A while back I wrote a post on the two functions of scenes: action and reaction. Since writing that post, I found the origin on this concept called Scene-Sequel. It was developed by Dwight V. Swain in his book Techniques of the Selling Writer. Today I want to elaborate on this concept using his knowledge on how to practically use Scene-Sequel to write a book.
Scene
As I stated previously, a scene (an action scene) is there to move the plot forward. Swain describes a scene as a character going through conflict to achieve a goal. That’s simple enough, right? Yet once you get into it, the concept can feel a little muddled. So, Swain came up with three steps to every scene: goal, conflict, and disaster.
Goal
After establishing setting, the first thing to appear in any scene is a goal. The character must want something, and not some abstract thing. Love, success, etc. Those are too vague. If you can’t take a picture of the moment the goal is achieved, then it’s not a good goal. The abstract goal of love could be a specific goal of proposing and having her say yes. If the character is chasing success, then the specific goal can be to give a wonderful presentation for history class. Once you have a specific goal, you can move onto the next part of the scene.
Conflict
In any scene, there must be opposition. Someone must want the same thing or the exact opposite thing as the main character. The rule is that only one person can win. If the character gets what he wants, then the opposition doesn’t. Or the other way around. If they both want the girl, only one will win her heart. If the main character wants to stop the bomb and the antagonist wants it to go off, only one will succeed. The point is that only one is walking away with his goal. The character will struggle throughout the scene to achieve his goal while hitting obstacles and antagonistic forces.
Disaster
After lots of struggling, the scene’s end will come when some unexpected obstacle arrives and creates a loss for the character. He can fail to achieve his scene goal, get sidetracked by a more urgent matter, or achieve the goal but be thrown a new problem. The point is that there is a hook that makes the reader want to read more. A disaster raises a question about the future of the character, and upsets the story’s flow.
Sequel
Once you’ve written a scene full of conflict and action, it’s time to move on to the sequel (a reaction scene). Sequels are the bridges between scenes that give your character time to logically react to the conflict he has encountered. They are slower paced so the character can work through emotions and create a new plan to move forward. Swain developed three steps to every sequel: reaction, dilemma, and decision.
Reaction
Immediately after the scene’s disaster, your character will have an instinctual reaction. How does he feel? What does he think of what happened? Every person reacts to the same event in different ways. If someone is insulted, he could throw back an insult, throw a punch, or throw a fit. How will your character react?
Dilemma
Once the initial reaction is done, the character will be faced with a dilemma. What will he do now? He will have a choice between two less than desirable options. If his house is burned down, he will have to either move in with his ex or his controlling father. If his boss fired him, he must either crawl back to his old boss or get roped into criminal work. During the sequel’s dilemma, he’ll struggle and ruminate on what to do until he makes a plan.
Decision
After struggling with what to do, the character will make a decision on how to proceed. He will make a new plan, set a new goal, and move onward. He’ll decide his ex-girlfriend is the lesser of two evils. His pride won’t let him go back to his hold job, so he takes a “small” job with a chop shop. With his new plan comes a new goal, and the story will be set up for another scene.
Final Thoughts
Swain argues that once you master the Scene-Sequel format, you will sell more books. It’s a basic tool all writers need to master. I highly recommend Swain’s book, Techniques of the Selling Writer. Though written decades ago, it’s one of the most informative books I’ve found on the writing process. While content and writers’ voices have changed over the years, writing itself is the same, and Swain does an excellent job of presenting clear, practical steps to write fiction.
Thanks for reading!
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