Write a Scene: dramatize

"There are significant moments in everyone's day that can make literature. That's what you ought to write about." --Raymond Carver

A scene is a container for drama and has distinct components that define it. A scene is written so that it seems to occur in real time as if the reader were watching and listening to it happen. It's built on talk and action and is dramatized, not described or summarized (although exposition and description exists along with action). Each scene has specific reason for occurring at the point in the story -- something needs to be proven, established, or revealed. A scene exists to enrich or reveal characters, provides information about the plot, and pushes the plot forward.

A scene contains:

• a distinct time and place
• a specific conflict
• the main character wants something
• emotional reversal
• TIP: Include tension, reactions to what is taking place or being said, movement, gestures. Try ending scenes at a cliff hanger moment or high note.

• a couple or roommates discussing the unequal distribution of household tasks
• a restroom at a 20th high school reunion
• a funeral of a man or woman who was married many times
• an elevator stuck on the 12th floor of a high rise, 5 passengers on board
• lingerie department dressing room
• the waiting room of an obstetrician/gynecologist office
• the dining table on a cruise ship, the first night the passengers meet
• the locker room of a sports team who is behind by 20 points at halftime
• the "green room" of a talk show
• a pep talk/orientation at boot camp, summer camp, prison, or boarding school
• the 15th row of an airplane when a passenger in row 16 "goes postal"
• the room where a bride is preparing/dressing for her wedding
• the room where a groom is preparing/dressing for his wedding
• the waiting room of a hospital while a child undergoes emergency surgery
• a pastor's office where a congregation member asks for help
• the back seat of a car parked at Lover's Lane
• the first conference/meeting between two divorce lawyers
• a holiday gathering where a relative arrives drunk
• a holiday gathering where a "long lost" relative arrives to the surprise of all in attendance
• a beauty salon that caters to upscale clients
• an art class where a nude model is posing
• a bookstore where hundreds of fans are lined up to meet a famous author

©Jessica Page Morrell
For more information contact:
Jessica Morrell | Email: jesswrites@juno.com