How to structure a scene

Some tips to find what works best for you and your current project

Dec 20, 2022

Technically, these two pages from *Sightwitch* are both scenes!

@Leslie asked:

Hi Sooz! Thanks so much for all of the honesty and openness that you continue to share. I was wondering what writing a scene looks like for you? I remember seeing an old post about starting with dialogue, but as far as balancing action, dialogue, description, weaving plot points through, etc. how do you look at a scene and consider it “done” for that draft? But also without doing too much in one scene either?

This is quite a question, Leslie, and one on which people have written entire books and teach entire classes. Because what does constitute a scene?

I’ve seen so many definitions myself, and frankly, I don’t agree with many of them. I think a scene can be long, it can be short, it can be nothing but exposition, it can be nothing but action and movement. The character could have a goal; the character could also just be thinking.

In fact, if you’ve read The Luminaries yet, then you’ll know I played with scene format a lot in that book. I have multiple scenes that are only a single page (or two), and they do nothing but give the reader a chunk of backstory.

Yeah, I literally infodump the reader for a solid page or two, which is supposedly a total no-no…

And yet, I don’t think it slows down the narrative at all. If anything, I think it was the best way to introduce key information without overwhelming the reader. That’s why I chose that approach.

I realize I’m not being terribly helpful right now because the fact of the matter is that I go purely by my gut when I’m drafting. I feel the rhythm of the story and the forward movement of the overall plot, and I just let that guide me as I draft.

Sometimes I go in with scene screenplays.

But not always.

Additionally, the way I shape a scene differs dramatically from book to book. Compare a story like Sightwitch, which is told through a dual timeline of journal entries and found footage material from the world. Some of the “scenes” are literally just the words: A lone sister is a lost a lone sister is lost a lone sister is lost a lone sister is lost.

Then look at Truthwitch, where each scene does have a solid shape of goal—conflict—resolution—new goal, and I adhere to that shape as I move through each character’s POV.

Then look at The Luminaries where I have scenes that are just info dumping backstory for a page. The length of each scene in that book (and its sequel) also varies dramatically—some are only a few hundred words, some are a few thousand.

Oh dear, I can already tell that the more I talk about this, the less I’m helping you! Now you see why my initial response above was: This is quite a question. There just isn’t an easy answer, for me or for many books you’re going to read.

Still, I will do my best to give you some actionable tips!

First: figure out what you like most and what your current project demands. Certain genres allow for creative storytelling approaches; others really demand a traditional structure (like Truthwitch has, or my first series!).

What is the book you’re working on? What is the format you’re wanting to use for your scenes—and do you want to try playing with structure? Look at your favorite books and see what the author does!

And also, what comes naturally to you? Some people (🙋‍♀️) are really able to trust their gut and let it guide them. It might guide them awry (🙋‍♀️)…but that’s what revisions are for!

Another actionable tip is to try writing a simple list. What do YOU think, as the author, you need to get done in a scene?

I’ll take an example from Witchlight, since that’s what I’ve been working on lately. It’s an Aeduan scene, and in it, I know I need to:

Establish why he is now in the location he is (when he wasn’t there in the scene previous)
Set up his newest goal—which is getting information.
Set up a conflict for that goal—which is someone who doesn’t want to impart said information.
Make sure that this POV scene ties into the broader story of [insert spoiler plot thread here], [insert spoiler plot thread here], [insert another spoiler here].
Have lots of Bloodwitchery moments because that’s fun for the reader and me!

It’s a basic list, yet that’s the beauty of it. When I hit the end of the scene, I can look at the list and see right away if I’ve accomplished everything I needed to.

Another tip: remember that a lot can be done in revisions. When it comes to sequels, I am a rewriter (I just talked about that here!). There are so many plot threads I need to weave through the narrative; there are so many moving parts with character arcs and subplots and little ripple effects from choices made many books before…

My brain cannot and does not track it all when I am drafting.

I would be lying if I said this doesn’t stress me out. I want to get it all right in the first go! But I’m trying to get better with accepting it doesn’t need to all be there on the page right away—that I have always successfully woven in what I need in later drafts, so I will manage to do that again right now.

And so can you, Leslie. It’s okay if you don’t get it all on the first…fifth…eighth go. That is another reason why I do so much layering! It allows me to shape each scene into what I need it to be so that I am always doing get most story work possible in the fewest words.

A final tip: if you can’t decide whether a scene is right, ask for outside help. Or else set the book aside for a good, long while before you read it again. We read and reread our own stories so often that we frequently lose all perspective. Is this scene doing what I want it to do? Is it boring? Is there some way for it to accomplish more?

Often, time away from the manuscript or a fresh set of outside eyes can help you see whatever you might be missing in the moment.

Leslie, I hope there’s something in here that helps. I realize…probably not. So I’ll direct you to a few resources that might help you more than I could!

Writing Deep Scenes: Plotting Your Story Through Action, Emotion, and Theme by Martha Alderson and Jordan Rosenfeld
How To Write Page-Turning Scenes by Holly Lisle
Scene Tracker Template by Martha Alderson

Thank you for reading, Leslie, and being a paid subscriber!

And if you all have any resources or tips to recommend, please share in the comments!

🐙 - Sooz

I find my “screenplays” are most useful for action scenes—fights or chases where things could get messy fast, or I could back my character into a literal corner they can’t get out of or. Or I used them for complex dialogue scenes, by which I mean “scenes that have to convey a lot of information in an easy to digest way.” Figuring out what those lines are and how they’re organized before I draft makes the drafting move more quickly.