When you write a scene in your story, it can be hard to balance the description with the action. The readers need to be able to picture the setting and characters, but too much description can make the story feel like it isn’t moving forward. There is a three step cycle to help ground the readers in the scene while keeping the action going.
1. Lay Concrete Description For The Scene
Start a scene by giving small details about the setting. It doesn’t have to be every detail, but, if you explain the small things, the readers will know the setting more intimately than if you explained the general layout of the location.
Do this by letting the character notice things around her and reacting to them emotionally. Maybe a picture of a ship makes her think about her dead uncle and his love for sailing. Or, she could be a seamstress who notices the intricate stitching on the curtains.
It is also important to use all the senses to explain a scene. Readers should be able to smell, taste, see, hear, and feel the setting around them. The more senses you evoke in your writing, the clearer the setting for the readers.
2. Start The Action
Once you lay the groundwork for the setting, start the action. It may be action of a fight or simply dialogue. While you start explaining the actions, mention more setting details or the orientation of the characters in the setting. As the scene progresses, the actions should climax. The fight breaks out or an argument ensues.
At this point, you should have the setting so well defined that the reader knows it instinctually and can picture the argument or fight without the writer taking time to pause the action for a setting description. By focusing on the action or dialogue instead of description during the climax, the reader will feel like the pacing has picked up and it’ll add to the tension.
3. End By Grounding The Story Back In The Setting
After the main conflict of the scene is over, you will need to pull the reader back into the setting before moving on to the next scene. This is done by mentioning something in the environment that pulls the character’s attention away from the conflict and to the setting. It’s best to use a sense to do this. The sound of a light bulb shattering. The smell of smoke. The feeling of rain on her face. Anything that points back to the setting.
Final Thoughts
You can repeat these three steps for every scene to make it more vivid in your reader’s imagination. It takes a lot of practice to find the right ratio of description to action. So, don’t get discouraged if the scenes feel stilted in the beginning. Once you get into the swing of it, the scenes will come easier and flow better.
Thanks for reading!
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