In the past, I’ve gone over the two functions of scenes and the three secrets of scenes, but today I want to talk about a scene’s cycle. A scene is the basic unit of story. By putting together multiple scenes, you create your book. However, you also have to make sure that those scenes flow together. Today, I want to go over the structure of a scene and how following its cycle can make sure your scenes merge flawlessly into a good story.
Goal
The opening of every scene has to start with the POV character’s goal. I’m not talking about the big, overarching goal of the story. You need to start with the scene goal. What does the character want to accomplish before this scene ends? It could be to talk to someone, get somewhere, fight the adversary, or even just process what happened in the last scene.
By giving each scene a goal at the beginning, the reader can follow as the character chases after it. The goal gives a sense of progression. Is the character getting closer to or farther from the goal? Even if the goal isn’t achieved, the reader will have a signpost to measure progress with as the scene unfolds.
Obstacle
The next story element that needs to appear in a scene is the obstacle. Every story needs conflict, and that happens on a scene level too. The POV character must come against an obstacle that hinders his progress toward the scene goal. If you write a scene where the character wants to get to a specific city and then the scene ends with only a smooth trip, the reader will feel frustrated. People don’t read to see life work out perfectly. They read to see a character face obstacles and then overcome them. So, make sure you put at least one obstacle between your character and his scene goal.
Debate
Your character has stumbled over an obstacle on his way to the scene goal, and now he will have a debate about what to do next. How will he solve the problem to get past the obstacle? The character will make a decision based on his beliefs. Those beliefs can be false ones, lies he tells himself, or true beliefs, and they are typically tied in with the book theme. Usually, at the beginning of the book, he will make decisions based on his false belief and then change to using a true belief by the end of the book. This change is a signal of the character’s internal journey.
Choice
After the character has debated about how to overcome the obstacle, he will make a choice. He’ll take action to fix the problem. The solution can work, not work, or only bandage the situation for a little while. If the obstacle is a small scene issue, like a broken car, you can have the choice actually fix the problem. However, if the obstacle connects to the overall plot, you’ll want the solution to not be permanent until the end of the book.
Consequence
After the character makes a decision and acts on it, he will have to deals with the consequences. Every action has repercussions, either good or bad. You’ll need to share how things change as a result of the character’s choice. These consequences will shift the character’s situation, and that may cause the character to have a new goal. Hence, you flow right into a new scene.
Example
Let’s look at an example to illustrate the point.
Our character’s opening scene goal is to get to his sister’s house because he doesn’t have the money to live on his own anymore. He starts out on his trip, and then his car breaks down (obstacle). He has to decide if he fixes the car or calls his sister to come get him (debate). Well, he already thinks his sister sees him as a nuisance (belief) so he decides to get his car towed to a nearby small town and get the car fixed (choice). When he gets to the mechanic, he’s told the fix will cost more money than he currently has right now (consequence).
The next scene goal is to get the money to fix his car. And so the story continues with the scene cycling into another and then another until the book ends.
Final Thoughts
Scenes are the building blocks of a story, and I think they feel more manageable than planning the entire book. If you’re a planner, you can list out scenes and plot the story beforehand. If you’re a pantser, this scene cycle is a staple for you. The only things you need before you start writing is a person and a goal. Then you can just follow this cycle, letting it spiral into a story. You’ll still need to edit after writing, but you’ll at least have a coherent and connected story line.
Thanks for reading!
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