Making a scene

Scenes! Yes, as dramatically announced at our last meeting, our next theme is “making a scene”. It will be our discussion starter and your optional prompt for a new piece of writing.

What makes a good scene? What are the essential elements? How do you approach each scene? And do you agree with these “tips from the pros” from The Writer May 2023?

Barbara DeMarco-Barrett:

“In a good scene, characters enter one way and leave another way. By the end of a good scene, we know a little more about the character and what they’re dealing with than we knew going in.”

Connie Berry:

“A great scene has a specific purpose in the whole story, leads inevitably to the next scene, and, most importantly, keeps the reader turning pages.”

Robert Garner McBrearty:

“A good scene creates a vivid and lasting impression so that readers can visualize and experience what’s happening. It’s not a matter of how much sensory detail but how well-chosen it is.”

Anthony Varallo:

“A good scene enlists the reader’s involvement in the story to the degree that they feel shoulder to shoulder with your characters.”

Sophie Sullivan:

“You know a scene is good when you feel like you, as the reader, are part of it; the characters’ emotions resonate off the pages and make you want to know more. A good scene sends that jolt to your heart or stomach because it has an impact.”

Lisa Peers:

“A great scene is a diabolical mix of tension and release. On the one hand, it provides answers that move the story forward and develop the characters — but on the other hand, it sparks even more questions that compel the reader to turn the page.”

You can read that issue and more through the Libby app (https://libbyapp.com/) if you’re a member of the library.

Bring along an extract from your work in progress, or “making a scene” inspired writing, (approx 1000 to 1500 words max), and your thoughts on scenes to our next meeting at 8pm on 13 June at the Fuller Room, Bottesford.