience.

6) Structure

Each scene possesses its unique structure. Commencing with a well-crafted middle or end, as opposed to a lengthy environmental description, avoids dilution of the narrative.

An effective structure  sustains reader engagement  while maintaining the scene’s essence.

7) Beginning and End

Scene construction demands a  compelling start and a conclusive end . Commencing a scene effectively and concluding it decisively prevents a scene from feeling incomplete.

An impactful ending, perhaps with a significant event or revelation, enhances the scene’s overall impact.

Breathing life into a scene requires attention to meaningful details. A scene devoid of descriptive elements remains barren.

Thus, incorporating  relevant and evocative details  enriches the scene, making it vivid and immersive for the reader.

This is the squalid, or moving, part of the story, and the scene changes. The people change, too. I’m still around, but from here on in, for reasons I’m not at liberty to disclose, I’ve disguised myself so cunningly that even the cleverest reader will fail to recognize me. J.D. Salinger , Nine Stories

How to set a scene in writing? There’s bibisco!

Have you read the list above to create a perfect scene but are afraid of getting lost in some detail? No fear!  bibisco  comes with this novel writing software that helps you keep track of everything. You can enter your characters and their physical and personality traits.

You can write the scenes, insert the  objects  of your story, and decide the  chronology  of events. With bibisco’s features , you won’t miss anything, and you’ll have a valuable companion to aid you in crafting each scene.

Conclusion: how to set a scene in writing

Mastering scene writing is crucial for a captivating narrative. Knowing  how to set a scene  involves key elements like purpose, climax, conflict, change, point of view, structure, beginning and end, and details.

Scenes act as  building blocks , shaping the story’s fabric. The purpose guides focus, the climax adds tension, and the conflict captivates readers. Changes reflect character growth, while the right point of view adds depth. Structuring scenes well ensures  coherence , with a strong start and satisfying end providing tone and closure. Enriching scenes with meaningful details brings them to life.

Empower yourself with these steps to master the art of scene writing and elevate your storytelling to new heights!

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30 Ideas for Your Opening Scene

Opening scenes are often written first and edited so many times, that after a while it’s easy to overlook the fact that they may no longer be the best choice, and that there may be more effective ways to begin your story.

How well does your opening scene … 

• Grab the reader’s attention?
• Introduce the main character?
• Set the tone for the story?

Would any of the following ideas serve you better?

• A DIALOGUE – The spoken voice has a directness that not only grabs the reader, but is key to developing character. Dialogue with the reader is another great way to open a story, in which case you will probably want to use the second person (i.e. “you”), and consider whether or not you need quotation marks.
• A CHASE – A hunt or chase scene yields lots of opportunity for action, intrigue and mystery. Who’s after what? Will they get it? What will happen if they do? What will happen if they don’t?
• A MONOLOGUE – Self-talk, a telephone conversation or a speech can be just as revealing as a dialogue. In fact, it can sometimes be difficult to categorise them. Does talking to the reader count as dialogue or monologue? Is either limited by whether the voice is internal or external?
• A DEPARTURE  – A man goes on a journey or…
• AN ARRIVAL  –  a stranger comes to town.
• A SECRET ACT AND/OR PLACE  – Someone who’s doing something they shouldn’t can tell us a lot about the character, but also about the rules of the world they inhabit. Not to mention the added element of tension and mystery.
• A WORLD OVERVIEW – Starting with an overview and then zooming in on a particular character, place, or event can help place the story in context. Is the character important in the grand scheme of things? How does their puzzle piece fit into the big picture? Where in the world are they?
• A FLASHFORWARD  – This is a useful technique if you’re writing a story in which the end is known (for example, a retelling), or in which the end creates a mystery that propels the plot – how on earth does the character wind up there? Often the scene will be repeated later in the story, when the chronology catches up with it.
• A FLASHBACK  – Similar to a flashforward, but the focus is on developing backstory. Also useful if your character needs to start the story at an uninteresting point.
• A FRAME NARRATIVE  – This method creates a fiction within a fiction. It’s useful when you want to explain the significance of your story for your story world. It can also be a good excuse to add in ephemera such as…
• A LETTER – The heyday of letter-writing and the epistolary novel may be past, but there’s no reason you can’t still begin with a letter (or an email or text message). Missives are perfect for quickly developing a character’s voice, and they can also have a physical presence in your story.
• A DIARY ENTRY/LOG – A diary entry or log is another piece of ephemera that’s often included in stories, and that can make a great opener. Dear Diary…
• A QUOTATION – Epigraphs are a different matter, but you can start your story out with a quotation from within your story universe – preferably one that explains something crucial to the plot.
• A DESCRIPTION OF A PLACE – This may be a classic, but why reinvent the wheel? If your setting is important for the story, and it’s strange or interesting, use it to set the scene .
• A DESCRIPTION OF A PERSON – If unusual and interesting characters are an important part of your story, then why not begin by introducing one (or more) of them? It’s common for 19th-century novels in particular to begin with the physical appearance of a character, or with an overview of their personality. Readers are accustomed to this sort of opening, so it’s a comfortable and familiar choice.
• A DESCRIPTION OF AN OBJECT – This is in effect the inverse of the “world overview”. Instead of a wide shot, zoom in one small detail – perhaps even a part of an object – something that’s important to the narrative perspective, and that can focus the reader and jolt them out of their usual way of looking at the world.
• A SURPRISE DISCOVERY – A surprising or dangerous discovery is a great way to add some drama from the very beginning, even if the discovery isn’t part of the main narrative. This technique is often used in mysteries and thrillers to unveil a murder or introduce an antagonist or macguffin.
• A PREPARATION – Whether the preparation is for a cocktail party or a battle, there’s an inherent tension in preparation – will everything go right? Have we anticipated everything? In an opening scene, you can use this tension to get the reader interested, and to reveal how the character responds to pressure.
• A RITUAL – Rituals mark important moments of transition or transformation. From a writer’s perspective, they also have the advantage of bringing together various people and of having “in-built” drama.
• A HERALD BEARING (WELCOME OR UNWELCOME?) NEWS  – This doesn’t necessarily have to be a liveried messenger. Think of the last shocking news bulletin you watched – how could something similar affect your characters and grab your reader’s attention?
• AN ORDINARY ROUTINE  – An ordinary routine can be a great way to show how ordinary a character is, and an extraordinary routine can show how extraordinary a character is. Routines are good character short-hand because they’re activities that we’re motivated enough to perform on a regular basis, until they become part of our identity. “We are what we repeatedly do.”
• AN ABERRATION – Similar to a surprise discovery, but depending on your story this could be anything from a break in the character’s morning routine to the apocalypse. Anything that you can highlight as a change from the ordinary is a potential hook to draw the reader in.
• A SONG – A song is an unusual way to begin a story, which is why it could be effective. But you may need some imagination and practice to figure out how you will convey the song, the singer, the voice, and the listener.
• A SPEECH – Speeches are effective because they address an audience directly, but unlike a dialogue or monologue, they’re carefully composed to deliver a specific message. Putting the reader in the place of the audience can be a good way to get their attention.
• A BIRTH – This may seem like an obvious place to start a story about a central character, but unless the birth is unusual or important, it may feel too early. However, a birth that isn’t the main character’s may be just the thing.
• A DEATH – Like births, deaths have the potential to push a story along with their momentum. They’re emotionally charged, and can be a dramatic turning point for a character, especially if they’re the one dying…
• A MEAL  – This is a useful way to gather a group of (potentially unrelated) people around a common purpose. Useful, because as a writer, it gives you plenty of scope for description (of food, setting, and characters) and exposition in the form of conversation.
• A LECTURE  – Similar to a speech, but the purpose of a lecture is to impart knowledge rather than to motivate the audience to change. This opening does have the danger of becoming boring and prone to “info dump”, but it can be a good choice for a story in which intellect is an important theme.
• A SCHEDULE/ITINERARY – I can’t think of any examples of novels that begin with a schedule, but it strikes me as a great way to introduce a story that relies heavily on timing. What is the schedule’s timespan? Who or what created it? Are there consequences to not keeping to it?
• AN AUTHORIAL STATEMENT/INTERJECTION – This may seem similar to a frame narrative, but many stories (especially classics) employ an authorial voice without developing the author into a story character. This method can be useful for aligning the reader with a particular character or viewpoint, but if you use it, you will almost certainly want to continue your story in the third person omniscient point of view .

Don’t forget to share, and find more ideas in these posts…

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How to Get the Perfect Hook for Your College Essay

What’s covered:, developing your hook.

• 5 College Essay Hook Examples

5 Tips and Examples for Crafting a Great Hook

Your essay is one of the best tools available for standing out in a crowded field of college applicants (many with academic portfolios similar to yours) when applying to your dream school. A college essay is your opportunity to show admissions committees the person behind the grades, test scores, and resume. To ensure your college essay receives the full attention of admissions committees, you need to lure them in with a great hook—that is, a compelling opening that makes your audience hungry for more.

You need a strong start to capture the attention of the admission committees. When it comes to college essays, first impressions are everything. In fact, there’s no guarantee that anyone is going to read more than your first sentence if you bore them to tears within a few words, which is why it’s essential to craft an effective and engaging hook.

There’s no one-size-fits-all strategy for composing an attention-grabbing hook. A well-crafted hook can be anything from an image to an anecdote to an interesting fact while factors like writing style, essay structure, and prompt can all influence what makes for a good hook. That said, memorable hooks share a number of attributes, most notably they draw readers in,  connect with the topic you’re writing about, and leave a lasting impression, often in a creative or unexpected way.

For example, let’s construct a hypothetical essay. Let’s say that after some careful consideration, Jane Doe has decided to write her personal essay about her experience running canine obedience classes. She isn’t quite sure how to start her essay, so she’s practicing with some proven essay hooks. If you’re ready to develop your own hook, check out four of our favorite college essay hook strategies and how they work for Jane below!

College Essay Hook Examples

There are a number of proven strategies that Jane can use to craft a compelling hook. A few tried-and-true hooks include:

1. Open with an Anecdote

People love stories, so it makes sense that telling one is a great way to attract readers. Detailing a relevant anecdote provides context for your essay and can give the reader an idea of what you are up against if you’re overcoming an obstacle or rising to a challenge.

On the day that I told my mother I wanted to start my own canine obedience school, she smiled and muttered something under her breath about the irony of my youthful disobedience and my newfound passion for enforcing rules. What she didn’t know then was that it was not in spite of, but rather because of, my tendency to push the boundaries that I was confident in my ability to succeed.

2. Set the Scene

One fantastic way to get your essay moving and to draw your readers in is to plunge them into the middle of an important scene. Provide readers with descriptive details and dialogue to make them feel like they’re watching a movie from your life and have just tuned in at a critical moment.

I jumped back as the dog lunged for my leg, teeth bared and snarling. “It’s okay, Smokey, it’s okay,” I soothed as I tried to maneuver closer to the post where I had tied his leash. In the back of my head, I heard my brother’s taunts swirling around.

“A dog trainer?” he had scoffed. “What kind of person would hire you as a dog trainer?!”

I pushed the thoughts away and grasped the leash, pulling it tightly to my side as Smokey, surprised by my sudden confidence, fell into stride beside me.

3. Ask a Question

Asking a question at the beginning of your essay can activate your reader’s critical thinking and get them hungry for the answer that you won’t offer until later. Try to come up with a question that’s broad enough that they won’t know the answer right away, but specific enough that it isn’t a generic hook that could work on just any college essay.

How do you respond when you’re faced with a very real physical threat to your safety, yet you literally can’t afford to back down? This is the question I faced on my very first day as a dog trainer.

4. Use a Metaphor or Simile

A metaphor or simile can pull readers in by helping them make connections between seemingly unrelated topics or by encouraging them to think about topics from a different point of view.

Running canine obedience classes is a lot like navigating high school. It’s a dog-eat-dog world with a lot to learn, many personalities to manage, peril around every corner, and everyone anxious to graduate.

Selecting the right hook is a great first step for writing a winning college essay, but the execution is also important.

1. Narrow Down Your Scope

Sometimes the best way to tackle big projects like writing an attention-grabbing hook or captivating college essay is to think small. Narrow down on a specific incident or even a moment that leads into your topic.

It’s my first time teaching a canine obedience class. I’m surrounded by strangers and the dogs are barking so loud I can’t hear myself think, but I have a gnawing feeling that I’m losing control. I put my fingers to my lips and let out the loudest whistle I’m capable of. Suddenly there was silence.

2. Use Adjectives

Adjectives are used to add a description and make your writing clearer and more specific. In other words, they’re the details that make your writing stand out and suck readers in. Jane didn’t simply reward the dog for sitting, she…

It was a battle of wills between me and the eight-month-old Australian Shepherd—defiance was in his sparkling blue eyes, but so was desire for the bit of hot dog hiding in my hand. Reluctantly he sat, earning his treat while I claimed my alpha status.

3. Use Emotion

Use emotion to connect and entice your reader. Emotions make readers feel, pulling them into your essay, and are memorable. You can use them for everything from sharing a fact about yourself to putting the reader in your shoes.

When I was young, I would have been extremely lonely if not for my dog Trevor. I struggled to make friends and Trevor provided companionship, helped me overcome my shyness (he was a great icebreaker), and is responsible for shaping who I am today. When Trevor passed away in high school, I set out to train canine obedience and help dogs become the best versions of themselves—just like what Trevor did for me.

4. Short and Sweet

Admissions committees have a lot of essays to read, so the quicker you get to the point and capture their attention, the better.

Mere moments into my dream job, someone had already peed on the floor and another had bitten a person. Welcome to the life of a dog trainer.

5. Just Start Writing

Sometimes the hook of your college essay isn’t clear. Rather than getting hung up, start developing your essay and see if it adds clarity as to how to best implement a hook. Some students even find that it’s easiest to write a hook last, after writing the body of the personal statement.

Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay Hook

Wondering if you created an effective hook? It’s difficult to evaluate your own writing, especially a line or two you read and reworked numerous times. CollegeVine can help. Through our free Peer Essay Review tool , you can get a free review of your hook, and overall essay, from another student. Then you can pay it forward and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

How to Write a Scene: The Definitive Guide to Scene Structure

by Joe Bunting | 0 comments

Once you have a great story idea, the next step is to write it. But do you want to take your brilliant idea and then write a book that bores readers and causes them to quit reading your book?

Of course not. That's why you need to learn how to write great scenes.

Scenes are the basic building block of all storytelling. How do you actually write them, though? And even more, how do you write the kind of scenes that both can keep readers hooked while also building to the powerful climax you have planned for later in the story?

In this post, you'll learn what a scene actually is. You'll explore the six elements every scene needs for it to move the story forward. Then, you'll learn how to do the work of actually putting a scene together, step-by-step.

We'll look at some of the main scene types you need for the various types of stories, and we'll also look at some scene examples so you can better understand how scenes work. Finally, we'll put it all together with a practice exercise.

Table of Contents

Want to jump ahead? Here's a table of contents for this article:

What Is a Scene? The 4 Criteria of a Scene Scene Writing and “Show, Don't Tell” Scene Structure: The 6 Steps to Scene Structure Scene Structure Examples Practice Exercise

What Is a Scene? Scene Definition

A scene (in a story) is an event that occurs within a narrative that takes place during a specific time period and has a beginning and an end.

A scene is a story event, in other words, or a single unit of storytelling. It is the bedrock of every kind of narrative, from a novel, film, memoir, short story, theatrical play, and graphic novel.

Scenes can vary in length, but they tend to be 500 to 2,500 words long. The average book or film has fifty to seventy scenes.

5 Criteria of a Scene

For a section of narrative to be considered a scene, it must meet several criteria.

• A story event . The scene must contain at least one story event.
• A change. A character begins the scene believing one thing, feeling one way, or doing one thing, but by the end of the scene they’re believing, feeling, or doing something else.
• One period of time (e.g. a few minutes in one day). Most scenes will be just a few minutes in one day.
• (In film) One setting . Novels can bend this, but in film, scenes take place in one setting.
• Contains the six elements of plot:  exposition, inciting incident, rising action, dilemma, climax, and denouement. We'll discuss these elements in detail below.

How “Show Don't Tell” Impacts Writing Scenes: Show Your Scenes, Tell Your Transitions

One quick thing to note: you might have heard of the common writing advice to “Show, Don't Tell.”

Show, Don’t Tell refers to showing the reader what happens in a story using dialogue, action, or description rather than telling the reader with inner monologue or exposition/narrative.

Scenes are, by their nature, shown. You the writer are showing the reader what is happening.

That's why good writers find the most important, most dramatic pieces in their story to  show  in scenes.

Then, they use  telling  to link between scenes and give the context, information, and backstory that's still important but not necessarily dramatic.

In other words, show your scenes, tell your transitions. If you don't, if you tell  your  most important pieces and show your  least  important, least dramatic moments, you'll end up with jumbled scenes and a jumbled story in general.

What Are the Elements of Scene? 6 Steps to Scene Structure

At The Write Practice, we teach a story structure framework called The Write Structure. It's a universal and timeless way of thinking about story that writers have been applying for thousands of years. (Read our master plot post here .)

Within this framework, there are six elements of plot. These elements don't just occur in every story. They also occur in every scene.

So if you want to write a good scene, make sure that it has each of these six structural elements. You can even use these as  steps  in your scene writing.

Step 1. Exposition: Set the Scene

First, set the scene.

Where are we? Who are we with? What should we the audience be seeing or imagining?

Set the scene, usually with description or action , to ground the reader's experience.

Learn more in our full exposition guide here .

Step 2. Inciting Incident: Start the Drama

The inciting incident is an event in a scene that puts the characters into a new situation, upsetting the status quo and beginning the scene's movement.

That situation is the key ingredient to the inciting incident.  It can be something going wrong, a complication that arises, or even something going really well. Check out the examples below to get more ideas for your inciting incident.

The inciting incident doesn't have to be a big thing. That comes later, in the climax. It can be subtle, but the point is that it builds into a much larger thing.

The key point about the inciting incident of a scene is that it must occur  early  in a scene, usually within the first five paragraphs.

Don't get me wrong, you still need to set the scene with exposition. But your exposition will either follow the inciting incident or quickly give way to the inciting incident.

You can learn more in our full inciting incident guide here .

Step 3. Rising Action: Throw Rocks at Your Characters

You know that writing advice to get your characters up a tree, then throw rocks at them? This is rock-throwing time.

Your inciting incident begins the action and conflict of the scene, but the rising action is where most of the action and conflict builds and takes place.

This will often be the largest section of your scene, and builds directly into the dilemma.

Here you start raising the stakes and begin building towards the story’s climactic moment. It’s important that your audience know exactly what’s at risk here, so work to reveal what's important to your characters here (e.g. their lives, their relationship, their identity) and why that is at risk.

Learn more in our full rising action guide here .

Step 4. Dilemma: The Heart of Your Scene

This is the most important (and overlooked) element of every great scene, and it's what all the action in your scene has been building toward.

A dilemma is when a character is put into a situation where they're stuck and have to make a difficult choice with real consequences.

Here are some example choices:

• Go through the wardrobe into the magical portal or shut the door and miss out
• Take the red pill or the blue pill
• Call the cute crush or stay alone forever
• Fight or flight
• Quit or persevere
• Do what you're told or do what you want
• Share something vulnerable or keep everyone at a distance

These are the dilemmas that drama is  made  out of, and in some form or other, they belong in  every  single scene in your story. Together with the previous scenes and the scenes that follow, these are the moments that create the character arc the drives the story forward.

Learn more in our full dilemma guide here .

5. Climax: Create the Moment Out of Highest Action

Coming immediately after the dilemma, the climax shows the consequences of your characters' choices. As such, it is the moment of highest action in the scene.

Taking our example choices from above, here's what might happen next:

• They go through wardrobe and arrive in a magical kingdom
• They take the red pill and wake up in a creepy, dystopian world with a tube down their throats
• They call the cute crush and then crash and burn
• They fight and are mauled by a giant bear
• They quit, only to be visited by an angel who offers to show them the consequences of quitting
• They do what they want and get into a fight with a dragon which results in burning down the village
• They decide to share and finally feel truly accepted and known for the first time in their lives

You see how it works, right? You start the movement, raise the stakes, create a dilemma, and pay it all off with a climax full of dramatic energy.

If you did it right, this is either the best or worst moment in your scene. This is also where to insert any plot twists you can think of.

Learn more in our full climax guide here .

Step 6. Denouement: Pause to Take Things In

But your scene isn't over just yet. Finally, you have to create a brief pause, often only a paragraph or three, to allow the audience to take in what just happened and prepare the ground for the next scene.

If the exposition is the “before,” the denouement, also called the resolution, is the “after.”

You don't need much writing here, just a few paragraphs, but this element is key to the rhythm of your storytelling.

Learn more in our full denouement guide here .

Scene Structure Examples

Now that you know the steps, let's look at a few examples from popular scenes to better understand how this works.

How to Train Your Dragon: Opening Scene Structure

For reference, you can watch the scene here:

I love this scene and this film as a whole (the books are great too!). It instantly sets up not just the stakes of the scene, but the story as a whole, and in general, has nearly perfect structure.

Let's break it into the six elements of plot that we just discussed.

Exposition: “This is Berk.” Bucolic, pastoral, peaceful. Narrated by Hiccup, the viewpoint character.

Inciting incident: Actually nope, there are dragons stealing the sheep.

Rising action: Dragons burn things, people fight dragons, we meet the story's cast of characters, and most of all, we get to know Hiccup, the protagonist, who really wants to prove himself. But Hiccup is told he's not allowed to fight the dragons.

Dilemma: To do what he's told, stay put, and risk being looked down on his whole life OR to do what he wants, go fight with his fancy machine, and risk dying and/or humiliating himself?

Climax: Hiccup does what he wants, hits a dragon, gets into a fight with another dragon, and then burns down most of the village.

Denouement: No one believes he hit the dragon, and he is humiliated in front of the village.

Note especially the location of the dilemma, which occurs about halfway through the scene and comes to a head immediately. It's subtle, implied more than it is spelled out specifically, and yet it creates the drama that follows.

Frozen: Climactic Scene Structure

For reference, you can watch the scene here ( spoiler alert in case you somehow have never seen this film!):

I like to use this scene because it perfectly displays how a dilemma works.

Exposition: Princess Anna is dying, about to become frozen after being struck by Princess Elsa's magic.

Inciting Incident:  With an act of true love, she can be cured, and Kristoff is running toward her to give her the “kiss of true love.”

Rising Action: There's a storm, so this is all very difficult. Oh, and Prince Hans is about to kill her sister.

Dilemma: Princess Anna looks both ways, not sure what to choose. Does she run to Kristoff and save herself but allow her sister to be killed OR does she save her sister and sacrifice herself?

Climax: She chooses to save her sister, running to stop Prince Hans and freezing in the process. The storm immediately ceases.

Denouement: Princess Anna herself supplied the act of true love, removing the magic's curse and restoring her to life.

Again, pay special attention to the dilemma, which lasts for just a few seconds as she pauses, looking both ways, trying to decide. The stakes couldn't be higher (which is good because this is the climax of the story), and her choice immediately results in not just the climax of the scene, but the climax of the entire story.

How to Write a Great Scene Every Time

Writing compelling scenes doesn't require you to be a genius or know everything there is about writing.

You just need to follow the six scene tasks: exposition, inciting incident, rising action, dilemma, climax, and denouement.

If you just do that, you'll be able to reliably craft a perfect scene that, when brought together, will end up with an amazing story.

So go get writing!

Which of these six steps and elements do you find easiest? which is most difficult or confusing?  Let us know in the comments .

Now that you know how a perfect scene works, let's put it to practice. Today, I have two scene prompts for your practice:

• Study a scene from one of your favorite books or films, finding the six elements of plot.
• Outline a scene you've written or a new scene using the six elements of plot.

Take fifteen minutes to practice. Once you've created your outline, share it in the Pro Practice Workshop .

And if you share, be sure to give feedback to at least three other writers.

Happy writing!

Joe Bunting

Joe Bunting is an author and the leader of The Write Practice community. He is also the author of the new book Crowdsourcing Paris , a real life adventure story set in France. It was a #1 New Release on Amazon. Follow him on Instagram (@jhbunting).

Want best-seller coaching? Book Joe here.

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Tips on Great Writing: Setting the Scene

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• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

The setting is the place and time in which the action of a narrative takes place. It's also called the scene or creating a sense of place. In a work of creative nonfiction , evoking a sense of place is an important persuasive technique: "A storyteller persuades by creating scenes, little dramas that occur in a definite time and place, in which real people interact in a way that furthers the aims of the overall story," says Philip Gerard in "Creative Nonfiction: Researching and Crafting Stories of Real Life" (1996).

Examples of Narrative Setting

• "The first den was a rock cavity in a lichen-covered sandstone outcrop near the top of a slope, a couple of hundred yards from a road in Hawley. It was on posted property of the Scrub Oak Hunting Club -- dry hardwood forest underlain by laurel and patches of snow -- in the northern Pocono woods. Up in the sky was Buck Alt. Not long ago, he was a dairy farmer, and now he was working for the Keystone State, with directional antennae on his wing struts angled in the direction of bears." -- John McPhee, "Under the Snow" in "Table of Contents" ( 1985)
• "We hunted old bottles in the dump, bottles caked with dirt and filth, half buried, full of cobwebs, and we washed them out at the horse trough by the elevator, putting in a handful of shot along with the water to knock the dirt loose; and when we had shaken them until our arms were tired, we hauled them off in somebody's coaster wagon and turned them in at Bill Anderson's pool hall, where the smell of lemon pop was so sweet on the dark pool-hall air that I am sometimes awakened by it in the night, even yet. "Smashed wheels of wagons and buggies, tangles of rusty barbed wire, the collapsed perambulator that the French wife of one of the town's doctors had once pushed proudly up the planked sidewalks and along the ditchbank paths. A welter of foul-smelling feathers and coyote-scattered carrion which was all that remained of somebody's dream of a chicken ranch. The chickens had all got some mysterious pip at the same time, and died as one, and the dream lay out there with the rest of the town's history to rustle to the empty sky on the border of the hills." -- Wallace Stegner, "The Town Dump" in "Wolf Willow: A History, a Story, and a Memory of the Last Plains Frontier" (1962)
• "This is the nature of that country. There are hills, rounded, blunt, burned, squeezed up out of chaos, chrome and vermilion painted, aspiring to the snowline. Between the hills lie high level-looking plains full of intolerable sun glare, or narrow valleys drowned in a blue haze. The hill surface is streaked with ash drift and black, unweathered lava flows. After rains water accumulates in the hollows of small closed valleys, and, evaporating, leaves hard dry levels of pure desertness that get the local name of dry lakes. Where the mountains are steep and the rains heavy, the pool is never quite dry, but dark and bitter, rimmed about with the efflorescence of alkaline deposits. A thin crust of it lies along the marsh over the vegetating area, which has neither beauty nor freshness. In the broad wastes open to the wind the sand drifts in hummocks about the stubby shrubs, and between them the soil shows saline traces." Mary Austin, "The Land of Little Rain" (1903)

Observations on Setting the Scene

• Grounding the reader: " Nonfiction has done a much better job in terms of setting the scene, I think. ...Think of all the splendid nature writing , and adventure writing -- from Thoreau to Muir to Dillard ... where we have fine settings of scenes. Setting the scene precisely and well is too often overlooked in memoir . I'm not sure exactly why. But we -- the readers -- want to be grounded . We want to know where we are. What kind of world we're in. Not only that, but it is so often the case in nonfiction that the scene itself is a kind of character. Take the Kansas of Truman Capote's  "In Cold Blood," for example. Capote takes pains right at the beginning of his book to set the scene of his multiple murders on the plains and wheat fields of the Midwest." -- Richard Goodman, "The Soul of Creative Writing" 2008)
• Creating a world: "The setting of a piece of writing, whether fiction or nonfiction, poetry or prose , is never some realistic snapshot of a place. ... If you were to describe with the utmost accuracy every structure in a city ... and then went on to describe every stitch of clothing, every piece of furniture, every custom, every meal, every parade, you would still not have captured anything essential about life. ... As a young reader, place gripped you. You wandered with Huck, Jim, and Mark Twain down an imagined Mississippi through an imagined America. You sat in a dreamy, leafy wood with a sleepy Alice, as shocked as she when the White Rabbit bustled by with no time to spare. ... You traveled intensely, blissfully, and vicariously -- because a writer took you somewhere." -- Eric Maisel, "Creating an International World: Using Place in Your Nonfiction" in "Now Write! Nonfiction: Memoir, Journalism and Creative Nonfiction Exercises," ed. by Sherry Ellis (2009)
• Shop talk: "A thing I never know when I'm telling a story is how much scenery to bung in. I've asked one or two scriveners of my acquaintance, and their views differ. A fellow I met at a cocktail party in Bloomsbury said that he was all for describing kitchen sinks and frowsy bedrooms and squalor generally, but for the beauties of Nature, no. Whereas, Freddie Oaker, of the Drones, who does tales of pure love for the weeklies under the pen-name of Alicia Seymour, once told me that he reckoned that flowery meadows in springtime alone were worth at least a hundred quid a year to him. Personally, I've always rather barred long descriptions of the terrain, so I will be on the brief side." -- P.G. Wodehouse, "Thank You, Jeeves" (1934)
• Spatial Order in Composition
• Description in Rhetoric and Composition
• Cumulative Sentence Definition and Examples
• An Introduction to Exclamatory Sentences
• Scene and Seen
• dramatism (rhetoric and composition)
• Using Flashback in Writing
• Writers on Reading
• Expanding Sentences With Adjectives and Adverbs
• What Is an Aside in Speech and Writing?
• 8 Quick Tips for Writing Under Pressure
• Graphics in Business Writing, Technical Communication
• Outlines for Every Type of Writing Composition
• Two Ways of Seeing a River
• How to Use Parentheses in Writing
• Using Epanorthosis in Rhetoric

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Scene Structure: Establishing Your Setting

For this week’s Throwback Thursday, we’re looking at excerpts from past posts on Live Write Thrive that tie in with our exploration on scene structure.

From  An Introduction to Stationary Camera Shots:

Setting Up the Scene: Establishing Shots

Establishing Shots are critical in a film. They clue the viewer where this next scene is about to take place. Each time the location of a scene shifts, a new establishing shot does exactly what its name implies: it establishes where the story will now continue, and fiction writers need to do the same thing. The purpose is to give a general impression rather than specific information.

Often a Long Shot is used for an Establishing Shot, but not all Long Shots are Establishing Shots, so those will be discussed in another chapter. Although Establishing Shots are mostly used at the beginning of a scene to set the locale, they can also be used at the end of a segment to provide a revealing or unexpected context, which can pack a big punch when offering the audience a surprising twist tied into the setting or landscape.

So often beginning novelists will start their scenes with dialog or narrative that assumes the reader knows where the characters are. But really, we readers have no clue unless the author clues us in. If nothing is said to indicate otherwise, readers will figure this new scene is a continuation of the previous one.

So it’s essential that as you move from scene to scene, you not only make clear the time that has passed since the last scene but also the locale. Perhaps the locale hasn’t changed at all, but it’s now nighttime instead of noon. Do you still need an Establishing Shot? Yes—at least to make it clear we are in the same place but hours or days later.

A Brief Few Seconds

Watch some TV episodes or movies and pay attention to these Establishing Shots (ES). Each time there’s a shift of locale, the first few seconds will let you know exactly where the scene is going to take place, whether it be on board the Death Star in Star Wars or the kitchen in Downton Abbey . Before Sherlock starts telling Watson to pay attention to the lady holding the parasol, we first see the dirty backstreets of London on a drizzly gray day.

The Establishing Shot should only show what is important and relative to the scene and is best if shown from the POV character’s eyes and tainted by their mood.

In a film or TV show, the opening Establishing Shot lasts maybe three to four seconds. So in translating into fiction, you don’t want more than a paragraph or two. Writers can get away with an omniscient POV in these instances. Imagine the camera far away, revealing the setting, locale, and weather.

You want to be careful to not slip into boring narration, so keep the ES short, a “nod to setting,” as author Elizabeth George says. Sometimes only a sentence is needed if the reader has already been to this particular location you have just moved your character to. But using an Establishing Shot is important, for you don’t want to confuse your readers.

Moving from Omniscient to Third Person

Here’s a great example of an Establishing Shot beginning in an omniscient storytelling manner—just a few paragraphs—in order to set the mood and scene before introducing the main characters and diving into the close-up dialog and playing out of the scene. Notice how David Baldacci, here in his novel Sixth Man , does this smoothly, without dull, detached narrative.

The small jet bumped down hard on the runway in Portland, Maine. It rose up in the air and banged down again harder. Even the pilot was probably wondering if he could keep the twenty-five-ton jet on the tarmac. Because he was trying to beat a storm in, the young aviator had made his approach at a steeper trajectory and a faster speed than the airline’s manual recommended. The wind shear culled off the leading edge of the cold front had caused the jet’s wings to pendulum back and forth. The copilot had warned the passengers that the landing would be bumpy and a bit more than uncomfortable.

He’d been right. . . . [more description of the tenuous landing follows]

One man, however, merely woke when the plane transitioned off the runway and onto the taxiway to the small terminal. The tall dark-haired woman sitting next to him idly stared out the window, completely unfazed by the turbulent approach and bouncy touchdown.

After they’d arrived at the gate and the pilot shut down the twin GE turbofans, Sean Kind and Michelle Maxwell rose and grabbed their bags from the overhead. As they threaded out through the narrow aisle along with the other deplaning passengers, a queasy-looking woman behind them said, “Boy, that sure was a rough landing.”

Sean look at her, yawned, and massaged his neck. “Was it?”

And from this point we are in Sean’s POV and the story is off and running. So think about times where you may want to achieve this same effect, which gives the reader a nice “big picture” of the setting before being immersed in the characters and the flow of the particular scene.

For a deep look at how novelists can use cinematic technique, get  Shoot Your Novel . No other writing craft book teaches writers how to segment their scenes the way filmmakers do, using camera shots and cinematic devices to create powerful scenes and evoke emotion.

The most effective way to write scenes is to show, not tell, and this highly acclaimed book will give you unique tools to load your writer’s toolbox with.

With Shoot Your Novel , Susanne Lakin does something wonderful and unique. While lots of us in the business of helping writers and storytellers recommend adding vivid images to scenes, Lakin goes much further to reveal how employing the tools and techniques of movie directing, editing and cinematography will give your fiction deeper meaning and greater emotional impact. Her book is an essential tool for any serious novelist.

—Michael Hauge, Hollywood screenwriting coach, author of Writing Screenplays That Sell

Get your print or ebook copy here !

If you’re interested in more about scene structure, be sure to subscribe to Live Write Thrive so you don’t miss the posts. Mondays we’re going deep into scene structure, and Wednesdays we’re looking at first pages of great novels to see why they work. Join us!

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• Scriptwriting

How to Write a Scene Description — Script Elements Explained

• Formatting a Screenplay
• Screenplay Font
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• Action / Description
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A rguably, the most critical component to master when writing a screenplay is the scene description. Scene descriptions are what communicate cinematic action through text. How you write your scene descriptions will determine how a reader visualizes, hears, and paces through the story you are telling. In this article, we’ll take a look at how to write a scene description efficiently and effectively to clearly communicate your cinematic story. 

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How to Write a Scene Description in a Script

Set the stage.

An important aspect of telling a cinematic story is setting the stage of the scene that is about to occur. This is executed through scene descriptions. Throughout this guide, we will be utilizing an example we created in the StudioBinder screenwriting app . Check out the full example below. 

Formatting a Scene Description Example  •   See the script in StudioBinder

When setting the stage in a scene description, you are describing what the audience will be visually seeing and what they are hearing in the film. 

What are we looking at? How does it feel? 

When setting the stage, it’s important to be concise and remove any unnecessary scene description. Remember, you are not writing for a novel which can afford more description. You are writing for the screen which is meant to be visual and concise to move us through the story.

How to write scene in script

Sometimes it is important to clarify the time period or exact location of a scene when setting the stage.

This is especially true for historical narratives or period pieces . 

Information of the setting (time and location) that is specific and relevant to the plot can be clarified in a scene description rather than the scene heading . 

Remember not to get caught up in too much detail when setting the scene. Screenwriting is about creating a cinematic experience on the page. To do this, it's important to be selective with what you include in scene descriptions. 

Scene Description Screenplay Format

Introduce and describe characters.

Once the scene is set, scenes typically move into introducing and describing characters . 

When a character is first introduced, their name must be in all capital letters. After they are introduced, their name can be written normally.

Age can also be included when introducing characters written in numbers separated by commas.

Wardrobe details in the description

One thing to remember is that character is revealed to an audience primarily through action. If your introduction of a character seems too limited, do not worry. You will elaborate on the character and reveal their traits throughout the script. 

How to Write a Scene Description 

Describe actions.

As your characters move throughout the world of the story, their actions will need to be described. When writing scene descriptions, actions are paramount. The best way to write actions in a script is by utilizing active voice rather than passive voice . Take a look at the example below that uses passive verbs. 

1917 Scene Description Example

In the first scene of the screenplay, Mendes and Wilson-Cairns utilize clear and concise scene descriptions to first describe the setting of the scene. The description is short, but vivid. 

1917 opening scene  •  Movie descriptions examples

Notice how the final opening minute of the film is clearly written in the first page of the script. Without camera directions or fluffy detail, the script creates a clear, visual story. 

Like every other component of a screenplay, scene descriptions should be written with the intention of creating a cinematic experience in the reader's mind. 

By writing clear and concise descriptions of both character and setting and using dynamic language to create action, you’ll be able to write captivating scene descriptions for your story. 

How to Write in Screenplay Format

Scene descriptions, while critical, are only one aspect of a screenplay. Understanding how to format all aspects of a script will help you clearly communicate the story you are telling. Check out our next article to learn how to put your story into screenplay format. 

Up Next: Screenplay Format Explained →

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Setting The Scene

How to write a clear Introduction to a research paper

The Introduction is an important part of your research paper because it tells your reader why your research is worth reading. If not structured properly, the Introduction will push your reader away, leaving your interesting findings undiscovered. In this blog post, I explain how to write a clear Introduction that will encourage your reader to read (and cite) your paper.

A gripping start

Scientists are busy. Unless you grab their attention quickly, they will stop reading. Use the first few sentences to tell your reader why your study is important. Start with a general statement that announces the topic and highlights the problem. For example:

Morphine provides effective analgesia during Caesarean section but is associated with a significant increase in debilitating postoperative nausea and vomiting. Surveys have shown that avoiding postoperative nausea and vomiting is almost as important to these patients as avoiding postoperative pain.

The information in these opening sentences should relate to your study aims. The above example is suitable because the author is investigating ways to reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting caused by morphine. If they were investigating another postoperative complication, such as pain or infection, they would need to make this the focus of their opening sentences.

What do we need to know?

In the next few paragraphs, tell your reader what they need to know to understand what you did and why. Start with what is known in the field and narrow this down to the specific gap in the knowledge that your research question will address.

Keep the background information brief. A short Introduction describing studies that focus on your research question is more helpful to your reader than an exhaustive literature review. For example:

Several meta-analyses have shown that dexamethasone can reduce morphine-induced postoperative nausea and vomiting following Caesarean section. However, these studies investigated morphine administered via epidural only. Nothing is known about the effect of dexamethasone on postoperative nausea and vomiting after intrathecal morphine administration.

This paragraph introduces the reader to dexamethasone, which is the drug the author is testing in their study. The author explains what is known (that dexamethasone can reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting) and describes the gap in the knowledge (that nothing is known about how dexamethasone affects nausea and vomiting following intrathecal injection of morphine). Now the reader has all the information they need to understand the author’s research question.

The big question

Start the next paragraph by stating your research question. This will address the gap in the knowledge that you have described:

In this study, we tested whether intravenous administration of dexamethasone before intrathecal injection of morphine reduces the incidence of nausea and vomiting after Caesarean delivery.

Your research question should be specific. The above example describes the treatment and outcome in detail, so the reader knows exactly what the author is investigating. Vague statements that go beyond the scope of what you are investigating lack credibility. For example:

In this study, we investigated how to reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting caused by morphine

is too vague. This research question implies that the author has found some new wonder-drug that can cure morphine-induced nausea and vomiting in all patients following all types of surgery, regardless of how morphine was administered. The reader will recognize that this claim is not feasible and will lose trust in the work.

How did you do it?

In the next sentence, tell your reader how you answered the research question. There is no need to go into detail. Most readers do not want to repeat your experiments (and if they do, they can refer to your Methods section), they just want to get the gist of how you performed your study. For example:

We performed a randomized-controlled trial in which patients received either dexamethasone or placebo before undergoing Caesarean section. The primary outcome was any incidence of nausea and vomiting in the first 24 hours after surgery.

You can end your Introduction by revealing the main findings of your study:

Dexamethasone significantly reduced nausea and vomiting caused by intrathecal morphine in our patients undergoing Caesarean section

but this is optional. Some style guides recommend waiting until the Discussion to summarize the main findings.

A good start

In summary, a good Introduction should do the following:

• explain the problem/knowledge gap your study will address
• give the information needed to understand the study
• state the specific research question
• describe how the research question was answered
• outline the main findings (optional).

The template outlined in this article will help you to write a clear Introduction that convinces your reader that your research paper is worth reading.

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How to write narrative essays using scenes.

STRONG NARRATIVE ESSAYS are always moving. They start with action–the narrator snowboarding with the Aspen Ski Patrol, for example, then deepen the scene with descriptions–the dry powder, the steep bowls, the late January sky.

Then they quickly move to background information–aspects of the ski patrol, how they respond to calls–and then cycle back over and over.

When the writer does this well, the reader keeps moving too. Information that might otherwise slow the reader down (for example, details of the training and certifications needed to get on the ski patrol) becomes acutely important and relevant when it’s sandwiched between dramatic scenes of patrol-members getting a call, then riding out to help the victim.

Your ability then, to maintain and control momentum throughout an essay depends on the way you form scenes.

How to Break Your Essay into Scenes

. . a scene is a unit of drama. — Wikipedia

The easiest way to create scenes is to decide on a simple and single “event” to use as a narrative framework. This is the ongoing “story-line” to which you’ll add the facts, ideas, and information you want to convey.

The most obvious events already have a kind of inherent dramatic structure built in, like climbing a mountain or going on a date. Or, simply using the chronology of a day (“a day in the life”) or night, following the hours, the position of the sun / moon and other environmental factors, can be an easy and natural way to create scenes, especially for beginning writers.

It’s important to note however, that the event doesn’t necessarily have to be dramatic in and of itself.

In one of my favorite essays, Sleet by Coleman Barks , all that ‘happens’ is the narrator gets stuck in his cabin in the North Georgia mountains and spends the night reading the thesis of a student who has died. In this case, the movement comes through the narrators recollections and imagination.

Regardless of what you choose as your event, what matters is the movement between the scenes and the narrator’s ruminations, thoughts, and whatever information is offered. It must be dynamic.

An Example of Weaving Scenes / Information

Once you’ve decided on an event, and have a general idea about the information you want to discuss, the scenes usually begin to emerge naturally.

Let’s say you live in Las Vegas and want to write a narrative essay about foreclosures there. You want to discuss economic factors behind the foreclosures, the current situation, historical context, and outlook for the future. You spend a day driving around looking at foreclosed homes and talking to different people about it.

Here’s one possible breakdown of scenes followed by what info. will be discussed

• Scene 1: driving around suburban sprawl >>> info 1: facts about current foreclosure situation in Vegas
• Scene 2: stopping and talking to homeowner >>> info 2: overview of economic factors leading foreclosures
• Scene 3: stopping for lunch at restaurant, then visiting casino >>> info 3: historical context of residential development in area contrasting with recent trends
• Scene 4: driving up to surrounding mountains for vista of the city >>> info 4. future outlook

Transitions

Weaving scenes and information together requires the reader to make quick leaps in and out of the story. This can be disorienting and disruptive unless you tie everything together using smooth transitions.

In the following example, Hal Amen recounts a hike up Chacaltaya Glacier in Bolivia.

On one hand he’s describing the climb, but at the same time he’s really writing an essay about Bolivia, the local community, and the impacts of global climate change.

He opens the story by placing the reader right there on the mountain, in the action:

I stumble, missing a step. A little lightheadedness is all. Maybe I should’ve eaten more for breakfast.

Then using a simple but effective transition, he moves directly into a bit of background information about the area:

Mild dizziness aside, summiting is a cakewalk. Miners do it—the upper plateaus are littered with ore buckets and little lake-lets are stained blood-red from iron and green from copper. Die-hard skiers do it. Chacaltaya has held the record of world’s highest ski resort since 1939, when Club Andino Boliviano built an access road, small lodge, and rope-tow lift up the glacier.

The narrator continues to give several more paragraphs of information about the history of the area, then uses a quote from the guide to bring the reader right back into the “story”:

“It’s their only source of water,” Juan tells me as I stand shivering at the summit, taking in the smoggy sprawl of El Alto on the Altiplano far below.

When done well, this movement from background information back to scene not only educates the reader but creates this effect of time having passed in the story. It almost seems as if the narrator, while explaining things about the mountain, was actually climbing.

That’s the goal: to convey information or ideas while at the same time create a sense of forward movement. Think of a river, turning, twisting, moving through different kinds of terrain, but always pushing downstream. *The MatadorU Travel Writing program will help you build the skills you need to become a travel writer .

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8 Steps to Writing a Perfect Scene—Every Time

Guest post by C.S. Lakin

You know how complex writing a novel can be.

You not only have to come up with a great premise, engaging characters , high stakes, and conflict that pushes the protagonist toward his goal, but you must also learn how write a scene that compels readers—and fill your book with them.

That is a lot harder than some think. Many writers spend a moment thinking up a vignette but give little regard to the scene’s purpose.

While a checklist can help analyze the structure , it doesn’t address the process .

• Positioning

First: scene types vary depending on where each is placed over the span of a novel.

• Opening Scen es should be loaded with character and set up your premise. That’s where you want to slip in important bits of backstory .
• Middle Scenes carry complications, twists, and raise the stakes.
• Climactic Scenes should build to a riveting climax, so they might be shorter and packed with action and emotion.

Second: there’s no “one size fits all” template for a perfect scene. The kind of novel you’re writing also dictates the style, length, and structure of a scene, so study novels in your genre.

• How to Write a Scene Using My 8-Step Process

Progressive steps to help you write that perfect scene:

1. Identify Its Purpose

Here’s where too many writers flounder.

You’ve likely heard that a scene should either advance the plot , reveal character, or both. Good advice but vague. You want strong pacing, showing rather than telling , and to create empathy for your protagonist. Plus, you want mystery and conflict in every scene to keep readers turning the pages.

So, the purpose of the scene is key.

In life, things happen, we react, process what happened, and decide on new action. So it’s action-reaction-process-decide-new action.

Write one sentence that encapsulates that for each scene. For instance, a scene I’m working on for my new historical Western romance marks the midpoint of my novel. Its purpose is to show my hero, Buck, losing control and scaring the heroine, Angela.

I fix that in my mind and make sure every element of my scene serves that purpose.

If you can’t identify the purpose for your scene, throw it out and come up with one that works.

2. Identify the High Moment

This occurs near the end of a scene, maybe even in the last line. Why?

Because most of your scenes should mimic overall novel structure , with a beginning, middle, climax, and ending. Of course, a scene could effectively “hang” at the end, to add tension and propel the reader into the next scene.

The high moment in my midpoint scene comes when Buck goes crazy in an attempt to keep Angela safe. I had established that she is terrified of snakes, and the scene begins just before they run into a mess of rattlers. The high moment is Angela screaming as the snakes strike. Buck shoots his rifle, then slashes in fury at the critters with his knife.

I end the scene with Buck a man possessed and Angela more frightened of his behavior than she is of the snakes.

This crucial step in the process reveals the ultimate purpose of your scene.

3. Emphasize Conflict: Inner and Outer

A great novel will have conflict on every page, sometimes inner, other times outer. Or both . But you don’t want meaningless conflict, such as two people arguing over what type of coffee to order—unless that specific argument reveals something important that advances the plot or exposes a key bit of character.

Think of ways to ramp up conflict to the highest stakes possible. Too few writers do this.

Every scene—even thoughtful, “processing” ones—should convey tension, inner conflict , and high stakes. You don’t need explosive action to have conflict.

My rattlesnake scene carries obvious outer conflict: man against snakes. But if that were all, the scene would be lacking.

The deeper conflict is Angela’s inner angst over Buck’s violent streak. She has resisted falling for him, so this incident creates super-high conflict between them, as Buck’s behavior pushes her away. He intends to show courage and his desire to protect her, but it backfires.

4. Accentuate Character Change

Writing instructor James Scott Bell says, “Every scene should have a death”—of a dream, a relationship, or a plan.

Literary agent Donald Maass encourages writers to consider how a point-of-view (POV) character feels before a scene starts and how she feels when the scene ends.

Your character should be changed by what happens. That change can be subtle or huge. It can involve a change of opinion, or it could be a monumental personality shift.

But change must occur. Why? Because, for the story to advance, decisions must be made and action instigated. Every event in your novel should impact your characters and foment change. But it must be significant and serve the plot.

How will Angela change by the end of the snake scene? Before the scene, she was falling in love. Now, her feelings have been squashed. She wants to flee back to NY.

Buck drastically changes too. He’s also shocked at the violent streak he fears he’s inherited from his father (who murdered Buck’s ma). Though he loves Angela, he believes he can never let himself get close to any woman because he will hurt her.

5. Determine POV

Who is the best character through whom the reader should experience this scene? With novels solely in the protagonist’s POV, this isn’t an issue. But for novels in shifting third person, with more than one perspective character, you need to decide whose POV you’ll portray in each scene.

You may find it easier to choose your POV character when you determine the purpose of your scene.

Or the POV choice may become obvious.

In romance novels it’s common to alternate between hero and heroine, so each gets a turn filtering the scene through their POV.

To decide whose POV to choose, ask yourself:

• Who has the most to lose or gain in the scene?
• Who will react strongest emotionally?
• Who will change the most?
• Whose reaction would most impact the plot?

6. Leave Out Boring Stuff

And the on-the-nose stuff no one wants to read.

Start your scene in the middle of the action, a bit before you build to the high moment, and you’ll avoid pages of unimportant narrative.

Inject important backstory but not at the expense of the present action. Cut anything that doesn’t serve your scene’s purpose. Make every word count.

7. Perfect Beginnings and Endings

It’s not just your novel’s first line that has to hook readers. Every scene promises to entertain your reader, to enthrall, to evoke emotion. You must make good on those promises.

Study best-selling novels in your genre to see how adept authors create strong scene openings and riveting scene endings. A scene’s last paragraph and closing line should ratchet up the conflict and underscore character transformation.

What about symbolism or motif ? In my scene, by the end, the snakes become to Angela a symbol or image of Buck. One minute they’re silent, unmoving, and the next, they erupt in a violent attack. Beneath that calm exterior, Buck is poised to strike.

8. Inject Texture and Sensory Details

While some writers stuff scenes with too much detail, most tend to underwrite sensory specifics. This step in this scene-crafting process involves combing through your draft and bringing scenes to life with vivid detail that engages your reader’s senses.

Your goal is to paint enough of a picture to help your reader see the scene as if on the big screen. Too much detail is boring, as are details that don’t reveal anything important.

Scenes serve as the framework of your novel and shouldn’t be thrown together. Use this 8-step method every time, and you’re sure to succeed.

To help, I’ve created a worksheet you can download and print.

C. S. Lakin is a novelist, copyeditor, writing coach, mom, and backpacker. She blogs about writing at Live Write Thrive , and specializes in manuscript critiques. Get the free ebook Strategic Planning for Writers when you join her mailing list at Live Write Thrive.

Are You Making This #1 Amateur Writing Mistake?

Faith-Based Words and Phrases

What You and I Can Learn From Patricia Raybon

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Chapter One: Describing a Scene or Experience

This morning, as I was brewing my coffee before rushing to work, I found myself hurrying up the stairs back to the bedroom, a sense of urgency in my step. I opened the door and froze—what was I doing? Did I need something from up here? I stood in confusion, trying to retrace the mental processes that had led me here, but it was all muddy.

It’s quite likely that you’ve experienced a similarly befuddling situation. This phenomenon can loosely be referred to as automatization: because we are so constantly surrounded by stimuli, our brains often go on autopilot. (We often miss even the most explicit stimuli if we are distracted, as demonstrated by the Invisible Gorilla study .)

Automatization is an incredibly useful skill—we don’t have the time or capacity to take in everything at once, let alone think our own thoughts simultaneously—but it’s also troublesome. In the same way that we might run through a morning ritual absent-mindedly, like I did above, we have also been programmed to overlook tiny but striking details: the slight gradation in color of cement on the bus stop curb; the hum of the air conditioner or fluorescent lights; the weight and texture of a pen in the crook of the hand. These details, though, make experiences, people, and places unique. By focusing on the particular, we can interrupt automatization. 1 We can become radical noticers by practicing good description.

In a great variety of rhetorical situations, description is an essential rhetorical mode. Our minds latch onto detail and specificity, so effective description can help us experience a story, understand an analysis, and nuance a critical argument. Each of these situations requires a different kind of description; this chapter focuses on the vivid, image-driven descriptive language that you would use for storytelling.

Imagery and Experiential Language

Strong description helps a reader experience what you’ve experienced, whether it was an event, an interaction, or simply a place. Even though you could never capture it perfectly, you should try to approximate sensations, feelings, and details as closely as you can. Your most vivid description will be that which gives your reader a way to imagine being themselves as of your story.

Imagery is a device that you have likely encountered in your studies before: it refers to language used to ‘paint a scene’ for the reader, directing their attention to striking details. Here are a few examples:

• Bamboo walls, dwarf banana trees, silk lanterns, and a hand-size jade Buddha on a wooden table decorate the restaurant. For a moment, I imagined I was on vacation. The bright orange lantern over my table was the blazing hot sun and the cool air currents coming from the ceiling fan caused the leaves of the banana trees to brush against one another in soothing crackling sounds. 2
• The sunny midday sky calls to us all like a guilty pleasure while the warning winds of winter tug our scarves warmer around our necks; the City of Roses is painted the color of red dusk, and the setting sun casts her longing rays over the Eastern shoulders of Mt. Hood, drawing the curtains on another crimson-grey day. 3
• Flipping the switch, the lights flicker—not menacingly, but rather in a homey, imperfect manner. Hundreds of seats are sprawled out in front of a black, worn down stage. Each seat has its own unique creak, creating a symphony of groans whenever an audience takes their seats. The walls are adorned with a brown mustard yellow, and the black paint on the stage is fading and chipped. 4

You might notice, too, that the above examples appeal to many different senses. Beyond just visual detail, good imagery can be considered sensory language: words that help me see, but also words that help me taste, touch, smell, and hear the story. Go back and identify a word, phrase, or sentence that suggests one of these non-visual sensations; what about this line is so striking?

Imagery might also apply figurative language to describe more creatively. Devices like metaphor, simile, and personification, or hyperbole can enhance description by pushing beyond literal meanings.

Using imagery, you can better communicate specific sensations to put the reader in your shoes. To the best of your ability, avoid clichés (stock phrases that are easy to ignore) and focus on the particular (what makes a place, person, event, or object unique). To practice creating imagery, try the Imagery Inventory exercise and the Image Builder graphic organizer in the Activities section of this chapter.

Thick Description

If you’re focusing on specific, detailed imagery and experiential language, you might begin to feel wordy: simply piling up descriptive phrases and sentences isn’t always the best option. Instead, your goal as a descriptive writer is to make the language work hard. Thick description refers to economy of language in vivid description. While good description has a variety of characteristics, one of its defining features is that every word is on purpose , and this credo is exemplified by thick description.

Thick description as a concept finds its roots in anthropology, where ethnographers seek to portray deeper context of a studied culture than simply surface appearance. 5 In the world of writing, thick description means careful and detailed portrayal of context, emotions, and actions. It relies on specificity to engage the reader. Consider the difference between these two descriptions:

The market is busy. There is a lot of different produce. It is colorful.

Customers blur between stalls of bright green bok choy, gnarled carrots, and fiery Thai peppers. Stopping only to inspect the occasional citrus, everyone is busy, focused, industrious.

Notice that, even though the second description is longer, its major difference is the specificity of its word choice. The author names particular produce, which brings to mind a sharper image of the selection, and uses specific adjectives. Further, though, the words themselves do heavy lifting—the nouns and verbs are descriptive

too! “Customers blur” both implies a market (where we would expect to find “customers”) and also illustrates how busy the market is (“blur” implies speed), rather than just naming it as such.

Consider the following examples of thick description:

I had some strength left to wrench my shoulders and neck upward but the rest of my body would not follow. My back was twisted like a contortionist’s. 6

Shaking off the idiotic urge to knock, I turned the brass knob in my trembling hands and heaved open the thick door. The hallway was so dark that I had to squint while clumsily reaching out to feel my surroundings so I wouldn’t crash into anything. 7

Snow-covered mountains, enormous glaciers, frozen caves and massive caps of ice clash with heat, smoke, lava and ash. Fields dense with lush greenery and vibrant purple lupine plants butt up against black, barren lands scorched by eruptions. The spectacular drama of cascading waterfalls, rolling hills, deep canyons and towering jagged peaks competes with open expanses of flat, desert-like terrain. 8

Where do you see the student authors using deliberate, specific, and imagistic words and phrases? Where do you see the language working hard?

Unanticipated and Eye-catching Language

In addition to our language being deliberate, we should also strive for language that is unanticipated. You should control your language, but also allow for surprises—for you and your reader! Doing so will help you maintain attention and interest from your reader because your writing will be unique and eye-catching, but it also has benefits for you: it will also make your writing experience more enjoyable and educational.

How can you be surprised by your own writing, though? If you’re the author, how could you not know what you’re about to say? To that very valid question, I have two responses:

On a conceptual level: Depending on your background, you may currently consider drafting to be thinking- then -writing. Instead, you should try thinking- through -writing: rather than two separate and sequential acts, embrace the possibility that the act of writing can be a new way to process through ideas. You must give yourself license to write before an idea is fully formed—but remember, you will revise, so it’s okay to not be perfect. (I highly recommend Anne Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts.”)

On a technical level: Try out different activities—or even invent your own—that challenge your instincts. Rules and games can help you push beyond your auto-pilot descriptions to much more eye-catching language!

Constraint-based writing is one technique like this. It refers to a process which requires you to deliberately work within a specific set of writing rules, and it can often spark unexpected combinations of words and ideas. The most valuable benefit to constraint-based writing, though, is that it gives you many options for your descriptions: because first idea ≠ best idea, constraint-based writing can help you push beyond instinctive descriptors.

When you spend more time thinking creatively, the ordinary can become extraordinary. The act of writing invites discovery! When you challenge yourself to see something in new ways, you actually see more of it. Try the Dwayne Johnson activity to think more about surprising language.Activities

Specificity Taxonomy

Good description lives and dies in particularities. It takes deliberate effort to refine our general ideas and memories into more focused, specific language that the reader can identify with.

A taxonomy is a system of classification that arranges a variety of items into an order that makes sense to someone. You might remember from your biology class the ranking taxonomy based on Carl Linnaeus’ classifications, pictured here.

To practice shifting from general to specific, fill in the blanks in the taxonomy 9 below. After you have filled in the blanks, use the bottom three rows to make your own. As you work, notice how attention to detail, even on the scale of an individual word, builds a more tangible image.

(example):	animal	mammal	dog	Great Dane
1a	organism		conifer	Douglas fir
1b		airplane		Boeing 757
2a		novel
2b	clothing		blue jeans
3a	medical condition		respiratory infection	the common cold
3b	school	college
4a	artist		pop singer
4b	structure	building		The White House
5a		coffee	Starbucks coffee
5b		scientist		Sir Isaac Newton
6a
6b
6c

Compare your answers with a classmate. What similarities do you share with other students? What differences? Why do you think this is the case? How can you apply this thinking to your own writing?

Micro-Ethnography

An ethnography is a form of writing that uses thick description to explore a place and its associated culture. By attempting this method on a small scale, you can practice specific, focused description.

Find a place in which you can observe the people and setting without actively involving yourself. (Interesting spaces and cultures students have used before include a poetry slam, a local bar, a dog park, and a nursing home.) You can choose a place you’ve been before or a place you’ve never been: the point here is to look at a space and a group of people more critically for the sake of detail, whether or not you already know that context.

As an ethnographer, your goal is to take in details without influencing those details. In order to stay focused, go to this place alone and refrain from using your phone or doing anything besides note-taking. Keep your attention on the people and the place.

Spend a few minutes taking notes on your general impressions of the place at this time.

Use imagery and thick description to describe the place itself. What sorts of interactions do you observe? What sort of tone, affect, and language is used? How would you describe the overall atmosphere?

Spend a few minutes “zooming in” to identify artifacts—specific physical objects being used by the people you see.

Use imagery and thick description to describe the specific artifacts.

How do these parts contribute to/differentiate from/relate to the whole of the scene?

After observing, write one to two paragraphs synthesizing your observations to describe the space and culture. What do the details represent or reveal about the place and people?

Imagery Inventory

Visit a location you visit often—your classroom, your favorite café, the commuter train, etc. Isolate each of your senses and describe the sensations as thoroughly as possible. Take detailed notes in the organizer below, or use a voice-recording app on your phone to talk through each of your sensations.

Sight
Sound
Smell
Touch
Taste

Now, write a paragraph that synthesizes three or more of your sensory details. Which details were easiest to identify? Which make for the most striking descriptive language? Which will bring the most vivid sensations to your reader’s mind?

The Dwayne Johnson Activity

This exercise will encourage you to flex your creative descriptor muscles by generating unanticipated language.

Begin by finding a mundane object. (A plain, unspectacular rock is my go-to choice.) Divide a blank piece of paper into four quadrants. Set a timer for two minutes; in this time, write as many describing words as possible in the first quadrant. You may use a bulleted list. Full sentences are not required.

Now, cross out your first quadrant. In the second quadrant, take five minutes to write as many new describing words as possible without repeating anything from your first quadrant. If you’re struggling, try to use imagery and/or figurative language.

For the third quadrant, set the timer for two minutes. Write as many uses as possible for your object.

Before starting the fourth quadrant, cross out the uses you came up with for the previous step. Over the next five minutes, come up with as many new uses as you can.

After this generative process, identify your three favorite items from the sections you didn’t cross out. Spend ten minutes writing in any genre or form you like—a story, a poem, a song, a letter, anything—on any topic you like. Your writing doesn’t have to be about the object you chose, but try to incorporate your chosen descriptors or uses in some way.

Share your writing with a friend or peer, and debrief about the exercise. What surprises did this process yield? What does it teach us about innovative language use? 10

1) Writing invites discovery: the more you look, the more you see.

2) Suspend judgment: first idea ≠ best idea.

3) Objects are not inherently boring: the ordinary can be dramatic if described creatively.

Surprising Yourself: Constraint-Based Scene Description

This exercise 11 asks you to write a scene, following specific instructions, about a place of your choice. There is no such thing as a step-by-step guide to descriptive writing; instead, the detailed instructions that follow are challenges that will force you to think differently while you’re writing. The constraints of the directions may help you to discover new aspects of this topic since you are following the sentence-level prompts even as you develop your content.

• Bring your place to mind. Focus on “seeing” or “feeling” your place.
• For a title, choose an emotion or a color that represents this place to you.
• You stand there…When I’m here, I know that…
• Every time…I [see/smell/hear/feel/taste]…
• We had been…I think sometimes…
• Sentence 2: Write a sentence with a color in it.
• Sentence 3: Write a sentence with a part of the body in it.
• Sentence 4: Write a sentence with a simile (a comparison using like or as)
• Sentence 5: Write a sentence of over twenty-five words.
• Sentence 6: Write a sentence of under eight words.
• Sentence 7: Write a sentence with a piece of clothing in it.
• Sentence 8: Write a sentence with a wish in it.
• Sentence 9: Write a sentence with an animal in it.
• Sentence 10: Write a sentence in which three or more words alliterate; that is, they begin with the same initial consonant: “She has been left, lately, with less and less time to think….”
• Sentence 11: Write a sentence with two commas.
• Sentence 12: Write a sentence with a smell and a color in it.
• Sentence 13: Write a sentence without using the letter “e.”
• Sentence 14: Write a sentence with a simile.
• Sentence 15: Write a sentence that could carry an exclamation point (but don’t use the exclamation point).
• Sentence 16: Write a sentence to end this portrait that uses the word or words you chose for a title.
• Read over your scene and mark words/phrases that surprised you, especially those rich with possibilities (themes, ironies, etc.) that you could develop.
• On the right side of the page, for each word/passage you marked, interpret the symbols, name the themes that your description and detail suggest, note any significant meaning you see in your description.
• On a separate sheet of paper, rewrite the scene you have created as a more thorough and cohesive piece in whatever genre you desire. You may add sentences and transitional words/phrases to help the piece flow.

Image Builder

This exercise encourages you to experiment with thick description by focusing on one element of your writing in expansive detail. Read the directions below, then use the graphic organizer on the following two pages or write your responses as an outline on a separate piece of paper.

Identify one image, object, action, or scene that you want to expand in your story. Name this element in the big, yellow bubble.

Develop at least three describing words for your element, considering each sense independently, as well as emotional associations. Focus on particularities. (Adjectives will come most easily, but remember that you can use any part of speech.)

Then, on the next page, create at least two descriptions using figurative language (metaphor, simile, personification, onomatopoeia, hyperbole, etc.) for your element, considering each sense independently, as well as emotional associations. Focus on particularities.

Finally, reflect on the different ideas you came up with.

Which descriptions surprised you? Which descriptions are accurate but unanticipated?

Where might you weave these descriptions in to your current project?

How will you balance description with other rhetorical modes, like narration, argumentation, or analysis?

Repeat this exercise as desired or as instructed, choosing a different focus element to begin with.

Choose your favorite descriptors and incorporate them into your writing.

If you’re struggling to get started, check out the example on the pages following the blank organizer.

Model Texts by Student Authors

Innocence again 12.

Imagine the sensation of the one split second that you are floating through the air as you were thrown up in the air as a child, that feeling of freedom and carefree spirit as happiness abounds. Looking at the world through innocent eyes, all thoughts and feelings of amazement. Being free, happy, innocent, amazed, wowed. Imagine the first time seeing the colors when your eyes and brain start to recognize them but never being able to name the shade or hue. Looking at the sky as it changes from the blackness with twinkling stars to the lightest shade of blue that is almost white, then the deep red of the sunset and bright orange of the sun. All shades of the spectrum of the rainbow, colors as beautiful as the mind can see or imagine.

I have always loved the sea since I was young; the smell of saltiness in the air invigorates me and reminds me of the times spent with my family enjoying Sundays at the beach. In Singapore, the sea was always murky and green but I continued to enjoy all activities in it. When I went to Malaysia to work, I discovered that the sea was clear and blue and without hesitation, I signed up for a basic diving course and I was hooked. In my first year of diving, I explored all the dive destinations along the east coast of Malaysia and also took an advanced diving course which allowed me to dive up to a depth of thirty meters. Traveling to a dive site took no more than four hours by car and weekends were spent just enjoying the sea again.

Gearing up is no fun. Depending on the temperature of the water, I might put on a shortie, wetsuit or drysuit. Then on come the booties, fins and mask which can be considered the easiest part unless the suit is tight—then it is a hop and pull struggle, which reminds me of how life can be at times. Carrying the steel tank, regulator, buoyancy control device (BCD) and weights is a torture. The heaviest weights that I ever had to use were 110 pounds, equivalent to my body weight; but as I jump in and start sinking into the sea, the contrast to weightlessness hits me. The moment that I start floating in the water, a sense of immense freedom and joy overtakes me.

Growing up, we have to learn the basics: time spent in classes to learn, constantly practicing to improve our skills while safety is ingrained by our parents. In dive classes, I was taught to never panic or do stupid stuff: the same with the lessons that I have learned in life. Panic and over-inflated egos can lead to death, and I have heard it happens all the time. I had the opportunity to go to Antarctica for a diving expedition, but what led to me getting that slot was the death of a very experienced diver who used a drysuit in a tropic climate against all advice. He just overheated and died. Lessons learned in the sea can be very profound, but they contrast the life I live: risk-taker versus risk-avoider. However, when I have perfected it and it is time to be unleashed, it is time to enjoy. I jump in as I would jump into any opportunity, but this time it is into the deep blue sea of wonders.

A sea of wonders waits to be explored. Every journey is different: it can be fast or slow, like how life takes me. The sea decides how it wants to carry me; drifting fast with the currents so that at times, I hang on to the reef and corals like my life depends on it, even though I am taught never to touch anything underwater. The fear I feel when I am speeding along with the current is that I will be swept away into the big ocean, never to be found. Sometimes, I feel like I am not moving at all, kicking away madly until I hyperventilate because the sea is against me with its strong current holding me against my will.

The sea decides what it wants me to see: turtles popping out of the seabed, manta rays gracefully floating alongside, being in the middle of the eye of a barracuda hurricane, a coral shelf as big as a car, a desert of bleached corals, the emptiness of the seabed with not a fish in sight, the memorials of death caused by the December 26

tsunami—a barren sea floor with not a soul or life in sight.

The sea decides what treasures I can discover: a black-tipped shark sleeping in an underwater cavern, a pike hiding from predators in the reef, an octopus under a dead tree trunk that escapes into my buddy’s BCD, colorful mandarin fish mating at sunset, a deadly box jellyfish held in my gloved hands, pygmy seahorses in a fern—so tiny that to discover them is a journey itself.

Looking back, diving has taught me more about life, the ups and downs, the good and bad, and to accept and deal with life’s challenges. Everything I learn and discover

underwater applies to the many different aspects of my life. It has also taught me that life is very short: I have to live in the moment or I will miss the opportunities that come my way. I allow myself to forget all my sorrow, despair and disappointments when I dive into the deep blue sea and savor the feelings of peacefulness and calmness. There is nothing around me but fish and corals, big and small. Floating along in silence with only the sound of my breath— inhale and exhale . An array of colors explodes in front of my eyes, colors that I never imagine I will discover again, an underwater rainbow as beautiful as the rainbow in the sky after a storm. As far as my eyes can see, I look into the depth of the ocean with nothing to anchor me. The deeper I get, the darker it turns. From the light blue sky to the deep navy blue, even blackness into the void. As the horizon darkens, the feeding frenzy of the underwater world starts and the watery landscape comes alive. Total darkness surrounds me but the sounds that I can hear are the little clicks in addition to my breathing. My senses overload as I cannot see what is around me, but the sea tells me it is alive and it anchors me to the depth of my soul.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are truly adjusted to each other; who has retained the spirit of

infancy even into the era of manhood… In the presence of nature, a wild delight runs through the man in spite of real sorrows….” The sea and diving have given me a new outlook on life, a different planet where I can float into and enjoy as an adult, a new, different perspective on how it is to be that child again. Time and time again as I enter into the sea, I feel innocent all over again.

Teacher Takeaways

“One of the more difficult aspects of writing a good descriptive essay is to use the description to move beyond itself — to ‘think through writing.’ This author does it well. Interspersed between the details of diving are deliberate metaphors and analogies that enable the reader to gain access and derive deeper meanings. While the essay could benefit from a more structured system of organization and clearer unifying points, and while the language is at times a bit sentimental, this piece is also a treasure trove of sensory imagery (notably colors) and descriptive devices such as personification and recursion.”– Professor Fiscaletti

Comatose Dreams 13

Her vision was tunneled in on his face. His eyes were wet and his mouth was open as if he was trying to catch his breath. He leaned in closer and wrapped his arms around her face and spoke to her in reassuring whispers that reminded her of a time long ago when he taught her to pray. As her vision widened the confusion increased. She could not move. She opened her mouth to speak, but could not. She wanted to sit up, but was restrained to the bed. She did not have the energy to sob, but she could feel tears roll down her cheek and didn’t try to wipe them away. The anxiety overtook her and she fell back into a deep sleep.

She opened her eyes and tried to find reality. She was being tortured. Her feet were the size of pumpkins and her stomach was gutted all the way up her abdomen, her insides exposed for all to see. She was on display like an animal at the zoo. Tubes were coming out of her in multiple directions and her throat felt as if it were coated in chalk. She was conscious, but still a prisoner. Then a nurse walked in, pulled on one of her tubes, and sent her back into the abyss.

Eventually someone heard her speak, and with that she learned that if she complained enough she would get an injection. It gave her a beautiful head rush that temporarily dulled the pain. She adored it. She was no longer restrained to the bed, but still unable to move or eat. She was fed like baby. Each time she woke she was able to gather bits of information: she would not be going back to work, or school. couch was her safe haven. She came closer to dying during recovery than she had in the coma. The doctors made a mistake. She began to sweat profusely and shiver all at the same time. She vomited every twenty minutes like clockwork. It went on like that for days and she was ready to go. She wanted to slip back into her sleep. It was time to wake up from this nightmare. She pulled her hair and scratched her wrists trying to draw blood, anything to shake herself awake.

She began to heal. They removed a tube or two and she became more mobile. She was always tethered to a machine, like a dog on a leash. The pain from the surgeries still lingered and the giant opening in her stomach began to slowly close. The couch was her safe haven. She came closer to dying during recovery than she had in the coma. The doctors made a mistake. She began to sweat profusely and shiver all at the same time. She vomited every twenty minutes like clockwork. It went on like that for days and she was ready to go. She wanted to slip back into her sleep. It was time to wake up from this nightmare. She pulled her hair and scratched her wrists trying to draw blood, anything to shake herself awake.

She sat on a beach remembering that nightmare. The sun beat down recharging a battery within her that had been running on empty for far too long. The waves washed up the length of her body and she sank deeper into the warm sand. She lay on her back taking it all in. Then laid her hand on top of her stomach, unconsciously she ran her fingers along a deep scar.

“This imagery is body-centered and predominantly tactile — though strange sights and sounds are also present. The narrow focus of the description symbolically mirrors the limitation of the comatose subject, which enhances the reader’s experience. Simile abounds, and in its oddities (feet like pumpkins, something like chalk in the throat), adds to the eerie newness of each scene. While the paragraphs are a bit underdeveloped, and one or two clichés in need of removal, this little episode does an excellent job of conveying the visceral strangeness one might imagine to be associated with a comatose state. It’s full of surprise.”– Professor Fiscaletti

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Blog | Uncategorized , Writing Techniques | By: nick

Make a Scene: How to Write a Dramatic Scene

SUMMARY SCENE OPENINGS – WRITING PROCEDURE

COPYRIGHT THE WRITER’S WORKSHOP

Scenic writing is the basis for some of the most moving, satisfying, sophisticated works of literature, something I teach in all my writing classes. It is especially effective in bringing readers into the story because it helps them create a world, a world that you the writer have inhabited and can share with the reader through words. Scenes present a visual, sensual world the reader can inhabit, a kind of imaginary garden with real toads, whether that’s the world of the astronaut program of Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff , the vast landscapes of the Southwest in the work of Terry Tempest Williams, or the hard-bitten, humorous Irish Catholic childhood of memoirist Frank McCourt.

1) SETTING THE SCENE

• a) OPENING SENTENCE: Find a sentence that creates suspense and foreshadows what will happen. This makes clear to the reader that information in summary lead is important and needs to be read.
• b) SETTING DETAILS: Provide details that suggest what will happen in scene. These should be chosen for their inherent interest, color and humor and also for what they illustrate about main point of story. The best scenic details do double duty, both painting a picture and creating suspense.
• c) NUT GRAPH: After sketching in the scene and introducing the people, the writer makes a transition to the action. This transition is crucial, often spelling out the main point or alerting the reader that something important will happen in the scene.

This transition usually leads to a nut graph , a paragraph that suggests or explains the larger point or goal of the scene and furnishes its larger context. It’s called a nut graph because it puts all of these things together in a nutshell. Who? What? When? Where? And most importantly, why? As in, why should the reader care? What will the scene accomplish?

2) DESCRIBE ACTION

• a) BEGINNING – Show how it gets started. Describe the important events that precede the scene.
• b) MIDDLE – Describe how it builds, highlight the conflict.
• c) END – Describe how it gets resolved; answer all the necessary questions. Don’t leave the reader guessing. The writer Anton Chekhov said that if a gun appears in the first act of a play it must be discharged by the end of the play.

3) CONCLUSION

• a) UNPACK THE SCENE – Explain what happened in the scene and why it’s significant. What point does it illustrate? Too much symbolism and obscurity will result in confusing and frustrating the reader. how to compose dramatic scenes.
• I teach writers how to compose dramatic scenes in all my writing classes for The Writer’s Workshop, including Seattle writing classes, online classes and travel writing classes. Take a look at my website for more: www.thewritersworkshop.net !

Get it down. Take chances.

Just follow your hero.

It is wrong to have an ideal view of the world.

The forms of things unknown and the the poet’s pen…

Pleasure in a good novel…

Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you.

…with luck and if you stated it purely enough, always.

There are only two or three human stories.

One false word, one extra word…

Writing a novel is a terrible experience.

The difference between the right word and the almost right word…

Literature is nothing but carpentry.

For some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth.

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How to Write a Scene Analysis

Writing a scene analysis requires a thorough understanding of not only the scene you choose to dissect but also the overall film or play. Scenes need to move the story forward and reveal information about the characters. When you break down a scene, you uncover the writer's intention as well as how the work resonates with you.

Watch the entire movie and choose the scene you wish to analyze. Pick something with an analyzable theme.

Focus on the scene you have chosen. Watch it a few times in a row.

Take notes on the scene. Study the way the characters interact and what that says about each character. Dissect the choice of camera angles and the scene's setting and overall purpose.

Formulate a hypothesis based on a fact you want to prove about the scene you chose.

Write an introductory paragraph stating your hypothesis as well as the relationship of this scene to the rest of the film.

Formulate three supporting paragraphs. Each one should bring to light a different point to prove your theory. Include quotes to strengthen your analysis.

Summarize the scene analysis in a conclusion paragraph. Tie together your points with the hypothesis and the theme of the film you have focused on.

• Do not get too specific, as you need enough information to write the paper. Start with a broader hypothesis, and break down the smaller parts to prove the more general idea.
• Remember that characters add to the theme as much as the words and actions do. Think about breaking down your supporting paragraphs to examine a different part of the scene in each. One section for character, one for setting and one for cinematography is an example.
• Typical scene analysis comes in the form of a five-paragraph essay. You can expand out your points if you need to write a longer paper.
• Pick a scene many are familiar with or at least a movie most can relate to. If someone has not seen or read what you are talking about, he will find it difficult to understand your point of view. If you want to choose something obscure, bring in a copy of the scene you have analyzed.

Things You'll Need

Pharaba Witt has worked as a writer in Los Angeles for more than 10 years. She has written for websites such as USA Today, Red Beacon, LIVESTRONG, WiseGeek, Web Series Network, Nursing Daily and major film studios. When not traveling she enjoys outdoor activities such as backpacking, snowboarding, ice climbing and scuba diving. She is constantly researching equipment and seeking new challenges.

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Set the Scene for a Top-Scoring Essay with an Essay Introduction

3rd October 2013

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It must be true that an essay which is suitably focused on the essay question has a higher chance of success than a rambling, unfocused answer. Focused essays tend to be those that are well planned and which consist of a small number of well developed, relevant paragraph points.

It follows that a strong essay introduction can't really be written unless the student has planned the essay! How can you introduce something if you don't know what you want to say or where you argument is heading?

The essay plan doesn't have to be a long one - just enough to signpost the paragraph points to be provided, which directly answer the question, and the evidence to be provided in support of the analysis in each point. A good plan also highlights the key evaluative issues that can be addressed at the end of each point and in the final evaluative paragraph which directly answers the essay question.

So, the (3-5 minute) process for your essay plan and getting ready to write a good introduction looks something like this:

(1) Think carefully about which essay question (from the options provided) you are going to answer (choose the best for you)

(2) Double check- are you really sure you know what the essay question is asking? It might look familiar to one you've answered before - but every question is different.

(3) What is your initial response to what your answer is - the question will always ask for your opinion (e.g. "do you think?", "to what extent do you agree?"). This will guide your overall evaluation.

(4) What paragraph points will you make? Choose 3-4 max - each with a clear line of analysis supported by your research examples.

Let's give it a go!

Imagine you decide to choose the following exam-style essay title in the BUSS4 exam on China:

To what extent do you agree that the external business environment in China is unfavourable for Western multinationals looking to invest in China?

Note: this question is about the "external business environment" and whether it is still attractive to large businesses (multinationals) outside of China. So your answer should be about the external business environment and related to the perspective that multinationals have of investing in China. Nothing else matters in your essay.

An effective approach to consider the external business environment is to use the PESTLE framework which looks issues relating to the different parts of the external environment:

• Technological
• Ethical/Environmental

You could also legitimately look at the competitive environment - another crucial external influence on a business and the way in which it assess the relatively favourability of a country like China.

Thinking about the above frameworks, you can see that there are many potential paragraph points that might be developed in response to that essay title. For example:

• The political environment in China appears to have become more hostile towards multinationals as the Chinese authorities have started to focus on market reform (examples: JP Morgan, Danone, GSK, Nestle);
• China's rate of economic growth has slowed somewhat in recent years and may remain relatively low as China aims to rebalance its economy, reducing the reliance on infrastructure investment but trying to increase the proportion of GDP generated by consumption;
• In many of China's markets, multinationals now face intense competition from domestic businesses which have now developed sufficient scale and expertise to compete effectively both in China and abroad (e.g. Huawei, Haier, Gree, Lenovo);
• China continues to go through a process of intensive social and economic change (e.g. the ongoing process of urbanisation, ageing population);
• China's competitive advantage as a source of low-cost labour has been significantly eroded. Average wages have risen strongly in recent years and although labour productivity has also increased, China has fewer attractions to multinationals looking to use investment in China as a source of low-cost supply;
• The urbanisation of the Chinese population together with rapid economic growth has taken hundreds of millions of Chinese people out of extreme poverty and created a substantial "middle class" with higher standards of living;
• The legal framework of doing business in China seems to be in constant change and multinationals can be taken by surprise by sudden changes. However, China is increasingly tackling the issues of corruption which have long made China one of the hardest places in which to do business.

Your essay plan would need to pick no more than 3-4 relevant points.

Having selected the paragraph points you want to develop and identified your overall opinion, you can then get started on the essay with a neat introduction!

It might look like this:

"The external business environment in any country or market is always changing. But, in China the external environment is complex and changing rapidly which makes it difficult for multinationals to assess how favourable it is. In this essay I will argue that, overall, the external business environment is still favourable for multinationals looking to invest in China even though they face increasingly intense local competition, tougher regulation and potentially higher operating costs. The sheer scale of the opportunity created by China's economic transformation, particularly the emerging Chinese middle class, means that China is a market that multinationals cannot afford to ignore even if the external environment might seem to be hostile and unpredictable."

That's it. You're good to go. From the very start of the essay the examiner knows that you have read and understood the question. The examiner can see how you are going to approach answering the question. He/she might even be looking forward to reading what you have to say!

Jim co-founded tutor2u alongside his twin brother Geoff! Jim is a well-known Business writer and presenter as well as being one of the UK's leading educational technology entrepreneurs.

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How to Write the Perfect Scene: 8 Elements of a Scene

Written by MasterClass

Last updated: Nov 30, 2021 • 3 min read

In the world of both screenwriting and prose fiction, scenes play a key role in story structure. The ability to craft great scenes is among the most valuable writing skills you can cultivate, whether you’re involved in novel writing, novella writing, short story writing, or creative nonfiction writing.

Tim Kane Books

Strange is the new normal, how to write creepy scenes to make your readers squirm.

Most writers who delve into horror hit the prose with a bag of clichés and heavy handed stage props—swirling fog, glowing eyes, wicked laughs. Don’t get me wrong, camp can be great (if it’s intentional). However, a more subtle approach can work wonders.

Add Details One by One

Use disturbing details or reversals when describing your scenes. Each one, taken by itself, does little, but in combination, they imbue the reader with unease. Consider Cold Skin by Albert Sánchez Piñol. Here an unnamed narrator just inhabited a weather station on a deserted island.

Just then, I heard a pleasing sound far off. It was more or less like a heard of goats trotting in the distance. At first, I confused it with the pattering of rain; the sound of heavy and distinct drops. I got up and looked out of the closest window. It wasn’t raining. The full moon stained the ocean’s surface in a violet hue. The light bathed the driftwood lying on the beach. It was easy to imagine them as body parts, dismembered and immobile. The whole thing brought to mind a petrified forest. But it wasn’t raining.

Reversal : The narrator thinks it’s raining, but then there’s no rain. We wonder what’s creating that pattering sound, and the not knowing makes us uneasy.

Disturbing details : The water is stained violet, a bloodlike color. This idea is cemented in the reader’s skull with the driftwood, described as dismembered limbs.

Let the Character Freak Out

Nothing creeps out a reader faster than letting the protagonist freak out. Ever wonder why there are so many screams in horror movies? It’s the same thing. As an author, you must find the written equivalent to the scream.

In Bag of Bones by Stephen King, the protagonist, Mike Noonan, begins to believe that his house is haunted. He’s in the basement and hears the sound of someone striking the insulation, but no one else is home.

…every gut and muscle of my body seemed to come unwound. My hair stood up. My eyesockets seemed to be expanding and my eyeballs contracting, as if  my head were trying to turn into a skull. Every inch of my skin broke out in gooseflesh. Something was in here with me. Very likely something dead.

King lays it on thick here. Instead of one physical reaction, he dumps the whole bucket on us. He doesn’t dazzle us with a etherial decaying corpse. We won’t even see the ghost till the final chapters. No. He tells us how Noonan feels just in the presence of the thing and that’s what creeps us out.

Another example of the character freaking out can be seen in Shirley Jackson’s  The Haunting of Hill House .

Now we are going to have a new noise, Eleanor thought, listening to the inside of her head; it is changing.  The pounding had stopped, as though it had proved ineffectual, and there was now a swift movement up and down the hall, as of an animal pacing back and forth with unbelievable impatience, watching first one door and then another, alert for a movement inside, and there was again the little babbling murmur which Eleanor remembered; Am I doing it? she wondered quickly, is that me? And heard the tiny laughter beyond the door, mocking her.

Here the character doubts herself and what she sees. This is essential to any horror story. When weird things happen, the character mysteries react accordingly. The stranger the situation, the stronger the reaction. And most of us would doubt our sanity in creepy situations.

Let The Reader Do the Imagining

Why should you, the author, do all the heavy lifting. Your reader’s imagination will often fill in the blanks for you. Take this example from Stephen King’s The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon .

As she reached the driver’s door of the cab, which hung open with vines twisting in and out of its socket of a window, lightning flashed again, painting the whole world purple. In its glare Trisha saw something with slumped shoulders standing on the far side of the road, something with black eyes and great cocked ears like horns. Perhaps they were horns. It wasn’t human; nor did she think it was animal. It was a god. It was her god, the wasp-god, standing there in the rain.

Notice that the monster is only vaguely described. It’s called “something” twice. This lets the reader fill in the blanks. There is enough description that we at least know it’s a big hulking creature. This is the literary equivalent of when Ridley Scott only showed glimpses of the alien in Alien .

Use Strong Verbs

Finally, strong verbs will help any writer to shine, but they can also allow one character to shine over another. Take this excerpt from William Blatty’s The Exorcist .

Regan’s eyes gleamed fiercely, unblinking, as a yellowish saliva dribbled down from a corner of her mouth to her chin, to her lips stretch taut into a feral grin of bow-mouthed mockery.

“Well, well, well,” she gloated sardonically and hairs prickled up on the back of Karras’s neck at a voice that was deep and thick with menace and power. “So, it’s you … they sent  you !” she continued as if pleased. “Well, we’ve nothing to fear from you at all.”

“Yes, that’s right,” Karras answered; “I’m your friend and I’d like to help you.”

“You might loosen these straps, then,” Regan croaked. She had tugged up her wrists so that now Karras noticed they were bound with a double set of leather restraining straps.

“Are the straps uncomfortable for you?”

“Extremely. They’re a nuisance. An  infernal  nuisance.”

The eyes glinted slyly with secret amusement.

Karras saw the scratch marks on Regan’s face; the cuts on her lips where apparently she’d bitten them. “I’m afraid you might hurt yourself, Regan,” he told her.

“I’m not Regan,” she rumbled, still with that taut and hideous grin that Karras now guessed was her permanent expression. How incongruous the braces on her teeth looked, he thought. “Oh, I see,” he said, nodding. “Well, then, maybe we should introduce ourselves. I’m Damien Karras. Who are you?”

“I’m the devil!”

Notice the verbs that Blatty uses with Reagan — gleamed, dribbled, gloated, croaked, rumbled. In contrast, the more calm individual in the scene, Karras, responds with simple verbs like “answered” and “saw”. The contrast allows the reader to see Reagan as disturbing.

If you want to make your readers squirm, reading only in daylight hours, shy away from the obvious gore and claptrap. Rather, take the quieter road of tiny disturbing details built up over pages and chapters. Show how your character reacts to what’s happening, and the reader will feel it too.

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Home — Essay Samples — Law, Crime & Punishment — Drunk Driving — Don’t Lower The Drinking Age: A Critical Examination

Don't Lower The Drinking Age: a Critical Examination

• Categories: Drunk Driving

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Published: Aug 1, 2024

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