There is much ado about character development and outlining (or lack thereof) in the world of writing advice. So much so that, for a long time, that was basically the only content I consumed about the craft of writing. When the topic of scenes came up in workshops, I would switch from taking notes on the topic at hand to taking notes on the story concepts floating around in my mind.
I regret that now. Knowing how a scene should be constructed and what goes into a great scene can make all the difference in how your writing flows, how readers engage with your work, and whether your words resonate.
So, let’s dive into three of my favorite tips from Amy Christine Parker.
Tip #1: All scenes should be essential to the story’s progress. Otherwise, cut or rewrite.
You have heard it time and time again, but the advice still holds true, no matter where you are in your writing journey: kill your darlings. The fun detours you took while drafting that don’t add to the plot and character development (and more importantly, theme—see below) can’t stay if they’re not pulling the weight of their word count in the narrative.
Revision is always hard. I have smacked my head—could’ve-had-a-V8-style—so many times upon realizing I dropped plot threads midway through my work in progress. But, in my experience, adding things is always easier than cutting them. Cutting hurts. It feels like your hard work getting those hundreds or thousands of words on the page was all for naught.
But that’s not true! You had to write those words before you could write the ones you need, plain and simple. They were a stepping stone, and no stepping stone is without value.
Take Amy’s advice, and kill or reconstruct your darlings, even if it sucks and even if it’s hard.
Tip #2: You should try to add as many “set piece scenes” in your story as possible.
The phrase “set piece scene” is borrowed from the movie-making industry—these were complicated scenes that required an entire separate (read: expensive) set to shoot them. They have high stakes, they’re memorable, and they have a big pay-off for the reader. The Quidditch matches in the Harry Potter books, Santiago turning into the wind in The Alchemist, and Romeo’s romancing from beneath Juliet’s balcony in Romeo and Juliet are all examples of set piece scenes.
Wouldn’t we all love to write scenes that stick with people the way those scenes do? Intentionally crafting them into your narrative is the best way to do that. So often, we think about our book from the architect’s or the gardener’s perspectives—that is to say, from the perspective of its creator—and not from the point of view of the person who is going to be enjoying it. It’s time to change that!
Tip #3: Every scene should underscore your story’s theme.
Here, here! In a way, this circles back to killing your darlings. Every word you write should serve your story. Now, I seen conserve a story in different ways, of course, but if it’s not under scoring the point you’re trying to get across, then really, what is it there for?
You might have an answer for that. Maybe the scene helps familiarize the reader with the main character’s backstory, or maybe it sheds light on otherwise unappreciated details of the setting.
But the theme of your story is what makes your story memorable. It’s what actually resonates with the reader. As is the case with real-life relationships, we don’t always remember the exact words used or what exactly happened, but we always remember how things made us feel. The theme of your story is paramount, and the more your scenes echo the theme’s sentiment, the stronger story you tell.
Interested in more from Amy Christine Parker?
You should absolutely check out the free one-hour class Amy has on Writer’s Atelier TV, Make Every Scene Strong. She goes into so much more detail on these topics as well as types and functions of different scenes, tools for vetting scenes, and so much more. You can watch that class below.
But if you want even more, Writer’s Atelier is proud to have Amy Christine Parker’s Plotting Your Prose course in our online school.
What if you could set up an effective system for idea development and story outlining that could make the brainstorming and writing faster and easier and significantly reduce any revisions needed? This course will provide the tools to: develop your ideas into fully realized pitch-worthy premises, create storyboards that will help guide your plot, characters, and setting in the right direction, and brainstorm scenes that will cover all the essential plot points every good story requires. Broken down into easily digestible short session modules and accompanied by a 45-page mini workbook filled with extended tips, tricks, helpful tech, and links to books and articles to extend your studies, this course will help both beginning and experienced novelists.
