Questions tagged [scene]
This tag should be used for questions about a scene in a written work, such as a [novel] or a [screenplay].
2
votes
1answer
73 views
What is the average word count for a scene in a chapter?
Does the average scene-word-count lessen for a YA/children's novel and increase for, say, an adult thriller?
6
votes
6answers
167 views
Writing a crying scene
Writing a crying scene makes me accidentally do repetitions like "the tears which were on her face broke down into a slithering stream..." and then putting the word tears again and again.
What ...
10
votes
5answers
1k views
A handful of gems
So I'm facing an issue after many years of writing, and several unsuccessful novels. In my own estimation, all my books contain a "handful of gems" --wonderful scenes that really come to life. But ...
2
votes
4answers
123 views
Having Trouble Writing An Opening Scene With A Shy Character
I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with the opening scene for a fantasy story I'm writing, about a mousy but passionate girl from a family of entertainers who inherits the entertainer's blood. She ...
2
votes
2answers
85 views
How do I make a repetitive element in a play interesting?
I am writing a playscript these days which includes various characters that are frequently related throughout the story. They all hold special orbs/keys that help the main protagonist progress further ...
11
votes
4answers
1k views
Static Scenes that still Move the Story Forward
I've just read a tutorial about scenic techniques in novel-writing that recommends that a story should have a rhythm of static scenes and dramatic scenes. Here's an excerpt:
Dramatic scenes are ...
9
votes
3answers
917 views
Sensory Information Overload
I'm reading The Book of Human Emotions by Tiffany Watt Smith (good stuff if you want to inform the use of emotion in your writing), and I've just come across Overwhelmed (feeling). It talks about the ...
6
votes
2answers
276 views
Scene switching and how to do it?
So I am writing a story that is in my head for millions of years already and it is finally progressing. I like how things going for a first draft and I am pretty happy to get things going.
But lately ...
6
votes
2answers
332 views
How to relate stormy weather to sadness?
Is it possible that stormy weather can be related to sadness? The weather could be related to gloom?
8
votes
5answers
299 views
Help with my story - elements of a scene
I’m writing a story where a vampire pulls a girl into a room so he can feed off her without anyone knowing.
What are the things I should consider when I describe her being pulled into a room by him, ...
17
votes
8answers
2k views
How do you assess the value of an individual scene?
Authors need to understand which scenes in their stories to cut in order to help the reader enjoy the story best.
Knowing what works for the reader and what does not is a key skill for authors. ...
3
votes
5answers
170 views
What is the spectrum of 'disasters' in 'scene-sequel?"
I'm looking at my project through the lens of the 'scene-sequel' model now. Scene=Goal/Conflict/Disaster, Sequel=Reaction/Dilemma/Decision.
My story has been through over a dozen various revisions ...
8
votes
6answers
222 views
How do I write and describe a room full of panic?
How do I write about a room full of panic? I have searched for the answer but all I get is how to write a panic attack.
I am trying to write a scene where there is a party. The party is to celebrate ...
4
votes
4answers
774 views
Do too many scenes exhaust the reader?
I'm now analyzing the scenes in my manuscript.
I broke my manuscript into scenes using the definition that a new
scene begins when a person, place, or time point shifts. This means
whenever a ...
4
votes
6answers
2k views
How does a person go about describing a place/experience that they never personally experienced before, like a circus?
I've never been to a circus, and all the shows and videos I've seen about them don't give off the full effect.
How does a person go about describing a place/experience that they never personally ...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
How should I write this scene heading? Let me explain
In my screenplay, I have a character that’s a 20 year old college student. He lives at home. His name is Brett.
Another character pulls up to Brett’s house.
Should the scene heading read:
EXT. ...
5
votes
6answers
186 views
Should my opening include a religious initiation ritual?
I am about to start my first novel set in a fantasy world I am designing, and am struggling deeply with my first scene. I have read in books on fantasy writing that the opening is the hook. I am ...
-1
votes
2answers
271 views
How to show crying through text? [duplicate]
How are you able to show crying in a text without using emoji or sentimentalism?
2
votes
1answer
104 views
How do I avoid making scenes feel rushed?
I've written several scenes and reread them silently. Most times they sound rushed, unnatural and uncomfortable. This especially happens with action or other fast-paced scenes. How do I avoid this ...
1
vote
1answer
3k views
How to Write a Bullying Scene? [closed]
In my newest story, the protagonist gets bullied constantly, and I'm planning for him to be driven to suicide later on the the story. But, I'm completely stuck on how to write a realistic scene, which ...
4
votes
3answers
65 views
Is it good to repeat the same form of event?
Background
So, long ago in my writing I wrote a chapter where a book housing a specific missing chapter was found in a treasury. As you can tell, it's super ultra convenient to just have it in the ...
5
votes
3answers
282 views
A written action scene, interrupted?
My comic novel has a scene in which the hero is battling a monster. And at a moment of tension, where he's losing badly, there's a scene break in which the narrator goes into a brief digression. After ...
2
votes
2answers
174 views
Is describing the scenery important in unfamiliar places?
I'm writing a futuristic light novel, in which the world looks really different than the world we're used to and thus I feel like I have to describe every single detail. However I won't really have ...
1
vote
2answers
102 views
How to stage a scene conflict that is not about the scene's narrator?
I'm working on a novel that is told from a single narrator in third person. A number of subplots detail the stories of secondary characters.
My problem: From their point of view, I could easily ...
3
votes
2answers
63 views
What is the difference between an ending scene and the end of a chapter?
I'm new to professional writing, and I've been brushing up on standard manuscript format. I bought Scrivener to help me format for direct publishing, and standard manuscript formatting. So, how do I ...
3
votes
2answers
477 views
Describing a large scale battle in a science fiction/fantasy novel
In my novel, there is a large scale battle involving several factions, tens of thousands of fighters, and is a defining part of the book, as it lasts for a good deal of the novel. As I wrote it, I ...
1
vote
3answers
79 views
Scene descriptons?
If one is describing a gala ball, what level of detail of the room is considered appropriate? For example, if the ball is a lavish one, is it appropriate to include the table settings (conical red ...
1
vote
3answers
135 views
Length of a scene?
Really, just how long should a solid scene in a chapter be?
And what about when characters move setting but the topic is still relevant to the scene? How long would that be?
Currently my scenes in ...
0
votes
2answers
93 views
How can I improve this scene? [closed]
This is the second to last scene in the first chapter. It starts with Lisa hunting and getting a deer and ends with Lisa getting bit by a venomous snake.
Now you might be thinking "You can't carry a ...
2
votes
3answers
488 views
Can you specify camera angles in your screenplay?
So I guess camera action is up to the director. Would I ever be allowed to pan if it is important? Would I not be able to pick certain angles?
If I can, what would be the best way to specify --for ...
2
votes
2answers
3k views
Film script - writing scene transition from TV Broadcast to story reality
I'm writing a script that has a news broadcast sequence to establish the background of the story, and then we see the main character is watching this news broadcast to transition from worldbuilding to ...
3
votes
7answers
728 views
Creating the goal of a scene when the main character is passive?
In my current writing, I've been having some trouble with the plot, specifically with going from an outline detailing what I need, to an outline detailing how I get there. I think the problem (or at ...
1
vote
1answer
71 views
Difficult scenes help please!
How do I hint at something traumatic (like rape) without ever actually writing the actual scene of it happening?
0
votes
2answers
95 views
Scene order: is this order of scenes confusing?
Okay so say is my story scene order is in this order in the book. Future scene (insight) --> past scene (flashback) --> present day.
What do you think? Will this order be confusing for my readers?
1
vote
1answer
310 views
Learning to write transitions and segues [closed]
I'm a writer but unfortunately I don't read nearly enough, I'm looking for some suggestions for novels that feature well made or unique segues and transitions between scenes. My closest comparison is ...
3
votes
5answers
315 views
My story passes in choppy blocks - how can I fix it?
Similar to this question, I am slowly coming to realize that my writing is getting choppy. Unlike that question however, my problem does not lie within sentences, or even paragraphs. It lies within ...
0
votes
3answers
90 views
Trying to make a gun making scene realistic [closed]
So here is the situation.
I got a character who is a trained modern gunsmith and he finds himself thrown into a setting where the most advance firearm is the flintlock. I know some of the most ...
2
votes
2answers
896 views
What defines a “scene”?
In writing a novel, I've noticed that there are different scenes. It's a compilation of different scenes. What truly signifies the start, and end of a scene. If they are in a room, is that one scene? ...
5
votes
3answers
3k views
What's the meaning of the running numbers in left margin of a movie script online?
Currently, I am going through the script of The Battle of Algiers. On the left margin, there are numbers starting from 1 to 146. It is a 120 minutes long film. What are the significance of these ...
1
vote
1answer
751 views
Good idea to write a scene with just pure dialogue exchange?
I'm sure you don't remember me. Asked quiet a few questions a year ago. Never came back for round 2. Was working on your advices. Writing.
I'm nearing the climax of my novel. There's a scene. Sort ...
3
votes
3answers
537 views
How to describe a scene involving a shift in the environment due to forbidden magic?
Background/scene for question:
A character witnesses his wife killed before him. While holding her, he begins screaming her name. With each time he utters her name, the world around him shifts as he ...
0
votes
2answers
792 views
How to Describe a Scene from Video?
I'm new to English (three years) and I want help describing this video for my fantasy novel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymcen0EjmiU.
I don't want you to do it at my place, but I really want to ...
2
votes
2answers
3k views
How can you represent music in writing
I was wondering if a character was in a nighclub or at a concert. How do you represent the music?
It got me thinking that writing is a very non musical medium and that it is actually pretty hard to ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
Conversation with Multiple Characters
I'm writing a dialogue heavy scene. The protagonist has met with a group of mercenaries that he spent a great deal of his younger days with. He doesn't come to them for a catch-up however, he has ...
8
votes
9answers
944 views
Good idea to describe the heist place before the heist begins?
I'm working on a heist scene where five thieves are supposed to enter a corporate building and steal a few documents. It's supposed to be a major scene so it won't be short. I need the readers to ...
2
votes
1answer
113 views
How to show that the current scene is a continuation of an earlier one?
So my book starts in the middle of action, and ends on a cliff hanger. It then goes back a week in time, and builds the story from there.
Eg, in the start, the heroine is forced to free a demon, who ...
0
votes
2answers
248 views
Level of detail in description of character checking the news
I'm writing a short story about a girl who has apparently 'missed' an earthquake. This is the beginning of the second scene (here is the first):
Erin was sitting on her bed, working on a new song....
5
votes
4answers
313 views
Some doubts on the use of Italicized words
Okay here's the thing. After a tough verbal fight with my friend, I concluded that I will post this question here and get some concrete answers.
According to what I feel, italicized words are used
...
2
votes
3answers
1k views
Issues with Scene/Sequel model
I'm using the Scene/Sequel model to go from an informal outline of my novel to a list of scenes. In summary, during a Scene the POV Character has a Goal, encounters some Conflict, and it ends in ...
5
votes
1answer
195 views
How long has the “scene” method been used for writing a novel?
I've noticed that many authors discuss "building" their novels using scenes as the fundamental building block. Be it by software or notecard, the scenes are identified, arranged and written, then ...
