Member-only story
Want to Make Great Scenes?
Do these four things.
I’m trying for a more content-clicky headline there? Did I do it? Headlines are completely my weakness.
My other weakness (not counting fried potato products):
Dictums.
You know, those “YOU MUST DO THIS” tips that other people who create content/coach/teach insist on.
This is because I truly believe there is no one-size-fits-all way to create. That said? There are some things that our culture expects right now in novels and if you do these in each and every scene? Your book tends to get picked up and people tend to read it and like it.
What are those magical things?
There are four:
- You want to make something happen.
- That something happening needs to involve some interesting characters — be they humans, zombie hamsters, or manatees.
- You want to hold the reader’s attention by drawing emotion and/or fascination from them. Both is awesome.
- You want the reader to care about what is happening and what MIGHT happen next.
All of these elements usually come from just two things:
- The character has a goal and a reason for that goal.