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How To Make Every Scene In Your Novel Count

By on January 14, 2017
How To Make Every Scene In Your Novel Count - Writer's Life.org

If you really think about it, your novel is just a compilation of scenes that, when read together, tell your story. If your scenes flow into one another and complement one another (with the help of a solid narrative to connect them, of course) then you are on your way to writing a pretty good novel.

However, to make it even better, instead of looking at your book as a whole, pick it apart. Take each and every scene and hold it up to the light, examine it. Is that scene powerful, moving, exciting, dramatic? How does that scene aid your story overall?

Each and every scene that you write in your novel should count for each one is like a mini-story in itself, it needs structure, and therefore it needs an opening, a middle, and an ending too.

Think of your scenes as having a responsibility - they all owe it to your book to adhere to the core of your story, to the central idea, and similarly, they owe it to your reader to provide them with a certain experience - a further insight, a show. Scenes should not be dictated to the reader; rather the reader should be immersed within them. They should feel the air, see the colours; all their senses should be tantalised drawing them further into the story, into the world that you have created for them.

Scenes need to capture attention; they need to reveal information and you as the author need to highlight the information in each scene that is important, show the reader which things they need to pay special attention to.

You can choose to construct your scene in a number of different ways, each serving an individual and unique purpose.

An action scene builds momentum, carries the reader forward, they have energy and movement and make your reader feel exhilarated.

A narrative scene helps readers understand the basis for the story, the have few actions and are generally descriptive. Narrative scenes tell us more about the characters and the world that they live in. An effective narrative scene will reveal secret thoughts, will conjure up images, and will help your readers connect and care for your characters.

A setting scene provides specific visual details which contribute to immersing readers in the world that you have created for them. Using bold descriptive words, and being imaginative and unique both help to build vivid setting scenes which have an enormous impact on the drama of your novel and the impact it has on your readers. Setting scenes can be used cleverly to depict the tone of that’s to come as well as letting readers know exactly how the character is feeling.

Paying attention to your scenes is such an important part of writing your novel. Craft each and every one of them with care. Each scene in your novel should draw your reader in, and immerse them further in the story - so make sure you make every scene count!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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