Guidelines and advice on constructing a scene



The scene is the basic part of the story. Every scene presents a problem and shows us how this problem will be dealt with by the characters. In turn, it reveals something about the characters as the story proceeds.

The key in constructing the scene is to know what you want to show your reader about your characters and their problems. Give yourself time to write and produce a scene that will lead logically to another scene in such a way that the scenes flow from one to the other. Consider what is going on in your own story. Think about your hero and how you could provide an event that will compel him to show his traits.

Your scene must be long enough to make the point. It may be a few short sentences or up to 20 pages, and should involve the main characters throughout, with perhaps an increasing problem or more stressful scenes as the story progresses.

Characters are important in creating a scene, and there should be as few characters as possible. Do not introduce all the characters at once if there are many characters in the scene. Introduce your central character as well as his/her positive traits, including courage or being a good leader.

Thereafter, you can bring in the supporting characters to get your plot moving. Building up more interest in the complex characters results in a more interesting story. For a successful outcome to scene outcome, learn from the style of the old masters.

Was this post helpful?