(How to Write a Scene for your Story)

Write a sentence that gets your character "On scene" in a certain place where you know there is going to be a problem, either with someone else or with the situation: (Eg: Jason swam out into the middle of the lake.

Get the problem or the other person "on scene" in your next sentence. (EG: Suddenly he heard the surge of a large wave beside him, and saw the bumpy gray fin of a large shark!)

What does your main character say? (EG: "Oh, no!" he shouted, with the water going up his nose. He choked as he tasted the muddy water of the lake. "There can't be a shark in a lake!"

What does your main character think? (EG: He was going to die right here in the lake, eaten by a shark! Who would ever believe that?)

What does the other character do? (EG: The shark leapt up out of the water. Now Jason saw the sharp teeth and the mean look in its gleaming red eyes.)

How does your main character react? (EG, Jason pulled off his purple goggles and thwapped the shark on the nose.)

What happens next? (EG: The shark sank suddenly below the water. Jason, his heart pounding swam quickly to shore. He was choking and could hardly breathe, but he was still alive.)

In some of your sentences put in bits of description of the characters. Use sensory description (sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feels (I have underlined these in the above examples.)

You can make these scenes short (just seven or eight sentences long, like the one above) or longer by asking what happened next? and next?

Remember, a real scene will usually have some talking (dialogue) some thoughts and feelings, some action, and some sensory description.

Congratulations! Now you know how to write a scene! Now you know how to SHOW instead of just TELLING us. (Real writers SHOW, DON'T TELL, at least in part of their story.)

 

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