In
fictionFiction is a branch of literature which deals, in part or in whole, with temporally contrafactual events...
, a
scene is a unit of drama. A
sequel is what follows, an aftermath. Together, scene and sequel provide the building blocks of plot for
short storiesA short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format or medium tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels or books...
,
novelA novel is a long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, and other forms of fiction.
Scene has been characterized from several different perspectives. The concept of a scene in fiction comes from theater, where it describes the action that takes place in a single setting . Raymond Obstfeld, in
Novelist's Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes, describes scene as having a structure similar to a complete novel, with a beginning, a middle, and an ending .
Jack M.
In
fictionFiction is a branch of literature which deals, in part or in whole, with temporally contrafactual events...
, a
scene is a unit of drama. A
sequel is what follows, an aftermath. Together, scene and sequel provide the building blocks of plot for
short storiesA short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format or medium tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels or books...
,
novelA novel is a long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
s, and other forms of fiction.
Characteristics of a scene
Scene has been characterized from several different perspectives. The concept of a scene in fiction comes from theater, where it describes the action that takes place in a single setting . Raymond Obstfeld, in
Novelist's Essential Guide to Crafting Scenes, describes scene as having a structure similar to a complete novel, with a beginning, a middle, and an ending .
Jack M. Bickham, in
Scene & Structure, How to Construct Fiction with Scene-by-scene Flow, Logic and Readability, describes a scene as a segment of story action, written moment-by-moment, without summary, presented onstage in the story "now." He also portrays a scene as having a fundamental pattern:
- Statement of a goal
- Introduction and development of conflict
- Failure of the character to reach his goal, a tactical disaster
The nature and characteristics of scene are a matter of ongoing discussion.
http://helium.com/tm/197378/scene-sequel-fictionscene-sequel
Writing of a scene
Sometimes a writer may summarize events, rather than using a scene. This is
exposition . He explains events to quickly get the reader to the next scene. At other times a writer will dramatize an event using the basic elements of fiction:
dialogueDialogue in fiction is a verbal exchange between two or more characters. If there is only one character, who is talking to himself in his mind, it is known as interior monologue.-Identifiers:...
, description,
conflictConflict is actual or perceived opposition of needs, values and interests. A conflict can be internal to individuals. Conflict as a concept can help explain many aspects of social life such as social disagreement, conflicts of interests, and fights between individuals, groups, or organizations...
, and
suspenseSuspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead up to a big event or dramatic...
, among others. These scenes, told in
narrativeA narrative is a story that is created in a constructive format that describes a sequence of fictional or non-fictional events...
form, slow events to "real time" and show the reader what the characters are actually doing and saying. Using narrative scenes, a writer attempts to make the reader forget they are reading; the writer wants the reader to live the story.
Purpose of a scene
The purpose of a scene helps achieve coherence in a short story or novel. The fiction writer should have a goal to accomplish with each scene. A scene lets the reader know that the setting has changed too. Common purposes of a scene include:
- Advance story – The scene must move the story forward. This could mean introducing a problem or making a problem worse for the characters.
- Show conflict – The conflict could be between two characters, a character and nature
Nature, in the broadest sense, is equivalent to the natural world, physical world, or material world. "Nature" refers to the phenomena of the physical world, and also to life in general...
, a character and timeTime is a component of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify the motions of objects...
, and so on.
- Introduce character – The reader needs to meet each character at some point. A careful writer does not introduce too many characters in one scene. This could confuse the reader.
- Develop character – Along with introducing a character, a writer can use a scene to show the character’s good and bad points.
- Create suspense – Suspense
Suspense is a feeling of uncertainty and anxiety about the outcome of certain actions, most often referring to an audience's perceptions in a dramatic work. Suspense is not exclusive to fiction, though. Suspense may operate in any situation where there is a lead up to a big event or dramatic...
keeps the reader’s interest going, perhaps more than any other element of fiction
- Give information – The writer can weave information into a scene so the reader knows the needed background of the story.
- Create atmosphere – Using conventions such as setting
In fiction, setting includes the time, location, and everything in which a story takes place, and initiates the main backdrop and mood for a story. Setting has been referred to as story world or milieu to include a context beyond the immediate surroundings of the story. Elements of setting may...
, weatherWeather is a set of all the phenomena occurring in a given atmosphere at a given time. Weather phenomena lie in the troposphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate is the term for the average atmospheric conditions over longer periods...
, and time, the writer can create a certain moodA mood is a relatively long lasting emotional state. Moods differ from simple emotions in that they are less specific, less intense, and less likely to be triggered by a particular stimulus or event....
in a scene.
- Develop theme – A piece of fiction should have a theme
A broad idea, message, or lesson that is conveyed by a work. The message may be about life, society, or human nature. Themes often explore timeless and universal ideas and may be implied rather than stated explicitly...
. Each scene should bring out the theme to the reader.
Scenes that are memorable, the ones the reader remembers, will attempt to achieve as many of the previously mentioned purposes as possible. If the scene has no purpose -- or even has a purpose, but not a sufficient one to justify the space it takes up -- the writer should cut that scene out of the story.
Viewpoint of a scene
A viewpoint exists for every scene. Each scene is observed through the thoughts and emotions of one of the characters. That character is the
point of viewThe narrative mode is the set of methods the author of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical story uses to convey the plot to the audience. The collection of all narrative modes in order to construct a complete narrative is also called the narration ; the terms are sometimes differentiated...
(POV) character. As he or she speaks and interacts with other characters, the POV character reveals the story through their perceptions. A short story usually has only one point of view character; the novel, however, may have several POV characters. A novel may contain scenes in which one character serves as the POV character throughout most of the scenes. Other characters would then serve as POV characters in the remaining scenes .
Some writers struggle with using either
first personFirst-person narrative is a narrative mode in which a story is narrated by only one character at a time, who explicitly refers to him- or herself using words and phrases involving "I" and/or "we"...
or third person when creating a story. To find a solution, a writer may rewrite a scene in each. Each person has its advantages and disadvantages. The draft which the writer feels would be more enticing to the reader should answer the question.
Length and setting of a scene
Length of a scene may trouble a writer. How long should a scene be? Some scenes may only be a few pages or even a few paragraphs; other scenes may be dozens of pages long. The writer should consider what is being focused upon in a scene to determine length. Scenes that focus on description or exposition should be shorter. Scenes that focus on building suspense or expressing
emotionAn emotion is a mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of feelings, thoughts, and behavior. Emotions are subjective experiences, often associated with mood, temperament, personality, and disposition. The English word 'emotion' is derived from the French word émouvoir...
should be longer . No right solution exists to answer the question of scene length. The writer should use his instincts.
Another question that may arise for a writer is "How many settings should be included in a scene?" Some writers argue that an ideal scene should contain only one
settingIn fiction, setting includes the time, location, and everything in which a story takes place, and initiates the main backdrop and mood for a story. Setting has been referred to as story world or milieu to include a context beyond the immediate surroundings of the story. Elements of setting may...
. Since fiction writing is subjective, a scene may require several settings. The writer should keep in mind that a setting could be portable, such as inside a car, on an
escalatorAn escalator is a moving staircase conveyor transport device for carrying people between floors of a building. The device consists of a motor-driven chain of individual, linked steps that move up or down on tracks, allowing the step treads to remain horizontal.Escalators are used around the world...
or on an
airlinerAn airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such planes are owned by airlines....
. Just as with the length of a scene, the writer again needs to use his instincts when determining how many settings to include in a scene.
Beginning of a scene
Beginning a scene can enhance or detract from a writer's style. To capture the reader’s interest, which is the ultimate goal of creating fiction, a writer can begin a scene
in medias resIn medias res, also medias in res , refers to a literary and artistic technique where the narrative starts in the middle of the story instead of from its beginning...
. This means
in the middle of things. Starting the scene in the middle of some dialogue, such as an argument, or action, such as someone pointing a weapon at someone else, would possibly
hookA narrative hook is a literary technique in the opening of a story that "hooks" the reader's attention so that he or she will keep on reading...
the reader. If done well, description of a character or a setting can begin a scene; however, the writer risks boring the reader if description is provided in large chunks. A solution would be to insert description among the dialogue and action. Many ways exist for a writer to begin a scene, but he should remember this goal: grab the reader’s attention as soon as possible.
Ending of a scene
Ending a scene properly can make the reader want more. When a point of view character has failed to reach a goal, the end of the scene is usually about to fall upon the reader. Sometimes a situation gets worse for the character; sometimes the character must consider their next course of action. The end result should be that the reader wants to see what happens next. The writer can facilitate this by showing the character's upcoming plans to achieve the goal .
Miscellaneous
Scene comes from a theater term that describes action taking place in a single setting .
External links